always nice to find out things about yourself

[Testin da Cable]

a recent survey tells us:

Much of the information provides predictable results: IT pros earn more than average people (£35,000); they are frequently stressed (42 per cent under constant pressure); they work longer hours (42 hours a week); and, significantly, the bulk of them drink beer (42 per cent).

well fsck me I didn't know that yet :/
talk about pointless surveys heh

 

[Will]

Only 42% drink beer? That is a surprise.

 

[Testin da Cable]

I think that should read
42% drink beer at work

 

[SoWat]

I think it should read

42% do any work


£35K is the average wage for a Pro? Doesn't seem an awful lot. I tried to recruit someone for our small team, and they all turned their noses up at £33k start.

 

[Summo]

Dammit! Quit editing your post, SoWat! I can't keep up!

Three times now...

 

[SoWat]

I was trying to be more tactful

 

[Summo]

I noticed. "Pimply MCSEs" I think you said.

I'm an MCSE and I'm not spotty, you arrogant sod!

And I don't get paid 35K. But then, I don't have to commute to work and that's worth a few thousand a year.

 

[Testin da Cable]

hehe I was an MCSE+i but I'll deny that if you try to pin it on meh!!!4

for that matter, I'd also deny ever doing any work...but that's a different story

 

[Wij]

Wankers.

I never got any certificates. My experience is all in the trenches

 

[SoWat]

Well apologies to pimply youths everywhere

As you've grassed me up, I'll explain about the MCSE thing.

We had a spate of younger guys turning up for jobs that they had no hope of getting. They seemed to think that their certificates were their passport to fame and fortune. It's a start, but we're more interested in experience (or a good aptitude), rather than formal qualifications, though they help. The guys we were interested in either didn't want to work for £33k, or didn't want to travel overseas.

Youth of today... PAH!

In the end, I poached a lad from a different, non-IT, department. We doubled his wage (to £24k), and have put in place a comprehensive training programme for him over the next 2 years.

 

[Wij]

Sounds a better idea to me

 

[Summo]

Fuck me! You took a 12K a year kid and gave him 24K? From a non-IT department? I bet he's over the moon as he trundles off to his training course with a fat wallet of cash.

Jaysus... Sounds like a Dilbert cartoon. I need a different job.

 

[SoWat]

It's working well.

We're not really an IT department, i.e we don't service users in our company. We program and install low volume/high value systems into other companies (250k+ a unit).

A lot of customers, especially fellow blue chip companies, like to have a one-stop-shop for their services, so we end up doing networks, custom software to interface with our stuff, etc.

The lad in question was prepared to take a pay cut to get his foot in the door, and was pleasantly surprised at what we offered. We now have a motivated, hard working, individual who'll be with us for years, and will be a valuable asset, rather than a here-today-gone-tomorrow job market surfer.

Edit: Someguy, people who join our department are put in the salary band we have negotiated for our department. 24k is the lowest pay band we have. I was not about to go to the HR director and tell her that we need additional pay bands with less money. When I said he was from a different department, I meant that he worked in the field, replacing and repairing parts on our systems, so he had good experience of how it all worked. 12k was his basic. I believe he earned about 18k with overtime. He won't be getting any overtime now, so we can work him to death

 

[Summo]

That makes more sense. I don't feel like I'm being shafted by my employers quite as much.

Any more vacancies? I make a wicked cup of tea and never abuse the Internet during office hours.

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by SoWat

Youth of today... PAH!

hehheh I have more or less the same idea dudeh. I too have seen my share of eager beavers with shiny certificates. Not willing to work for 33k based on being an MCSE?? Ha! Goodbye then, send the next man in on your way out thanks =P
Certs are nice, but not a prerequisite lol

 

[-AP-]

Sowat i need a job

£33k sounds fine to me

 

[Summo]

I agree with everybody. Heh.

I wouldn't rely on my shiny (framed ) certificate to get me a job. That's why I'm still working for the Caaancil until I build up my experience to a level I'm more satisfied with. Could be here forever, though.

A friend of mine in the real world was holding interviews for a relatively low-level IT position last week and said there were so many MCSEs in there they could have papered the walls with them.

MS have just anounced that they are NOT going to decertify MCSEs in NT4, just relable them 'MCSE in Windows NT4' and 'MCSE in Windows 2000' etc. Great for me. Still got that four-hour Win2K exam looming, though. I've got two hopes; no hope and Bob Hope.

 

[raw]

I got cunted by my last company and now currently out of work and looking for a new job.

Im 22 and at 20 was employed by my last company to rip out the old AS400 system and basicaly install an entire new network, covering 3 offices which did myself with a little help for the routing.

I wasnt paid that much, with overtime etc my salary only hit £16k tops, after it was installed i was there to support, upgrade, trainning etc amongst other things, then get cunted by my no fuck all commerical manager and am forced into resignation or a fucked up reference due to me and him disagreeing on how i do things.

Give meeeeeeeeee a job

 

[Summo]

I don't think calling your last manager a cunt is really the way to get your foot in the door.

However, I recommend farting and slapping the arse of any female interviewers. Then ask them for a 'nice brew'.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Don't forget to belch loudly, patting your fat stomach.

 

[DAN200]

Judging by the results of that survey, 42% of survey planners spend too much time reading "Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy"...

frequently stressed ( 42 per cent under constant pressure)
longer hours ( 42 hours a week
drink beer ( 42 per cent).

Looks a bit suspicuoust if ya ask me......

 

[PR.]

I only get 9k year :/

Looking to get an MCSE

BTW. Is it normal to have heads of IT that know nothing about IT?

 

[raw]

Originally posted by PR


BTW. Is it normal to have heads of IT that know nothing about IT?

Yes i worked for one and it turned out quite nasty !

 

[old.frankie]

doing a HND in computing atm, just getting to grips with the bits and bobs... after that, may upgrade it to a full degree, and then will want to find a job with training and routes into me doing a cisco network certificate and MCSE's in things

what do you guys recomend to me as in what i should do after i have finished this HND?

as you have the knoledge, and are in the position to say what YOU want (to the manager peeps) what would you say you would look for in an employee, and what my aim should be?

cheers. Really could do with some guidence.

Thanks.

 

[Wij]

Well if you're looking to go into IT straight after Uni then back in my day I found that employers weren't really bothered about which qualifications you have. I have a Philosophy degree ffs

 

[Summo]

I've never met an IT manager who gives a flying fuck about a degree. That said, if your looking to go straight into management then a degree would probably be a help-up.

THAT said I HATE IT managers who have no technical experience.

I dunno, Frankie... go to Uni, have a laugh, get a job somewhere, get better at it, get a better job, earn more money, retire at 45.

 

[SoWat]

as you have the knoledge, and are in the position to say what YOU want (to the manager peeps) what would you say you would look for in an employee, and what my aim should be?

Personally speaking, my philosophy is this:

Qualifications show, at the very least, an ability to absorb information. Ally that to a willingness to learn, and perhaps some sort of practical experience, and the candidate is a distinct possibility. One attribute that a lot of people overlook is personality. We have to work together for long hours, mostly under some sort of stress. We stay at the same hotels, etc. I'd never take on somebody I thought I wasn't going to get on with.

If I had to choose between experience or qualifications, I'd go for experience every time. If 2 candidates were even on everything else, I'd go for the one with the qualifications.

I'd be more interested in someone who had a wide general knowledge, rather than a specialist (unless we were specifically after a specialist of course).

That's my 2p worth, though we may not be representative. Maybe Stu- will add his thoughts.

 

[old.frankie]

cheers for info guys

will stick with what im doing for a few years and then try get a job in the area i find most interesting during the course (networking sounds good)

then ill try get a job at the bottom and eat my way up...

 

[Mellow-]

Where as I have absolutely no MSCE's, no special certificates, (except an advanced computing qualification) but I know how to work a computer. Which of course makes getting even a low down job quite a task.

I have of course been working for the last year(s) and I just want some friendly IT dept. to swallow me up and train me.

And here I am, i'd be happy with £16k a year, I hardly have any expenses and that'll just about cover my needs.

I can't believe those other interviewees turn their noses up at 33k...some people it seems, are never happy.

Gis, a job a desk, a pc and an internet connection and voila, i'm happier than a happy thing in happyville.

 

[Summo]

Originally posted by SoWat
If 2 candidates were even on everything else, I'd go for the one with the qualifications.

Heh. You could apply anything to that.

If two candidates were even on everything else, I'd go for the one with the;

• prettier nose
• smarter tie
• island in the Bahamas
• biggest jugs

etc etc.

Tomfoolery aside, you sound like a good manager, SoWat. Perhaps you should arrange an open day for the BW peeps. We could all apply for jobs.