Job Offer - Network Engineer

[phil_ivey_fan]

I am graduating from Georgia Tech this December and am about to receive an offer from a growing IT Consulting and Services Company. They offer IT solutions/support for small to medium businesses in the Atlanta Area.

I would start as a Network Engineer
- base pay $40k/yr + full benefits
- w/ completion of MSCE and MSCA (microsoft certifications) in the first year, pay bumps to $55-60K


is this a good offer? The company seems to be growing strong. almost doubling engineering staff and quadrupling office space by december.


--------------------------

When asked what I was looking for in salary at the end of the first interview, I said "competitive" and then after further probing, I mentioned that I was making the equivalent of $40K at my coop job during undergrad.


Also, is anyone here MSCA certififed here?

[jakethebake]

You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I suggest you do some searches through job listings for similar jobs and see what they're offering. Also, there's a survey of salaries for just about any job each year. I'm not sure if it's available to the public or if you'd have to buy it for a pretty hefty price, but it's there somewhere. Maybe at the *gasp* library? I don't remember what it's called, either. You're welcome for all this helpful information.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[/ QUOTE ]
I felt I was a bit underpaid at thirty-something as an intern about 4 or 5 years ago. I took it because it was an awesome internship that I knew would lead me to an awesome (and much better paying) full-time job when it mattered.

[touchfaith]

Are they paying for the courses and testing?

If so, it is competitive for that area, as well as personally beneficial.

[phil_ivey_fan]

[ QUOTE ]
You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[/ QUOTE ]


yeah, I wasn't blowing anyone, but I basically took on the role as Head Coop my third work term after becoming indisposable for my web development skills, so with it came a rather large pay increase. Now bear in mind this didn't include any benefits (health dental 401k).

also, it was the "hourly equivalent" of 40K. I was only working every other semester and part time on the off semesters. It delayed graduation a bit...I am graduating in my 6th fall...but I'm also graduating with 2 full years of experience under my belt.

[phil_ivey_fan]

[ QUOTE ]
Are they paying for the courses and testing?

If so, it is competitive for that area, as well as personally beneficial.

[/ QUOTE ]

they are not paying for the courses, but they will pay for the exams. They will provide me with the course books, but I will be required to learn it on my own. I don't see this as a problem as I learned most of my computer skills from those big ass books myself.

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds like a pretty standard intern salary in the field.

[BoogerFace]

It seems like a decent offer once you complete the training.

You can find out about MCSA certification on the MS website. Look here. (http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcsa/requirements.asp)

I think a better question is do you want to develop code or be a network/server admin for the next 3 to 5 years. Or possibly the rest of your life.

If you want to write code, I'd personally pass on the offer. It would be nearly impossible to make the jump from net admin to developer. No company would require training like this unless you were going to be an admin for the duration.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds like a pretty standard intern salary in the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious? For someone not even out of school yet? i'm in the wrong business.

[touchfaith]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Are they paying for the courses and testing?

If so, it is competitive for that area, as well as personally beneficial.

[/ QUOTE ]

they are not paying for the courses, but they will pay for the exams. They will provide me with the course books, but I will be required to learn it on my own. I don't see this as a problem as I learned most of my computer skills from those big ass books myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

That'll work, I tend to do the same.

If they have the 'CBT Nuggets' web-bsed courses available, they are a very good choice of course work.

That seems pretty normal for IT. I'm sort of in a similar situation, just graduated from college (double major in engineering), got a job offer from Lockheed Martin in the northeast for 50k + benefits/everything else you typically get. You have to remember coming straight out of college you still are, for the most part, a rank amateur. But your salary should go up pretty quickly each ensuing year as you learn more.

It does stink that they don't pay for those classes you want to take. Most businesses pay for those types of things.

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds like a pretty standard intern salary in the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious? For someone not even out of school yet? i'm in the wrong business.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know the area but my friends who graduated with IT degrees (note, this isn't even programming, it's just networking/sys admin type stuff) were getting offers of 55K+ in Manhattan right out of school.

I had a couple of 40K internships in school (I was computer science, not IT), both in pretty low cost of living places.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You were making $40k at the coop as a college student? Wtf? Who were you blowing?

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds like a pretty standard intern salary in the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious? For someone not even out of school yet? i'm in the wrong business.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know the area but my friends who graduated with IT degrees (note, this isn't even programming, it's just networking/sys admin type stuff) were getting offers of 55K+ in Manhattan right out of school.

I had a couple of 40K internships in school (I was computer science, not IT), both in pretty low cost of living places.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's your reason. He's in Georgia, major difference in cost of living.

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
There's your reason. He's in Georgia, major difference in cost of living.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right.. probably a difference of say... 55k vs. 40k

[touchfaith]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There's your reason. He's in Georgia, major difference in cost of living.

[/ QUOTE ]

Right.. probably a difference of say... 55k vs. 40k

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, absolutely. Possibly an even wider margin here in the Bay Area vs. Atlanta also...

[Amid Cent]

I am currently a Network Administrator and hiring manager and I can tell you that the Microsoft certifications are "almost" useless. I say this because there are about 50,000 people out there who have studied, passed the tests, but still can't tell you how to change the time on your computer. It's a paper-only degree and has absolutely zero bearing on your abilities as a network engineer. I will take a engineer with hands-on experience over a rookie MSCE any day of the week.

However, the one time they are worthwhile is if your current job is going to give you a raise if you get certified. If this is your case (which it sounds like it is), here's what you do: Search on the internet for as many sample exams as you can find. Do NOT take the classes. Study the hell out of the exams to the point where you've memorized just about every question. Then you will be able to pass the tests in a breeze.

[jba]

do you really want to be an admin? because you're going to have a helluva time trying to code after getting pigeonholed into an admin job.

not that there is anything wrong with admin guys but it seems like it can be a serious pain in the ass without the typical programmer perks. If it's really what you want to do, go for it.

[mason55]

[ QUOTE ]
without the typical programmer perks

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I didn't go to work today cause I didn't feel like it.

[jba]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
without the typical programmer perks

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I didn't go to work today cause I didn't feel like it.

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly what I'm talking about

[whiskeytown]

it's a good start - for a college grad. who is also just coming into the job market, that's good -

but I've never recovered emotionally from the 3 year slump...soo....

RB

[jnalpak]

[ QUOTE ]
Study the hell out of the exams to the point where you've memorized just about every question. Then you will be able to pass the tests in a breeze.

[/ QUOTE ]

congrats!!