I'm going to be an IT Guy

[Deleted]

I didn't actually have any idea what that meant until I started my internship, but it basically means that I'm going to have a head ache, and be stressed out making sure everyone else can do their jobs. I've been going to school for Network Administration, but now I realize they keep everything running. I swear when I got back to school and I hear somebody say "It'll be okay when we graduate," I'm going to slap them. The whole job is one huge problem after another, and it's about adapting to the problem. The schoolwork is ten times easier than the job. On the brighter site I'll be finished with my internship two weeks after my semester starts, and most students will have to drag it out through the semester. Then I'm only taking 4 classes. It'll give me a chance to get a couple of certifications under my built and study my Air force Officers Qualifying test. I still haven't decided that I'm going to join, but I've been prepping in case I can't find a good job anywhere else. I'll be doing the same thing, but just for them.

[malice]

Congratulations! I need to get one of those job things. I'd happily deal with a pain-in-the-ass job, being unemployed for as long as I have is much worse.

[Kaimontfendo]

Well, yeah, that's IT in a nutshell. One headache after another. Even when it's easy, it's still dull as a a baseball. Eventually, you'll start seeing some of the same problems again and again. Either the problems seem impossible, or way too damn easy.

Seriously, I've had computer networking problems that occurred for no apparent reason, and then went away on their own after a few days. And then there was the time I could only connect to the internet long enough to access a web page or two until rebooting my computer. That was a pain the the ass until I fixed it by editing my registry. Ah... Good times. Thank you F-Bomb.

[Deleted]

You're welcome amigo. I don't remember helping you with that, but I do drink allot so I might have forgotten it.

[Kaimontfendo]

You didn't help me with that. In fact, I'm pretty sure nobody helped me with that, thus the achievement was all mine. However, you did remind me of it, and for that, I thanked you. (I'm sorry that I was unclear before.)

[Dhark]

As an IT in the military, I'd highly advise you talk to an ACTUAL Officer in the Airforce that does the job you're aiming for. In my branch, well... the IT stuff you're likely learning in school is all contracted out to civilians for the most part.

I'm an enlisted IT (which should narrow down the branches pretty easily considering only a few even have such a rate/job/mos anymore).

I deal with Networks and Computers, but it's mostly PHYSICAL maintenance (cables, patch-cords, and the like). At most the programming of a switch/router/server is all dummied down and passed on in how-to guides from the Civilian-Contractors-That-Be to ensure everything everywhere is standardized. Creation/Deletion/Moving of user accounts, sure... The rest is all user issues (how'd I do this, the OS failed~ re-image, run these updates, install this software here, demonstrate how to click a damned mouse, etc). Bandaids and Bazooka-Fixes are our thing. We're more Technicians than Engineers (despite sometimes being asked to BE engineers without the training to do so).

The fun stuff though is Phones. Seriously legacy stuff I got to learn in training that they don't teach in schools anymore. Sure VOIP is coming... but for now, building/programming/maintaining phone systems is a great skill set.

Officers in the IT field in my branch... I don't see too many that aren't just 'Layovers' on their way up the ladder. A few specialized ones sure enough... but they mostly pass stuff on to other people to do I think. Never seen one getting his hands dirty ;-)

Granted, my experience with the Airforce is the least of all branches... but if the others are an indication, definitely get the word from the horses mouth. Recruiters will tell you ANYTHING.