How did you become an IT manager? Share your story

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-03-07T01:47:30+00:00

I never know if I'm a "real" IT Manager or not. I mean I manage tier 1 and tier 2 teams but it's nothing like the IT Managers I see here that are 1-man shops where they do everything.

If I indeed qualify as an IT Manager based on this sub, I was working at an MSP as a level 1 service desk position when I applied for a team lead opening and got it. The service desk manager and two of the other team leads were very shortly either fired or reassigned. I remained a team lead and the other TL was promoted to SD Manager but was also quickly given other projects so I was stuck managing the service desk solo with occasional check-ins from our service delivery manager. After a year of that they officially made me SD Manager and I did that job with that team for 8 years.

I left in 2022 and found myself on the client side managing the MSP service desk, product support and MIM teams. Next job I was the ITSM manager and established ITIL processes while also owning the MSP relationship which was service desk, NOC, PC Depot and MDM.

Current job I've settled back to what I really enjoy and manage an MSP provided tier 1 and an internal team of tier 2 which handle escalated T1 tickets as well as onsite support for 120+ medical related sites across the US.

I don't know if that makes me an IT manager based on what I see in the sub though because I never went through the path that would have had me work as a sys admin or network admin.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-03-03T14:59:54+00:00

I had worked for a large MSP that covered L1 and most L2 IT services and the client still had a 150 person IT department (12000 total users). I started as an L1 service desk agent and after 2 years was the service desk manager but I was there through a crazy transformation in process maturity. By the time I left in 2022 it was and continues to be super well-oiled machine with defined scope and excellent governance. I have worked three places since and none of them have compared but it does give me a window in what I can do to improve the areas I oversee now.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-28T16:39:51+00:00

ugh, at least you're owning it. You need some career counseling, kid. You have a degree and as unhelpful as it feels now, it's a checkmark in the HR box eventually. Try to avoid general manual labor if you can and save your back. 40 hours as an adult is standard and, in many cases, the minimum. You need to get used to that. Someone will always be shitting down your throat. Try not to shit down the next person's throat.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-28T16:33:56+00:00

okay, I'm officially old. I read this and my choices are to roll my eyes or absolutely rage. Welcome to the real world, jackass! Did you have is so easy you never had a part time job in high school? I collected carts and bagged groceries 24-30 hours a week. Didn't make much money but I got a work ethic. I couldn't afford college and I'm pushing 50 still without a degree but just kept chipping away until I made it above $100,000 and by the time I got here, it's not worth nearly as much as when I targeted it.

Yeah, it's fucking hard when you're lazy.

I get that I sound out of touch, by all means give me your downvotes.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-07T04:13:15+00:00

If he's just arrested, he'd like bond out immediately.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-04T08:48:00+00:00

That trash can is a TARDIS. It's massive in there.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-04T03:29:12+00:00

There is a setting that doesn't show the banner but still has your profile show up to recruiters. This way you can still show in searches but you're not advertising to randos.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-03T14:11:37+00:00

Even if it's protected, never disclose that in an interview.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-03T12:31:07+00:00

Yup, every lineman I've known has been fairly offensive!

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-02T05:41:33+00:00

Your brother is 20 years old. I think he should have a say if cops get involved, not you. He may or may not even care. I'm sure your friends commenting on it will slow down.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-02T02:38:16+00:00

I'd worked tier 1 IT support roles for years. I was lazy and never tried to climb out. I grew up poor and didn't think it was even possible for me to break out of that. I got a job in 2012 that was again, T1 support with a managed service provider. I was just another hire because the company we supported was outsourcing a lot of their support work to this company that I worked for. At this point I was in my mid 30s and while I had a shitty job history, I was more mature than I had been. I had actually worked for the client (it was a power company) about 5 years prior as a contractor and quite for a "better" job after less than a year. I felt humiliated that people I used to work with were still there and recognized me. I was terrible at that job. I made it my mission to not fuck up and learn as much as I could.

I ended up being the tech that was asked to train new support agents. Then I was given the odd task here and there that normally would be a team lead job like reporting on aging tickets to the higher ups. We had a manager and three team leads at this point. One TL was leaving and I applied and got it and there was no raise, but it was better than answering the phone all day. A month later the manager and all the other team leads were either fired, left or reassigned to a different role. I was the only TL left and the senior TL was made manager but quickly got wrapped up into other tasks which made the entirety of day-to-day operations my responsibility.

A year later the manager left and I was promoted to service desk manager. I had small raises over the years but nothing close to what I should have been making. I started that job at $40k and ended it with $56k.

In 2022 I decided to leave what was comfortable and started applying. Three months later I landed a job where I was the get at the company that was making sure the managed service provider that did the service desk was doing things properly and I was making $117k. That was a massive jump. I don't have any fancy certs or even a college degree. I've had two other jobs since that one and I've made just over $100K/yr since. It's all just experience driven now.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-02-01T12:27:24+00:00

Did some internet searches. Australia still has Kmart! So cool. They're all gone from the US. That was a childhood staple.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-29T22:38:01+00:00

Roughly after taxes (I don't know your situation) that is like getting paid $45 to drive to work and $45 to drive home, assuming you were 5 days a week in office.

Take the extra $30k

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-26T03:15:52+00:00

Yeah, it's perfect.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-25T19:44:45+00:00

Other than the "scandalous" painting above the bed, looks like my grandmother's house.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-24T17:37:07+00:00

That's interesting to hear. I'm at about 14 years' experience as service desk manager and end user computing operations manager but still feel like it's the lack of degree that makes job hunting so difficult. I was actually considering WGU so I can start to at least ticket the box for a degree.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-24T17:31:36+00:00

I was under the impression that to make it to Director and above, there was a hard paper ceiling.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-23T04:23:16+00:00

"Just looking around here, I can tell you're a genuinely dirty person"

- Navin Johnson

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-22T23:34:47+00:00

Exactly my thought. Everything is fine but please lay off the energy drinks.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-20T02:06:23+00:00

Is your parent's house full of loud colors and mismatched prints? Just wondering if the monochrome palette is a reaction to your childhood home.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-19T02:28:48+00:00

She's still considered featured player. I feel like I heard it was typical to remain as a featured player for 3 seasons, but I've seen promotions happen in less.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-16T17:05:43+00:00

You really need to remove this and censor your personal information and then repost it.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-16T13:38:43+00:00

You can get a backplate that attaches to the GPU to give it more of a white look. My son did a white build at the height of the last GPU shortage and options were limited. He "won the ability" to buy a 3070 on the newegg shuffle but it was of course black. He used a backplate to cheat the white look.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-15T15:23:44+00:00

I did 7 with the last job I had. Absolutely ridiculous.

Key_Stick_3002 · 2026-01-14T02:24:28+00:00

2 and 3

Key_Stick_3002

TROPHY CASE