Anyone ever successfully gotten *out* of IT?

[Ramsker]

This.

I figure I'm too far along to stop now. I've been doing it for 30 years and have about another 10 to go. My body is broken, so nothing physical or on my feet all day is an option.

I'm currently trying to get a gig at a much smaller company doing a wider range of things. I'm less interested in the money (to a point), but I want it to be a good 'fit'. I did the Fortune 500 sweat shop thing for 20 years and am happier since I got out of there. I miss many of the people I worked with, but don't miss running with my hair on fire.

I'm kind of in this boat . . . hit 20 years at the same company this year (sort of--we've done some acquiring and been acquired) and it's kind of the "golden handcuffs" situation. I was a manager (sales operations & quasi-IT-related) up until a couple years ago when things got nutty with being acquired and a gigantic chitstorm of a project that I was neck-deep in all at the same time that my dad was cratering from Alzheimer's and mom needed a lot of help. I resigned once teling my boss it just wasn't worth the brain damage & stress anymore and he talked me out of it. A few months later it wasn't any better and I told him I wanted to move to individual contributor or I was leaving. So that's where I've been.

It's been "better" like that but it's getting a bit stupid again . . . company is like a head with its chicken cut off most of the time. But with the pay being what it is and great benefits--and the pandemic--its just not an advisable time to jump unless something comes out of the blue. Probably just try to bank as much as possible for as long as I can stand it and hopefully downshift into semi-retirement in the next 5 years. Maybe find something part time just for basic spending to minimize dipping into other funds.

I dunno. Weird place to be. My wife says I just need to transition to "quit and stay" mode . . . don't kill yourself and do just enough to not get RIF'd. I'm trying to care a lot less, but I'm just not wired that way.

[crays]

I'm kind of in this boat . . . hit 20 years at the same company this year (sort of--we've done some acquiring and been acquired) and it's kind of the "golden handcuffs" situation. I was a manager (sales operations & quasi-IT-related) up until a couple years ago when things got nutty with being acquired and a gigantic chitstorm of a project that I was neck-deep in all at the same time that my dad was cratering from Alzheimer's and mom needed a lot of help. I resigned once teling my boss it just wasn't worth the brain damage & stress anymore and he talked me out of it. A few months later it wasn't any better and I told him I wanted to move to individual contributor or I was leaving. So that's where I've been.

It's been "better" like that but it's getting a bit stupid again . . . company is like a head with its chicken cut off most of the time. But with the pay being what it is and great benefits--and the pandemic--its just not an advisable time to jump unless something comes out of the blue. Probably just try to bank as much as possible for as long as I can stand it and hopefully downshift into semi-retirement in the next 5 years. Maybe find something part time just for basic spending to minimize dipping into other funds.

I dunno. Weird place to be. My wife says I just need to transition to "quit and stay" mode . . . don't kill yourself and do just enough to not get RIF'd. I'm trying to care a lot less, but I'm just not wired that way.

^^^Very similar here, but I'm at 25yrs and too young to retire (i.e; access funds w/out penaties). I agree that it's not a great time to "start fresh", but maybe there are actually more opportunities out there right now due to all the hoohah going on.

[Ramsker]

^^^Very similar here, but I'm at 25yrs and too young to retire (i.e; access funds w/out penaties). I agree that it's not a great time to "start fresh", but maybe there are actually more opportunities out there right now due to all the hoohah going on.

Yeah, I'm 52 . . . so it's another 7ish years before I'm in the no penalty stage.

We'll see how it all goes. I keep my ear to the ground for potential opportunities so you never know. Nothing that has come up so far would be worth leaving--equal stress for less pay. I've thought about what my next move here might be if I get to "that point" again. Maybe would go to my new manager and have a chat about whether they'd be open to creating some new position at a reduced salary where they could benefit from what I bring (which they'd be hurting if I left) while having some funds back to backfill with someone younger who'd start at a lower salary anyway. High risk move and I'd have to be ready for the "thanks but no thanks" response or just getting laid off later.

[izzy]

Getting RIFd is the dream that never happens. Every time a company I'm at goes through one it's always "please pick me please!". Severance enough to chill for a while and figure out something new seems amazing.

[Wulf202]

Start a business in the service trades that are non union or work for a non union shop until you can hit journeyman status.

Diesel techs are in need. Equipment operators.

I'd pay for someone who knows tuckpointing and isnt afraid of work.

Finish carpentry is the highest paid per square foot on new builds.

Learn CNC software, learn what a millwright is and fix cnc machine issues.

Pipeline welders make $90+ an hour with a truck mounted rig. You could make decent money just fabing bumpers for 4x4 guys or building trailers.

If you're not afraid of heights being a siding guy is lucrative with a helper.

Being a gc in co is as simple as opening any other business if you've got the contacts and cash or credit to build houses

[gnihcraes]

Too bad none of you are jack of all trades handymen. You could make a killing down here. All you'd need to do, besides actually know what your doing is.

1: answer the phone, email, or text

2: show up, when you say you will. especially as close to on time as possible. Or call to say you're running a little late. But not 40 minutes after the time you set.


Be good at what you do. Adhere to the 2 requirements i posted. You'd be busy almost all year round.

I can do a lot of things, just none of it I want to do all the time. Handyman sounds OK, but I'm tired of dealing with people for 30 years In IT. Haha

Tons of people on the neighborhood next door looking for simple things to be fixed, crazy how folks don't know jack shit and want REASONABLE PRICED plumber electrician sprinkler repair person. Basically the upper middle class in 700k$ home doesn't want the plumber to live on 50k Year.

Easier to stay where I'm at and outwork the lazy protected ones on our staff.

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[whitewalrus]

I can do a lot of things, just none of it I want to do all the time. Handyman sounds OK, but I'm tired of dealing with people for 30 years In IT. Haha

Tons of people on the neighborhood next door looking for simple things to be fixed, crazy how folks don't know jack shit and want REASONABLE PRICED plumber electrician sprinkler repair person. Basically the upper middle class in 700k$ home doesn't want the plumber to live on 50k Year.

Easier to stay where I'm at and outwork the lazy protected ones on our staff.

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Those people will be still waiting or realize they need to pay someone much more.

I know people who do the handyman thing and have worked their way into doing more with housing. It?s a good path, but someone in IT will likely need to take a decent paycut when starting out. Slowly work into more complex jobs, and what GK put is 100% accurate. Contractors that actually show up when they say, don?t take smoke breaks every 20 min, are pleasant to deal with, and do a decent job tend to get referrals and people like them.

If you enjoyed the desktop support, why not try to get into a job closer to that? Maybe easier than changing everything in your career.

[gnihcraes]

Not sure I've ever liked desktop support but its what I've done for my career. Retail, private, gov, server, network and desktop. Got out of server and network stuff when I had kids and didn't want 24x7 hours. No certifications that are still valid. No degree.

I'm listening to options, medically limited now on some career options. Just enough broken to be an issue but not enough to file for my disability. Ha. Not an excuse, just reality.


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[TFOGGER]

I'm looking for an apprentice motorcycle mechanic. Low pay, long hours, no benefits...but at least the boss is an a$$h0le...

[Not_A_Llama]

Went kinda sorta opposite of OP's plan.

I had the "fortune" of being forcibly retired out of finance for a couple years in my 20s. I learned that I, as a personality, can't retire, and that I hate any job I do more than 40 hours a week.

So I have a day job in a different (data) industry, leveraging my old skillset, and do stuff (some profitable - CNC machining) on my spare time. I consult a lot and side gig my old day job.

The bullshit/dollar ratio has been reduced 50-75%. This ain't bad. I'm pretty happy, and make good money.

This also has impacted my retirement planning, which impacts my lifestyle:
I know I don't need to save as aggressively, knowing I can always make money, so long as I have my wits about me, and minimal physical ability. The day I don't is also near the day my time is over. Easy enough.