ironman
Hey guys,
Feeling weird to talk about this issue, but i hope i'll feel better if i receive some comments/ideas/opinions,
Well i am a motivated system and network administrator, motivated means i LOVE this job in general and love the tasks related to this job, its not about the money, i really do love my job, and i have around 6 years of experience.
Recently i got a job offer (with a good salary offer), BUT the position wasn't a sysadmin nor a network admin, it was in a different department related to IT (not technical, its a job that includes 99% issuing reports and checking if IT are doing their job properly according to best practices)
This was the first shock, i really can't accept not working the configuration by myself, i feel i will lose my skills in like 1 year max.
want more? the costume, we need to wear formal wear everyday (yes including a tie)
want more? tight schedule, all people here like come 8:00 to work, 9:00 they eat the apple, 1:00 PM lunch, 5:00 they leave
Fine, i can forget about all of those, i can do my own researches and entertain myself,,, but NO all websites are blocked, no admin permission on laptop, everything is being monitored, no USB access, and i have the shittiest desk in the whole office where everyone can see my screen, and no we can't change places because the manager says where we should sit.
i am really like going to hell 9 hours a day, then coming back at home.
I am really lost, and don't know what to do, no alternate job offers (and i really can't go to a lower salary)
i hate management, i hate issuing reports.
i'll stop talking.
What would you do?
TheStunMan
Find your own way, bypassing any proxy including the toughest proxy is fairly easy if you try harder. Any company will have different rules, yours just seem a little more strict which you should work on yourself to meet their expectations..
Your desk is in front of your colleagues, i don't see any problem with that if you are doing your job on daily basis and visiting lebgeeks :-) take advantage on any situation you are put on.
Admin permission wont do any good for you, just search for portable apps and if you realllly need some apps to be installed find your own way.
Everything is monitored for a reason, because they don't trust their employees.
Hey no one said working is an easy thing to do, yes its a commitment and yes it sucks to be in a position you don't like. Either find a better job or take it as something you hate and you don't like to make it as possible as you can to make it something you like and you enjoy as this will overcome your obvious weakness.
ironman
@TheStunMan,
Bypassing Proxy: system is super secure, logs are being checked in realtime, there is a security team of 7 persons constantly checking for logs and alerts + i already created a thread and checking for solutions (yet nothing though)
Rules and formal wear: Well in fact, i can't find solutions for problems while wearing a tie and trapped in a cage
Desk in front of colleagues: i am not opening Porn, but i hate when i turn my back, i see people looking at my screen, this drives me crazy.
and the biggest problem is that in my previous job, i used to control everything, i am not used to "being controlled", i had like 10 Mbps dedicated connection only for me, torrent speed was like 2MBps.
Huge difference for me, and i am currently looking for an alternative job, i just hope i can last till i find a good one.
TheStunMan
I don't know why I sensed a little karma :P
Before finding a solution to your problem you should understand what is the job of any proxy server does to the client. Simply it checks the url of any Web page you are trying to visit. If you find a way for the url to be hidden and the page you are visiting looks normal to them it won't be detected. I'm using this method since 2 years in the toughest security place I work for (and the old ones) and it never failed me. Because it's undetectable :)
mokhtar
Just some general thoughts about moving away from technical work. I'm speaking from my own personal experience working in IT admin for 10+ years.
Consider what is the highest position you can reach if you stay in a technical position. Unless we are talking about a big tech company it probably wont pay more than a higher management position?
In the position you are offered if you are able to use your current technical skills to supervise a team of admins, and techs you will be able to accomplish a lot more. That can be very rewarding and satisfying and you will learn to love it as much as you love what you are doing now.
Yes you have to give up the urge to manually take over and do things by hand. And yes you will sometimes think that you can do a better job than they did, but remember you can teach the team. The more you teach them the better they will do their job and everybody wins, especially you.
And you will find that you have more time todo research and learning new technologies, so you can still practice your technical skills.
In the long run you should have the technical fundamentals down and that is enough. You don't have to master new products. There will always be new young people who are ready to do what you are doing now (You will probably come to think of it as 'labor technical work').
After 6 years of experience, I think you should focus to develop the skills which are more important as you grow up and progress in your career, namely: Communication, People Management, Money Management, Strategic thinking. Only with these skills can you reach the top positions at any company.
Regarding accessing the net: Just use your own device (mobile or tablet) and access through 3G. Yes you will pay from your pocket but you should be able to cover the extra expense from your higher salary :) And once you reach higher management you can ask for more privileges.
So this is just my opinion. I could be wrong, maybe I didn't understand your situation quite perfectly, but I hope there was some valuable advice in there for you. Wish you the best of Good Luck, and remember no choice is ever wrong, but decide and don't look back.
ironman
wow, i know what is a proxy sever :)
and if you checked my thread you would know what i am talking about, anyway thank you
Stygmata
why dont you demand few sites opened ? a better office perhaps ? HR or your manager should be able to help you out
also you can have IT auditing certifications to help out in your progress .
how old are you ?
ironman
@Stygmata thank you for your helpful response :)
Well if i want to demand certain sites open, i must pass the request through my manager before getting to the IT (and my manager is the strict guy who implied those rules, he has that old mentality, he thinks that he must squeeze the employee for 9 hours a day)
Concerning a better office, well the office is like open space, all desks are similar, but my problem is that i face a wall, and 90% of the office can see my screen.
IT auditing certifications... exactly, i am asked to study a certain auditing IT cert, i started studying a week ago, but i found it disgusting, i hate certifications "l Tonzir", i already have Cisco and Microsoft certs.
I Love certifications but technical ones, not this kind of certs.
I am 26 atm.
PS: everyone here think that those rules are normal, it's like they told me, you will get used to it, don't worry, but i know i won't, because coming from an IT perspective it's really different, being an IT guy involves communication with the employees, solving problems , interacting with people, and most people used to like me, because i used my position and my skills to the favor of the company and to make people's job easier and faster.
mokhtar
If you like information security consider CISSP cert.
https://www.isc2.org/
AVOlio
What did you do/study in university?
Also what was your last year you did in high school?
ironman
@AVOlio
i studied Systems and Network Engineering
Last year i did in high school (do you mean which section?) Life Sciences
ironman
Agree, but for now i am obliged to start by the CISA, thank you for the suggestion, appreciate it
Stygmata
CISA is beautiful .. are they paying for it ? can you change your office position so your back faces the wall ?
even if the guy is a dinosaur .. if you request an important site , i am sure he will open it..
it is all about the money my friend .. MONEY .. if you are not getting more than 1500$ a month simply quit
ironman
Yes bro they are paying for it.
No i can't change my desk location nor request new sites, because they need an answer of "do you need it to create the requested reports?"
the answer will be no.
For sure its more than 1.5k.
Stygmata
then you are fucked my friend. Just take it, get paid and hush.
rolf
Not being too happy with the job resposibilities is one thing, but not being happy with the work environment, that's a problem!
eliminator
@ironman
Getting stuck in a job that you don't like, whatever the reasons are, will lead to depression. Especially if you are staying there for the paycheck.
You are still young I would suggest finding a better compatible job even with a lower salary, because your mental health would get worse and worse, and we all know that IT/Tech jobs aren't the physically healthy either...
I have been there ( "So called AAA companies" ); climate, management, and ethics were the lowest I ever confronted. I stayed there because I needed the money, and left as soon as I felt It was driving me crazy. Leaving was the best decision I have ever made. BUT, and I insist, do not get out before making sure you have another offer that provides you with a stable income.
Of course it will also depends on your lifestyle and character.
And for the sauce: Can you imagine the manager doesn't let you buy your own keyboard because all provided keyboards must look alike? even if the space bar squeals every single time you press it and annoys 20 employees around you. And the process of replacing a defected mouse kept me 4 hours without work, because it wasn't a priority in the IT department queue....
user
I'm the previous person who wrote a thread about being unhappy at their work. Personally it is now getting easier with time, I am rubbing off on them, some of the standards I am used to are in the process of being implemented, and the work is growing on me, the little things like the fast trip home(20 min no traffic ever) the relatively high pay and I heard we have 15 days off a year vacation, I have never taken a vacation, I am looking forward to that etc...
If you are still in the first 3 month of work(you don't have "daman" yet) you might want to leave now, trust me it is awkward to apply for another job and tell them you are currently in your fifth month in this one(or around that time). Others say that it does not matter, that you should secure another job first. So I am just giving you things to consider. I do not want to be labeled as a job hopper or "backstabber".
You sound like you are working at a bank IT, suit and tie, inflexible schedule, hellish bosses and coworkers, and super restrictions on the web... Never mind proxies, if you get anything illegal working they can land you in jail for compromising security (I interned once in a bank like that, I can go to jail for speaking ill about them because of what they made me sign)
Personally at 26 (I am 25) I would rather get more relevant experience in my line of work rather than burn time for money(like I am doing now mostly) I want to be a development manager or a business owner by 30, I'd want to learn all I can about my work and the absolute best practices, if you are stuck not learning it might also be a reason to leave.
Other things to consider, are you married? You said you would not work for less. I would personally work for less than my job if it means learning more(we are mid twenties, we should be climbing up not settling) unless you are married, and unless the salary is north of 2000$(then yeah lets face it, it won't get that much better in leb I think)
You mentioned you leave at 5, do you get stuck in traffic or is it a quick journey home? If it is a quick journey home then you have time to be working on pet projects and learning on your own etc...
ironman
eliminator wrote@ironman
Getting stuck in a job that you don't like, whatever the reasons are, will lead to depression. Especially if you are staying there for the paycheck.
You are still young I would suggest finding a better compatible job even with a lower salary, because your mental health would get worse and worse, and we all know that IT/Tech jobs aren't the physically healthy either...
I have been there ( "So called AAA companies" ); climate, management, and ethics were the lowest I ever confronted. I stayed there because I needed the money, and left as soon as I felt It was driving me crazy. Leaving was the best decision I have ever made. BUT, and I insist, do not get out before making sure you have another offer that provides you with a stable income.
Of course it will also depends on your lifestyle and character.
And for the sauce: Can you imagine the manager doesn't let you buy your own keyboard because all provided keyboards must look alike? even if the space bar squeals every single time you press it and annoys 20 employees around you. And the process of replacing a defected mouse kept me 4 hours without work, because it wasn't a priority in the IT department queue....
@eliminator,
thanks for the feedback, well yesterday i started applying for jobs, hoping to find something suitable, i will not leave before finding a better replacement.
in fact the company is a bank, having millions of processes, policies and procedures, its like you are trapped in a cage, you can't do that, because it doesn't follow the procedures.
well as for the restrictions, my co-worker told me that using headphones is ILLEGAL, and the manager doesn't like it, so better not to put headphones.
you see what i am facing?
forget all of those, if i like the position i would have stayed. but its everything at once, that's the problem.
ironman
user wroteI'm the previous person who wrote a thread about being unhappy at their work. Personally it is now getting easier with time, I am rubbing off on them, some of the standards I am used to are in the process of being implemented, and the work is growing on me, the little things like the fast trip home(20 min no traffic ever) the relatively high pay and I heard we have 15 days off a year vacation, I have never taken a vacation, I am looking forward to that etc...
If you are still in the first 3 month of work(you don't have "daman" yet) you might want to leave now, trust me it is awkward to apply for another job and tell them you are currently in your fifth month in this one(or around that time). Others say that it does not matter, that you should secure another job first. So I am just giving you things to consider. I do not want to be labeled as a job hopper or "backstabber".
You sound like you are working at a bank IT, suit and tie, inflexible schedule, hellish bosses and coworkers, and super restrictions on the web... Never mind proxies, if you get anything illegal working they can land you in jail for compromising security (I interned once in a bank like that, I can go to jail for speaking ill about them because of what they made me sign)
Personally at 26 (I am 25) I would rather get more relevant experience in my line of work rather than burn time for money(like I am doing now mostly) I want to be a development manager or a business owner by 30, I'd want to learn all I can about my work and the absolute best practices, if you are stuck not learning it might also be a reason to leave.
Other things to consider, are you married? You said you would not work for less. I would personally work for less than my job if it means learning more(we are mid twenties, we should be climbing up not settling) unless you are married, and unless the salary is north of 2000$(then yeah lets face it, it won't get that much better in leb I think)
You mentioned you leave at 5, do you get stuck in traffic or is it a quick journey home? If it is a quick journey home then you have time to be working on pet projects and learning on your own etc...
Exactly man,
The position is an IT auditor, in a bank, and i think that trying to bypass proxies (if detected) will get me into trouble,
I need around 15 minutes to arrive home when leaving at 5 (i never stay more than 5) all the department leaves and they close doors at 5, so no extra hours at work.
Concerning off-days well we have all the official holidays off, not like private companies.
I am thinking of using a "Wasta" to change the department and maybe go the information security team, or the systems department, instead of leaving the company, because i think it's hard to find a decent offer those days.
Concerning being married or single, well i am in a relationship with a girl, and trying to save money to get a house for 200 000$ yes, 200 000$ unfortunately and be a slave for "Iskan" for 30 years, that's how it works bro...
i appreciate your feedback and help everyone thank you :)