Asking genuine advice regarding my future.

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deathprophet215

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I'm making this post because I am uncertain regarding my future, one of two things can happen next year, I can either move to the Netherlands, or I can stay in South Africa and study. Now my query is regarding the possibility that I have to stay in SA next year.

I am 30 years old, I have a GED, I am currently employed as a remote desktop support technician (I did have comptia A+ and N+ certificates about 6 years ago, never renewed them because at the time it seemed as if I would never work in IT). If I do stay next year, I plan on studying, most likely through Unisa, but could be through a contact university if I am convinced it would be worth while.

Now I have a dilemma, I used to do some programming, VB, Java, a little python, and obviously Web Development, to get into it. I understand the logic very well, in fact I might be a little autistic. The problem is that I found this extremely boring, whilst at the same time the benefit of programming is that you can develop your product at home, and with only time as an investment. I could do computer sciency stuff as a job, it just seems extremely boring for the most part, however I could also do a CS + App Math double major and do PGCE and have even more job prospects. I've been pretty lower class before in my life, and I've worked shitty manual labour jobs, so whether I like it that much or not, I know I could do it if you think that this is the best path for somebody like me to have a stable life going forward.

I have also been thinking about teaching, the problem is they don't get paid over 18k for the most part. I don't mind working with children, I have nephews and nieces. I thought about doing nursing too since I do feel good helping people. Do you think it is better to go either the Nursing or Teaching routes, or to stick with the kind of IT I'm doing and get certifications?

Beyond these, engineering technology programs, maybe normal engineering too, could be open to me. I suppose being a technologist would be more interesting to me because of the practical nature of it. Between the choices I'd be interested in either Mechatronics or Electrical/Electronics, do you think a B. Eng Tech/B.Tech in one of these areas would be better than the other routes?

As you've probably noticed, I'm a little all over the place, but to be honest I don't mind either of these, I'm primarily looking for a good career to get into, which doesn't underpay, but obviously I'm not expecting to be a millionaire. It would also be useful if the route I take had some international appeal to it in case the country tanks. I could clearly stay in the role where I am now, and get some IT certifications, the problem I have, is I am wondering how this will help when I'm 50+, and whether other countries hire people in system or network administration. Anybody here who is older and works in the field and can give me advice specifically pertaining to the prospects of a career in IT support?

I express my gratitude for your aid in advance.
 
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
 
gregmcc said:
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...
Why? Is it demeaning to do Desktop support?
 
gregmcc said:
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...

I would say almost the opposite. Do whatever will give you the best standard of living outside of work, despite not really enjoying it. Work isn't meant to be enjoyed, that is a fairytale thing brainwashed into young people to "follow their dreams". That's why it's called work and not fun times.

There isn't a well paying job in the world, involving actual work, I reckon I would "enjoy" :) Making a difference maybe, sure. But still not fun.
 
backstreetboy said:
TL;DR. Give us the bullet points?
Click to expand...

@OP, I wouldn't take advice from someone who can't be bothered to read sentences longer than 4 words.

My personal advice:

Have you actually done programming in a professional capacity? You finding it boring might only be because you haven't actually had anything interesting to build yet. Just a thought. I personally would pursue programming or software engineering, as I've had great success with it and it's one of the few things that keeps my own admittedly 'autistic' self occupied/interested.

For interest's sake - what does your route to NL look like? Wondering if going there sooner and studying that side is another possibly better option?
 
gregmcc said:
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...
Very few is that lucky that's why most people have jobs and not careers.
 
Go look at the programs available at TU Delft. Being a student in NL is quite nice, the state makes life relatively easy for them.
 
gregmcc said:
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...
You really think that's the answer though? I enjoyed what I do for a living but in recent years not so much. People change.

I'm 41 this year, been slogging away at my career 21 of those years already. Now, I feel I want to become a bush pilot. It probably won't happen though but still, yearning for a change.
 
backstreetboy said:
Very few is that lucky that's why most people have jobs and not careers.
Click to expand...
I must be lucky then :) My hobby has always been computers/electronics. Always messing around with some computer stuff after work.

Started off as desktop support, then server support. Now doing cybersecurity for a major corporate and would almost work for free its so much fun.
 
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gregmcc said:
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...
This is all that matters.
Enjoy your career/job.
Tech Support doesn't pay either. You will be in a Junior position, no matter where you are employed.
After a few years you will move up the bracket.
Speaking from experience.
 
I’m guessing OP isn’t going to the Netherlands next year based on his qualifications and skills but rather ancestry or some such?

You don’t need to enjoy your job, most people work to be able to fund the things they enjoy.
 
I think the complete opposite. Can't think of anything worse than not enjoying your job and having to slog to work for years and years hating it. Only using it a means to pay the bills. You spend most of your life at work.
Would rather just jump off a bridge then.

But then that's just me.
 
Well, obviously, a job you love that pays well is ideal for everyone but I’m guessing the assumptions here are a job you love that keeps you on the poverty line vs a job you hate that makes you rich.
 
gregmcc said:
I think the complete opposite. Can't think of anything worse than not enjoying your job and having to slog to work for years and years hating it. Only using it a means to pay the bills. You spend most of your life at work.
Would rather just jump off a bridge then.

But then that's just me.
Click to expand...
Me too. :) So it's not just you :p
 
gregmcc said:
You need to do something that you enjoy doing as you have at least another 30+ years of doing it.

I wouldn't advise staying in desktop support though. You don't want to be doing that for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...
This is my feeling too, it's a relaxed job, but it has no future prospects unless you actually build a business, and with little to no connections that isn't all that possible. Thanks for the advice my friend, I hope you have a good day.
 
Superman-7 said:
@OP, I wouldn't take advice from someone who can't be bothered to read sentences longer than 4 words.

My personal advice:

Have you actually done programming in a professional capacity? You finding it boring might only be because you haven't actually had anything interesting to build yet. Just a thought. I personally would pursue programming or software engineering, as I've had great success with it and it's one of the few things that keeps my own admittedly 'autistic' self occupied/interested.

For interest's sake - what does your route to NL look like? Wondering if going there sooner and studying that side is another possibly better option?
Click to expand...
I haven't programmed in a professional capacity no, I built some websites for fun and I built a couple of applications that weren't that complex, and maybe you're right, maybe it is that there is no challenge to it, thank you for that insight my friend. Would you say Computing at Unisa would be a good option for me then? I do have some ideas for larger projects if I do go that route, so you might be right.

With regards to the Netherlands, I have a girlfriend I've been with for two years, depending on what happens I will either move there, get a job, and study at an online university there, or I'll study here. It's completely up to her though whether the first scenario takes place, which is why I'm trying to flesh out a decent backup plan. I do believe we'll end up together in the end, I'm just not sure whether it'll be next year, and since I'll be 31 next year when I start studying, I don't want to put it off any longer than I already have.
 
gregmcc said:
I must be lucky then :) My hobby has always been computers/electronics. Always messing around with some computer stuff after work.

Started off as desktop support, then server support. Now doing cybersecurity for a major corporate and would almost work for free its so much fun.
Click to expand...

Yeah if you've found how to make a hobby into a career then that's a pretty sweet deal. I think that's very rare.

My only hobby is gaming. I find little else as enjoyable. To me it's the most immersive media imaginable, I love the artistic side of it, the competitive side of it, the social side of it, the tech side of it, literally everything. But there isn't a way that's ever going to pay the bills. It's an expensive hobby too. Fortunately it translated to me being generally good with computers, building/troubleshooting gaming rigs and troubleshooting apps and drivers and all, so that's why I started in IT over a decade ago. I was just a natural at it somehow.

But of course the enjoyment doesn't carry across at all. Nothing more mundane than a rig designed to run Excel :D I'm far more advanced than that now though of course - into cloud stuff mainly, but it's all the same objective. Business. Professional. Meh...
 
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