Working on different things than agreed

GeorgeS · March 14, 2016, 06:25:44 AM

Hello to all, need some advice and any comment which could be helpful.
For 6 months i am working for an SP. Originally our agreement was for a position with a title of network security consultant (lets say project security engineer is a more accurate title) . We had agreed that i will work mostly with security projects, design/implementation of any kind of network security project from simple installations to customer sites, s2s vpn or client vpn or new security zones in the core of our network. Proxies/IPS were included also from my end as technologies that i have experience and knowledge, we agreed on that also.

My problem is that mostly I am working with non related security projects and is getting a bit frustrated. I have no problems doing some things like eigrp to ospf migration for a site, or installation of some AP, but the weeks are passing and i am doing more and more of these project and i start to get frustrated. Today they pushed me to do a migration of a p2p connection to vpls!!! I have no freaking idea of vpls etc.. I declined and let them know that this is not a project for me as i do not have the knowledge. Additional to that few days ago i was pushed to do a project. "new deployments of wlc controllers in a ucs server and new pki infrastructure..." Not the whole project but the 1st phase, but something tells me i will be the 1st candidate for the 2nd phase also....

I am considering searching for a new job to be honest. I even had a discussion with my manager about that, he said the things will change and if we have more security projects you will take them but even though he is pretty cool till now with everything I am not a believer of what he said...

Any comments on that? Maybe I am a bit impatient? Or someone who experienced the same!

Thanks

deanwebb · March 14, 2016, 08:25:14 AM

They're trying to keep you billable and they don't have a lot of security stuff walking in the front door.

WLC and PKI connect to security... I found that out the hard way.

But UCS? Ummm... that's voice.

But, you're a consultant, and your firm does not want you on the bench, so they'll attach you to any project that they need a pair of hands to work on. Programatically speaking,
IF they have more security, THEN you will get to work on more security.
WHILE there is no security, work on anything else they hand you.

One way of looking at this is an opportunity to be exposed to other technologies, to deepen your understanding of what it is you're securing. That should go only so long. You can point out that you have a goal of getting a CISSP and you need five solid years of security experience to qualify. You can later change your goal to not go for the CISSP, but if it helps you now to have that goal, then that can help ease a possible transition from one job to the next.

Just don't do anything in haste. Plan carefully.

GeorgeS · March 14, 2016, 09:05:04 AM

Billable... hate that word but is so true.
Heard so many times you have to be billable, i may open a new topic just for that!!! You have to charge 40 hours per week at least, totally understood, but when they assigne u for 40hours and u actually charge 25 because u finished earlier or whatever, they are saying to you, you can do more thinks so take another 20 hours of work!! And suddenly you are with 60 hours of work next week and you are so busy....

Well PKI of course connects with security but still i believe a wireless engineer will be more appropriate, actually i do not complain so much for it but for the UCS and the vpls !!!!

Is a good point that i can learn more things etc but i do not believe you can master multiple ones. And being honest with you i lack the interesting for these technologies

. But I may just procrastinating a bit from my work

Nerm · March 14, 2016, 10:43:15 AM

I just spent 11 years in a consulting role, so I can agree that billable hours will be most important to the company. They don't care if you are connecting workstations or doing security work. In their eyes you are a source of revenue regardless of whether or not you are doing the work you were hired to do. This is one of the reasons I left consulting. It is probably better at a large firm, but small ones can be a pain in the ass.

My advice is if you like the company, management, etc then just take the projects as they come and eventually the more desirable projects will start hitting your desk.

that1guy15 · March 14, 2016, 05:18:17 PM

Agree with everything said above. IMO if they are not satisfying your needs of the job and they wont/cant change it then yes its time to move on. Dont put your career on hold because they can provide the work you want.

I agree that while you are there make the most of it or even find ways to integrate security but there usually is only so much you can do.

Ive been in a similar spot with not getting the work you were hired for and its frustrating.

I wish you the best of luck and hope things work out for yah.

GeorgeS · March 15, 2016, 04:49:34 AM

thanks for the comments guys. i think i will wait to see how the things will go and have my doors open in case a new opportunity appears.

wintermute000 · March 15, 2016, 07:53:28 AM

at least its good work, even if not security related, I'd just be thankful.

BTW dean, UCS = compute not voice

deanwebb · March 15, 2016, 08:19:34 AM

Quote from: wintermute000 on March 15, 2016, 07:53:28 AM
at least its good work, even if not security related, I'd just be thankful.

BTW dean, UCS = compute not voice

Lol, you're right. I saw the acronym and immediately went with C=Call. And Voice and VM start with the same letter, so it's easy to see how I could get... uh... confused?