What other departments can non-managerial IT grunts transfer to?

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bythepowerofboobs@reddit

Any department. Being in IT support has given me the confidence to know that I can do 99% of the jobs my company.

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DaftPump@reddit

Ok, but how do you convince a prospective employer of this? Staying within a company is a reality few of us experience now.

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Could he be an expert on day 1? No. But, especially in small companies, the IT guy is usually the single most knowledgeable person when it comes to understanding the company's operation. The nature of the role has you solving problems in every department, which basically nobody else does. Do that long enough and you'll learn at least the basics of every job in the company.

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bythepowerofboobs@reddit

You would think. I've been here for 25 years. I built every screen and report in our ERP system (which runs everything in our company) and have worked extensively with literally every department. (Purchashing, scheduling, receiving, shipping, production, QA, packaging, warehousing, etc.) Payroll and HRMS systems? Yup, I configured those from the ground up too. Accounting systems? OT automated conveyor, case-picking and packaging systems? Yup, those are in my domain too. As well as the automated freezers, palletizers, self-driving forklifts, SCADA systems, OEE systems, etc. Door access and camera systems? Oh yeah, that's me too. I am admittedly a poor mechanic, but I do more than my fair share of that work too when I'm troubleshooting OT shit.

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vogelke@reddit

If you can configure security for SCADA stuff, that should get you a raise. With all the attention being paid to bad actors screwing around with water supplies, manufacturing, etc. maybe you could trade up to a better job.

+1 for the username.

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bythepowerofboobs@reddit

I do get paid pretty well (which is why I've been here 25 years). My title is CTO, but it's a smaller company and I'm obviously more hands on than a traditional CTO. I have a small IT team and a small OT team underneath me.

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inVizi0n@reddit

Lmao they asked for IT grunts and your the CTO. Small company or not...

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fadingcross@reddit

Yeah but come on, he really needed to tell everyone that he's so supreme and all mighty that he can do everyone's jobs.

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Ssakaa@reddit

While I'd never direct shame or ridicule towards the singular,...

+1 for the username

One would generally expect that to be a +2, traditionally...

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lilelliot@reddit

I am not doubting your technical skills at all, but the things that make it practical for experienced HR people to work in HR, finance people to work in finance, etc, is not understanding the tools but rather knowing the context, regulations and requirements the business must comply with. If you know all that and how the tools work, too, then congrats -- just know it's more than just the tools.

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randomman87@reddit

Fair enough. Might have been a bit misleading saying you're in IT Support here but that you're the CTO in another post ;)

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edbods@reddit

if you want to call someone out on bullshit just call them out on bullshit instead of dancing around the bush being all passive aggressive about it

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iPhone_6s@reddit

Start your own business. Sounds like you got da skill

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pugs_in_a_basket@reddit

Not really. This poster thinks that since they've seen inept people with their provided computers and/or services at their IT support job, the people they help must also be inept at their job.

I certainly would hope an IT support job would give an opportunity to meet people with varying backgrounds and needs. Give an unique perspective to the org and the people there. Now you're bound to meet and serve annoying, rude or even worse people, but to draw the conclusion that you as a IT support could do 99% of their users jobs is not Dunning-Kruger, it's delusion.

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bythepowerofboobs@reddit

You are misunderstanding me. I am not saying people are inept at their job, and I'm just saying I'm very confident people who are good in IT have the skillset to be good at basically anything.

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rustware13@reddit

I get your point. You know all the processes because you have to help people in their applications. It makes you think you can do everyones job. You've done every task in the CRM, ERP, PSA, etc.

I'm going to introduce you to Bridget.

Bridget's job was to process checks and enter them into the ERP system.

Bridget started with the comapny some time in the 1980's. She went through 5 mergers and acquistions. Everyday, Bridget showed up, and from 8AM-5PM she sat and she scanned checks, verified the dollars, and scanned more checks.

You say you could do Bridget's job. But you can't. Bridget did that job for 21 years. She showed up, she scanned checks.

You are an IT person, and if that was your job, you would go insane.

So get off your high horse. You can't do every job you think.

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thehuntzman@reddit

Real - any IT person would go insane doing those jobs but can do and would do are two totally different concepts. He also never said he could just replace them at a moments notice but that given some guidance, he would be capable of performing the tasks required of any position in the company.

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Ssakaa@reddit

It's almost like we're expected to learn and pick up new, different, workloads and tasks, understand and manage completely unrelated systems, processes, and projects all the time...

When "dunno, not my job" is never the acceptable answer, we get really good at picking up whole new skillsets.

I also find it hilarious that they took "could do any role" to equal "am magically better than everyone else in the org"... you didn't say you could replace every team with a very short script... just that you could pick up and learn other skills...

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uptimefordays@reddit

Most jobs require learning new, different, workloads and tasks though. That’s not unique to IT.

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thehuntzman@reddit

Yeah but IT gets asked to do some WEIRD stuff regularly in most places. Just the other month I was standing in a rooftop air handler with facilities and an insurance adjuster. I've had to move furniture, get in ceilings to restart dropped ceiling AC units, work in warehouses to prestage equipment, fly halfway across the country to install said equipment, even pick locks.

Not to mention, yea, most jobs require these skills too but in IT the goal post moves further away faster than you can run toward it with how rapidly the industry evolves.

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ATek_@reddit

It’s always interesting being asked for help with a website/application that I’ve never seen or used, and being able to figure things out faster than the user.

Problem solving skills apply anywhere and everywhere!

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zuctronic@reddit

Most of the time, we feel like the company Merlins. Back when we used to go into an office every day to work, and when I was much more junior in my role, I’d get asked to fix things like door latches and keyboard trays, just because we’re clever and don’t waste a lot of time figuring things out.

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ATek_@reddit

I work at a dealership and I am dragged into IT-adjacent problems all the time. I realized we operate a bit more like a small business than a large corp so I stopped giving so much pushback. My company also treats me very well so I try not to complain.

There are certainly times when I can do without the extra work, but uh… if I can flip the breakers and save the day, guess I’ll do that 😁

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MattAdmin444@reddit

This is a mood. On one hand I like that I'm so flexible but on the other hand it's concerning that the people who are using the software on a daily basis have the issues that they do.

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ATek_@reddit

I try to give everyone grace and remember, that’s just called job security.

I do think most people are actually much more capable than they give themselves credit for. But being capable of doing something and having the desire to do it are two different things.

But on the other hand, how are you not a pro with something you use every day?!? 🤔

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MattAdmin444@reddit

Yeaaa my boss and I both joke about even with AI creeping in we'll likely never be out of a job.

On one hand my users are teachers so you'd think they'd be good about problem solving.

On the other hand they have to wrangle a classroom full of students.

Sometimes I can't blame them...

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PositiveAnimal4181@reddit

Few years ago guy who worked desktop support who decided to try and transfer to another department to be a Java developer.

He made it a few months then crashed out, made terror threats on the internet and was escorted from the building lmao. I think he works at a pizza place nowadays?

So that might be a path to consider OP.

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Generico300@reddit

I believe goat farming is the traditional path. Pretty sure nobody thinks AI can make alternative dairy products or mow a lawn yet.

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lawsonphotos@reddit

Depending on the size/scope of the org you're at (if you're wanting to stay there), and how far you are/arent wanting to get away from technology: moving to Business Systems Analyst work is something I've seen a lot of IT people do, and can pay quite well. That and/or specializing in a specific software suite (SalesForce, Jira, any main-line ERP, admin). Gets you out of a lot of the T1 ticketing/helpdesk and printer/networking headaches, and lets you do a lot more of the creative problem solving and process improvement that many enjoy. I've also seen a fair few folks, especially in the last 5-10 years, move onto data/biz intelligence work.

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Adria-castany23@reddit

100%. IT ops teaches a very underrated skill: making messy systems usable for normal people.

You deal with unclear processes, vendors, docs, repeated questions, broken handoffs, and “only John knows how this works” situations all the time.

That maps really well to ops, CS, implementation, project management, business analysis, etc...

I’d frame it as moving closer to the business, not starting from zero.

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Arudinne@reddit

That's a good way of presenting it. I'm always trying to find ways to make things easier for users.

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music2myear@reddit

Maybe process improvement? In manufacturing that is a pretty big thing, any medium-sized or larger manufacturing facility will probably have at least one person doing full time process improvement. I think it plays well with IT's natural bent towards inspecting systems and processes and understanding them, often better than the users of those systems.

Safety might also be a viable role, with less detail oriented stuff and more "rule making and following".

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Library_IT_guy@reddit

Pretty easy to transition to IT sales, but like, only if you hate yourself.

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Arudinne@reddit

I did sales for a bit in my early 20s. God damn did I hate that job.

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vintagerust@reddit

There was a guy I went to high school with I completely forgot existed (which is a bit more rare in a class size of 20) he was just so generic. Bro dude with seemingly no real interest in anything. I wondered what he must have grown up to do, sales it turns out.

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Library_IT_guy@reddit

Being in sales is to be someone who's job it is to manipulate others, to prey on them and the business they help run, in order to enrich yourself. Granted, some are worse than others, but they are all manipulative. Car salesmen are by far the worst though. And not just the salesmen, but their finance people, their mechanics.... they're all just absolutely terrible people.

The older I get, the more I realize that everyone is just trying to fuck over everyone else for a bigger slice of the pie that we share.

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Speeddymon@reddit

It sounds like you're in an organization that has "an IT department" where you really probably want to be in an organization that is primarily focused on IT in some capacity. Your odds of transferring between departments goes up considerably in organizations that have other departments that can use your IT skills.

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smartdigger@reddit

Lots become security wankers. I'm already a wanker so looking to do the same

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Xibby@reddit

I’m very sure AI will be replacing a number of Security Wankers I’ve had to interact with.

My Security Wankers are the take the output of a Nessus scan, figure out what group can remediate the finding, and toss it over the fence with zero guidance on how to resolve the issue. Also zero knowledge of how to configure the security scanner, what the output means, etc. They just got their CyberSec certificate or degree, managed to get a high pay job, and grind their metrics.

Had a good personal relationship with someone who got promoted and inherited such a team… “just keep doing what you’re doing Xibby. I see it, I see what’s happening. I’m dotting “I”s and crossing “T”s on the PIPs.” (Performance Improvement Plans.)

We both were mentored by the same boss… “Nobody has ever survived my PIPs. I don’t write an impossible PIP. PIP is to get someone up to having more meets expectations than does not meet expectations on their review, and triggers frequent performance reviews.”

AI with a little bit of agency to assign tickets will absolutely replace people who managed to get a CyberSec certificate/degree because it was easy money.

Groups of students have conspired to get a dog a college degree. If we don’t have a revel that somehow an AI company conspired to get their AI model a degree at multiple Universities by 2030 I’ll be shocked.

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Fairlife_WholeMilk@reddit

I'm sure replacing humans with AI in security roles when we are seeing AI malware and malware written by AI released everyday will work out great

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TYGRDez@reddit

I'm a wanker too, but I prefer not to mix business and pleasure

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AcanthisittaBusy5855@reddit

The pigeon hole feeling is real, but 20 years in ops probably gave you more business knowledge than most non IT departments already have.

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Fun-Pay1399@reddit

Honestly after 20 years in IT ops you probably have way more transferable skills than you think. A lot of departments desperately need people who can deal with systems, processes, vendors, documentation, and people without everything turning into chaos.

I’ve seen IT folks move into project management, security/compliance, business analysis, operations management, even customer success in more technical companies.

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rfc968@reddit

Product Owner or Controlling.
Half the time I know the applications and their backend better than the responsible colleagues and guess who wrote the more complex SQL queries for controlling & finance?

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Jolly-Ad-8088@reddit

Project Management, Ops. Depends on what’s around you.

My first job on help desk in 1999 was fun but we had the most incompetent shitty manager who hadn’t a clue about technology. I saw him a year after I left, delivering medical supplies for the NHS.

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retired-techie@reddit

Back when I was working, we absorbed several IT types into service. We had a couple of networked products that was a good fit for someone with IT training.

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lilelliot@reddit

Finance. Really good IT Ops people are usually awesome with contract analysis and budgeting/planning, and usually welcome in Finance.

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pc_load_letter_in_SD@reddit

I told me union rep I wanted to transfer to the grounds maintenance crew....She said I would have to take a pay cut....Fine!

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LuckyWriter1292@reddit

My experience is there is no career path for technical staff - we get boxed in and to move you have to move companies.

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Iheartbaconz@reddit

I met a good bit of former sysadmins that turned to Tech Sales positions. 15 years working in the space and Im not sure I could handle it over IT.

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badboybilly42582@reddit

Yep. I know a couple people myself who went tech presale

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sdeptnoob1@reddit

Production?

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KandevDev@reddit

the most common transfer ive seen is to data/analytics. anyone whose run an SCCM patch report or a power BI dashboard has half the skill set already, and the salary tier is one step up. internal moves to security ops also happen but usually require a cert. avoid 'business analyst' as a destination, its where IT people go to be ignored.

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Solid-Worldliness284@reddit

Well, it depends on what level of IT right? Service desk, Senior, network, cloud, etc etc. If you have been in service desk for 20+ years without growth, then whether the IT sector falls down or not, you've placed yourself into a deep hole.

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CommunicationClassic@reddit

I've been lucky enough to go from level one to level two and now to manager in the span of about 7 years, and I still feel like it's coming for me - and really, as much as people might look down on it, being a level one technician for 20 plus years is the peak for a lot of people and that's fine, it's a good job - it's something that has helped people to raise families for decades, it's just now everything's moving so fast and you can't fault people for that- The world would be an even worse place if it was literally just all 19 people on your team in cutthroat competition all the time with 90% of them permanently disappointed that they can advance - the world needs all types

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cbelt3@reddit

Manufacturing equipment technician. A lot of it is IT stuff anyway.

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TreeSimulatorEnjoyer@reddit

go from being a digital janitor to a physical one

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Xibby@reddit

Bit Plumber.

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Walbabyesser@reddit

Only valid answer

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Xibby@reddit

An alternate universe me probably has a plumbing, electric, low voltage, and HVAC empire, a small handful of car washes and laundry mats, and a side investment in an independent auto mechanic or two, and does concierge home automation for wealthy clients to scratch that tech itch.

But here I am swearing at private equity for their enshitificarion of IT.

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eman0821@reddit

I went from IT Department as a Linux Administrator to the Engineering department as a Cloud Engineer. I work in a heavy DevOps environment working very close with Software Engineers. IT Operations is a very common cross over transition into DevOps, Cloud, Platform, SRE in the Software Engineering field.

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whatsforsupa@reddit

My natural transition would probably be maintenance, I have a good knack for electrical, plumbing and HVAC. On a basic level, it's all pretty simple.

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No-Pineapple-9469@reddit

Agreed I wear alot of hats at my job and do some IT work (e.g. I transitioned us to SharePoint and have Setup tablets via intune) but also coordinate most crane service, maintain maintenance documentation, and am involved in a lot of service on our laser and plasma tables (since diagnostics are so software heavy).

It’s all broadly problem solving and communication skills.

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s3ntin3l99@reddit

Yes, I’ve had to fix things myself quite a few times because our maintenance team is incredibly slow and lacks the skills to perform even basic tasks.

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ReptilianLaserbeam@reddit

Finance. If you are good with numbers, that is. I've seen people jump from IT operations to data analysis to finance.

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DehydratedButTired@reddit

The hard part is finding good pay. Computer work seems to be higher pay.

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hikik0_m@reddit

sales engineering in a good company. Still kinda IT but its sufficiently different if you want a change, and i think its an area overlooked by a lot of it folks. any low level admin role probably as well.

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oxmix74@reddit

I managed customer technical software support for a hardware product with a large software component. I worked a lot processes with our supply chain group due to some previous job responsibilities. I think moving from IT to supply chain would be totally doable -- the supply chain stuff had a lot of data management an ot guy could catch on to pretty easily.

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timpkmn89@reddit

My scripting skills got me moved over to the data analytics team

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FreeAd1425@reddit

Ops experience actually transfers better than you think. Anything around internal IT, vendor management, security/compliance, or even business operations tends to value that background since it’s still systems + process heavy.

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astrosid@reddit

IT usually hides in plain sight across ops-heavy departments
QA, security, compliance, even lab systems if your place has them
most of the “transfer” is just learning their constraints and language

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screampuff@reddit

I went into Enterprise Architecture which is like a political business initiatives to IT strategy. I enjoy the aspect of building this out in a company that doesn't quite have it.

I also don't see doom and gloom in the market, I see the opposite. Instead of a helpdesk you need skilled endpoint engineers and people who can come up with and run playbook style fixes and system administration. And instead of the classic sysadmin you now need an engineer who can constantly roll out new builds, projects, integrations and keep it all compliant with controls.

The jobs are just shifting and people who can do these things are more in demand than ever and companies are having a harder time finding them.

If all you want to do is a password reset and manually update a firmware...then sure you, should worry about your job.

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largos7289@reddit

Lots of guys end up either in Mgmt roles or they do the project mgr route. Or depending on the company change mgmt, there is networking rolls, and cyber security.

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Hour-Librarian3622@reddit

Business analyst roles eat up IT ops people constantly. You already understand systems, data flows, and can translate between technical and business teams.

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Soggy-Attempt@reddit

Security Audit

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Jazzlike-Vacation230@reddit

I'm just tired of being yelled at and working in places where leadership does nothing but protect their own jobs. Maybe being a janitor is the way, idk

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Commercial_Growth343@reddit

I had a neighbor that worked IT at a bank, and he moved laterally out of IT. I have no idea how he did that. I also knew of people in IT that moved into the business after IT was outsourced, because business dept. was scared of the service they were about to be subjected to.. they basically became 'shadow IT' though so not really what you are asking.

Not IT but I knew someone that worked in document management that took some courses to move into a different dept. So even if you didn't have matching skills, you can always take some courses and try to move laterally that way.

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Happy_Kale888@reddit

Smart people who can solve problems are usually always in demand.

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justaguyonthebus@reddit

I went IT to Automation to DevOps to Software Dev.

But any project manager role or account management role would leverage skills you already have doing that. Anything that deals with compliance or auditing.

Any role that doesn't require a specialized degree or certification that you can learn on the job would be easy enough to do. Our whole career was figuring out how to do stuff we don't know how to do.

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0263111771@reddit

I think the question currently is who the heck is hiring or will ing to hire you into an open slot?

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DeadStockWalking@reddit

I can do any job in finance.

I'm not joking. I administer/troubleshoot all their applications AND wrote the workflows they use on a daily basis. They only know what to do because I told them.

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Unnamed-3891@reddit

IT grunt <> devops <> SWE

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Sentient_Crab_Chip@reddit

I made brief trips into Quality Assurance and our Lab. I was early in my IT career when I moved over to QA, mostly because my IT dept job was super slow and I was barely needed. It wasn't a direct 1:1 skills transfer, but doing QA work has a technical structure to it. QA & IT experience combined make for good Validation engineers and auditors.

During my time in QA, I was auding our lab and still supporting our LIMS system, so when work picked up and I went back to IT, I still managed the technical side of our LIMS system. Which then lead to me learning how our lab ran, and I dropped in there here and there when the need arose to help organize processes and I was always cleaning up dirty data.