Considering a career change

[starfish]

Lately I have been considering a career change. I have been in IT for 11 years and have built quite the reputation as the guy that can make things happen. I have a very diverse skill set and enjoy the work I do. I have reached the point in my career where I am becoming more exposed to more political bullshit. That is the part I don't like. It is very frustrating that technical decisions are not made based on their technical merits, but instead how it fits into someone's political agenda.

My plan had been to be work for a couple of years and then get a Masters in Systems Engineering. Then continue to focus on systems integration. However not so sure about that any more.

Part of my current responsibilities increase training other staff members, a few times a year I hold lectures for the entire staff to teach them about various technologies. It has been very high level and low level stuff. For example last year I gave a lecture on how the Internet works. I covered from the browser on your desktop down to the Internet backbone. I enjoyed it and I enjoyed preparing the materials I used for the lecture. I have received very positive feedback and have had requests for lectures on all kinds of topics.

So this has me thinking that maybe I should consider going into training. My main concern is that without being down in the trenches everyday, that my skills will dull and then I won't be as good of a trainer.

I am curious what other think.

[RedState]

Well, no matter what you do you will always have to deal with a certain amount of politics in the work place...sometimes office politics is more vicious than that on Capitol Hill.

If there is not too much of a personal economic swing by changing jobs I would say do it. You seem to enjoy it, and you are obviously good at it, so why not? As the old saying goes: "If you enjoy what you do, you will never work a day in your life"

[Mirko]

Hi there! If you feel that it is the right move for you, and feel that you like training others and giving lectures, I think it is definitely worth looking deeper into it.

As part of your career move I would suggest to look into further training and/or education. You might want to look into gaining a relevant certificate (which you could gain through a short-term training course offered at a local college/university) or better yet, get the Masters in the subject area that would be most relevant for your career goals. Having some additional education in conjunction with your experience will allow you to market yourself better and wider.

Also, it would allow you to access different venues for lecturing and providing staff training.

I wouldn't worry about losing your skills set if you choose becoming a training/lecturer. As you have probably realized when you prepare for the training sessions, you will rely on your knowledge and skills everyday. In fact, you might actually find yourself constantly needing to upgrading your knowledge and skills so that you can offer a wider range of, and more in-depth, training.

I would caution you however; if your career change is based on being exposed to 'political bullshit,' you will encounter that everywhere at some point. The trick will be not to get involved in it or too consumed by it.