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[Myllz]

So here's the pickle I'm in right now. I'm currently working for a company in their IT department, where I've been for about 2 years now. The company is soon to be expanding to over twice it's size, and there's going to be some openings around the company. One of these openings is going to be in engineering as a detailer (we manufacture firetrucks, so there's plenty of detailing to be done). Even though the company has not yet *officially* announced it's plan to expand, pretty much everyone already knows it's going to happen, including the engineering manager. This guy pretty much loves me, and has already came out and offered me the detailing job when it oficially becomes available.

I do enjoy my job in IT already, but I enjoy engineering even more. Plus, the engineering job would offer more money than what I currently make. However, I have pretty much no training in engineering (besides what it would take to do this job), so if I were to be fired or whatever, I have no education in engineering to get me another job in that field. And my company has basically paid for all of my IT education, which I would basically be saying "thanks for that, now I'm moving on to another position, suckers".

So basically:

Stay at my IT Job -

+ I have education in IT (MCSA, Security+, Network+, etc.)
+ I have experience in IT
+ Extremely Flexible Schedule
+ "Decent" Pay
- Boring Work

New Engineering Position -

+ Higher Pay
+ Better Work Day due to more interesting work
- No experience if fired
- No educational background (besides a few CAD classes in HS) in engineering if fired

Would it be a bad move to break away from the IT business if that's where all my experience and education is? Or isn't it that big of a deal to take a job in engineering for a few years, and then get back into IT? What would you do?

 

[Deleted member 1235]

man do the engineering one if you like it better. maybe try and finish up an MCSE in between times while working your new job, you can always go back to IT. just try and stay current with IT tech.

go where the money is, which has a lower ceiling for potential earnings? you only have to worry for like 1 year about the experience factor and if you got sacked 1 year out of IT is not long enough to become behind.

 

[Myllz]

Both jobs would basically cap out at the same pay rate eventually, but the engineering job gets me there faster. I might actually turn this around and demand a pay raise, and if I don't get it just go and work in engineering.

 

[DCX]

What is the salary range in IT anyway?

DCX

 

[Phoenix]

Well once you get a job in engineering you will have an experience base there and can move to other jobs. This is really a test of how much risk you're willing to take on. Early on in my career I was a big risk taker and in most cases it paid off greatly, but if you don't like the uncertainty of knowing what you're going to do if you get fired or have a hard time getting interviews in your field (or your new one) - you might want to give pause to it.


I was always able to gamble because I was pretty confident that I could find work again if it all went to shit - so I kept going after the work that I enjoyed. At the time I wasn't married, not kids, and could live on a shoestring budget if necessary so it wasn't a big deal because I was only risking my own well-being. If you're comfortable with the downside of something going wrong and you being out of work and potentially not being able to find work versus doing what you really want to do, go for what you really want to do. If nothing else it gives you experience to go work somewhere else - DOING WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO.

 

[Richiban]

I'd pick the job you enjoy more over the job you're currently doing. If you know you're going to like Engineering better than IT, then do engineering. There's nothing worse than getting up everyday to go to a job you sorta like, your life will be so much richer going to a job that you love to do.

 

[Myllz]

I just talked to my current boss about it, and I pretty much have to stay in IT I think. If I were to go into engineering, not only would I not have enough experience or education to get another job in engineering, my IT experience and education wouldn't be enough to make what I currently make at a brand new IT job. However, if I stay in IT, I'm already guranteed a $2 raise (thanks to my discussion with my boss today), plus I can continue to build my experience and have the company pay for further training (MCSE).

I do enjoy my job, it's not at all stressful or anything like that, but it's sporatic. I like being able to come in to work every day and know exactly what I'm going to be doing, which is what I would have had in engineering. It's all good though, and the option is still open in case I change my mind later.