The question in the title is one of the questions asked by many online workers on Zhihu. They always say that the online worker industry is dead, that the online worker has become the lowest cost, and that the online worker has declined...
Regarding these issues today, Lao Yang first made a clear point of view:
These are all misunderstandings of the network engineering industry.
After all, the comparison between the Internet worker market in 2000 and the current market competition is still obvious.
Now that the network infrastructure is well established, it is natural to raise the demands on grassroots workers. This is an inevitable trend of the development of the times, and it is the same in all walks of life.
In the past, the noodles and flat meat in Shaxian County only cost 1 yuan. How much do you think it is now? In the past, what was the quality of the noodles and flat meat for 1 yuan, and what is the quality and requirements now?
Everything is the same.
Read the chapter in detail at the beginning, and then answer this question in 4 points .
1. What exactly is a network engineer?
In the eyes of those who are not very knowledgeable , the difference between network workers and network administrators is unclear;
In the eyes of people who are a little knowledgeable , they will think that network workers are assembling and maintaining computers and networks... But the skills of real network workers are really more than these.
A network engineer is mainly a position that provides equipment operation technical support to customers of various manufacturers. Therefore, the position of network worker itself is based on the construction of Internet informatization, and it is a "grassroots builder" .
But I think the word "basic level" does not have any derogatory meaning, and this point must be emphasized. The foundation determines the building. Without the foundation, no matter how magnificent your high-rise buildings are, it is useless.
It is said that network workers have no prospects and are coolies... But I think it is quite promising. For example, the development of the weak current communication industry has also provided a lot of new development space for network workers. You are not afraid of having no prospects, but you are afraid that you will not improve yourself.
As an Internet worker, I know that I have one of the biggest labels, that is, the content of my work is very "general", and it is difficult to form a continuous accumulation of experience in one field.
The "one-size-fits-all" position can be used in any industry. This is a relatively obvious problem, that is, network workers need to be clear about their own career development bottlenecks.
2. What kind of internet workers are we talking about when we talk about the “decline” of internet workers?
Network engineer is a relatively broad term. People who are really engaged in this industry will know that there are a lot of twists and turns... Pre-sales implementation, after-sales, and maintenance engineers can all be collectively referred to as network engineers.
So, when everyone talks about the "decline" of Internet workers, what kind of Internet workers are they talking about?
If you have been engaged in highly replaceable entry-level and junior jobs, and you don’t have high-quality academic qualifications and certificates, and you don’t have experience in large-scale network projects, promotion and salary increases are very difficult...
Hey, then congratulations, the downfall is your "junior internet worker".
You may have been immersed in the Internet industry for a period of time, and your salary may not have a very obvious jump, but the burdens of housing loans, car loans, children's education, and pensions caused by marriage and childbirth are quietly arising.
I'm no stranger to middle-aged grief in the workplace. After all, "It is not my dreams that wake me up every morning, but my poverty."
Is the network engineering industry declining? Or is your demand expenditure unable to keep up with your ability improvement and salary standard?
The first step to get rid of the decline is to have the belief to get rid of the decline.
But many migrant workers do not want to get out of this atmosphere. The way they choose is to plug in their headphones, avoid some questioning eyes, and leave the company as soon as possible after work. These are all signs of evasion.
This is a problem that needs to be faced and cannot be solved by avoiding it.
3. Are network engineers really in decline?
When we are looking for a job, we should all pay attention to two points: the first is the future, and the second is the salary.
If a job and industry where the future and salary are directly proportional, the word "decline" is definitely not used to describe it.
From these two dimensions, we can judge "whether Internet workers have really declined".
01 Salary level
Take a network engineer who has obtained CCIE/HCIE certification as an example:
For fresh graduates, the annual salary is about 80,000 to 100,000, which is the majority;
Network engineers with more than 3 to 5 years of work experience can generally get an annual salary of more than 100,000 to 300,000;
Not to mention, those big factory network engineers with a monthly salary of 50k+16 and an annual salary of nearly one million, these people are real.
Don't say that I analyze it from a small number of people. Certification must be difficult, but at least there is a clear direction for improvement. This is the salary space of a position.
Although we have no way for everyone to stand at the top, but in comparison, we can see that experienced network engineers who can stand alone will be more sought after by the market.
At least from this point of view, we Internet workers can never be called "declining".
02 Development prospect
The development prospect here mainly refers to the career development prospect, such as "promotion and salary increase" . Judging whether a position can last for a long time depends on the room for advancement. What is the room for advancement?
In addition to maintaining the core network, our work usually involves equipment procurement, supplier liaison, and the core business of the company. While choosing a purely technical route, we also have more opportunities to become managers, and our development prospects are very broad.
1. Focus on technology to become a technical expert
2. Transition to technical sales or technical support
3. With the growth of technology, from technical management to senior management
Looking at it this way, do you feel that the career development of Internet workers is not as "very narrow" as so many people say?
03Work experience
Originally, I only wanted to say two points, but after thinking about it, I added this point. For me, work experience is an important factor when I choose a job.
The work experience of most Internet workers is nothing more than: "often staying up late", "three shifts", "doing mistakes all day long", "no future"... these are indeed the status quo, and it is undeniable.
Those who feel that "Internet workers have declined" must have had a bad experience at work, for example, they don't have much sense of accomplishment, or they can command themselves by anyone. The low sense of achievement caused by low status makes many people discouraged from working as a net worker.
But if you think about it from another angle, how many low-level workers engaged in the Internet can 985, work on weekends, and feel happy every day?
There are some people who are "bad-mouthing" in any position, but more old Internet workers who have been in this industry for a long time think this way:
"High technical content, long life cycle, higher wages than other industries"
"Pure work content, relatively high starting point, and great advantages in career development"
"Essentially solution delivery and management of IT resources"
Don't just look at one aspect of everything, if you stick to it, you will definitely see a different scenery. There is a reason why "persistence" is a traditional virtue.
It can also be seen from the above three points that "Internet worker" and "declining" really don't go well together, and even for many Xiaobai, it can completely become a dream career choice.
4. What kind of network worker is "not at the bottom" ?
Different companies have different needs for network engineers, but they are always the same. Whether you can become a popular network engineer or not, let the company take a fancy to it. First of all, you must have something different from the "low-level junior network engineer".
For example: a solid hardware foundation, mastering the most commonly used network operating systems, knowledge about integrated cabling and network integration, and the "innovative ability" required by any industry .
At the very beginning, I have made it clear that the prospect of Internet workers is very good, and I also mentioned that if you want to get ahead, the first bottleneck in the workplace that needs to be solved is the word "pan".
The way to crack the "pan" is to focus on a certain aspect from now on, immerse yourself in work and study. When working on a project, if you see the essence, you will not feel that the work has always been repetitive and boring.
For example, when doing an integration project, you can get that, in essence, you are mastering the ability to deliver solutions and manage IT resources.
Change your thinking, starting from "what am I doing" to "what kind of capabilities does the management need from you", and perhaps "improvement" will become easier.
-end-
I am Lao Yang, a middle-aged foodie who has been engaged in the Internet industry for 8 years. Follow me and chat with you a few words about net workers every day.