# Feel like I am getting ripped of and mislead with my contract job



## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

So today marked the 3rd day for doing garbage and hauling merchandise at my 2 month contract job. The title was very misleading and I thought I was going to be installing PC's. I am in a group with 2 other people and 2 of us are hauling trash and the other one is hauling merchandise. 

The thing that pisses me off is 4 new guys came into our project this week and they got put onto better teams and they were all considered Desktop Technician 1's like we were. Currently right now I feel like this job is crap and I just want to finish it. 

How do I get over my angry while at the job that I do not like? It's good money, but currently I want the job for experience and not for the money. So basically all the stuff I put about installing PC equipment can go out the window with my resume. I can just put "Hauled garbage for 2 months" on my resume. That is really what I did. For the first two weeks I did do some IT stuff. 

I feel like I am loosing my skills that I worked so hard for  The teams are already picked so their is no way to change. I am stuck doing this job for another month and a week. 

This month really sucked because my group at school did not include me in the project even though I asked them billions of times. Sorry, I just had to vent about my job and my school.

P.S. Before taking any job, make sure the company is not going to rip you off and change you to something else! Get out of their unless you really need the money.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Talk to your boss and ask him where you could improve as you feel you are not getting what you would from the job (thats the nice way of putting it).


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

Yeah, but the groups are finalized. I am thinking about getting a Bachelors in Information Technology and Administrative management at Central Washington University and becoming an administrative assistant as a back up job.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

IT is very competative and when you get a job you basically need to kiss the bosses butt but sometimes it doesn't matter how nice you are to them sometimes your face doesn't fit.

Administration could help because you get to deal with people which is very important in IT.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

Greenbrucelee, 

This is the bachelors degree I was thinking about doing. It is at Central Washington University, same college my mom went to. This degree is online because they are now starting to offer online degrees. 

I don't need to put that it is an online degree. This college mostly does on-campus degrees. 

http://www.cwu.edu/~itam/PDF/BSITAMprograms/Major Info Sheet 09-12.pdf


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Looks okay to me. You wont have to put on your resume thats in online or anything like that a degree is a degree.

Some companies are degree bias meaning that they favour candidates from certain schools/universities but this is a dying belief thankfully. Although if you go against someone with exactly the same qualifications and experience who went to a top university most of the time you will loose out but like I said this a dying belief now and its about time too.

I have dealt with people who went to some of the top universities in America and the UK and a lot of them are very clever but put them in the real world and they havent got a clue.

Getting this admin job whilst studying will definatly help you. What I would suggest is after doing it for a 6 months to a year whilst doing your studies start applying for help desk and 1st line support jobs it will stand you on good stead against other candidates.

I have said before and I will say it again I dont have a bachelors degree because it isn't neccesary if you follow the correct route for getting in IT. I do however have what you in the US would call an associates degree though.

I was offered a job in Tenessee last year but I have had to turn it down because my mother has parkinsons disease and needs looking after. I have been told there is a position open for me when ever I want but I don't know when or if I will ever be able to do it.

I was offered that job on the basis of my experience not qualifications or certifications (although they would have a factor somewhere) and I started of whilst studying doing an admin job and a labourers job. You dont have to have a pure technical background to get into IT. Being able to talk to people and communicate is about 70% of an IT technicians role 20% is technical and 10% is mundane so an admin background is ideal.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Most large companies use software to communicate what each tech has to do. I log into the software every morning and my cue comes up which tells me what I have to do and the priority of each. The only verbal communication that we do is our weekly conference calls. Tons of email communications, but very little verbal. I have lots of friends in the same role as me and they all use the same software to do their jobs.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Depends on role. If your on a help desk where customers phone in the communicatio skills are essential or a customer facing IT Tech role or field service technican role then communication skills are a must.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I do go to our different sites from time to time, but still very little verbal communication. If you own a repair business and go out in the field then yes, communication skills are vital. Not so much in large corporations as everything is done through cues and emails.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Amd_Man said:


> I do go to our different sites from time to time, but still very little verbal communication. If you own a repair business and go out in the field then yes, communication skills are vital. Not so much in large corporations as everything is done through cues and emails.


when I did first line the majority was on the phone and email, after I moved in to doing general tech duties and network I was quite often on my own so when I had to do something its was mainly responding to ticket requests and the odd phone call.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I'm on my own for the most part. I haven't talked to my manager in months. Tons of email communications, but no verbal. As long as things are getting done he's happy and leaves us to do our thing.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

I just feel like I need a bachelors degree because I don't want to end up like one guy at my contract job who only has two basic certifications and has 7 years of experience in IT and was a system admin and now is what supposedly is, "Desktop Technician 1". That is the same position as me.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Armymanis said:


> I just feel like I need a bachelors degree because I don't want to end up like one guy at my contract job who only has two basic certifications and has 7 years of experience in IT and was a system admin and now is what supposedly is, "Desktop Technician 1". That is the same position as me.


he's probably where he is due to his attitude or something. It isn't a neccesity to have a degree it IT although it can help. If he was a systems admin then he should still be one or have gone to a higher level. Do you know what he used to study his certs?

I ask that because I know 3 people who were systems admins and they made huge mistakes because 2 of them had cheated their way to the MCSE using braindumps and eventually got caught out for not knowing common systems admin procedures whilst the other was just someone who was good at studying but didn't have any real world experience so that caught her out.

2 of them now work in second line support and the girl now works in a cake factory.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

yeah still. I am going to get my bachelors. Better safe then sorry.


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## PinoyIT (Feb 28, 2011)

You already have your associates so what's two more years right. With how tough the job market is now, a bachelor's would give you an edge. Experience, education, and certifications are the three things that companies look for. A bachelor's degree is really beneficial if you ever get an opportunity to work for the government or government contractors.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

And a Bachelor's degree will help get your resume to even be looked at as the resume scanners alot of companies use these days look for key words such as bachelor's degree.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

yup thats what I am thinking! As soon as this contract job is over, i am a full time student again!  No more work for awhile


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## PinoyIT (Feb 28, 2011)

You should at least do some part time jobs or look for internships.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

PinoyIT said:


> You should at least do some part time jobs or look for internships.


Pinoy, I have already had a part time job and that was for almost 9 months. I got sick of it real quick. Don't want another job until i get my bachelors.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Good luck with everything Armymanis! :smile:


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Pinoy:

I think you will find the majority of folks don't like their job, but they like eating.

BG


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

Currently I live at home with my mom and my sister and I can do without a job for right now. My mom has a pretty steady career and is a teacher, so she can support us until I get my bachelors and get a full time job.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Your mum may be able to support you but at the end of the day it would look better if you got a job in the area your interested in.

Knowing what I know now and if I could go back in time this is how I would have done things:- Leave school, get a full time or part time job in IT, do some certs get more experience do a degree part time whilst working in IT.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

greenbrucelee said:


> Your mum may be able to support you but at the end of the day it would look better if you got a job in the area your interested in.
> 
> Knowing what I know now and if I could go back in time this is how I would have done things:- Leave school, get a full time or part time job in IT, do some certs get more experience do a degree part time whilst working in IT.


So very true greenbrucelee! I wish I could turn back the hands of time knowing what I now know.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

greenbrucelee said:


> Your mum may be able to support you but at the end of the day it would look better if you got a job in the area your interested in.
> 
> Knowing what I know now and if I could go back in time this is how I would have done things:- Leave school, get a full time or part time job in IT, do some certs get more experience do a degree part time whilst working in IT.


It seems like many area's in the workplace do not require a bachelors degree (Like IT), but I do not want to end up missing out on this opportunity to get one. I also understand that I will not get a good high paying job even with a bachelors degree in IT management, but at least I can get an entry level job in IT once I am done with my bachelors. 

I do believe that without a bachelors you will platue and not be able to move up in any area (like IT) unless you have massive amounts of certs and experience. 

In Washington State, many more people have bachelors degrees and seem to be doing alright. The state I live in seems to be very educated and I think it is worth pursing a bachelors degree. Not only for fulfillment purposes, but it will make finding an entry level position in IT a lot easier.

It is also a proven fact that people who get Bachelors and beyond do better then people who only have experience and certs to back up their claims. If the candidate has all three (certs, education, and experience) then it is the best choice for the employer to hire that person.


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## PinoyIT (Feb 28, 2011)

I looked over the program you listed and it seems like you need to do internships to graduate so that would be good. Good luck at uni. I'm starting this summer, how about you?


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Armymanis said:


> Currently I live at home with my mom and my sister and I can do without a job for right now. My mom has a pretty steady career and is a teacher, so she can support us until I get my bachelors and get a full time job.


Bad attitude

BG


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I know many people in IT who do have degrees but their degrees are not IT related. Many have chemistry degrees and business degrees.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

greenbrucelee said:


> I know many people in IT who do have degrees but their degrees are not IT related. Many have chemistry degrees and business degrees.


I defiantly think the bachelors is worth pursuing and I will let you guys know how I do once I am done with it. BTW I graduate in December with an AA in Technical Support


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## 2xg (Aug 5, 2009)

Glad to say, I am one of those....:grin:


greenbrucelee said:


> I know many people in IT who do have degrees but their degrees are not IT related. Many have chemistry degrees and business degrees.


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