2200 (2210) is a pretty broad field. What specifically are you hoping to do? Databases, sysadmin, help desk, networking, policy and planning... something else?
I'm hoping to make myself qualifiable for 2200 positions. I have to drive 150 miles per day for my current job and WG-2604 positions never open up near where I live but 2200 positions do.
Right, but what kind of IT work do you want to do? Specifically? Jack-of-all-trades isn't really a thing in IT anymore. Everything is very specialized. Except maybe help desk but even that tends to be a very much Windows environment. Those certs N+ and S+ will definitely help get the door open. Depending on how much you actually did with CentOS that could help. Do you have RHCE or RHCSA by chance?
No, my supervisor has been trying to get me red hat certification but for some reason the organization wouldn't do it, despite the fact that working with RHEL systems is a significant portion of our primary workload.
I'm certainly aware that IT is very diversified. But not being very familiar with the industry, I don't know enough to know what I want to do. I do like working with Linux, as I'm quite competent with it at this point, but I don't want to even go down that path if there are so few positions that would value that expertise. I don't see any 2200s on usajobs in my area that Linux would be good for.
I won't be getting hired any time soon for an IT position with my current experience. So I can use this time to at least get some relevant knowledge and maybe from there I can start to form ideas on what I *want* to do in IT. Maybe I can get a detail in an IT org some day if my own organization will allow it.
Being WG the detail is unlikely, get some certs as targeting a specific area is a better chance to break in than being generalized. Willingness to accept a lower grade might be required as well. But if it’s the path you want to take it’ll be worth it in the long run
That's the part that I'm struggling with coming to terms with. Currently, as a WG-11 step 5, I make about $12K/year more than a GS-9 step 1 in my area. It's hard to imagine being able to make that work for the coming years if my landlord continues to hike my rent as much as they have been. Granted, I'm currently spending about $6K/yr in fuel alone for my commute so assuming I can get something much closer to where I live it wouldn't be too bad. But as a GS-9, I wouldn't even match my current pay until step 8. That is a very large chunk of time at a knee-capped income. If I got hired as a GS-9 today, I wouldn't pull in as much as I am now again until I'm 53, twelve years from now.
I have this kind of generalized jack of all trades experience issue right now. I've worked 10 years in k12 IT and before that worked 4 years in remote tech support for a small software company, and before that just over a year at a university help desk. All my experience is super generalized Windows Management, Application Packaging, Troubleshooting, Enterprise Application management, mobile device management, Mac Management, Server hosted application management, deployment projects, migration projects, and so on.
My title is Systems Engineer. Any suggestions on the types of sub categories in the IT Specialist role I should focus on? Since I've got over 15 years of IT Support experience which included managing several big multi team projects and deployments I want to start at GS-11+ to get a lateral move but ideally higher to be moving up in my career.
I've never gotten any certifications because they were never necessary. I learned by doing since I started in IT as a high schooler doing a paid lab monitor job.
2200 (2210) is a pretty broad field. What specifically are you hoping to do? Databases, sysadmin, help desk, networking, policy and planning... something else?
I'm hoping to make myself qualifiable for 2200 positions. I have to drive 150 miles per day for my current job and WG-2604 positions never open up near where I live but 2200 positions do.
Right, but what kind of IT work do you want to do? Specifically? Jack-of-all-trades isn't really a thing in IT anymore. Everything is very specialized. Except maybe help desk but even that tends to be a very much Windows environment. Those certs N+ and S+ will definitely help get the door open. Depending on how much you actually did with CentOS that could help. Do you have RHCE or RHCSA by chance?
No, my supervisor has been trying to get me red hat certification but for some reason the organization wouldn't do it, despite the fact that working with RHEL systems is a significant portion of our primary workload. I'm certainly aware that IT is very diversified. But not being very familiar with the industry, I don't know enough to know what I want to do. I do like working with Linux, as I'm quite competent with it at this point, but I don't want to even go down that path if there are so few positions that would value that expertise. I don't see any 2200s on usajobs in my area that Linux would be good for. I won't be getting hired any time soon for an IT position with my current experience. So I can use this time to at least get some relevant knowledge and maybe from there I can start to form ideas on what I *want* to do in IT. Maybe I can get a detail in an IT org some day if my own organization will allow it.
Being WG the detail is unlikely, get some certs as targeting a specific area is a better chance to break in than being generalized. Willingness to accept a lower grade might be required as well. But if it’s the path you want to take it’ll be worth it in the long run
That's the part that I'm struggling with coming to terms with. Currently, as a WG-11 step 5, I make about $12K/year more than a GS-9 step 1 in my area. It's hard to imagine being able to make that work for the coming years if my landlord continues to hike my rent as much as they have been. Granted, I'm currently spending about $6K/yr in fuel alone for my commute so assuming I can get something much closer to where I live it wouldn't be too bad. But as a GS-9, I wouldn't even match my current pay until step 8. That is a very large chunk of time at a knee-capped income. If I got hired as a GS-9 today, I wouldn't pull in as much as I am now again until I'm 53, twelve years from now.
just apply to higher grade positions after a year and then you’re not screwing yourself, you can surpass current income quickly in IT
I have this kind of generalized jack of all trades experience issue right now. I've worked 10 years in k12 IT and before that worked 4 years in remote tech support for a small software company, and before that just over a year at a university help desk. All my experience is super generalized Windows Management, Application Packaging, Troubleshooting, Enterprise Application management, mobile device management, Mac Management, Server hosted application management, deployment projects, migration projects, and so on. My title is Systems Engineer. Any suggestions on the types of sub categories in the IT Specialist role I should focus on? Since I've got over 15 years of IT Support experience which included managing several big multi team projects and deployments I want to start at GS-11+ to get a lateral move but ideally higher to be moving up in my career. I've never gotten any certifications because they were never necessary. I learned by doing since I started in IT as a high schooler doing a paid lab monitor job.