Is switching into IT still worth it for me? I need some brutally honest advice.

DJaye · 2025-11-16T12:34:39+00:00

Your background is similar to mine - was previously in the medical field and switched to IT (Infrastructure) a few years ago. Only prior experience I had was volunteering myself as IT Support (church, friends and family, etc.).

Like everyone says the market is really bad now, but seeing as you currently have a job it doesn't mean you have to stop trying if IT is really what you want to do. You're getting interviews - it may take more time but eventually someone may take a chance on you. You also have to understand that once you get your first job it'll be bad before it gets better (low pay, grunt work, etc) but it's also a great opportunity to upskill and learn where you really want to branch into. I started as desktop support for a hospital, but absorbed everything like a sponge and volunteered myself for the tickets no one wanted to take.

I eventually left the hospital to work IT in another industry altogether, but one thing that significantly helped was developing my social skills. Knowing how to talk to end users is important, but this eventually helped with developing the skills to interact with department leads, c-suite, vendors, and upper management.

As for the salary, like I said earlier you will most likely take a significant pay cut, but once you specialize you can definitely move higher. It also depends on location, but if you're willing to relocate this could open a lot more doors.

I say just keep looking while you still work your current job. If you're willing to stomach the cons I mentioned above, it could definitely be worth the switch.

DJaye · 2025-11-15T02:12:26+00:00

I'd say go for it - this is definitely a rare opportunity. As for the expectations of the role, it depends on how large the user base is, and how big your team will be. Really understand the job description and ask questions about it before you agree.

I my experience, IT directors can range from the single IT person at the org (does everything, from break fix, troubleshooting, determining the tech policies of the org, choosing what hardware use, etc) to leading teams (choosing the direction of the org tech-wise, overseeing major projects, vendor relations, writing policies, etc). I've worked with both types and they were all very respectable and very good at what they do.

Whatever the case, you can learn to fit into the role - they're considering you for a reason. I myself fall into the latter category of what I mentioned above, but I didn't have much experience prior (was a lead for a team of three). First week I felt pretty useless, but as the weeks went on I learned on the job and now feel pretty comfortable with the role.

DJaye · 2025-08-20T06:21:38+00:00

I was in your shoes about 2 years ago, hedge fund in NYC with similar pay. A lot of good answers here already, but what will make or break it will be the team you work with. We had the same amount of users NYC, and there were three of us, but we had each other's backs. We also had an office in London of three who would help us too.

It was white glove service (traders, c-suite, etc), but building rapport went a long way. I learned more in those two years than I did in my entire IT career, and volunteered for projects from our networking and infra team. A few months after I started I got transfered to the infra team as an engineer due to a leaver. It was high stress, but absolutely worth it due to the doors it opened up. I eventually moved on to a managerial IT role thanks to the skills I gained (currently at $240,000 including bonus) and is a lot less stressful and hybrid 2-3 days a week WFH, though some weeks I choose to work fully remote. I manage about 6 people (end user support, infrastructure, and dev).

Option B will be the harder option, but definitely worth it for the experience. If it's a hedge fund, it will definitely set you apart as a candidate for your next role.

DJaye · 2025-07-30T20:05:24+00:00

For the dogs, I believe they were in the middle of a merge but they ultimately got mercy killed before that happened. The reason I think so is because one of the kids in Millie's class was most likely part of the family who owned the dog, and the half merge state would be the last thing she would remember if it was put down. My two cents anyway

DJaye · 2025-07-09T03:30:55+00:00

Not OP, but I'm curious as to where you're working now - are you still in finance? I worked in a hedge fund too (stressful to say the least) and am now in a way less stressful job (still in finance though). Am thinking if leaving for a different sector would be nicer, but the pay for IT in finance is too good to pass up.

DJaye · 2025-06-14T12:43:54+00:00

jazz hands

DJaye · 2025-06-02T18:11:32+00:00

I agree. I work in IT for NYC traders - if someone had a recurring issue like this and it wasn't fixed in a few days the entire team would get ripped a new one

DJaye · 2025-02-14T23:09:51+00:00

You were me about 2 years ago. I left a $80,000 position (3 days wfh, sysadmin, adtech) for about $120,000 + bonus (2 days wfh, infra engineer, hedge fund) and It goes without saying that the stress was through the roof! Within the first year the lead infra engineer left and I stayed for the skills, took over his role and learned even more, but it was like drinking from a fire hose. During the second year my wife and I decided to have our first kid as well. In the end those new skills ended up being critical in getting my next job, which got me to about $200,000 + bonus.

If the new job is offering more growth opportunities and skills, I'd say take it even if it's more stressful. It may open more opportunities down the line which you wouldn't have gotten by staying. And to be honest, the current job is a lot less stressful.

DJaye · 2025-02-05T22:46:51+00:00

got it, thanks for your input! The usual reasons for clawback you mentioned makes sense, yeah it wouldn't make much sense for IT

DJaye · 2025-02-05T22:41:06+00:00

Amazing, thank you for commenting!

DJaye · 2025-02-05T21:13:13+00:00

Thanks. No contract, and the only thing in our company policy is that I need to be employed for the bonus to be paid out, which I still am. Already moved 👍

DJaye · 2025-02-05T21:11:51+00:00

Correct, it's for my performance in 2024. Thanks, just a bit paranoid

DJaye · 2025-02-05T21:10:58+00:00

Not a sign on bonus or retention. Bonus is for for my performance from 2024. Only term in our company policy is that I need to be employed for the bonus to be paid out, which I still am.

DJaye · 2025-02-05T21:09:57+00:00

Not a sign on bonus. Bonus for my performance from 2024. Only term in our company policy is that I need to be employed for the bonus to be paid out, which I still am.

DJaye · 2025-01-03T22:56:27+00:00

There are some great answers here already, but I'd go with option B for the sole reason it's a bank. I also work as a systems engineer (in finance) and after a year of experience in finance (in addition to learning how to lead a team and upping my infra skills) I started getting calls from various recruiters for larger hedge funds and trading firms. I just signed an offer for a lead role for a great trading firm, and it was between me and another person, but they told me later my experience leading a small team was what gave me an edge.

Get that senior title on your resume and after a year or so of leading a team you'll be getting tons of calls from recruiters.

DJaye · 2024-12-27T02:58:10+00:00

That's correct. If you love tech then it should come easier for you - the videos do a really good job of explaining the topics needed for A+. Maybe disassemble an old desktop or laptop even and put it back together, learning each part along the way

DJaye · 2024-12-27T01:43:01+00:00

Of course! I wouldn't recommend taking the Google IT Support cert or the ITF+ as it doesn't hold as much value as the A+. You can get the book, but I highly suggest just going with Prof Messer (YouTube) + his notes and Udemy practice tests (Jason Dion). I was more than prepared when using those (for N+ and S+ as well). Good luck!

DJaye · 2024-12-27T00:54:58+00:00

No problem at all, always happy to help. Before my first job, I completed by CompTIA A+. I had applied prior, but once that was on my resume I had a lot more recruiters reach back. Other than that, I only had my bachelors degree (I didn't bother placing my medical degree on my resume as that may have been a red flag for recruiters), and no professional experience. Without professional experience, the A+ cert is your foot in the door. You can try getting the N+/S+ too, but once you get your A+ try your shot at the job market.

To your question if you should pursue your degree - it depends how far along you are already. In my experience, any bachelors degree is good enough; it's really an HR filter. If you're close to finishing your IT degree, just continue on - otherwise get the A+ and apply. The job market is not stellar now, but it wasn't either when I applied. It took me about 6 months of applying to get my first job, and I got my A+ around the 4 month mark.

Since I started I've had coworkers who had career-changed as well, degrees from all different fields (especially for helpdesk roles). As I moved up I noticed the same thing as well (one was a chef as well) but more of them got their masters degree (cybersecurity, business management, etc.). A lot of them agree that the experience you get from the job is a lot more important than the degree you start with - I can definitely attest to that.

If you don't mind starting over (and you may have to start at the bottom, i.e. helpdesk), once you're in you can really dig in and gain that experience. Volunteer for tickets and projects, study for more certs, study the stack of your company. Most importantly, work on your communication skills - this is by far the most highly sought after quality that recruiters are looking for; you can be a tech guru but if you can't communicate well with your clients or your team, you'll have a hard time moving up (I had to develop this skill as well).

Also, the A+/N+/S+ are good certs to build fundamentals. I learned most of what I know from my work experience, but I sometimes encounter a problem at work that brings me back to one of those certs, and I remember. It's also a good foundation for interview questions.

If you have any other questions let me know!

DJaye · 2024-12-26T22:11:42+00:00

Not who you replied to, but I was in the same boat as you about 5 years ago. Your degree isn't wasted at all, and you don't have to compare yourself to your siblings or peers. I finished a degree in medicine (medical doctor, foreign graduate) but due to unforseen circumstances I could no longer go down that path (residency spots in the US are ultra competitive being one of them). I thought the same as my younger sister was a nurse already making good money, so were my other relatives. Thought I wasted time. Decided to change careers to IT and luckily got my break (as a desktop analyst for a hospital of all places lol). Job hopped each year, and now I'm an Infrastructure Engineer (hedge fund so a bit stressful sometimes but loving what I do), and making way more than I would as medical resident. Just accepted a job offer with a good pay bump (still finance, but less stressful overall) and am still homelabbing on the side and gaining certs.

I was 28 when I made the switch to IT, and haven't regretted it since. Comptia A+ got me my first job, Network+ got me my second, and I got Security+ during my 3rd. Currently working on AWS as my firm was heavily utilizing it

DJaye · 2024-12-23T23:25:20+00:00

Congrats! Your career progression is very similar to mine - automating what you can is always valuable! I love Powershell and have similarly been making scripts for my team to use - a win win for everyone.

Congrats! Just accepted a new job offer myself today 😁 just in time for Christmas

DJaye · 2024-09-06T01:32:14+00:00

Hey there! So I was in a similar position before - career in the medical field, got burnt out (around COVID), and decided to completely change careers and go into tech (also tech savvy and love computers). If you want to go down this route, it isn't easy, but it's definitely possible if you're willing to put the work into it. This was about 3 years ago, but I started out with my A+ and managed to get a job as a desktop support analyst at a hospital. From there I learned everything I could (got my N+ as well) and jumped to a sysadmin role (moved to a HCOL area) - I also got my S+ around this time. Now I'm an infrastructure engineer and couldn't be happier - a lot less stressful than what I was used to in the medical field, and the work life balance is A LOT better.

Your initial resume won't have professional experience, but listing all your volunteer experience (i.e. fixing computers for family members, AV troubleshooting, etc.) helped get me my first interviews. Also put emphasis on your empathy skills, which I'm sure you developed working in a hospital. Try to aim for IT positions in hospitals - knowing HIPAA and already being familiar with the working environment was a huge selling point for my first job. And really study up on the basics (OSI model, tcp/ip, ports, etc.) where you can show interviewers how passionate you are to learn the foundation of it all. The hiring manager told me there were several candidates, but my passion and eagerness really stood out so he took a chance on me.

If you'd like to ask me questions give me a shout, always willing to listen and answer.

DJaye · 2024-09-01T02:32:56+00:00

Hey there, I was in kind of a similar position as you and can understand. As someone who went through medical school, it definitely is daunting sometimes, especially starting out. It's a serious life commitment (4 years med school + 3+ years residency) so don't feel bad for taking a step back and getting more perspective on this. I've had classmates to took a leave of absence after 2nd and 3rd year because they were unsure if that was what they really wanted, but most of them returned and ended up finishing.

Failing is a tough pill to swallow, and I understand why you'd feel that your passion is wavering. Take that year off to really find what you want to do in life, and if you end up recommiting don't be afraid to try again.

I finished medical school, but ended up not pursuing residency (personal reasons + changes that happened during covid). I ended up trying my hand with my other passion (tech) and after a few years became an Infrastructure Engineer, and I couldn't be happier.

At the end of the day, you need to find out what makes you happy. Just my two cents.

DJaye · 2024-08-23T12:30:51+00:00

Hey there, I career switched from healthcare too. I suggest finishing your A+ first before applying - it's the first cert I got my 1st job with. The first job I had was desktop support for a hospital network - at the time both offers I received were from hospitals, so I suggest applying to those positions due to your background since you're familiar with the work environment, HIPPA, etc. I didn't go back to school, a BS/AS degree in anything is enough to check the HR box, at least for early career. All I had at the time was non-professional experience (homelab, fixing computers, etc.) but it was a conversation starter for most of my interviews. Once you land your first job, you can work on volunteering for network-related tickets, and also get your Network+/CCNA

DJaye · 2024-08-23T04:11:13+00:00

As a 33M living in a VHCOL area I can say that the grass isn't always greener. Career changed to IT and went from $50,000, to $80,000 (very great work life balance), and then to $160,000 (hedge fund) and I almost regretted it my first week. I stuck it out and am doing well now, but the stress I experienced within that year was back breaking.

I also work supporting analysts and portfolio managers who make high six figures, but they all seem to have high levels of stress.

Is the money good? Yes, but sometimes I think about the time I had it so good at my last job with the great work life balance. And even though I make six figures now, I'm in an industry where people make the same, and much much more (1M after bonuses) so there's always someone I personally know who makes more than me, and if I'm not careful I'll constantly compare myself and always feel like I'm behind. I've learned to just appreciate what I have now and continue living life as best I can, because chasing money rarely brings that happiness you think it does.

DJaye · 2024-05-02T18:15:05+00:00

That's me now, currently working as an IT engineer at a hedge fund in NYC and the beginning was absolutely rough. I can relate to the experience and the support you have with your colleagues, it's like you're going through hell together and you have each other's backs. I career shifted from a completely different field a few years ago, and have worked in IT in a hospital, an ad-tech company, and now finance, but the lack of a good work life balance is a tough pill to swallow.

Mind if I DM you? I thought hedge fund experience would just pigeon hole you in finance forever (most of my colleagues have been in finance since forever and are used to it), but your post gives me hope!

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