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Government IT has one overwhelming advantage: it often requires a security clearance. At mid to high levels, I'd say 90-95%+ of the jobs are cleared.
It is difficult to outsource such a job overseas.
Your veteran status will hep *significantly*, but you'll still have to get the basic KSAs (knowledge, skill, abilities) to pass the interview screening and the interview, then the interviewer has to select you.
Protip #1: when you're interviewing to get into the system, take *anywhere*. Don't hold out for Belgium or Cailfornia, they get hundreds of applicants for each job. Take the North Dakota or New Mexico job, work there for a couple of years, then apply with strong experience to another, nicer place.
Protip #2: If you can't get on a GS job, take a job as a *contractor* supporting government IT. More money, less security, but it gets you at least around the system and familiar with government IT as you plan to transition to GS.
No I never worked in IT private sector and don't want to
Here are the common issues i hear working in that sector
-Outsourcing
-Work life balance sucks
- on call 24/7
- overworked
- long hours
- unstable
- not chill and easy
You can possibly be rich if you work in the IT private sector just be prepared to work your ass off and take risk.
Soooo… you've never actually worked a private sector IT job but yet you can make these claims about what happens in the private sector. Typical Internet warrior goes by what people "hear" and not what reality is. I have worked both in the public schools doing IT and the private sector in the private sector I get more vacation time, more pay, more free time, and way less stress than I ever had at s school district and I get better retirement benefits. Don't always believe what you read on the Internet kids go out in the world and find what reality really is. And the private sector has more money to spend on IT, public sector you'll be working on older technology and if you go to interviews for private sector jobs may be laughed out of the interview room (went through this since the school district I worked for still used Novell Netware 4)
Totally agree with rocky. CosmoStars has started multiple threads asking people to reassure him that a public sector helpdesk job is OK, and that the private sector is awful, and he's constantly talking about how awful the private sector is, how you never get time off, how you're constantly on call, blah blah de blah blah blah. I work in IT in the private sector, I work 40 hours, I don't carry a pager, I make serious cash, I have some coworkers in their sixties (so the ageism claims are invalid as well) and I don't consider it "stressful". It's just work. I have to be there eight hours a day, they pay for me to be mentally present and know what I'm doing, and they pay more if I'm willing to grow and learn new things. I don't think this is particular unreasonable.
Now, I don't usually pipe up on these threads, because CS clearly wants to believe that the private sector is awful. To that end, he pays sharp attention to all the people complaining about their private sector job, and apparently discounts the people who like their job. Fine, this helps him feel better about his job. I am only doing it this time because it actually matters to you if you believe this misinformation or not. So I'm telling you: there are good jobs in the private sector, there are jobs in the private sector with no overtime, there are jobs where hard work is rewarded, and there are jobs where you can just skate on by while doing the minimum. You'll see a lot of people complaining on this board about the wrong people being promoted or their boss being unreasonable, but that's just the nature of these boards. Some people are impatient and antisocial and, surprise surprise, they have problems in the workplace. I strongly advise you to question anything CS says about the private sector, it's all based on a really unbalanced view. Yes, I've had bad bosses and bad hours, I just got better jobs when that happened.
Totally agree with rocky. CosmoStars has started multiple threads asking people to reassure him that a public sector helpdesk job is OK, and that the private sector is awful, and he's constantly talking about how awful the private sector is, how you never get time off, how you're constantly on call, blah blah de blah blah blah. I work in IT in the private sector, I work 40 hours, I don't carry a pager, I make serious cash, I have some coworkers in their sixties (so the ageism claims are invalid as well) and I don't consider it "stressful". It's just work. I have to be there eight hours a day, they pay for me to be mentally present and know what I'm doing, and they pay more if I'm willing to grow and learn new things. I don't think this is particular unreasonable.
Now, I don't usually pipe up on these threads, because CS clearly wants to believe that the private sector is awful. To that end, he pays sharp attention to all the people complaining about their private sector job, and apparently discounts the people who like their job. Fine, this helps him feel better about his job. I am only doing it this time because it actually matters to you if you believe this misinformation or not. So I'm telling you: there are good jobs in the private sector, there are jobs in the private sector with no overtime, there are jobs where hard work is rewarded, and there are jobs where you can just skate on by while doing the minimum. You'll see a lot of people complaining on this board about the wrong people being promoted or their boss being unreasonable, but that's just the nature of these boards. Some people are impatient and antisocial and, surprise surprise, they have problems in the workplace. I strongly advise you to question anything CS says about the private sector, it's all based on a really unbalanced view. Yes, I've had bad bosses and bad hours, I just got better jobs when that happened.
Thanks and feel free to "pipe up" on this thread as much as possible!
What's the best major? What are the best schools? Are there different kinds of IT?
I'm a real newbie guys.
The name of the game in IT is experience. If you go to school, try to get a job in the field. Back when I got my AS I worked in the Colleges computer lab. That experience landed me my first real job. Now, I have a few certifications and a BS in IT. There are many paths into the IT field, typically people get on helpdesk and move up but more and more I am seeing people get a degree and certification's and getting into good positions to start (helpdesk and most support positions take good communication and people skills). The field varies from an IT generalist to being specialized (ie Networking, Databases, Developers, Admins (Servers, Storage, Cloud etc)). You have to find what interest you and what skills companies need.........remember it is not what you want, it is the consumer. Companies pay for the skills they need to solve their problems, not the areas of IT that interest the employee.
Soooo… you've never actually worked a private sector IT job but yet you can make these claims about what happens in the private sector. Typical Internet warrior goes by what people "hear" and not what reality is. I have worked both in the public schools doing IT and the private sector in the private sector I get more vacation time, more pay, more free time, and way less stress than I ever had at s school district and I get better retirement benefits. Don't always believe what you read on the Internet kids go out in the world and find what reality really is. And the private sector has more money to spend on IT, public sector you'll be working on older technology and if you go to interviews for private sector jobs may be laughed out of the interview room (went through this since the school district I worked for still used Novell Netware 4)
He or she is right about the private sector. I've worked in both the government sector and the private sector. The government job was the best. The only place that I will differ with Cosmostars is that the coding jobs might put you "on call". In the government you get comp time up to 40 hours and OT paid at time and a half after the fortieth hour.
Lastly, if your government job is unionized your mainframe job and the mainframe jobs of everyone that you work with will never end up in India. This is especially important when you start to go grey.
I've been there. Trust the voice of unbiased experience.
Totally agree with rocky. CosmoStars has started multiple threads asking people to reassure him that a public sector helpdesk job is OK, and that the private sector is awful, and he's constantly talking about how awful the private sector is, how you never get time off, how you're constantly on call, blah blah de blah blah blah. I work in IT in the private sector, I work 40 hours, I don't carry a pager, I make serious cash, I have some coworkers in their sixties (so the ageism claims are invalid as well) and I don't consider it "stressful". It's just work. I have to be there eight hours a day, they pay for me to be mentally present and know what I'm doing, and they pay more if I'm willing to grow and learn new things. I don't think this is particular unreasonable.
Now, I don't usually pipe up on these threads, because CS clearly wants to believe that the private sector is awful. To that end, he pays sharp attention to all the people complaining about their private sector job, and apparently discounts the people who like their job. Fine, this helps him feel better about his job. I am only doing it this time because it actually matters to you if you believe this misinformation or not. So I'm telling you: there are good jobs in the private sector, there are jobs in the private sector with no overtime, there are jobs where hard work is rewarded, and there are jobs where you can just skate on by while doing the minimum. You'll see a lot of people complaining on this board about the wrong people being promoted or their boss being unreasonable, but that's just the nature of these boards. Some people are impatient and antisocial and, surprise surprise, they have problems in the workplace. I strongly advise you to question anything CS says about the private sector, it's all based on a really unbalanced view. Yes, I've had bad bosses and bad hours, I just got better jobs when that happened.
The point Im making here is that I think people need to stop ****ting IT because they got fired, hate their job, lost their job due to outsourcing or whatever whiny reason to complain.
My experience is very limited to working in the public sector so I may not know what im saying probably but I just hear a bunch of stories from everyone how most of the private sector IT is. So Yea good for you its going good in Private Sector but Im not taking a risk to work there ever unless I have absolutely have no choice at all.
I never been laid off or outsourced or whatever other thing every other IT guy goes thru in private sector.
For me its a good field no complains so far for others not so much.
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Cosmostars is right
