Stuck in a dead-end IT role for 2 years, thinking of switching to HVAC

I have been working a help desk job at a company in Nashville for almost 3 years now. Last month they passed me over for a promotion to a junior sysadmin role, said I needed more "experience" even though I have been fixing their network issues on the side. My buddy makes $28 an hour doing commercial HVAC work and says they are always hiring. Has anyone else made a jump from computers to a trade like that and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

averywright1mo ago

Getting passed over after doing extra work like that is a REAL gut punch, I've been there. A buddy of mine left a computer repair shop for welding two years ago and says he actually sleeps better now, even if his back hurts sometimes. Commercial HVAC is solid work with good pay, so if you can handle the heat and crawling under houses it's worth a shot.

casey_lane731mo ago

That "real gut punch" line from @averywright hits close to home. I had a buddy in the same spot, did extra networking work for two years at his company, got skipped over twice. He got so fed up he took a weekend HVAC course and started apprenticing at a local shop. Now he makes more than I do and says the only thing he misses is not getting his hands dirty, which is funny because he used to complain about cable management all day. The heat and the tight spaces are rough, sure, but he says at least no one asks him to fix a printer during his lunch break. If you can handle the physical side, I'd say give it a shot before you burn out completely.