[jibi]

Originally Posted by gcrarey

Did everyone build their BES systems?

I took control over our already established single BES 3.6 (base installation) environment with approximately 5 users at the time a few years ago. Since then, I have migrated that installation to new hardware, upgraded to 4.0 and all service packs, migrated the database to its own remote hardware, grown our environment locally to 100 users, added another BES to that environment as a test bed, and recently upgraded the test environment to 4.1. I've also built another BES 4.0 server w/ all service packs for our enterprise rollout that now hosts 110 users.

[BES admin]

1. I am THE (nobody else... NOBODY!) Exchange Enterprise administrator to 5000 users
-Cisco Voicemail system relies on my exchange servers

2. I am one of two Enterprise Domain Admins for 8000 users and two sites.

3. I am THE BES admin to 50 users
-I perform ALL aspects of BB support. Server, Handheld, Help Desk, and Documentation.

4. They just asked that I get Veritas trained so I can begin using Veritas to backup and develop and impliment a disaster recovery proceedure for Cisco Unity and our 5 server Exchange environment.

AND... I am underpaid at about 58k... 3 kids... 1000 mo mortgage... no tail from momma anymore!!

Anyone need a slightly used Windows admin with BES and Exchange Know-how?

[mayor111]

II think there are a few equations left out of this formula.

1) Are we taking into consideration your AGE?
2) Are we taking into consideration years of experience?
3) Are we taking into consideration what you have done in the past?

All of these things will DIRECTLY impact your salary.

Ixxx8217;m 35 years old, I have been in IT for the past 12 years and make over six figures a year. BUT...I have put my time in crawling under desks, moving dusty printers, fixing broken mice, moving 21" monitors, etc. Ixxx8217;m now a Director of IT for about 300 users (between US and Germany).

I think itxxx8217;s safe to say I donxxx8217;t JUST handle BES...which also will impact your salary.

I have worked for companies with 85,000 users and now for a company with 300 users - and I have managed teams as large as 55 people and as small as 3 people...but one thing I tell EVERYONE who has worked for me...

"If you want to move ahead in your career - you have to move your career around"...

There is NO WAY you are going to gain a ton of experience by staying at ONE company. If there is one thing I have learned in all my years, is that just because COMPANY A does IT one way - you can sure as hell bet that COMPANY B will do it completely different. My resume is 3 pages long, and ALL of it describes all the different environments I have managed and all the ways I have learned to support these environments. And the reason I make such a nice salary is because I bring ALL that experience to the table...

How valuable would I be if I said I have worked at one or two companies and I know how to support IT only one or two different ways...? Think about it... I would be right in the center of the chart in the beginning of this post.

I hope this helps!

[jibi]

very good advice, mayor...

[kburd CH]

I also tend to view IT skills as a trade skill and therefore highly portable.

I havent spent more than 2 years in any one position - and most recently was able to secure a position in a company in Seattle that has provided a great learning platform as well as a 26k raise...(60k + 10% bonus) I was making 40k and had taken on a ton of SysAdmin responsibilities with no raise. So I split...and Im not finished going up the ladder. I am hopefully on the road that mayor has travelled. Sure I now have a pretty full plate with all the BES admin duties like the rest of us, but its a great resume bullet I have only been in the industry since 2001 and have to reiterate what these guys are saying...I too started out under desks and putting mb's in pc's and have just latched on to those who had the experience until Ive finally been able to do just about everything this current company needs from engineering to HD. The old adage that companies look at how long youve stayed at previous jobs doesnt necessarily apply to IT folks - technology changes quickly but a lot of companies dont embrace that. You have to seek out the environment that will showcase your base skills but has new (to you) technology and allows (forces) you to learn the technology...one other tip: interviewing is an artform.

[jibi]

P.S. - In today's market, especially if you don't have a college degree to get you into the HR door, work on getting your certifications, be it Microsoft (MCSE, etc), Security (CISSP, etc), etc. They serve as a great bargaining tool, be it a salary increase, a job promotion, a foot in the door, and many other things (personal satisfaction, etc).

...says the child prodigy with 8 years experience and no certifications and no degree...

[Sagz]

Im a Domino admin who fell into BES. Im not sure anymore what my real responsibilities are anymore.


I have started to see more BES positions as the primary responsibility, I recently turned down one position because the cost of living was more so I wouldnt be making anymore money.


I know I am under paid :( I voted in the poll. I see myself as below avg in pay.

[kpoland]

Hey Mayor, you hiring? ;)

[dev]

Well I can't believe I almost missed this post....good to see some admins with sense of humour.. Excellent topic!!!!
My job is mainly that of a Senior Consultant, with responsibility for desktop deployment, BES implementation (Exchange & Domino), Domino administration (some Exchange as well) and End user Training. My salary is between 60-75 range and I've been told I'm underpaid. Started out 8 years ago as the "training room setup guy" for all the Microsoft 2000 classes and Domino R4, R5 & R6 classes. I gradually moved up and acquired more responsibilities through several acquisitions. Did enduser support, technical support, Client training,Team Leader and finally Consulting. It's been a great learning experience so far.
As for BES...we were the first company that were approached by RIM to train some of their developers on what Domino is all about.....back then RIM's share was less than $6.50. I really missed that boat!
My situation is a bit like a_kayaker...the ex part. Just bought a new home...my 50% share of the mortage is 1400/mth, car payments for the new BMW 325i 2006 series 450/mth, my annoying Director...leaving the company next week....priceless. The rest the damn government takes in taxes. In Canada that's what you do...you pay taxes.
Funny thing...I only entered this area of work because I wanted to learn "How to Create a Website" for myself. My background is in R&D for Cosmetics, fragrances, skin-care&haircare and toiletries. Did a 20mth work term as an Asphalt Technologist for an oil company in Canada during my 5yr Chemical engineering progarm. Lack of entry-level jobs in the engineering sector forced me have a look at computers.
My job has allowed me travel to several places and be involved in numerous projects. At times it's very difficult (especially with new bosses) but mostly rewarding so far.
My advice to anyone in this type of work is to learn all you possibly can, have an open mind and try new things as much as possisble. At the moment I doing some Cisco VoIP training to get ready for the inevitable convergence/integration projects that would be coming along. Having a lab at home (the perks of all those acquisitions..) has helped tremendously with understanding installations or other new technologies. I believe in a lot of hands-on, it has served me well so far. I really enjoy the long hours trying to fix a problem and the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.
My advice would be to learn as much at every opportunity...take this forum for example....and align yourself with those who are in the know.

[amukhey]

Take into consideration the cost of living in this jungle we call New York, New York and being paid such a salary and taxes are very high...I am a Bes admin for close to 700 users on 2 enterprises and for 4 servers along with Domino Admin responsabilities....its true, its all part of the enterprise messaging integration and there are times where in you cant go to bed at a decent time.....

and I had high hopes of purchasing an aston martin on a bes admin salary lol

[b52junebug]

Wow now I dont feel so bad... : ) Worked as a BES Admin in and around DC. Now Im working as a contactor doing blackberry upgrades and migrations in NC. Just remember we are never appreciated or missed until the server goes down.

[a_kayaker]

[QUOTE=mayor111]II think there are a few equations left out of this formula.

1) Are we taking into consideration your AGE?
2) Are we taking into consideration years of experience?
3) Are we taking into consideration what you have done in the past?

All of these things will DIRECTLY impact your salary.

I’m 35 years old, I have been in IT for the past 12 years and make over six figures a year. BUT...I have put my time in crawling under desks, moving dusty printers, fixing broken mice, moving 21" monitors, etc. I’m now a Director of IT for about 300 users (between US and Germany).

I think it’s safe to say I don’t JUST handle BES...which also will impact your salary.



"If you want to move ahead in your career - you have to move your career around"...


Mayor,

I am 30 years old with 12 years experience no college education and not many certs. I am currently pulling close to 60k and year and feel that I have done pretty well so far. I have worked my ass off to get where I am at. I do know however that I have become complacent and a bit lazy (ok a lot lazy).

I have been at my current company for 7 years and have not taken any college classes that my company would be glad to pay for. I realize now that I am getting older that FEAR is a powerful motivator. If something happens to my job here then I am working third shift at the Wal-Mart and first shift a gas station just to keep the kids fed.

I know that I need to get up off my ass and get the college thing done, it's just so much easier to go to work and go home everyday and not to have to worry about anything else.

While I do agree with you about moving your career around, I have to say that it is not always that easy. I work in a town where there aren't many good IT spots open and I work for one of the best companies around. I can't just give up my current stable well paying position to chance it with another company. Sure they may want to give me a 25% raise, but if they down size in 6 months or a year where have I gotten myself?

Careers are tricky things. You will only get out of it what you put in it. It is important to take chances, but try and minimalist the risk... always have a backup plan.

[mayor111]

a_kayaker,

I don’t begrudge anyone's salary. I don’t look at anyone different if they make $50,000 more than I do or less than I do. I look at the "passion" and "knowledge" someone brings to the table...period.

I’m not judging you or mocking, but when I hear the word "fear" I think of one statement:

"Fear = Avoidance / Avoidance = Stagnation / Stagnation = Failure"

"Fear" always holds people back from achieving what they desire with their life. If you are having a fear of loosing your job, how will you ever learn new skills to accelerate your career? If you fear your age (and your ONLY 30), how will you become a Director or VP someday? If you are comfortable today how comfortable would you be earning $10, $25 or $50,000 more a year?

I remember back in 2000, when I worked for a Fortune 100 Pharma company, a Team of managers were asked: "Who wants to be 1 of 4 managers to manage the worlds 2nd largest rollout of Windows 2000 in the history of Microsoft, with a project budget of $258 million dollars"? Guess who was the ONLY one with his hand raised in the air...? You guessed it...ME. Was it "risky" - hell yes. Was I nuts - you better believe it. Did I have a huge chance of failing horribly? I sure did - and THAT is EXACTLY why I raised my hand. It motivates me when anyone says "IT CANT BE DONE"...oh that just smokes my shorts and gets me focused.

You have to take chances...you have to go for the jobs everyone says is "hard" or "risky". Never be “satisfied” or comfortable with what you are earning – how will you ever achieve more next year? And NEVER let anyone tell you what you are worth or what the “Industry standard pay scale” is – that is a crock of #$%@. At minimum you have to show your organization that "I can handle any job you throw my way - and when I’m done - I’m going to ask for more. It’s that attitude that has set me apart from others in the IT Industry. I’m not saying I’m better, or smarter than anyone here - but I will guarantee you that I am the guy raising his hand when asked to manage the projects everyone else "FEARS"...

Just my .02 cents.

[a_kayaker]

Point taken Mayor.

I definitly don't run from a fight or to keep from facing a difficult project. We see eye to eye there. It's just thought of leaving a successful position to take something more fruitful, but also more unstable.

I will continue with my current company, lately we have been moving in some new directions. It seems that out jobs are becoming more focused on Project Management.

Now keep in mind that this means for me that I will not only be the project lead (with all responsibilities), but I will also be the one doing all of the work and providing 100% of the support. Everyone else areound here is uptight or griping about the changes, but I have to say that I welcome the change. Hell, If am going to put all the work in and make the project sucdcessful, I might as well run the whole show.

The future will be interesting.

[kburd CH]

I was the HRIS guy at a hospital and getting reamed on salary, albeit I was not even close to having any real IT knowledge. Started my cert education by going to night school - Microskills in San Diego - and got my MCSE. I hung out there on weekends and got to know the instructors. I worked my ass off for 8 months....17-18 hour days (work + school) plus weekends and the rest is history. The school hired me as a Junior Network Engineer (which meant that I wasnt really allowed to do a whole lot on the network, but the students got to see the payoff for hard work) after I "graduated". 13K student loan. Salary was better than the old HRIS but the key thing was - the environment and those who could teach you. That was 5 years ago. Ive doubled my salary and now have enough momentum and base knowledge to run an IT department if I had to. (a smaller IT dept...) But, I like being in the trenches. Since moving to Seattle in 2002, I have consulted or worked for 4 companies and have learned at an accelerated pace - sink or swim. Sure theres risk involved but its really the only way to get ahead and learn - unless of course you have jibi to ask; he who knows more than is healthy for any human being when it comes to blackberrys But really its the same as latching onto a mentor - he just doesnt work with you and your company.

[Wiseass]

I'm a Lotus Notes/Domino Admin, on top of the BES duties I basically do it all full-time.

Can I combine the Domino Admin + BES Admin salaries and ask for more? lol

Hey a guy can dream right?

[waddyjohn]

Hey all,

I'm the BES admin(and so much more!!!) for an Exchange Hosting Company that serves about 55,000 users. We have 12 BES servers globally that house roughly 4,000 users at present. We run the gamut from 3.6 to 4.0, to a couple of 4.1 test servers. Here in NYC, that gets me 70K, my side gig as a BES admin for a television network nets me 2500/month for 1 day of work a week which i do remotely.

My and my fiance are still living in a 1br apartment in Queens, about to pay for a marriage, and still worry about paying debt. Been doind IT for about 4 years now with 3 yrs of heavy BES on server and desktop side. Have a good amount of certs but nothing spectacular, still trying to make six-figure Exchange engineering money, chasing the dream

[MCase]

I started out doing Lotus Notes admin. Now I am Notes, Security, WebSphere, Blackberry, etc. I do pretty well, but I do feel like I have paid my dues in the business. I was also lucky enough to bounce around through a few great jobs back in the boom days of Lotus Notes.

My advice for those who want to advance their careers in IT is to find a balance between specializing, and generalizing. Have an area of specialiazation (such as BES) and always remember to keep your general skills up to date as well just in case your primary specialty gets stale.

By the way - I am a mom of 2. Even though we are both in IT we still are struggling. Our daycare bill is an arm and a leg! But it keeps me off the streets.

[bbgirl]

for those posters with 200+ users, why so many servers are they in remote areas?


I was the BES admin for a US govt agency, that had 500 users and one server, but I left and am now the BB tech for an agency with 250 users and one server. I want my old job back...(sniff) they are so clueless here.
I also have a certificate from RIM, they told me that was the closest thing to a certification for now, they used to give training where you could become certified if you were not a partner, but not anymore.


also, waddyjohn, can you adopt me?

[warlockgcs]

My primary function is as a programmer, not the BES Admin, though I have taken on those duties as a result of pushing to get them in our environment. Not sure if my answer to the survey unfairly weights it as a result, but I make 70k+/yr.

I will be porting a lot of our custom apps from Windows Mobile 2003 SE to the Blackberry platform, so I expect to become more involved with the BES server as time marches on, but for now I am just a regular old plain BES Admin with 8 users. Not a whole lot, but if the initial run is successful we'll be scaling up to 120+ users fairly shortly.