My fiancée used to work at Nortel (she ran the support team for some big telecoms switches) before the crooks who ran it did one leaving the company in the lurch big time and making '000s of people redundant....
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- Thread starter DAIR
- Start date
My fiancée used to work at Nortel (she ran the support team for some big telecoms switches) before the crooks who ran it did one leaving the company in the lurch big time and making '000s of people redundant....
Darren S
ClioSport Club Member
You will need to accept a crap job with crap pay and crap hours to get your foot in the door...I started on a 24/7 helpdesk in 2000 for £12K...then went to Fujitsu supporting central government computer systems, then have done a few years contracting/2ndline roles and just this week started in a college as technical support on more than £12K!!!
Without the first job, you will struggle to get into IT...as companies don't want to gamble...so if you take a role on where people who are already in IT wouldn't accept the wage, then you may stand a chance...also studying for MCPs (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician for example) can help too. I have specialisms in Novell and ZenWorks as I thought that a lot of places would use it..but they don't except pretty much legacy council systems...so learn the Microsoft route and then specialise from there when you start working for someone.
As Donny said above, get your foot in the door doing 1st line, that's what I did then went onto 2nd line desktop/server support, then to network support and now I'm learning Meridian/Nortel systems which is hard as f**k, but the money potential is fantastic... looking at easily £40k+ for a permanent position or £60+ for contracting according to Job Serve
Is that on the IP version, m8?
We've got an old Nortel Compact Plus here which was collecting its pension when Noah was alive.
Switched to a Mitel 3300 now - can't believe the size difference! The entire phone switch is in like a 3U chassis.
D.
You've got to start at the bottom, it's no longer the case that cos you've got a computer at home and show an interest that you can work in IT.
I left uni (IT Degree) and started at a consultancy on £18k that was with not much experience or knowledge that'd actually help in the real world. Got to start at the bottom and work your way up. I now earn considerably more than that, but I've worked for it, taking exams (MCSE 2003: Messaging and Security) and working long hours. I'm still studying now for more, it's not an area you can sit still in, you have to keep learning, so think again if you think it's easy money for no work.
I left uni (IT Degree) and started at a consultancy on £18k that was with not much experience or knowledge that'd actually help in the real world. Got to start at the bottom and work your way up. I now earn considerably more than that, but I've worked for it, taking exams (MCSE 2003: Messaging and Security) and working long hours. I'm still studying now for more, it's not an area you can sit still in, you have to keep learning, so think again if you think it's easy money for no work.
The whole thing mate lol. Doing IP telephony at the moment, we've got the I2050 units in (soft phones) and we're on the CS1000 Large Meridian system. Still setup and create all the digital lines for the call centers and analogue ones for back office, those are a piece of piss once you get your head round the load overlays in OTM! We have a whole comms room dedicated to our comms equipment and switch (which is f**king ridiculous!)... have about 3000 lines setup in the head office where I am and 2 more major sites as well as area offices... means lots of travel to Edinburgh which the missus hates, but I do love Edinburgh, amazing city, people are real friendly too once I tell them I'm not actually English :lolup:
SimonD - Nortel are doign incredibly well at the moment, they are partnered up with Microsoft as we are starting to use all their virtual office features, like the virtual conferance etc etc... only problem is that Affiniti are supporting us at the moment and they are f**king useless, all our SIG server are known faulty and they are telling us bullshit like disabling hyperthreading in the BIOS to stop low call volumes and voicemail related issues... completely spurious and clutching at straws! lol
i started in an ISP on 18k taking helpdesk calls. i worked there for a year.
now i have just moved to a new company who have taken me on to completely run their helpdesk department. totally different to my old job as this place is a value add reseller and i support EVERYTHING.
they are now paying for me to do my mcse and hp accreditation. am on 21k here and i have less work to do than my old place, plus it's a much much better place to work. I get incentives like, if i finish my mcse i get a ps3 and a 20% payrise. this place also take us away skiing in march, and barcelona in the summer. also going camping with my team as a bonding exercise, beer, bbq, and hopefully hot weather, should be a laugh. if we have a good week (like last week we did 500k in sales) they will buy us lunch every day that week. generally they just look after us really well.
i run the helpdesk under my own steam and i get to learn everything i want to. they are so keen here for us to get as many qualifications as we can.
i got taken on with no quals, just my helpdesk experience.
now i have just moved to a new company who have taken me on to completely run their helpdesk department. totally different to my old job as this place is a value add reseller and i support EVERYTHING.
they are now paying for me to do my mcse and hp accreditation. am on 21k here and i have less work to do than my old place, plus it's a much much better place to work. I get incentives like, if i finish my mcse i get a ps3 and a 20% payrise. this place also take us away skiing in march, and barcelona in the summer. also going camping with my team as a bonding exercise, beer, bbq, and hopefully hot weather, should be a laugh. if we have a good week (like last week we did 500k in sales) they will buy us lunch every day that week. generally they just look after us really well.
i run the helpdesk under my own steam and i get to learn everything i want to. they are so keen here for us to get as many qualifications as we can.
i got taken on with no quals, just my helpdesk experience.
Rav4
Darren S
ClioSport Club Member
Sounds like you're well looked after there, m8 - well done!
You hear of the horror stories of people being qualified to the hilt and yet represent some mere minion cog in grand IT machine of the firm they work for.
Some of the people who have been on the same course as me, I feel really sorry for. One bloke who was on a 5-day Active Directory course with me was hardly ever in the class, because he was constantly dragged out to answer head office calls. What's the point in that? I've even heard of people having to fund their own parking and food bills??? :S
The aspect of my job that I really, really like is the free-reign that I have. If I need a £10k server - I just see the MD and tell him why we need it. I just go straight to him for nearly everything - there's none of this 'approval process' of getting things signed off, agreed and certified by the next manager up the chain.
Flexibility is paramount at our place and it really does work. I need to go in a week tomorrow to help out the moving of some CAT5 points at one of our depots. I'm not bothering claiming overtime (though I could) because I hardly ever need to work weekends and the flip side is when I need things like my car serviced, etc I can do in works time and I'm not penalised for it.
D.
sounds like my place.
if we need something we just buy it, none of this faffing about with paperwork and getting stuff approved.
that is why i am glad i made the move from a massive pipex owned company, down to a company with 40 employees. we did turnover 4 million squid last month though.
ChrisR
ClioSport Club Member
I joined my place about 4 years ago, finding a decent job down here was a bit of hard work but I was lucky and got in with, for devon and cornwall anyway, a large-ish company.
Pay has increased by 50% over the 4 years, it's be a lot more in places like Bristol/London, but I like living here
Team I work for do lots of varied stuff, all the 1st and 2nd line support, but also running a lot of the projects too which is odd cmpared to most places who normally totally seperate the 1st/2nd line support from the project managers.
I lived in Paignton and was planning on a job at the big Nortel place here, pity it shut down
My fiancee's brother also worked at the place in Harlow for a while and got made redundant.
Pay has increased by 50% over the 4 years, it's be a lot more in places like Bristol/London, but I like living here
Team I work for do lots of varied stuff, all the 1st and 2nd line support, but also running a lot of the projects too which is odd cmpared to most places who normally totally seperate the 1st/2nd line support from the project managers.
I lived in Paignton and was planning on a job at the big Nortel place here, pity it shut down
My fiancee's brother also worked at the place in Harlow for a while and got made redundant.
182 w/busted splitter :-(
Currently looking for a job, maybe someone could help with a decision i need to make.
Basically looking at getting an apprenticeship, have seen a company offering a place in london pay of £17K BUT it doesn't say about previous experience or qualifications needed BUT it does say that proof of home learniig would be good. I ihaven't really done this (been thinking of buying the MCSE training books though)
Would i be better getting a trainee job somewhere on low pay to get "Product information" before i apply for anandvanced apprenticeship?
P.S Money is not really a problem as am only 17 car all paied for etc so can afford to earn a small amount for a while.
Can't decide what to do
(sorry for the hi-jack)
Basically looking at getting an apprenticeship, have seen a company offering a place in london pay of £17K BUT it doesn't say about previous experience or qualifications needed BUT it does say that proof of home learniig would be good. I ihaven't really done this (been thinking of buying the MCSE training books though)
Would i be better getting a trainee job somewhere on low pay to get "Product information" before i apply for anandvanced apprenticeship?
P.S Money is not really a problem as am only 17 car all paied for etc so can afford to earn a small amount for a while.
Can't decide what to do
(sorry for the hi-jack)
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ChrisR
ClioSport Club Member
A company everyone down here loves to hate lol
Work for South West Water. If I could find a decent job here In TQ (as I live here) I'd be happy but finding something that pays as well, and has as many benefit is impossible.If any jobs in my team come up I'll pm you, we've just finished a major project so have shed our temps for now so back down to the core people, which means no positions for a while
Where abouts do you work and how did you get into IT???
Thats All I Want Baby!!!
Dirty E91
Went on 2 weeks work experience in the IT Dept at Luton Uni, after the 2 weeks was asked to come back 1 day a week while I was a college then when I finished college worked there on a temp contract for 18 months.
Moved to a IT Service Company going to customer sites and providing desktop support and doing roll outs (various firms, banks, Orange, Avon Cosmetics) then after 4 years or so got my current job in London with Universal Music. Been here 5 years on 32K which ain't bad for desktop support.
I've been lucky, left at the right time, joined at the right time, wasn;t even that interested in IT just fell into it.
Moved to a IT Service Company going to customer sites and providing desktop support and doing roll outs (various firms, banks, Orange, Avon Cosmetics) then after 4 years or so got my current job in London with Universal Music. Been here 5 years on 32K which ain't bad for desktop support.
I've been lucky, left at the right time, joined at the right time, wasn;t even that interested in IT just fell into it.
I get 21 days a year!
I Have lol.........................................4 days left!
Which i plan to use for interviews
if you are customer facing, or have access to sensitive data then lots of companies will want rid of you asap rather than risk you doing anything you shouldn't.
on my last few days working for Nildram i went onto a certain ADSL review forum and called a customer a t**t, lol. a team leader saw the comment i'd made, but didn't pursue it cos i was leaving anyway
Fiat Panda 100hp
Lol, yer how rare is that, unless its his twin.
Dirty E91
Alright I think, I don't really get nervous dunno if thats a bad thing or not, it's closer to home but I'm not sure if I want it tbh, I've got a good job that I enjoy but the 3 hours commuting is a pain!
Will come down to what package they offer me in the end (if they offer it to be, LOL).
Will come down to what package they offer me in the end (if they offer it to be, LOL).
3 Hours!!! Do they pay for you to travel there and back?
