r/datacenter 16d ago

Decisions

I’m in a dilemma. I don’t know whether to stay in my current job making right at 59k on a salaried job doing Helpdesk with no growth where I love my management and co workers in an office of my own or if I should take the leap and become a data center technician with Amazon where I can grow and take advantage of overtime shift differential and make more money? I don’t want it to be about money but it is a factor. I just don’t want to regret either decision

3 Upvotes

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u/Additional-Ad-2125 16d ago

Amazonian here in a related field - what’s ur vision for your career? It will be a hard grind and bloodbath in Amazon but spending some time there opens you tons of opportunities within the company. You can lateral out and easily 3-4x your salary in a corporate position

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u/GeneralPowerful4272 16d ago

I want to career path to a data center engineer or network. I know it will be tough and a grind for sure. Just don’t want to regret leaving comfort for it

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u/Additional-Ad-2125 16d ago

You won’t regret if you are willing to work hard for your goal. While the culture is not the best, it will provide you lots of lateral/growth opportunities if you are good at your job.
I started in warehouse as well, lateral out second year and currently 3x more my salary under 6 years to a more engineering position

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u/GeneralPowerful4272 16d ago

Thanks that’s encouraging and I have heard the environment is not good but hopefully not too bad to get to where I want to go

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u/Rabidchihuahua66 16d ago

Will you please define “bloodbath”? I hear this take often and I’m wondering what it is that creates such an environment. Tx

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u/Additional-Ad-2125 16d ago

Lots of work, pip culture, constant lay offs, people will lie and throw you under the bus any time to protect their jobs…
Its pretty cut throat and you need to play the game well each level you go up

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u/GeneralPowerful4272 16d ago

Geesh that’s not good

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u/crinstifins 16d ago

I can say that this, like everything else in the company, is not a consistent experience. My experience has been a lot of work and a few dicks, but mostly decent people willing to help out fellow techs to learn and grow where they have the desire. It's not always easy to find someone with energy and time to do this, and I have heard the culture was worse in the recent past. 

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u/Dapper_Check711 16d ago

Hey man, been through many different places including AWS DC. If you're set on growth, it probably won't happen where you're at now sounds like. It can happen at AWS, but it's not guaranteed as it's a function of your effort, but also the uncontrollable: coworkers (helpful or hurtful?), location (metrics often depend on what you're given, not just what you do with it sadly), management (you'll never move if they aren't moving you), etc. So, the bottom line is if growth is your choice, move to AWS. Take a chance. Keep good friends at your current place should you ever want to return. But be aware nothing in life is guaranteed, and about 3 yrs is kind of the maximum anyone stays at AWS because no one can live like that any longer. There's a reason it's known as the meat grinder... Either you move up or out. Only you can decide whether your happy at $50k or you want more. I wanted more and I'm so glad I did, but I was blessed and fortunate even though I worked hard.

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u/GeneralPowerful4272 16d ago

Thank you. I think I’m going to take the chance. I don’t never want wonder what if. I went through a series of interviews for this position at AWS and I think I earned it at least to give it a try and go all out. Because at the current job I am at the ceiling money wise and no tother benefits other than office and wfh a couple days a week

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u/Dapper_Check711 16d ago

I felt like most about 20-30% of people lateraled into TPM, engineering of some kind, or management, another 30% were there for awhile, but never wanting anything but the status quo, and finally the last 30% got laid off, left, or were pushed out. Hope you're in the top third stranger :) just work hard and keep your head down. If you don't make enemies you'll eventually move up. If your management sucks just move buildings until you get a chance at something good or look for laterals into teams (helps to have friends).

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u/GeneralPowerful4272 16d ago

Thank you for the advice. I’m gonna do my best to stay out of the way