IT industry

I have been in IT for 7 years.

I have 2 degrees in Mathematics, Statistics & Operational Research. I decided I didn't want a job as a Derivatives Trader and since I like building PCs I got a job in IT.

I am now a fully certified ITIL Service Manager, earn a good wage for my 29 years of age, have worked for blue chip companies and have a strong CV.

Currently in the process of moving from IT to the Business side to manage a 3rd Party supplier.

IT is an interesting area to work. If you get involved in Project Mgt or Service Mgt or Supplier Mgt you will probably have a job for most of your life.

My advise is that if the kid enjoys building stuff then get him a university degree in an applied science with a business spin to it. Then they have the option to become a techie and risk being offshored to India/singapure or South Africa OR get a job as a project manager / service manager and continue living

But all this is my personal opinion, based on the choices I have made in my life and my experiences.

[flymo]

Originally Posted by suzsv650

quite surprised with the amount of people slating IT...

me too!

I work for Unilever, I am our global IT architect for client technologies and I love it. IT has massive potential in a career if you want it to, all depends what you get into and your attitude to it.

Dont go for the same old stuff that people did 10 or 15 years ago, focus on the up and coming hot topics and build experience in them. At our organisation we take IT very very seriously simply due to its potential to help us.

Look at cloud computing, digital marketing, love them or hate them look at development in iPad, iPhone, Android apps, mobile computing, exploiting web technologies, look at the potential rise of IT use in developing countries......the list goes on. IT can be vibrant and interesting if you approach it in the right way.

Originally Posted by 600+

Then they have the option to become a techie and risk being offshored to India/singapure or South Africa

I've worked in IT for about the same amount of time (am also 29) and currently work for an investment bank (front office trading side).

I would say that it is VERY far away from happening (never say never!) except to the most basic level tech people as the offshored people simply never have the IQ to do anything but the most basic instructed tasks.

[timwilky]

Not quite true.

I put some coding work (Java/LDAP integration for a single sign on solution) to a company in Leicester, who got their guys in India to do it. I have to admit a few of them Indians were damm smart.

Maybe they are more part of the company than offshored? I dunno, this is just my experience with any one from TCS (Tata, who do lots of different things).

I think any smart ones end up onshore working direct for my company though.

Originally Posted by muffles

I've worked in IT for about the same amount of time (am also 29) and currently work for an investment bank (front office trading side).

I would say that it is VERY far away from happening (never say never!) except to the most basic level tech people as the offshored people simply never have the IQ to do anything but the most basic instructed tasks.

That is in the banking sector and only in the support for "front desk" functions.

I am also in this sector hence why I have an opinion

[timwilky]

More and more stuff is leaving. Our helpdesk is in Kuala Lumpur. At first we had issues, primarily on telephone voice quality. they obviously use VoIP to keep own call costs and must not be using decent codecs.

As a result of the experience, we have now outsourced our tier 2 support for Lotus notes as well. in this case follow the sun Kuala Lumpur, Poland and Brasil

In a few months, our mail, groupware etc migrates over to Microsoft hosted Exchange and sharepoint. Even less work for the techies in the UK/Europe to do.

[anna]

Thanks for all your comments and PM´s .. apart from SH you will be getting a shin kicking when I next see you.

The lad in question I feel has no intention of going to university and whilst is plenty smart enough, is also plenty smart alec enough to go with it.

I had suggested the business management aspect to go alongside with it, however it was shot down quite quickly as he feels there would be no need to do that.

I think the major concern is that the course that he wants to do here (Portugal) isn´t going to teach him very much beyond the basics, i.e here is a monitor etc, and perhaps where each item belongs inside a pc.

I am trying to see if there is other ways of producing a varied discussion with him to show him other avenues of the same field, or provide him with another view point past the one that says he is being some what short sighted.

Your replies so far have been really useful, thank you.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by anna

I had suggested the business management aspect to go alongside with it, however it was shot down quite quickly as he feels there would be no need to do that.

He is quite wrong then, its really really useful, because one of the key things I do and have been told I am good at is picking out new technology and then explaining to my Head of Department what it could do and how it could be used to save money. Then theres also the being able to communicate it and the written side, business cases, project documentation etc.

If he thinks he is just going to sit and fiddle about with PC's whilst eating pizza, drinking coke and laughing knowingly at the jokes in the IT Crowd, then he's going to be in for a big shock !

Originally Posted by anna

I think the major concern is that the course that he wants to do here (Portugal) isn´t going to teach him very much beyond the basics, i.e here is a monitor etc, and perhaps where each item belongs inside a pc.

Then IMHO that course is a complete waste of time, if he is keen and likes IT he'll know all that already.

Question, are any of his mates wanting to do the same course, is he just doing it because he gets to hang about with his friends or that the course is to easy and he is just asking to do it for an easy ride ?

[anna]

Sadly Fizz you are right on all accounts, hence why I started this thread; to see if I couldnt throw him some ideas without saying "you are being a silly boy, and potentially throwing your opportunities away". I think he has had too many of those talks with his own parents just recently.