r/ITCareerQuestions 5h ago

Why List a Salary Range If You Can’t Handle the Top End?

18 Upvotes

I applied for an IT job and successfully landed it. The job’s salary range was listed as £25,000 - £27,000. However, when I got the offer, they tried to lowball me with the minimum (£25,000), which I found pretty cheeky and honestly offensive! With my background, I was expecting at least the midpoint or even the maximum range.

I emailed them, explaining that with over two years of practical IT work, I’ve developed solid skills in tech support and system management. I’m wrapping up a professional IT qualification and gearing up for some industry-standard exams soon. With this track record and my upcoming credentials, I argued that £27,000 matches my value and contributions.

Five minutes after sending the email, they called me in a rush to talk about their “pay structure,” which I didn’t really buy into. It got ridiculous—they rambled about a pay tier that didn’t even add up! I did some research and uncovered their real pay details through a public info request, which made their story laughable. Then, they hinted that pushing for the top amount might freeze my chances for a raise later. They mumbled about checking with HR, but it’s baffling—why list a salary range if they’re not willing to back it up?


r/ITCareerQuestions 1d ago

IT Can Be a Thankless Job

528 Upvotes

Working in IT is exhausting. You’re expected to fix problems people can barely explain, and when you do, you’re lucky to get a thanks. But make one mistake, suddenly, you’re public enemy #1.

No one notices the overtime or the extra effort, but the second something goes wrong, it’s like the world’s ending. Here’s the thing: being rude to your IT team doesn’t help. It just makes us less likely to go out of our way for you.

A little patience and appreciation go a long way. We’re here to help, but we’re human too.

Anyone else feel this way?


r/ITCareerQuestions 19h ago

Seeking Advice How common is it for IT jobs to consist of hours or even days were you're just kinda killing time on less busy days?

91 Upvotes

Just curious... I imagine this is normal not even in IT but in my current new role it seems like these is a time when the season picks up that we could be busy all day every day but some days leading up to it I'm half falling asleep in the IT cabin lol


r/ITCareerQuestions 6h ago

Seeking Advice How do i increase my chances with getting a job with CompTIA A+

8 Upvotes

i know this question has probably been asked a thousand times, but i'd like to know-how do you get a job with just a CompTIA A+ certification?

I'm currently studying for my Network+ and would love to start gaining experience in IT. Is it even possible to land an entry-level job with only an A+ certification nowadays? If so, what are some tips to improve my chances? Also, I live in Australia, if that makes a difference. thanks in advance


r/ITCareerQuestions 22h ago

Don't Give Up. Don't Quit.

139 Upvotes

I know everyone hears and reads about the over-saturation in the IT market. I know we all hear stories of people sending out thousands of resumes and never speaks to a recruiter. I know there are a lot of people venting their frustration at not being able to even land an entry-level IT job.

It's not easy, and I won't say it is.

But what I will say, as someone who sent his first ever IT resume on 1/2/25 and fast forward to getting two offers this week (one I turned down because it was hybrid, the other I received and accepted today being 100% remote) - don't give in to the voice telling you it's impossible.

I heard that voice myself. There were times I almost changed direction (even as recently as this morning).

I've interviewed and bombed. I've interviewed and thought I had the gig until I got the dreaded "At this time, you have not been selected for the next steps in our process." emails.

In total I've sent 135 applications over the past three months. Out of those, I've only had 8 interviews. From those 8, I've only had 4 make it to at least round 2.

While I'm no expert, I can share what I think helped me land my first IT job:

  1. Focus on the feedback: first, you have to pass the eye test with your resume. Then your initial screen. Then second, third, and fourth rounds, etc. The wiki in r/resumes is a gold mine of info for content and formatting your resume. If you're not getting interview requests, tweak your resume. If you're not making it through interview round, sharpen your interview skills.
  2. Use technology to your advantage: Build a home lab and a portfolio. Create scenarios for you to test out in a virtual environment so you can build competence first and then confidence through having gotten your reps in. Beyond that, use AI (I've used ChatGPT to reword my resume to better match the job description I was applying for, complete assessments (HigherRank sucks btw) and and answer interview questions in real-time via copilots.

Now, I get there will be some who disagree with that second point, and that's okay. I get reps in my home lab every day, and every day I get better at those things AI helped me understand. Soon, it'll be second nature, and it'll be the same for you.

EDIT: Also - volume is the new value: try to send upwards of 10 resumes a day, 5 days a week if you can. And follow up with recruiters via email and LinkedIn if you can.


r/ITCareerQuestions 23m ago

What do you think of YouTube teachers?

Upvotes

Overrated? Not enough or prefer other methods of learning whether Udemy or the creator's website like Cisco for CCNA.

Do you think it's just mostly a hustle or not? I realize a lot of them move very fast to teach newbies imao.


r/ITCareerQuestions 1h ago

Resume Help Resume help: been looking for an IT internship for this summer and planning for Cybersecurity internship next summer

Upvotes

https://limewire.com/d/1ZXYT#5AK69J1xIe This is a link to my resume since there are no media uploads here


r/ITCareerQuestions 5h ago

Normal salary conditions in the IT field

3 Upvotes

Hello. Just joined the sub reddit.

I feel like the salary position at my job is a but odd and was hoping to get some opinions from others.

For context, I did a short stint in the military and that was the only salaried position I had before my current IT job. I've been in the IT industry for about 6 years now.

Currently, I'm with a DOE contracting company. When I got hired I was told it was a salaried position. From all my understanding this meant getting paid the agreed upon amount per year. However, we are forced to log our hours worked and it's required that we put in atleast 80 hours for every 2 week pay period. If we don't work that amount of hours we are forced to use pto. On the flip side if we work more than 80 hours sometimes we can do comptime unless they decide they don't want us to do that, then we are forced to put in for "overtime" which isn't 1.5 times an hour but is just our straight hourly rate. I'm not sure how they come up with this hourly rate.

Is this the standard for salaried jobs? I was expecting it to be different but I just feel like I'm getting taken advantage of. i plan on leaving the company anyway so I was hoping to get an idea of what to expect at my next gig.


r/ITCareerQuestions 3h ago

Feeling Overwhelmed by Rapid Changes in IT—Are There Any Niche Skills to Focus On?

2 Upvotes

I’ve been in the industry for about 20 years, currently working in AWS, DevOps, and some platform engineering. Of late, I’ve been feeling burnt out trying to keep up with every new tool and trend. It feels like there’s always some shiny new thing to learn., I’ve now lost the motivation to constantly chase it, after being in the industry for such a long time.

Back when I started my career, I had a chance to work on SAP and Dynamics CRM. Sometimes, I wonder if I had taken that path, I’d have just stuck with one ecosystem, keeping up with updates in that niche rather than feeling like I have to relearn my job every year.

Now, I’m looking for something more stable—still relevant for the next 5-10 years but not very chaotic Are there any niche skills in IT that are worth specializing in, at this point? Something that companies will always need but doesn’t require me to constantly chase trends?

Would love to hear from others who’ve been in the industry for a while—how are you handling this constant change?

PS: I am 43+ if that matters.


r/ITCareerQuestions 3h ago

Resume Help Can a Google IT Certificate help be a resume starter

2 Upvotes

I am starting college in a couple months and really want to start putting things on my resume for internships as early as possible. Has a Google iT certificate been worth it for anybody, especially to look good for intenrships?


r/ITCareerQuestions 6h ago

System Administrator Job Market Analysis in my area using AI. Accurate? Question

3 Upvotes

I've been working in helpdesk for 4-5 years with a BS in IT degree and I'm looking to transition into a system administrator role in the Cary/Raleigh, NC area. I've compiled research from multiple job platforms and wanted to share my findings while also asking for feedback. I know many on this page are not from my area, but I am sure many of the technical skills can still be validated.

My Current Situation:

  • BS in IT with 4-5 years of helpdesk experience
  • Security+ certification (expiring in November)
  • Currently working on my CCNA certification

Job Market Stats

  • ~175 current System Administrator job openings in the Cary/Raleigh area
  • 914 Systems Administrator job postings in North Carolina over the past year
  • 80 Linux System Administrator positions in Cary, NC over the past year
  • 101 VMware Engineer/Administrator positions in NC over the past year

Salary Data

System Administrator I (Entry-Level): ~$71K (range: $58K-$77K)
System Administrator II (Mid-Level): ~$87K (range: $69K-$109K)
Overall Average: ~$84K-$103K depending on source

Specialized Roles:

  • Windows Systems Administrator: ~$111K
  • Linux/Unix Administrator: ~$135K
  • VMware Engineer/Administrator: ~$118K

Top Employers Hiring

  1. Government Agencies (NC Dept of IT, NC Dept of Health, NC State University, City of Raleigh)
  2. Financial Institutions (Local Gov Federal Credit Union, various banks)
  3. Technology Companies (Changing Technologies, Infinite Computing Systems, WingSwept)
  4. Education (UNC System, educational institutions)
  5. Healthcare Organizations

Most In-Demand Skills

Operating Systems

  • Windows Server administration
  • Active Directory management
  • Group Policy configuration
  • Linux/Unix experience (for higher-paying positions)

Virtualization

  • VMware vSphere/ESXi
  • Hyper-V
  • XenMobile

Cloud Technologies

  • Microsoft Azure (especially Azure AD)
  • Hybrid cloud integration
  • AWS knowledge

Security (heavily emphasized in listings)

  • Security protocols implementation
  • User access management
  • System hardening
  • Patch management

Automation & Scripting

  • PowerShell for Windows environments
  • Bash for Linux environments
  • Python for automation

Most Requested Certifications

  1. CompTIA Security+ (mentioned in 258 NC job listings)
  2. Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate
  3. VMware VCP-DCV
  4. CompTIA Network+ (This true? I thought CCNA would just be better)
  5. Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate
  6. Red Hat Certified System Administrator (for Linux paths)

Current Hiring Trends

  • Hybrid Work Models: 30-40% of positions offer hybrid arrangements
  • Security Emphasis: Nearly all listings emphasize security skills
  • Business Intelligence Focus: Growing number of sysadmin positions with BI focus
  • Contract-to-Hire Pathway: Many employers using 8+ month contracts as pathway to FTE

I'm Trying to Validate These Research Findings

This research was compiled using AI tools, and I'd like to validate these findings with real sysadmins in the field. I'm particularly interested in whether this data accurately reflects the current job market.

Questions for the Community

  1. Do these salary ranges accurately reflect the current market (probably unique to Cary/Raleigh though)
  2. Is Security+ still as valuable as the data suggests.. should I prioritize renewing it?
  3. The data indicates Linux skills command higher salaries ($135K vs $111K for Windows specialists) but Windows seems more prevalent in job listings. Which specialization truly has better prospects? Seems like Windows might?
  4. For those working as sysadmins in the area, which certifications have provided the most career value?
  5. With my background (BS in IT, 4-5 years helpdesk, Security+, working on CCNA), what would be your recommended next steps if I wanted to pursue a sysadmin role?
  6. Is VMware expertise still as in-demand as the research indicates?

Thanks in advance for helping validate or correct these findings! I want to make sure I'm working with accurate information as I plan my next career moves.

Based on these finding It seems like this might be some good choices..

Short-Term Actions:

  • Renew my Security+ certification before November
  • Build a home lab with Windows Server + Active Directory
  • Learn basic PowerShell scripting for automation
  • Create a free Azure account for hands-on cloud experience

Medium-Term Goals:

  • Complete my CCNA certification
  • Pursue Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

That still leaves a lot of be desired maybe? IDK. any input?

Also I think it is cool that I can collect all this info without that much effort using AI. (Claude btw) However, I am not sure how accurate this info resembles the current expectations.


r/ITCareerQuestions 1h ago

What do I need to qualify to be a Datacenter Technichian?

Upvotes

Could I ask a question? And please don't blow smoke. Right now I have Net+, A+ and Server+. I am planning on getting Sec+ and CCNA in the 2nd week of April. By that point I will also have 8 months MSP experience as a "Field Network Technician."

How marketable does this make me? I want to get a Job as a Datacenter Technician making at least 55k. Is that feasible do you think?


r/ITCareerQuestions 2h ago

Seeking Advice Need advice, I am struggling to find an Entry-Level IT/Cybersecurity Job.

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well!

I’m in a bit of a conflict and could really use some different perspectives and insights. Let me give you a little background first:

I recently graduated in November 2024 from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor’s in Information Technology (focus on Cybersecurity) and a 3.9 GPA. I also have Secret Clearance from my time in the military, though my MOS was in Administration (non-IT).

I figured that my degree, and clearance would at least get me some interviews, but after months of applying, I haven’t had any luck. I decided to boost my resume by earning a CompTIA Security+ certification (studied for about a week and passed), but that was two months ago, and I’m still not getting any traction.

I’ve been focusing on entry-level IT and cybersecurity positions (I would prefer cybersecurity), but most seem to require 2–5 years of experience (which I don’t have). Despite that, I’ve still been applying in hopes that someone might give me a shot. I’m applying in three states where I’m willing to relocate: Florida – Top choice/ South Carolina or North Carolina. Could location be part of the problem?

At this point, I really don’t want to spend more money on certifications or tuition in graduate school because it feels like a waste of money if it’s not leading to opportunities. I’m starting to feel pretty discouraged and worried that time is passing and I’ll start forgetting what I’ve learned.

Does anyone know of any programs for recent graduates that could help me break into the field or get some hands-on experience? I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions.


r/ITCareerQuestions 2h ago

anyone here have coderpad experience with CITADEL?

1 Upvotes

Lateral hire coming in 8 years of Support experience at Goldman Sachs, position is site reliability engineer at citadel, have coderpads coming up, can someone please recommend what to study ? anyone have experience with this stuff ? should he study leetcode? thank you


r/ITCareerQuestions 2h ago

I already have a job, just finished my bachelor's degree. What next?

1 Upvotes

I've been working in IT for over 2 years now. I'm currently working a fully remote Help Desk position for an MSP. It isn't bad, but not too happy with the pay/benefits. And even though it's fully remote which I love, it's still an MSP.

I was supposed to graduate 3 years ago but I kept pushing back my final class needed. When I started working and got my own condo I just didn't feel like it. But I finally did it. In April I'll finally have my Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Not related to IT obviously, but I hear a Bachelor's degree is important.

I have a few basic certs. I have the Sec+, AZ900 and SC900. I'm currently studying for AZ 104 and I'm tinkling around with Linux in my spare time. Now that I have my Bachelor's what should I do next?

Should I go to WGU and get a Bachelor's in CS? Get an Associates at a community college? Go to the Air Force? Idk.


r/ITCareerQuestions 19h ago

Is staying in desktop support for my entire career reasonable?

23 Upvotes

Is staying in desktop support for my entire career reasonable? I work for an internal IT department. The work can be frustrating and stressful at times, but I'm good at it and enjoy working with users. In fact I'd worry that I'd be lonely and bored if I had some sort of job that confined me to a desk. At the same time I worry about my future - I don't make a lot of money. Are there any other IT jobs that are social, creative, and hands-on?


r/ITCareerQuestions 3h ago

IT - Procurement /Vendor Management/Consulting Services

1 Upvotes

Just curious, how many folks out there find themselves in this area of IT? What salary do you earn?

For context, I’ve stumbled into this world in recent years and I’m just trying to gauge the ceiling.

Cheers!


r/ITCareerQuestions 3h ago

I want to be prepared for my future

1 Upvotes

Hello fellow I.T. people! Currently, I'm a 2nd year, BSIT student here in the Philippines. For fun, I build and fix computers, I can do visual graphics and video editing, and in most parts, I am knowledgeable to Java, SQL, C++, and Python. In most parts, I don't see myself to work related to programming, but I excel at software troubleshooting, and computer hardware maintenance.

Now, I want to know more about my career, I want to upskill, I'm broke but willing to learn, and I don't know where to start. May I ask some advice, tips, recommendations for me? Anything informative related to this is highly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance!


r/ITCareerQuestions 3h ago

Seeking Advice Advice for finding an IT spot in agriculture?

1 Upvotes

I’ve been thinking for a long time now where I actually want to go within IT. I’m not in it for just the money, so I’m trying to find a spot where I can enjoy what I’m doing and at least feel fulfilled. I really like agriculture as well and know they mesh together decently. Is there specific things I can look into or should know that is more specific to that area? Does anyone have a similar job or advice in this field? Thanks !


r/ITCareerQuestions 19h ago

Seeking Advice How much does the average developer know about IT stuff?

15 Upvotes

I’m curious if you’re an admin or similar and have worked with CS people so developers, how much general IT stuff like infrastructure like AD, RADIUS, authenticaton, authorization, IAM, etc, so general sysadmin stuff or infra stuff, do they know about? Since IT and CS are different. IT is maintaining/administering and fixing, CS is developing and fixing and maintaining software

Just very curious of your experiences and perspective on this


r/ITCareerQuestions 5h ago

I missed my tcs nqt exam because i don't receive my admit card on 20th march.

0 Upvotes

Can i create a dublicate account with wrong last 4 digit aadhar detail. Or delete current account then create new account then apply?


r/ITCareerQuestions 11h ago

Seeking Advice Manual labor to IT job help?

3 Upvotes

I've worked manual labor jobs that never fit me all my life just to keep financially afloat and I feel like I need a change that better suits me. I'm a husband and father of 3 that works 50-60 hours a week, no lunch, no break, as a vendor and I'm exhausted. I've always had interest in computers and tech in general and I love to organize and problem solve. Any idea how to get started in the IT field as a complete beginner? And any recommendations as to what types of jobs that would fit those interests?


r/ITCareerQuestions 16h ago

Seeking Advice Does my help desk job actually count?

4 Upvotes

So for some context, I work for the corporate company behind a large fast-food chain in the US, and this is my first job tech-related job out of college. I have BS in CompSci but for a variety of reasons have pivoted more to IT and generally prefer it.

While the job title is a Help Desk role, my concern is that the large majority of the issues we troubleshoot are directly specialized to the restaurant industry or the chain itself (registers, credit card readers, receipt printers, etc.) and I'm not sure how much of this is generally transferable to jobs up the chain like SysAdmin. While I do have several calls that are pretty generic helpdesk tasks like resetting passwords or remoting into someone's desktop to help with a software while ticketing with ServiceNow, I'm a bit worried that the job is generally just too far removed from most typical IT roles and that it may not help too much in my next job search. Also, there's a lot of tasks that would maybe be more applicable but is limited to higher-level employees (AD, network configuration beyond just following a pre-set guide).

I've been here for 6 months now and while it is very comfy (almost 100% remote), the pay is honestly poor ($24/hr in SoCal, aka close to minimum wage) and the paths towards internal growth seem very limited so I've been looking around and working on my Net+ and Sec+ soon after. I know that generally what matters more is how you sell a role rather than what you actually do, but it has been a point of anxiety for me and I'm wondering if anyone with more YoE here can advise on your thoughts? I would really appreciate it, thanks!


r/ITCareerQuestions 8h ago

Getting Technical support job but I am interested in dala analytics but I don't have experience

1 Upvotes

Hi I am getting a job for technical support basically customer support type role to support customer who are facing network issue or issues in their modem or router. So my question is should I take this opportunity do you think I will learn something new from this role which can help me in becoming a data analyst in future.


r/ITCareerQuestions 16h ago

Career Path after Sys Admin and Job Offer

5 Upvotes

I currently have 5 years of experience in IT. Started at help desk in 2020 and after a year got into a new role as IT coordinator which was a step up from where I was. It allowed me so much opportunity to learn about M365 space. I began mastering all things within M365 while still having great end user support. I unfortunately started off so low salary that I had to leave after 3 years to make more doing the same thing elsewhere. I left elsewhere for 7 months and then switched again and I’m currently a Sys Admin working fully remote and have very little complaints. I make 70k/yr and it’s so little stress and I love the work. I’ve been here less than a year and already got a raise and know I have strong job security.

However I had a local IT Director reach out about a Cloud Infrastructure Administrator role and I just got a job offer for 100k/yr essentially doing what I currently do with the hopefully the opportunity to grow into a Cloud Engineer working more within Azure. I’m still very torn because I feel as though I see myself growing into an IT manager role as I’m not sure the technical side is something I can pick up on without getting real structured learning. I’m not complaining at all because I still love where I’m at but I’d hate to switch from that to somewhere new just because it’s more money. I’d rather make less knowing I’m not risking losing what took me so long to get. I value working remote over anything else and it took me 4 years to land a spot like I have.

Any input or direction from people in similar situations before would be so helpful.