I’m in IT middle management, surprise surprise, and performing well. The job is stressful at times though and I’m in the early days of toying with a complete career change. Outside of my core day job skills I can only fix bikes so options appear a bit limited.

What ideas or personal experiences have you got?

Got a degree? There are loads of cross-curricular MAs about. I went from Archaeologist to Building Surveyor after a years study.

I’m sure there are plenty of other MA MSc and MBA courses you could find

Cost about 5-6k for the course plus living expenses.

APF

Education could well be your escape as mentioned above. I’m on a Masters at the moment that is related to my current job, but not much to do with my previous employment. However, it is all applicable and opening up a new start for me in 18 months or so. Look for something you want to study – you want to enjoy it.

Freight train driver?

Stout yeoman of the rails, hauling the nation’s materiel hither and yon. The wind in your hair and one thousand tons at your back.

Pay’s not bad as well.

8 years ago I was where you are – IT, doing rather well thank you but looking for ‘something more’. So I quit, retrained as a garden designer, ran my business for a few years then got screwed by the credit crunch, recession etc. So now I’m looking to get back into IT and in the current employment market nobody’s touching me with the sh!tty end of a long stick. I’d have gone mental if I hadn’t done something back then, but perhaps a year of travelling the world or somesuch would’ve been a better option as I could probably have negotiated that time off with my employer. Think about it.

I went from Archaeologist to Building Surveyor after a years study.

“I’m not sure, but I know what it’ll look like in 5000 years”?

I’m in a similar predicament. I have a 2:1 in Computer Science, after graduating I couldn’t find a job, so began temping at a call centre – three years later and I’m still here.

It’s soul destroying work and despite working hard and never taking a day off sick, I’m never given any additional responsibility or opportunity to develop. I suspect most of the management are of the “a degree is just a piece of paper” persuasion. They recently promoted a long term employee to Systems Admin, ignoring the fact she is barely computer literate and just wonders around uttering ” The Java’s broken”.

I’m not bitter or anything 🙂

I wasn’t a very good building surveyor mind…

APF

A Joey !

A Gofer !

Labourer !

To be honest if your skilled you’ll last two weeks in any of the above jobs
and think What the **** have i done and go back to IT

You wait when you have to sit with your new works colleagues and listen
to there conversations.

What does a middle manager in it actually do?

Teacher? and start an after-work bike club; it really is a great job except for the kids (sorry, meant paperwork).

Join the Navy. Feel a man.

Career changes often involve taking a financial hit for the first few years (not always of course). Are you prepared to take that?

I went from Uni researcher to a Teacher about 5-6 years ago, love my job now, although I do wish there was less of it.

From a Casino manager to author, blogger, and lecturing in chaos, complexity and innovation after doing an MSc 🙂 !

Thanks for the interesting replies although no specific career jumping out there at the moment but I’m very appreciative of the warning thepurist.

I do have a degree, don’t think teaching is for me though I haven’t truly considered it, I don’t enjoy studying so I’d probably not be cut out for an MA.

Can I afford to change. Yes but the belt will have to tighten.

What does a middle IT manager do? Takes the strategy and makes it a reality pretty much, while keeping the ball in the air at the same time.

What does a middle IT manager do? Takes the strategy and makes it a reality pretty much, while keeping the ball in the air at the same time.

Well you have the management lingo down….. 😆

Fluent in BS then! Have you thought about working in Government? ;0)

imnotamused, if you do work it out please let me know. I’m up to here with keeping the bloody ball in the air this morning. And all this year…

There must be something better than IT management out there!

Haha 🙂 my job is full of management guff,

Socialise the idea and Horizon 1 instead of stage or phase 1 are really getting on my moobs right now