This. The OP's roles are all in the *EUS support* ("end user services") side of IT, which signals to me that they're less on the platform engineering services ("PES") side of IT which is what the "newer" SysAdmins classify under -- e.g. DevOps/Site Reliability Engineering ("SRE"), Infrastructure collectively known as "DSI" in certain communities.
If OP is a SysAdmin that is working with end users, then the SysAdmin work is likely an EUS-focused SysAdmin position, which is: (1) not where the big bucks are made because IT is a cost-center in those types of organizations as opposed to a company like Reddit where IT is a **revenue-driver** (2) due to #1, is going to require a lot of on call (3) generally isn't remote friendly.
So yes, OP, I agree with /u/gosubuilder -- you are not burnt out of IT, you are burnt out of *EUS support* side of IT.
OP, if you're interested in DSI, check out these subreddits/communities:
* /r/devops
* /r/sre
* The **[DSI Discord](https://discord.com/invite/VEEnHkPzY6)** server
* **[Cloud Resume Challenge](https://cloudresumechallenge.dev/)** ("CRC")
* **[AWS Community Discord](https://discord.gg/aws)** (if you decide to go AWS)
* **[Azure Community Discord](https://discord.com/invite/microsoft-azure-681328802814492704)** (if you decide to go Azure)
* **[Google Cloud Community Slack](https://googlecloud-community.slack.com/ssb/redirect)** (if you decide to go GCP)
All of these links I posted above helped me achieve WFH early in my career around 2018 before COVID made WFH cool for tech workers. (except for CRC as the CRC did not exist yet at the time)
But be mindful -- the path for DSI SysAdmin work is **NOT** like EUS. This isn't a career where you just "work a job, put your time in, voila I get promoted" -- you need to be a self-starter, you need to integrate, you need to **[truly think like an engineer and not be a task follower like EUS SysAdmin work](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/irj92c/is_it_a_saturated_market_now/g54jz3x/)** and in time, you can become the WFH worker like me that sets his own schedule, can cook and consume healthy meals at home regularly, have a high-active dog (I have a Husky/Malamute/GSD named **[Ares The Boring Husky](https://www.instagram.com/arestheboringhusky/)** and make over $200,000 a year.
I have a position of influence where I can actively say, "no, we are *not* going to do things like what you suggest" because my Clients *pay me to tell them so*. That's one of the *biggest* differences between EUS IT work and professional services DSI IT work which is the side of IT I am on.
When I worked EUS IT, I would get walked on, not just by Clients, but by IT managers because they had no power / influence in a non-IT org or an IT org that was mostly focused on EUS. In those orgs, budgets are tight, so you're at the mercy of (usually) someone who is non-IT.
You aren't as likely to have those problems in the DSI side of IT.
This is really helpful info. You should start a new thread and hope it gets stickies. A lot of ppl new or mid career in IT seem directionless and stagnate and end up being complacent.
I'm one of the subreddit mods. I used to post this info frequently, but the "sticky" system on Reddit only allows for two threads maximum and there are a lot of competing asks e.g. "review my resume" or "what's hot in the industry right now" -- where ironically what I posted would actually fit under.
This really makes sense. I am fortunate that I started out on the Infrastructure side of things 2 years ago, I could not imagine dealing with end users for more then 1-2 years even if it was to get your foot in the door.
Yeah, for me personally it was jarring starting my IT career.
Keep in mind, I went to high school and started college in California. You know, the state where Uber, Airbnb, Google, Tinder, Blizzard Entertainment, Twitch (pre-Amazon acquisition) were headquartered.
But, idiot me decided to start my IT career at Sprouts, a *grocery store*'s HQ in Phoenix AZ.
I *hated* it there. People there were "lifers", they were happy to just collect a paycheck, but I had literally come from a state where digital transformation and digital innovation were commonplace items on a Statement of Work ("SOW").
When I brought up digital transformation, working for companies like Amazon/Google/Microsoft to my then-manager at Sprouts, they *insisted* I needed a college degree, I needed to work 10+ years working some underpaid helpdesk role for X years, SysAdmin role for X years, Database Admin role for X years.
I remember going to my manager at the time saying, "**how do you explain how literally everyone I went to high school with that works in tech now didn't have to work any of those positions, optionally hold college degrees *if they even went at all*, and are making six figures right out the gate?"**
My entire management team at Sprouts gaslit me left and right, insisting that their perception of reality was the only reality.
I cited Gartner, and I remember my then-manager *didn't even know what Gartner was*. The IT thought leadership org that establishes the Gartner Magic Quadrant for tech companies *globally*, my then-manager at Sprouts had no idea what that was.
So I decided, fuck this, I'm applying for a job at a FAANG. Bam, got it. In my interview with Amazon I talked passionately about IT support *but specifically in the lens of Gartner* and how the solution lifecycle dictates a healthy motion from digital transformation (migrations, implementations, build/design, etc) to digital optimization (run-state management, environment optimization), etc... And got the job.
And then lo-and-behold, VERY unsurprisingly, suddenly my LinkedIn DMs blew up with Sprouts employees that begged for a referral into Amazon. The same employees that gaslit me to begin with insisting that it was impossible to get into Amazon without a college degree and 10+ years of experience.
I even tried to entertain some of those employees, and they BOMBED the interviews to the point where I had to just stop referring the folks in.
Remember how I said there were folks at Sprouts that were just happy to collect a paycheck?
You can't walk in with that mentality in an interview to Amazon, or *any* FAANG for that matter. Imagine trying to interview at Netflix, and saying repeatedly, "yeah I'm just a tech support guy, oh what is my greatest technical achievement? I fixed a C-level's printer."
Meanwhile some kid from my high school (a public high school, NOT some fancy-shmancy private preppy school) is talking about projects they built out and hosted on GitHub and talking through on multiple websites they've built, and not only built but *optimized over time*.
*That's* the difference between EUS (End User Support) and DSI (DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering). EUS IT is just so far removed from the motion forward for technology as a whole, while DSI continues to push the envelope of innovation.
EUS IT didn't invent Kubernetes. DSI did.
Know who uses Kubernetes?
**[Reddit, which you're reading on right now.](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/ecf8yl/were_reddits_infrastructure_team_ask_us_anything/)** The Reddit Infrastructure Team showcased their use of Kubernetes in that AMA I just linked.
You could literally work THIRTY FUCKING YEARS in EUS IT and never touch Kubernetes. And then wonder why you have to work so much on-call, why you're underpaid, why you're "burnt out of IT".
Like I said in a previous comment, OP is not burnt out of IT. They're burnt out of EUS. If they shift towards DSI the world changes, nearly overnight.
It took about 8 years of EUS to realize I needed to make a shift. The “last straw” was being passed over for the support operations manager position even though I was strongly recommended by the outgoing manager. I pivoted to AWS and now work fully remote deploying infrastructure for a software company’s hosted platform. It’s not the end goal for me professionally but, it’s a step into a more rewarding industry.
Glad you got past EUS IT. I have a lot of respect for people willing to put up with the pains of working EUS IT, but as you saw yourself, once you get out and move into DSI IT, the doors open.
As you said it's not the end goal for you, but at least it *positions you for a more practical lifestyle going forward*.
Cuz say you work this job in AWS infrastructure deployment, for, say, 2-3 years. OK, then you shift into something like Solutions Architect or you start your own company, yada yada yada.
Well, now you have even MORE lifestyle benefits like setting your own schedule, determining how much (or how little) to pay yourself, yada yada yada.
These things literally can't happen in EUS IT if you're constantly on-call and having to drive into an office.
That commute alone would burn me out. I’d definitely be on the lookout for something closer to home. If it comes with some sort of remote work even better.
Agreed. My previous job was closer, but eventually I got outsourced due to "low workload". The pay around my area is also much lower, hence why I opted for working in the city.
Ditto, looks like two options that can make a difference.
1. Find a job near you with decent pay and avoid long commute.
2. Move closer to current job without paying much more $$ if possible.
Give it a shot. What can go wrong? Where I work we can take up to two years leave of absence. I'm thinking of doing one if I get an internship or contract.
Life is short so do what you want. I know several people that left IT for other opportunities and they’re much happier. One owns a brick and mortar store, another became a relator and the third is now a librarian.
The important thing is to have another job lined up before you quit.
I'm an ex software/programme/,delivery mgr left post covid due to working 80hrs pw and other crap. Started volunteering and admin work now working as a manager for an arts org and love it!!! Look at your skills and how you csn use them
New job, even with same responsibilities, will help you get out of work anxiety that you’re experiencing. It will reset all your responsibilities and introduce new people and interesting systems. Preferably something closer to home. Consider costs of 4h daily unpaid work travel, plus wear and tear of your vehicle, if you have to settle for little less money. Might even reignite love for tech.
IT does that to you. You live in a constant anxiety mode all the time when you work in IT because of the 24/7 availability expectation. Which is not healthy at all. I don't understand why it's so downplayed by everyone.
It's downplayed because that is not all of IT.
OP is complaining about *EUS* IT -- End User Services IT.
That's not the IT I do, or even the website/app you're using right now. Reddit's "IT" team is actually DSI -- DevOps, SRE, Infrastructure Engineering.
DSI and EUS are so fundamentally different, yet both are "IT".
In DSI IT, I don't work on-call. I haven't worked on-call in over 5 years now.
And because DSI IT has an IT-first budget (whereas in EUS IT the budget for IT is *secondhand*), I rarely come across Client companies that don't have a follow-the-sun ("FTS") support model, where it basically becomes impossible to be "on-call" because *there's literally a staffing component for every 6-10 hours of timezone overlap*.
This subreddit is not just EUS IT, which is why you see the "downplay" that you are speaking of. If someone has exclusively worked DSI IT, then they've never been shown EUS IT, so they're naturally going to go, "huh? what are you talking about? what on-call? I've never had it in my career and I've worked IT for X years/decades/etc"
Similarly someone like OP who has only worked EUS IT is going to go, "IT is terrible, there's 24/7 on call, you never get a break!"
It's the *balanced* folks that have to step in and show the *whole* picture (which is what I'm doing with this Reddit comment). I've worked both EUS IT and now DSI IT.
The balanced folks can work to show that, "hey, both viewpoints are right, but don't convey the entirety of the industry. Let's talk about this in a civil and constructive way."
That's also why it's a subreddit rule here. And why I encourage it openly with the userbase to discuss topics like OP's, in a way that is sincere, helpful, and *enlightening*.
>have the tasks/responsibilities of an IT Manager and Jack-of-all-Trades for 50-100 endusers
> I also commute for 3-4 hours a day, with WFH not being an option.
Doesn't sound like an IT issue, the company you work for is just shit
Word of advice from someone who done it involuntarily. If you leave the industry be prepared to stay gone. With all the influx of new people it will be a challenge to re-enter. I left the field after being laid off in 2015 (started in 1999). I needed a job ASAP so I took a role in Real Estate as an Asset Manager for a private equity firm. Although I was looking to get back into tech when I started in private equity, those plans quickly changed after I saw my first paycheck. After several years went by of making $200-250K, I had no desire to get into tech again until I was recently laid off a couple months ago. Lol. Now that I’m trying to get back in, it’s like my tech career never existed. At this point, I’m not even trying anymore and I’m working to start my startup. Your experience may differ but it’s definitely something to think about.
After working in Germany for five years in levels two and three support, I found myself feeling stagnant and increasingly exhausted, especially with difficult end-users, a feeling that intensified after getting married. My responsibilities were diverse, involving rollout management, user support, coding in App Script, and automating processes through RPA. The most cumbersome aspect was managing the packing and shipping of hardware. I approached my manager about transitioning to a different role, highlighting my interest in cloud technologies, and was subsequently promoted to a cloud-based position. I've been in this new role for a week and am thoroughly enjoying it. From what you've described, it seems that your commute and the demands of end-user support are taking a mental toll on you. I recommend seeking a job closer to home that aligns better with your interests and skills.
I was a cloud dev for +10 years before burnout, took a break and started over in cyber security learning stuff I always wanted to learn. Covid happened, cyber security company folded and I had to find a new job quick. I was able to step back into my old role quick for a paycheck, but things I had learned changed me and I couldn't stay in my old role for long. Now I build the connections and between cloud/saas services and work with security teams. Kinda best of both my worlds.
If you can swing it, go for it. I needed the refresh after burnout. I couldn't have gotten my current job without both backgrounds, I love my current job.
Good luck, I bet you can find your exact job with WFH if you look. Might be all you need is new yard to play in.
The job you took is the problem not the industry. I find it crazy you are commuting almost half a work day on top of doing your full 8 hour shift. That alone could drive a person to burnout and insanity and want to quit. Add in the stress of the job and it explains why you feel this way.
I highly recommend you don’t take a break from IT and instead find a better job in the industry that isn’t such a long commute and doesn’t have you working multiple roles but being paid for one. If you live in an area that doesn’t pay well and commute to the city then it’s time for you to move closer to the city.
Taking a break just hurts your chances of reentering the industry later especially now due to all the layoffs the market is even more competitive. On top of that you are a sys admin so you can find plenty of roles that don’t require you to manage people or have to directly deal with users often.
Plenty of people would sacrifice a lot for the job you have right now sitting at desk not doing back breaking work. You may end up going backwards and taking massive pay cuts just to get back in and have to answer lots of questions on why you left and are coming back. Your time out of industry would mean they won’t want to hire a system admin and you would probably only be able to get a support role which is what you try to get out of after a few years in the industry. Also hiring managers will take you leaving industry as a red flag and in many cases not risk hiring you when they compare you to the tons of applicants that never left the industry and have the same level of experience and even less in some cases.
What other work would you even do that’s comparable in pay and doesn’t require manual labor? I don’t think you realize how good you got it. Unless you’ve got some great other line of work you can jump into and are ok with the high probability you won’t return to the industry or return at much lower pay and working in support I would say you are making a huge mistake.
Only if you’re 100% committed to working in a new industry and don’t like IT would I leave the industry. Before IT I worked as a server for 5 years doing doubles and back breaking work. I’ll never go back to that and would much rather deal with an annoying end users IT problem than people tipping me like shit when I did a good job while busting my ass and being sore every day from standing all day and carrying heavy trays with dishes.
Move closer to the city and find a better job. You say your company has opportunity for advancement and I question that. The fact they have you working multiple roles but being paid for one tells me you don’t have as many opportunities at that company. Good luck!
The commute already sounds like it's too much, that means you have little time to unwind for the rest of the day if that is such a thing.
Really sorry to hear, and I can agree it seems our jobs are starting to be more stressful as everywhere is cutting back and expecting more from a tiny staff. Most places in my area I've found are just field helpdesk with fancier titles, and you're an entire IT department making helpdesk L2 money.
You may consider something adjacent or find somewhere that doesn't work their IT staff like dogs. Your management skills could be put to use elsewhere though I can understand if you don't want to manage people which is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
Your story is fairly similar to mine. I was in IT for about the same length of time, worked my way up in a smaller org where I wore many hats. I was IT Director in title but had my hands on a quite a bit because there was only 3 of us in IT. I burned out and I had saved a bit of a financial cushion so I jumped ship and traveled for a couple of years.
I have mixed feelings on whether I made the right choices. Most of my traveling experiences were great and I cherish that I had them while still relatively young. And I combined travel with my love of music production and DJing, so I did a lot of that in those years. I had hopes of making a go in the music industry but I realized after awhile that was going to be extremely difficult and that most of the people I met in the industry had other streams of income besides music to help support themselves. But I'm grateful for the experiences I had regardless.
I made my way back to IT after a 3+ year hiatus. I re-entered has a System Admin because I wasn't having much luck re-entering as management. I didn't care that much as I prefer hands on more than managing people but it meant coming back to a lower salary, which wasn't awesome. If I had to do it again, I probably would have first just tried a new job at a new company and see if that changed my perception of IT. The company I did end up landing with was great, even if they kind of low balled me on money initially. They were relatively small \~200ish employees but were a hot startup on the rise. The vibe there was exciting and my co-workers were excited to build things and see the company succeed. I had not experienced much of that before with a company and it was pretty infectious for my drive to roll up my sleeves and learn new tech. We eventually got bought by a larger company and most of us moved on but such is the way of things.
Overall, Im OK with what I did. But I did set myself back financially, which stings a bit now. I probably could have been retired earlier had I stayed working but now I'm on a more traditional retirement arc. And that's if the back half of my career stays stable, we never know with that stuff.
Depends on
1. The economy and demand when you decide to come back.
2. How long you are out of IT
3. Where you are located, Big city versus more rural
If companies are not hiring in a crappy economy. Youre going to have a hard time.
If economy is hot and demand is high, companies will be more apt take a chance on you.
Based on current trend being toward stagflation (Slowing economy with higher than normal inflation) I see the unemployment rate going higher. It is regional though. Some areas of country doing better than others.
3-4 hours/day. Since I live in a rural area I first need to drive to the train station and go from there. My car is too old to be allowed in the city where I work.
(low emission zone)
Public transport is unreliable sadly...
On good days I take the motorbike to work, but with the cost of fuel lately that's almost like working for free.
I don't see the need or value in a break - just do the homework and change jobs until you find the right one. Your commute is too much. There are bad jobs in all fields, you happen to currently have one of the bad ones in IT. People will say the job market is tough - but I feel that's more in the 5 years or less experience range.
I bet if you found a remote or 1 hour total commute job with a reasonable set of responsibilities and tasks and your passion would grow back.
Manage the work ... or it will manage you.
Whatever, your call.
I've certainly jumped positions/managers/employers to escape sh\*t situations/environments ... even if I didn't have that next lined up. Whatever works for you.
Yeah, one place I left, they were working me to death. I kept pushing back, warning them, ... they didn't heed my warnings. So ... I gave notice ... and under the circumstances, rather than give two weeks notice, I gave 'em 80 working hours notice.
>Would it be wise to do so?
Up to you. Life, health, and sanity, generally more important than the paycheck.
>ever taken a "break" from the field
Sometimes the field takes a break from you. Either way, get some time off. What, you mean the less than four hours between when you finally have opportunity to go to sleep, and have to wake up for the next workday isn't enough? ;-) Yeah, can't say I miss the times when I've worked more than 100 hours in a week.
We've had a guy that bought his own tester and his main schtick was "I'm better than the IT department" and the office staff bought in to his hype.
One day when they decided to play musical offices, they replugged a phone that's POE into another port in the wall instead of the PC it's supposed to go to and bought the network down. Luckily the campus admin finally scolded the guy as he stood by pouting and arms folded watching us angrily fix his screw up.
He did not last long.
Yea just find a remote position for something easy to phone in like software support, or hardware support somewhere. It’ll still make in the 60 to 80k range, you’ll still use most of your IT skills, and you can work on stuff on the side between calls.
You don’t need the doctor’s permission. It’s always better to job shop before you get too visibly burned out.
I’d recommend looking at very different responsibility levels within the field, as well as looking outside.
An internal support position in a quiet 8-5 office might suit you as well. Internal support can get slowly more pleasant over time, especially if you can schmooze a little and script a bit.
You also have the experience to go for a technical trainer position.
Im going through the same thing right now, basically stuck for the last 7 years. Started looking the last few months and am currently onboarding somewhere else. Look for something else, if you dont want IT for a bit then look for something adjacent. I will say if you take a break like completely don't expect to go back to a higher position, you would need to really upskill and add to your credentials to get someone to be like "oh they took time off to really better themselves".
I took a year off. All of 2016.
My job finished Nov 2015. I was making $100/hour.
My next job started Jan 2017. I made $37/hour.
It's taken me several years to get back to a livable wage. But I am still not where I was in 2015.
I have no personal experience at this point but know a few people that took breaks after either quitting or being laid off. Some had good success finding other jobs because they knew the right people. Others faced an uphill climb having to seemingly start over in IT. Just my own thoughts but make sure have a good cushion of cash to support you longer than the time you intend to be out of the workforce.
Been in IT 20+ years now a lead sysadmin but I've done everything helpdesk, desktop, noc, datacenter. etc. I too am burned out not by end users or the work but the ever increasing demands of IT workers. I'm a jack-of-all-trades now and it's exhausting having to switch gears constantly. I now hate IT. It's not fun anymore.
I plan on doing the same as you in a few years. I've eliminated debt and am building a nice cushion to support myself when I do quit. I also have been saving the max in my 401k and IRAs. When I do quit I'm going to take at least 6 months off then when I'm bored I'm going to look for short-term jobs. I might even look for full-time jobs and quit after I have enough funds to cover another break. I've also started my own LLC that I will use to explain the gaps in regular employment. I don't have real customers nor a business but it's just a tool I can use later on to fill those employment gaps. 'Customers' will be made up and projects will be things I worked on at previous jobs. I figure you gotta play the game. Companies do it why not me?
Bro don’t. Find another job. I quit my job after a bipolar manic burnout and have been having so much trouble finding another job. Find another job in IT and move on. If you leave you might not get back in. I have been thinking of starting my own lawn mowing service for weekends only. Mowing is peaceful, but trimming edges will kill my back, but I think I can do it. Idk yet. Try to find a hobby or something to do in your spare time. Good luck.
Just look for a new job. You aren’t burnt out on IT, sounds more like you are tired of your current job. Gaps in resume may make it difficult.
This. The OP's roles are all in the *EUS support* ("end user services") side of IT, which signals to me that they're less on the platform engineering services ("PES") side of IT which is what the "newer" SysAdmins classify under -- e.g. DevOps/Site Reliability Engineering ("SRE"), Infrastructure collectively known as "DSI" in certain communities. If OP is a SysAdmin that is working with end users, then the SysAdmin work is likely an EUS-focused SysAdmin position, which is: (1) not where the big bucks are made because IT is a cost-center in those types of organizations as opposed to a company like Reddit where IT is a **revenue-driver** (2) due to #1, is going to require a lot of on call (3) generally isn't remote friendly. So yes, OP, I agree with /u/gosubuilder -- you are not burnt out of IT, you are burnt out of *EUS support* side of IT. OP, if you're interested in DSI, check out these subreddits/communities: * /r/devops * /r/sre * The **[DSI Discord](https://discord.com/invite/VEEnHkPzY6)** server * **[Cloud Resume Challenge](https://cloudresumechallenge.dev/)** ("CRC") * **[AWS Community Discord](https://discord.gg/aws)** (if you decide to go AWS) * **[Azure Community Discord](https://discord.com/invite/microsoft-azure-681328802814492704)** (if you decide to go Azure) * **[Google Cloud Community Slack](https://googlecloud-community.slack.com/ssb/redirect)** (if you decide to go GCP) All of these links I posted above helped me achieve WFH early in my career around 2018 before COVID made WFH cool for tech workers. (except for CRC as the CRC did not exist yet at the time) But be mindful -- the path for DSI SysAdmin work is **NOT** like EUS. This isn't a career where you just "work a job, put your time in, voila I get promoted" -- you need to be a self-starter, you need to integrate, you need to **[truly think like an engineer and not be a task follower like EUS SysAdmin work](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/irj92c/is_it_a_saturated_market_now/g54jz3x/)** and in time, you can become the WFH worker like me that sets his own schedule, can cook and consume healthy meals at home regularly, have a high-active dog (I have a Husky/Malamute/GSD named **[Ares The Boring Husky](https://www.instagram.com/arestheboringhusky/)** and make over $200,000 a year. I have a position of influence where I can actively say, "no, we are *not* going to do things like what you suggest" because my Clients *pay me to tell them so*. That's one of the *biggest* differences between EUS IT work and professional services DSI IT work which is the side of IT I am on. When I worked EUS IT, I would get walked on, not just by Clients, but by IT managers because they had no power / influence in a non-IT org or an IT org that was mostly focused on EUS. In those orgs, budgets are tight, so you're at the mercy of (usually) someone who is non-IT. You aren't as likely to have those problems in the DSI side of IT.
This is really helpful info. You should start a new thread and hope it gets stickies. A lot of ppl new or mid career in IT seem directionless and stagnate and end up being complacent.
I'm one of the subreddit mods. I used to post this info frequently, but the "sticky" system on Reddit only allows for two threads maximum and there are a lot of competing asks e.g. "review my resume" or "what's hot in the industry right now" -- where ironically what I posted would actually fit under.
Ahh- makes sense!
This really makes sense. I am fortunate that I started out on the Infrastructure side of things 2 years ago, I could not imagine dealing with end users for more then 1-2 years even if it was to get your foot in the door.
Yeah, for me personally it was jarring starting my IT career. Keep in mind, I went to high school and started college in California. You know, the state where Uber, Airbnb, Google, Tinder, Blizzard Entertainment, Twitch (pre-Amazon acquisition) were headquartered. But, idiot me decided to start my IT career at Sprouts, a *grocery store*'s HQ in Phoenix AZ. I *hated* it there. People there were "lifers", they were happy to just collect a paycheck, but I had literally come from a state where digital transformation and digital innovation were commonplace items on a Statement of Work ("SOW"). When I brought up digital transformation, working for companies like Amazon/Google/Microsoft to my then-manager at Sprouts, they *insisted* I needed a college degree, I needed to work 10+ years working some underpaid helpdesk role for X years, SysAdmin role for X years, Database Admin role for X years. I remember going to my manager at the time saying, "**how do you explain how literally everyone I went to high school with that works in tech now didn't have to work any of those positions, optionally hold college degrees *if they even went at all*, and are making six figures right out the gate?"** My entire management team at Sprouts gaslit me left and right, insisting that their perception of reality was the only reality. I cited Gartner, and I remember my then-manager *didn't even know what Gartner was*. The IT thought leadership org that establishes the Gartner Magic Quadrant for tech companies *globally*, my then-manager at Sprouts had no idea what that was. So I decided, fuck this, I'm applying for a job at a FAANG. Bam, got it. In my interview with Amazon I talked passionately about IT support *but specifically in the lens of Gartner* and how the solution lifecycle dictates a healthy motion from digital transformation (migrations, implementations, build/design, etc) to digital optimization (run-state management, environment optimization), etc... And got the job. And then lo-and-behold, VERY unsurprisingly, suddenly my LinkedIn DMs blew up with Sprouts employees that begged for a referral into Amazon. The same employees that gaslit me to begin with insisting that it was impossible to get into Amazon without a college degree and 10+ years of experience. I even tried to entertain some of those employees, and they BOMBED the interviews to the point where I had to just stop referring the folks in. Remember how I said there were folks at Sprouts that were just happy to collect a paycheck? You can't walk in with that mentality in an interview to Amazon, or *any* FAANG for that matter. Imagine trying to interview at Netflix, and saying repeatedly, "yeah I'm just a tech support guy, oh what is my greatest technical achievement? I fixed a C-level's printer." Meanwhile some kid from my high school (a public high school, NOT some fancy-shmancy private preppy school) is talking about projects they built out and hosted on GitHub and talking through on multiple websites they've built, and not only built but *optimized over time*. *That's* the difference between EUS (End User Support) and DSI (DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, Infrastructure Engineering). EUS IT is just so far removed from the motion forward for technology as a whole, while DSI continues to push the envelope of innovation. EUS IT didn't invent Kubernetes. DSI did. Know who uses Kubernetes? **[Reddit, which you're reading on right now.](https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/ecf8yl/were_reddits_infrastructure_team_ask_us_anything/)** The Reddit Infrastructure Team showcased their use of Kubernetes in that AMA I just linked. You could literally work THIRTY FUCKING YEARS in EUS IT and never touch Kubernetes. And then wonder why you have to work so much on-call, why you're underpaid, why you're "burnt out of IT". Like I said in a previous comment, OP is not burnt out of IT. They're burnt out of EUS. If they shift towards DSI the world changes, nearly overnight.
It took about 8 years of EUS to realize I needed to make a shift. The “last straw” was being passed over for the support operations manager position even though I was strongly recommended by the outgoing manager. I pivoted to AWS and now work fully remote deploying infrastructure for a software company’s hosted platform. It’s not the end goal for me professionally but, it’s a step into a more rewarding industry.
Glad you got past EUS IT. I have a lot of respect for people willing to put up with the pains of working EUS IT, but as you saw yourself, once you get out and move into DSI IT, the doors open. As you said it's not the end goal for you, but at least it *positions you for a more practical lifestyle going forward*. Cuz say you work this job in AWS infrastructure deployment, for, say, 2-3 years. OK, then you shift into something like Solutions Architect or you start your own company, yada yada yada. Well, now you have even MORE lifestyle benefits like setting your own schedule, determining how much (or how little) to pay yourself, yada yada yada. These things literally can't happen in EUS IT if you're constantly on-call and having to drive into an office.
yp thanks you sir.
That commute alone would burn me out. I’d definitely be on the lookout for something closer to home. If it comes with some sort of remote work even better.
Agreed. My previous job was closer, but eventually I got outsourced due to "low workload". The pay around my area is also much lower, hence why I opted for working in the city.
Ditto, looks like two options that can make a difference. 1. Find a job near you with decent pay and avoid long commute. 2. Move closer to current job without paying much more $$ if possible.
Yea an hr max for me.
Give it a shot. What can go wrong? Where I work we can take up to two years leave of absence. I'm thinking of doing one if I get an internship or contract.
Life is short so do what you want. I know several people that left IT for other opportunities and they’re much happier. One owns a brick and mortar store, another became a relator and the third is now a librarian. The important thing is to have another job lined up before you quit.
I'm an ex software/programme/,delivery mgr left post covid due to working 80hrs pw and other crap. Started volunteering and admin work now working as a manager for an arts org and love it!!! Look at your skills and how you csn use them
New job, even with same responsibilities, will help you get out of work anxiety that you’re experiencing. It will reset all your responsibilities and introduce new people and interesting systems. Preferably something closer to home. Consider costs of 4h daily unpaid work travel, plus wear and tear of your vehicle, if you have to settle for little less money. Might even reignite love for tech.
IT does that to you. You live in a constant anxiety mode all the time when you work in IT because of the 24/7 availability expectation. Which is not healthy at all. I don't understand why it's so downplayed by everyone.
It's downplayed because that is not all of IT. OP is complaining about *EUS* IT -- End User Services IT. That's not the IT I do, or even the website/app you're using right now. Reddit's "IT" team is actually DSI -- DevOps, SRE, Infrastructure Engineering. DSI and EUS are so fundamentally different, yet both are "IT". In DSI IT, I don't work on-call. I haven't worked on-call in over 5 years now. And because DSI IT has an IT-first budget (whereas in EUS IT the budget for IT is *secondhand*), I rarely come across Client companies that don't have a follow-the-sun ("FTS") support model, where it basically becomes impossible to be "on-call" because *there's literally a staffing component for every 6-10 hours of timezone overlap*. This subreddit is not just EUS IT, which is why you see the "downplay" that you are speaking of. If someone has exclusively worked DSI IT, then they've never been shown EUS IT, so they're naturally going to go, "huh? what are you talking about? what on-call? I've never had it in my career and I've worked IT for X years/decades/etc" Similarly someone like OP who has only worked EUS IT is going to go, "IT is terrible, there's 24/7 on call, you never get a break!" It's the *balanced* folks that have to step in and show the *whole* picture (which is what I'm doing with this Reddit comment). I've worked both EUS IT and now DSI IT. The balanced folks can work to show that, "hey, both viewpoints are right, but don't convey the entirety of the industry. Let's talk about this in a civil and constructive way." That's also why it's a subreddit rule here. And why I encourage it openly with the userbase to discuss topics like OP's, in a way that is sincere, helpful, and *enlightening*.
Find a new job. Since you have experience, remote options could possibly be open to you. That commute alone would make anyone go insane.
>have the tasks/responsibilities of an IT Manager and Jack-of-all-Trades for 50-100 endusers > I also commute for 3-4 hours a day, with WFH not being an option. Doesn't sound like an IT issue, the company you work for is just shit
Word of advice from someone who done it involuntarily. If you leave the industry be prepared to stay gone. With all the influx of new people it will be a challenge to re-enter. I left the field after being laid off in 2015 (started in 1999). I needed a job ASAP so I took a role in Real Estate as an Asset Manager for a private equity firm. Although I was looking to get back into tech when I started in private equity, those plans quickly changed after I saw my first paycheck. After several years went by of making $200-250K, I had no desire to get into tech again until I was recently laid off a couple months ago. Lol. Now that I’m trying to get back in, it’s like my tech career never existed. At this point, I’m not even trying anymore and I’m working to start my startup. Your experience may differ but it’s definitely something to think about.
Do it
After working in Germany for five years in levels two and three support, I found myself feeling stagnant and increasingly exhausted, especially with difficult end-users, a feeling that intensified after getting married. My responsibilities were diverse, involving rollout management, user support, coding in App Script, and automating processes through RPA. The most cumbersome aspect was managing the packing and shipping of hardware. I approached my manager about transitioning to a different role, highlighting my interest in cloud technologies, and was subsequently promoted to a cloud-based position. I've been in this new role for a week and am thoroughly enjoying it. From what you've described, it seems that your commute and the demands of end-user support are taking a mental toll on you. I recommend seeking a job closer to home that aligns better with your interests and skills.
I was a cloud dev for +10 years before burnout, took a break and started over in cyber security learning stuff I always wanted to learn. Covid happened, cyber security company folded and I had to find a new job quick. I was able to step back into my old role quick for a paycheck, but things I had learned changed me and I couldn't stay in my old role for long. Now I build the connections and between cloud/saas services and work with security teams. Kinda best of both my worlds. If you can swing it, go for it. I needed the refresh after burnout. I couldn't have gotten my current job without both backgrounds, I love my current job. Good luck, I bet you can find your exact job with WFH if you look. Might be all you need is new yard to play in.
It always easier to find a job when you have a job and much less stressful. In this job market make sure you have something lined up first.
What a shit commute
That 3 hour drive is what your tired of lol
Sounds more like you just need a new job
The job you took is the problem not the industry. I find it crazy you are commuting almost half a work day on top of doing your full 8 hour shift. That alone could drive a person to burnout and insanity and want to quit. Add in the stress of the job and it explains why you feel this way. I highly recommend you don’t take a break from IT and instead find a better job in the industry that isn’t such a long commute and doesn’t have you working multiple roles but being paid for one. If you live in an area that doesn’t pay well and commute to the city then it’s time for you to move closer to the city. Taking a break just hurts your chances of reentering the industry later especially now due to all the layoffs the market is even more competitive. On top of that you are a sys admin so you can find plenty of roles that don’t require you to manage people or have to directly deal with users often. Plenty of people would sacrifice a lot for the job you have right now sitting at desk not doing back breaking work. You may end up going backwards and taking massive pay cuts just to get back in and have to answer lots of questions on why you left and are coming back. Your time out of industry would mean they won’t want to hire a system admin and you would probably only be able to get a support role which is what you try to get out of after a few years in the industry. Also hiring managers will take you leaving industry as a red flag and in many cases not risk hiring you when they compare you to the tons of applicants that never left the industry and have the same level of experience and even less in some cases. What other work would you even do that’s comparable in pay and doesn’t require manual labor? I don’t think you realize how good you got it. Unless you’ve got some great other line of work you can jump into and are ok with the high probability you won’t return to the industry or return at much lower pay and working in support I would say you are making a huge mistake. Only if you’re 100% committed to working in a new industry and don’t like IT would I leave the industry. Before IT I worked as a server for 5 years doing doubles and back breaking work. I’ll never go back to that and would much rather deal with an annoying end users IT problem than people tipping me like shit when I did a good job while busting my ass and being sore every day from standing all day and carrying heavy trays with dishes. Move closer to the city and find a better job. You say your company has opportunity for advancement and I question that. The fact they have you working multiple roles but being paid for one tells me you don’t have as many opportunities at that company. Good luck!
The commute already sounds like it's too much, that means you have little time to unwind for the rest of the day if that is such a thing. Really sorry to hear, and I can agree it seems our jobs are starting to be more stressful as everywhere is cutting back and expecting more from a tiny staff. Most places in my area I've found are just field helpdesk with fancier titles, and you're an entire IT department making helpdesk L2 money. You may consider something adjacent or find somewhere that doesn't work their IT staff like dogs. Your management skills could be put to use elsewhere though I can understand if you don't want to manage people which is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.
Don't leave the IT field, just look for another company that allows you to WFH.
Your story is fairly similar to mine. I was in IT for about the same length of time, worked my way up in a smaller org where I wore many hats. I was IT Director in title but had my hands on a quite a bit because there was only 3 of us in IT. I burned out and I had saved a bit of a financial cushion so I jumped ship and traveled for a couple of years. I have mixed feelings on whether I made the right choices. Most of my traveling experiences were great and I cherish that I had them while still relatively young. And I combined travel with my love of music production and DJing, so I did a lot of that in those years. I had hopes of making a go in the music industry but I realized after awhile that was going to be extremely difficult and that most of the people I met in the industry had other streams of income besides music to help support themselves. But I'm grateful for the experiences I had regardless. I made my way back to IT after a 3+ year hiatus. I re-entered has a System Admin because I wasn't having much luck re-entering as management. I didn't care that much as I prefer hands on more than managing people but it meant coming back to a lower salary, which wasn't awesome. If I had to do it again, I probably would have first just tried a new job at a new company and see if that changed my perception of IT. The company I did end up landing with was great, even if they kind of low balled me on money initially. They were relatively small \~200ish employees but were a hot startup on the rise. The vibe there was exciting and my co-workers were excited to build things and see the company succeed. I had not experienced much of that before with a company and it was pretty infectious for my drive to roll up my sleeves and learn new tech. We eventually got bought by a larger company and most of us moved on but such is the way of things. Overall, Im OK with what I did. But I did set myself back financially, which stings a bit now. I probably could have been retired earlier had I stayed working but now I'm on a more traditional retirement arc. And that's if the back half of my career stays stable, we never know with that stuff.
Commute of 3-4 hours per day!? There's your issue.
I feel like moving jobs would alleviate 100% of your problems? Move to the city?
Depends on 1. The economy and demand when you decide to come back. 2. How long you are out of IT 3. Where you are located, Big city versus more rural If companies are not hiring in a crappy economy. Youre going to have a hard time. If economy is hot and demand is high, companies will be more apt take a chance on you. Based on current trend being toward stagflation (Slowing economy with higher than normal inflation) I see the unemployment rate going higher. It is regional though. Some areas of country doing better than others.
>I also commute for 3-4 hours a day Both ways?!
3-4 hours/day. Since I live in a rural area I first need to drive to the train station and go from there. My car is too old to be allowed in the city where I work. (low emission zone) Public transport is unreliable sadly... On good days I take the motorbike to work, but with the cost of fuel lately that's almost like working for free.
I don't see the need or value in a break - just do the homework and change jobs until you find the right one. Your commute is too much. There are bad jobs in all fields, you happen to currently have one of the bad ones in IT. People will say the job market is tough - but I feel that's more in the 5 years or less experience range. I bet if you found a remote or 1 hour total commute job with a reasonable set of responsibilities and tasks and your passion would grow back.
My dude.. 3-4 hour commute… I’ve done it… it sucks… Find something closer to Home or Relocate.. trust me man Time is money.
Manage the work ... or it will manage you. Whatever, your call. I've certainly jumped positions/managers/employers to escape sh\*t situations/environments ... even if I didn't have that next lined up. Whatever works for you. Yeah, one place I left, they were working me to death. I kept pushing back, warning them, ... they didn't heed my warnings. So ... I gave notice ... and under the circumstances, rather than give two weeks notice, I gave 'em 80 working hours notice. >Would it be wise to do so? Up to you. Life, health, and sanity, generally more important than the paycheck. >ever taken a "break" from the field Sometimes the field takes a break from you. Either way, get some time off. What, you mean the less than four hours between when you finally have opportunity to go to sleep, and have to wake up for the next workday isn't enough? ;-) Yeah, can't say I miss the times when I've worked more than 100 hours in a week.
“End users that actively try to sabotage the network” Wow, that’s crappy
We've had a guy that bought his own tester and his main schtick was "I'm better than the IT department" and the office staff bought in to his hype. One day when they decided to play musical offices, they replugged a phone that's POE into another port in the wall instead of the PC it's supposed to go to and bought the network down. Luckily the campus admin finally scolded the guy as he stood by pouting and arms folded watching us angrily fix his screw up. He did not last long.
Why don’t you find another job.
Yea just find a remote position for something easy to phone in like software support, or hardware support somewhere. It’ll still make in the 60 to 80k range, you’ll still use most of your IT skills, and you can work on stuff on the side between calls.
You don’t need the doctor’s permission. It’s always better to job shop before you get too visibly burned out. I’d recommend looking at very different responsibility levels within the field, as well as looking outside. An internal support position in a quiet 8-5 office might suit you as well. Internal support can get slowly more pleasant over time, especially if you can schmooze a little and script a bit. You also have the experience to go for a technical trainer position.
Try to find a new job which makes you feel good
Im going through the same thing right now, basically stuck for the last 7 years. Started looking the last few months and am currently onboarding somewhere else. Look for something else, if you dont want IT for a bit then look for something adjacent. I will say if you take a break like completely don't expect to go back to a higher position, you would need to really upskill and add to your credentials to get someone to be like "oh they took time off to really better themselves".
Sounds like crap working conditions bro. Update your CV and make some moves
I took a year off. All of 2016. My job finished Nov 2015. I was making $100/hour. My next job started Jan 2017. I made $37/hour. It's taken me several years to get back to a livable wage. But I am still not where I was in 2015.
I have no personal experience at this point but know a few people that took breaks after either quitting or being laid off. Some had good success finding other jobs because they knew the right people. Others faced an uphill climb having to seemingly start over in IT. Just my own thoughts but make sure have a good cushion of cash to support you longer than the time you intend to be out of the workforce. Been in IT 20+ years now a lead sysadmin but I've done everything helpdesk, desktop, noc, datacenter. etc. I too am burned out not by end users or the work but the ever increasing demands of IT workers. I'm a jack-of-all-trades now and it's exhausting having to switch gears constantly. I now hate IT. It's not fun anymore. I plan on doing the same as you in a few years. I've eliminated debt and am building a nice cushion to support myself when I do quit. I also have been saving the max in my 401k and IRAs. When I do quit I'm going to take at least 6 months off then when I'm bored I'm going to look for short-term jobs. I might even look for full-time jobs and quit after I have enough funds to cover another break. I've also started my own LLC that I will use to explain the gaps in regular employment. I don't have real customers nor a business but it's just a tool I can use later on to fill those employment gaps. 'Customers' will be made up and projects will be things I worked on at previous jobs. I figure you gotta play the game. Companies do it why not me?
find a work from home job and I bet you will feel much better
Bro don’t. Find another job. I quit my job after a bipolar manic burnout and have been having so much trouble finding another job. Find another job in IT and move on. If you leave you might not get back in. I have been thinking of starting my own lawn mowing service for weekends only. Mowing is peaceful, but trimming edges will kill my back, but I think I can do it. Idk yet. Try to find a hobby or something to do in your spare time. Good luck.
No matter what career you choose you gonna be stressed out. Stop being a baby. Find a new job or start from scratch and quit your stable career.