The conundrum of being a "Jack of all trades" on the Job hunt.
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We use the same title for everyone: technical support specialist. Since we don't have distinct admin / engineering separation, nor any specific roles like network, server, storage, etc. We really are mostly generalists but wanted a title that wasn't so odd.
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One thing that is interesting is that generalists are rare in the enterprise, very rare, but when they exist they tend to be extremely senior. Architect roles are normally generalists.
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You may want to consider looking for "Infrastructure Specialist" roles. Typically those are the server/networking/desktop admin type of jobs, with less management and less helpdesk. It's not a specialized role per se, but does prune certain aspects away. You'll typically find them in companies with IT teams of 3-5 people or so.
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Yea, I've worked in IT for 20+ years. Started with outside tech, moved to network analyst, to consultant, to I.S. Manager, and now work for a company that considers me a flunky. I do everything. From outside tech, there was HP printer support, Warranty services - IBM, Packard Bell ?remember them?, HP, Compaq, 3Com, Epson, Oki Data (printers and fax) numerous types of Clones, worked on 486 - 66 to pentium 233 all manners of software, OS and Installed ie. corel 5.1 Dos 5.0 - 6.22 win 311,95 nt 3.51 & 4.0 Server Unix. (ages me huh?). Since then I have had almost all role's in IT you can imagine. I found out how to wire 568 a,b, pull cable, wire buildings, terminate in patch panels, followed fiber from sanding ends with a microscope to splicing with gel media. Row's of servers, no problem, apple products no problem, AS400, no problem, desktops, no problem, printers faxes scanners etc. no problem. IP routing and vlans no problem. On and on... SOO which skill should I highlight on my resume? The one I'm applying for of course. Still have a hard time trying to find work when there are so many specialists out there???? If you work in IT and have not picked up other skills on your way, are you working with blinders on? Has your employer never asked for a project out of your skill set? Even in large company's when they find you can place a maintenance kit into HP lasers, or replace a scanner, boing you save them $200-300 in not calling in a Laser printer tech. Once this happens your job also absorbs the printer tech position by default (usually you do this in a pinch, you never want to advertise printer skill, after all it is just a dumb peripheral -- who know's why they attach it to pc's?). Soon your description was Network admin, or analyst, or tech, but now you are also the in house printer tech does that get added - I think not. Jack of all trades, by jobs. Know what I do, Yes. Skimp in training, no - if I am not sure I find out, do not pretend I am sure. Where does this leave me?? My education has been - Myself, how many of you rely on absorption/osmosis to do your job - you can't, you need continuing education. Internet, trade publications, tech manuals, software guides, dare say magazine's. (oh also clean malware, not in 'my' job description).
If an employer passes on me, oh well, really - their loss? Maybe (if my ego was larger, but it gets trampled in my day to day so I don't usually worry). Change, in IT it is a way of life, a constant, interesting - if it did not keep my attention I would quit - ask my wife. Fair, was it fair how hard it was for any of you to break into this field, how did you 'WOW' your first employer into giving you the chance to prove yourself on their equipment/software? Was it easy, if so leave me a post - I get asked all the time. I don't care who you are, what your title is, you have had to be a Jack Of All Trades at some point, unless you have been here 6 Months. Isn't that true? -
@ChrisJ no, only in the SMB. In the enterprise what you describe is completely unheard of. Jobs a rigidly cordoned off and a network admin touches nothing but routers and switches, unix admins never see windows or routers, desktop techs never touch printers, DBAs literally do nothing but database management, etc.
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@scottalanmiller said:
@ChrisJ no, only in the SMB. In the enterprise what you describe is completely unheard of. Jobs a rigidly cordoned off and a network admin touches nothing but routers and switches, unix admins never see windows or routers, desktop techs never touch printers, DBAs literally do nothing but database management, etc.
At what size do Desktop techs stop touching printers? When I worked for West Teleservices (a fortune 500 company) we were responsible for printers too.
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@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@ChrisJ no, only in the SMB. In the enterprise what you describe is completely unheard of. Jobs a rigidly cordoned off and a network admin touches nothing but routers and switches, unix admins never see windows or routers, desktop techs never touch printers, DBAs literally do nothing but database management, etc.
At what size do Desktop techs stop touching printers? When I worked for West Teleservices (a fortune 500 company) we were responsible for printers too.
I STILL work on printers and I'm not even local.
Damn that giant print server that serves out every single printer in one location.
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i touch everything. all the time. Servers, switches, firewalls, asa's, desktops, phones, pbxs, network cabling, patch panels, even have a few folks that still have 66 blocks....remember those? haha I like to refer to myself as a Nerd Mercenary.
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@Hubtech said:
i touch everything. all the time. Servers, switches, firewalls, asa's, desktops, phones, pbxs, network cabling, patch panels, even have a few folks that still have 66 blocks....remember those? haha I like to refer to myself as a Nerd Mercenary.
66 blocks are still really common for digital or analog phones.
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@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@ChrisJ no, only in the SMB. In the enterprise what you describe is completely unheard of. Jobs a rigidly cordoned off and a network admin touches nothing but routers and switches, unix admins never see windows or routers, desktop techs never touch printers, DBAs literally do nothing but database management, etc.
At what size do Desktop techs stop touching printers? When I worked for West Teleservices (a fortune 500 company) we were responsible for printers too.
Desktop attached printers or the big units on the network?
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@scottalanmiller said:
@Dashrender said:
@scottalanmiller said:
@ChrisJ no, only in the SMB. In the enterprise what you describe is completely unheard of. Jobs a rigidly cordoned off and a network admin touches nothing but routers and switches, unix admins never see windows or routers, desktop techs never touch printers, DBAs literally do nothing but database management, etc.
At what size do Desktop techs stop touching printers? When I worked for West Teleservices (a fortune 500 company) we were responsible for printers too.
Desktop attached printers or the big units on the network?
In my case it was both. Granted we rarely tore them apart, a maintenance contract covered them, but we definitely had to do level one troubleshooting, replace toners, paper, make sure it was on the network ,etc.
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Wow. Even in 1,000 person shops I've never seen desktop specialists wasted in paper changing chores.
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@scottalanmiller said:
Wow. Even in 1,000 person shops I've never seen desktop specialists wasted in paper changing chores.
Either lazy or ignorant or both, they are all welcome there (or at least were).
