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492

Greetings, I have a conundrum that I’m mulling over, trying to decide how to continue.

My education is in audio engineering, I’m good with tech, have been working at an AV company for a year now and starting to bridge my skill set into the IT side of things. Learning programming, networking, cybersecurity, etc - primarily on Codecademy at the moment, but I’m also going through the Harvard CS50 course and will be looking to get my CCNA and Network+ and the like in the future.

At my current AV job we have to travel all the time, and the jobs we do are kinda stupid, not gonna lie. Like I’m usually left scratching my head over “how is it that we got paid to do this when the client could have easily done this themselves?” I get paid pretty well, especially for an AV tech, probably on the higher side of the average pay (~$25 an hour). However, my company is kind of a joke, the boss is an ex-rockstar-wannabe, if you want a good image.

My main complaint is that I constantly have to go on trips far away from home (like LA, NY, Dallas, Chicago), and these trips are never organized in any sort of way. Shit gets added on last day or during the job, I end up having to come home late or the next day. I’m exhausted all the time and cannot get anything done at home.

The pay is nicer than some jobs, but I’m only sustaining a home and my wife at the moment (I’m partially sustaining my mother as well but she also takes care of herself and gets some alimony, so she’s not fully on my shoulders). When we have kids I’m gonna probably need more than $25 an hour.

I’ve only had this job for one year and there’s a potential opportunity to go work as a network and systems administrator (typical IT position). I would be working for a town hall though, in the Bernie state (VT). Better pay, much better hours, no trips, but I’d be working for a bunch of Libs. No vax requirement as of yet, but that would be a deal breaker.

Should I stay at this insane job, be away from my family and make base technician money but be away from the libs, or should I drop it and do what’s better for my mental health and family?

Admittedly, I haven’t got the job at the town hall, but I’m well known at the town hall since they’re a client, they like me, they know and want my specific skill set since I’m the one that set up their AV system.

Thoughts?

Thank you folks, god bless.

Greetings, I have a conundrum that I’m mulling over, trying to decide how to continue. My education is in audio engineering, I’m good with tech, have been working at an AV company for a year now and starting to bridge my skill set into the IT side of things. Learning programming, networking, cybersecurity, etc - primarily on Codecademy at the moment, but I’m also going through the Harvard CS50 course and will be looking to get my CCNA and Network+ and the like in the future. At my current AV job we have to travel all the time, and the jobs we do are kinda stupid, not gonna lie. Like I’m usually left scratching my head over “how is it that we got paid to do this when the client could have easily done this themselves?” I get paid pretty well, especially for an AV tech, probably on the higher side of the average pay (~$25 an hour). However, my company is kind of a joke, the boss is an ex-rockstar-wannabe, if you want a good image. My main complaint is that I constantly have to go on trips far away from home (like LA, NY, Dallas, Chicago), and these trips are never organized in any sort of way. Shit gets added on last day or during the job, I end up having to come home late or the next day. I’m exhausted all the time and cannot get anything done at home. The pay is nicer than some jobs, but I’m only sustaining a home and my wife at the moment (I’m partially sustaining my mother as well but she also takes care of herself and gets some alimony, so she’s not fully on my shoulders). When we have kids I’m gonna probably need more than $25 an hour. I’ve only had this job for one year and there’s a potential opportunity to go work as a network and systems administrator (typical IT position). I would be working for a town hall though, in the Bernie state (VT). Better pay, much better hours, no trips, but I’d be working for a bunch of Libs. No vax requirement as of yet, but that would be a deal breaker. Should I stay at this insane job, be away from my family and make base technician money but be away from the libs, or should I drop it and do what’s better for my mental health and family? Admittedly, I haven’t got the job at the town hall, but I’m well known at the town hall since they’re a client, they like me, they know and want my specific skill set since I’m the one that set up their AV system. Thoughts? Thank you folks, god bless.

(post is archived)

[–] • 9 pts

It's a no brainer. Take the network tech job and then leverage to network tech level 2 80-90 k plus benefits, then network tech level 3 100-120k plus benefits. Then say you're gender fluid non binary and become a manager somewhere making 150 k plus benefits.

All that within 4 years.

[–] • 1 pt

Thank you for your perspective. I have my interview scheduled this Thursday!

[–] • 0 pt

Word. Let me know how it goes.

[–] • 1 pt

This Poalsr bear is a smart cookie

[–] • 2 pts

IT jobs pay very well, but they are standardized in a way that your employers believe that they can replace you in no time. Especially network related or administrative jobs. Software development no so, if you get involved into a project that runs for decades, you can become invaluable. But many jobs are just gigs.

Talk to your boss, ask him where he sees himself in 10-20 years. Maybe he wants to do the same til retirement, then there is no future for you. Maybe he wants to expand or do new things, then ask him if he thinks that you can overtake his current routine work - better pay and less travel.

[–] • 1 pt

Cant agree more, most software jobs are gigs are temp pay solutions where your not growing into anything. My latest job literally said the job is done in 9 months and its done, so software can be lucrative, but most jobs are considered highly unstable at best

[–] • 0 pt

Essentially, if I am to stay at this job, it would basically be up to me to make this company better - because as we stand, we’re quite the mess. I would need to somehow influence my boss, and everyone else to start functioning like adults.

The level of ineptitude that I see on a fucking daily basis was funny for like, six months. At this point it’s starting to get to me.

[–] • 0 pt

Leading from behind just leads to frustration, you cannot change anything without the open backing of your boss.

It all depends on if he want the business to grow and if he is thinking about an exit strategy for himself in the distant future. If both is the case, then he needs to build up a middle management to free himself from the day-to-day micro-management tasks that eat his time. If you boss realizes that he needs to build up a middle management (and only then), then the next question is about into whom he should invest time and money and if it's maybe you.

So there are many ifs, most likely too many. But you have to find some answers first and it all starts with asking your boss where he sees himself in 10 and 20 years.

[–] • 2 pts

At my current AV job we have to travel all the time, and the jobs we do are kinda stupid, not gonna lie. Like I’m usually left scratching my head over “how is it that we got paid to do this when the client could have easily done this themselves?”

I'm one of the people who pays you to do something I can do.

You need to appreciate the economic opportunity cost of time. You make $25/hr. Your business charges me $50-75/hr for your time and pockets the difference.

I make thousands of dollars an hour. It's significantly more effecient for me to pay you for a task I can do and hope you don't fuck it up, than it is for me to spend my own time doing it - simply because my time is more valuable.

Now that we're on the same page big picture with how your inexperience in the value of time leads you to value your time, the answer to your question is easy: if you desire upward mobility economically, do whatever makes you the most at any time, while constantly using your spare time to seek to better your skills or networking and find a job that pays more. Rinse, repeat, until you are comfortable.

[–] • 2 pts (edited )

If the job change requires a move to Vermont, research the cost of living. I was going to move there for a job but my spreadsheet for home budget showed I could only afford to live in a rented trailer in the woods. Home ownership insane, rental properties that are nice very rare, cost of heating high and there is snow 6 months of the year. Add in the cost of changing to snow tires every year, finding reasonably priced and consistent repair services difficult. Work ethic of services like appliance and home repair is terrible.

I have heard so many horror stories of family and friends who live in Berlin, Waterbury, Stowe, and Burlington -- combined with spreadsheet numbers made me realize I could not afford to live there, even with the higher paying job.

and get ready for vax and mask Karen's, all of the libs are devotees of the vac religion

[–] • 1 pt

Unfortunately I already live in Vermont, this job would be about 20 minutes of a drive for me. Those horror stories are true, I’ve seen it all. This job would be a step up, more so that I could make enough money to get a patch of land somewhere far away from this blue mess, buy it outright, move there with my wife in an RV, and build a home there to raise my children :)

[–] • 2 pts

I'd keep the AV job, personally. In a job like that it's not what you know, but who. Given time and networking you could eventually set yourself up to own your own company. Just sayin

[–] • 1 pt

As soon as you said you had a wife and everything after answers your own question.

[–] • 1 pt

Sysadmin here, network tech pay is better, traveling tech even better, but they will see you as replaceable The key is to get network architect title. no travel, high pay, and if they know trying to replace you will cost two to three times your salary. I grew into the role, no formal certificates, best advise I got, play with a test network and server environment at home with old equipment. Best knowledge is first hand, not learned in a classroom.

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt

If the pay is a lot better to offset the lib environment I'd take the network job, otherwise I'd stick with the AV job and traveling.

[–] • 0 pt

jump ship. the ad hoc job you're describing are a dime-a-dozen, and if there is no value-add, fuck 'em

is this gig at town hall a govie job - if so you get bennies and retirement plan. beyond that, it sounds like it'll be more laid back than the current state of affairs, plus it looks like it will have a value-add for you - best to shoot for the role you grow into..

if you're getting in tech - don't let anyone tell you job hopping is bad for you; get in, learn, reciprocate, and once you've hit the wall/ceiling, set the bar higher and jump.

in any case, i agree with previous posts - sounds like it's time to move on.

[–] • 0 pt

No matter what we tell you, it's you who will bear the consequences of any choice, and frankly it's not easy to know them in advance.

[–] • 0 pt

As if these are the only 2 jobs on Earth. You don't wanna do either one. Keep thinking.

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