| September 2007 |
| By Justin Stanley |
I never cared about what industry a company was in when I applied for jobs in the past. Sure, I might double-check that the company didn’t use any especially distasteful business practices, but I didn’t really pay a whole lot of attention. I didn’t think the industry mattered as long as the position itself sounded like a good fit. I was wrong.
My first real IT position was with a software development company. Our products were specifically marketed toward technologically advanced clients and, as a result, nearly all of the positions within the company required a better-than-average understanding of computers and technology.
It was a great place to be a geek, and I got spoiled. There were always other geeks nearby, great people to work with and learn from, and rarely did a day go by without the mandatory Star Wars references flying around. My IT skills grew at a fantastic clip, but unfortunately, there came a day when I felt I needed to move on to continue growing.
When I started looking for that next opportunity, I didn’t think to consider whether or not the new employer was in tech-friendly industry. When I saw “systems administrator” at the top of the ad, I figured that was good enough. I’d still be in a tech position, right? So what did I care if nobody else in the company could tell their mouse from a hole in the ground?
I interviewed for the position and received an offer a few days later. I was the proud new systems administrator for a company whose customers were more likely to relate to my grandparents than to a relatively young IT pro. My new coworkers were as friendly as any could be, but they weren’t exactly hired for their technical skills. Instead, it was their ability to create and market products for AARP members that kept them on the payroll.
It didn’t take long before the cultural differences started to wear on me. Though both companies had about the same number of employees, the new employer’s IT staff was much smaller. Instead of having twenty-five other geeks to relate to, I had three, and only one of them had any real IT background. Even worse, upper management in the company had little interest in IT as a whole, fearing change and new technologies so much that any suggestions for improvement, even those that wouldn’t cost a cent, were rejected out of hand.
Though it’s clear that working in an IT position for a non-technology company isn’t for me, there are a few things about it that might be pluses for others. For example, it’s likely that you’re going to be the authority on all things related to information technology and therefore, might have some influence on the direction the IT department takes in the future. Managers from every department will come to you for advice on all IT-related decisions for their department, so even if you aren’t technically a manager yourself, you’ll still hold sway over decisions.
There’s a significant downside to being the only IT person, though. Those same people who come to you for IT advice on relevant subjects, will often seek you out when they have questions that have absolutely nothing to do with your area of expertise. They’ll simply think to themselves that you’re the computer guy, therefore you must know everything about them. They won’t understand that a sys admin isn’t a software engineer, and neither is a DBA. They’ll simply think “computer = you” and start dialing your extension. Explaining to coworkers how you really can’t help them with their non-company cell phone and that you can’t write that application they think should be simple can wear you down quickly.
Some people might find that working in a non-tech industry has other perks. For example, working for a non-profit you believe in can more than make up for the lack of on-the-job technical peers. Same story with companies that provide a service or sell a product you feel strongly about. You may not be able to bond with your coworkers over the lasted issue of Wired, but you can certainly find other ways to get the social interaction you need.
With the increasingly important role technology plays in the success of new businesses, fewer can afford not to hire at least one IT person to manage their networks and provide end-user support. While that’s great for system administrators looking for work, IT pros need to weigh their options carefully before jumping into situations where they’re the only geek in the sea.
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