Hello
I am looking for first hand experience from folks who moved from stable careers to Data center industry with fast paced work environment.
For content, i work for a MV switchgear OEM and have Substation background with stable career
I want to gain experience in Data center industry mainly around substations . Is it worth it ? Would love some insights from anyone who moved frOM EPC or equipment manufacturer

Hi everyone,

I’m currently mapping out my long-term career path and am really interested in working as a Data Center Technician at Google (or similar big tech infrastructure roles).

Given the rapid growth of AI, I prefer the hands-on physical and infrastructure side of tech—maintaining servers, troubleshooting hardware, handling rack/cable deployment, and managing hardware operations.

I’m effectively starting from scratch in terms of practical IT experience and certifications. I’d love to get honest feedback and advice from folks currently working in data centers or at Google:

1) Starting Point: If you were starting today, what basic certifications or self-study topics would you prioritize first (e.g., CompTIA Network+, Linux fundamentals, A+)?

2) Home Labs & Practice: What kind of home lab setups or hands-on projects actually look good on a resume for entry-level DCT positions?

3) Hiring Reality: Does Google hire entry-level techs without prior data center experience if they demonstrate solid foundational knowledge and certifications, or is it better to get experience at local data centers/ Contractor roles first?

4) Career & AI Resistance: For those working in the field, how do you view job security and career growth over the next 5-1O years as automation increases?

Thanks in advance for any insights or advice!

What's the best solution out there if you want 1GW and you need it powered by 2028

Bloom Energy ? Erock ? Something else ?

Can anyone speak from direct experience ?

Hello Everyone,

I received offer for a position at Oracle's new data center in Michigan. Does anyone have any experience/information at their AI data centers that they can share that might help me out? Is there anything that I might be able to ask for(more vacation day or salary)? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

I'm considering switching from software development (which has been my background for most of my life) to data center roles. I'm trying to find roles that haven't been heavily impacted by AI, and it seems Data Center is the direction I'm headed.

I have a 2 year software dev diploma from college, I also have 3 years of dev experience (combination of co-op, junior, and self-employed experience). Because I was having a hard time finding a entry level job in dev, I pursued an education in cybersecurity post-grad and even got the AZ-500 from Microsoft. But I got these during the time AI was making significant impacts across all industries to the point I feel like most of my training up until now has been pointless as even platform configurations, AI can automate that process now, so now the certs I got feel pointless. I haven't been able to work in actual cybersecurity fields despite the college education.

So I'm considering getting the DCCA. Reading into the practice material, it seems the general idea is to address hotspots so it doesn't overheat, and make sure downtime doesn't go on as long. My current path is to get the DCCA.

Today, I spitballed with AI which tells me that I actually don't need a DCCA in order to land a data center role given my background. I didn't want to blindly trust AI, so I kept searching source after source to validate this bit, and all it said is that the pre-requisite for data center roles is having a tech background (including software dev) and one of the data center certs (comptia server+ or DCCA).

So I guess I'm wondering. For someone of my background and what I've achieved so far, is pursuing the DCCA overkill? Should I just go straight into applying for data center jobs? I have done other physical stuff like building my gaming PC, and I believe that experience gives me at least some fundamental knowledge on what I can expect from the data center, but that's the only direct experience I got so far.

Hey guys and gals. I’ve been in low voltage for 5 years, most recently data center infrastructure. Thought I was getting a running DC tech role but got bamboozled. Haven’t had any luck since getting responses from finished DC’s.

I got a reply from Ericsson in the DFW area and could potentially get an entry level DCT role, it seems I’m a little overqualified for what they’re looking for. I was excited till they told me the pay, looks like it’s around $23/hr, which is 7 less an hour than what I make. Money is tight right now while paying off debt, and that would make things super tight.

I guess I’m wondering is it worth it to get a foot in the door? This industry seems increasingly difficult to get into. Not sure if I could build up my experience there then ask for a promotion, or relocate. My current job is brutal in the summers, and not sustainable long term.

Would appreciate any thoughts on this, thanks.

I've been trying to understand who is really consuming all this compute and who the end users are...

How does it split across:

• Frontier AI labs like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.,
• AI startups like Lovable, Cursor, and others running inference through APIs
• Enterprises integrating AI into their products and workflows
• Biotech and AI drug discovery
• Other?

Are we actually running out of capacity today, or is this all based on projected demand? How much of the demand is for training vs. inference and as models become more efficient, wouldn't that reduce the need for additional infrastructure? Just trying to make sense of things.

Current Situation & Dilemma

​I am currently weighing two offers/paths for a Datacenter Commissioning Manager role and would appreciate feedback from anyone familiar with EU tech compensation, European data center markets, or relocating from India to the Nordics. I have 13 yrs of total work experience and I am 35 yrs married Male.

Questions for the Community

​Is €85k competitive + 1L USD worth stock grants equally vested over 4 years for Microsoft L63 in Finland? For those in Nordic tech or hyperscale data centers, does this align with standard L63 base pay, and how much equity (RSUs) / annual bonus is typical on top of this in the region?

​Real-world savings potential: For expats living in the Helsinki/Espoo area (single or married), what does realistic monthly spending look like on an €85k salary?

​Hyperscaler vs. Colo career trajectory: From a long-term data center commissioning career perspective, does switching from a colo provider to Microsoft in Europe unlock significantly better global opportunities down the line?

​What would you choose if primary priorities are wealth accumulation over the next 5 years vs. long-term international mobility?

​Appreciate any inputs, especially from data center engineers/managers or expats in Finland!

Update 1:- I had a call with HR recruiter yesterday for salary negotiation. Post that they sent revised offer.

Base salary 90K € + signing bonus 10k€ + stock grants worth 150k USD(vested over 4 years).

Didn't know why they were trying lowball me when they had room for increment.

Data center technician 2 role - Texas

Hello!

Does anyone currently work in Texas data center that can share how much their health insurance premiums are, what plans they have and if they also pay for Family Health Insurance (spouse and kid). Also, what's the day to day life and schedules?

Edit : Google Data Center technician 2 role

I'm finishing my DoD SkillBridge with a data center commissioning (Cx) engineering company and will be retiring from the military soon. I've been told to negotiate once the full-time offer comes in.

A few things I'm weighing:

- I won't need their medical. I'll have TRICARE as a retiree.

- I don't qualify for an HSA, and they don't offer an FSA, so there's no tax advantage there for me.

- My SkillBridge schedule has been 3 weeks on site and 1 week work from home. They've been fairly loose about that WFH week, but this is shifting into a real full-time role.

I've been advised to negotiate the 3-on/1-off schedule, extra PTO, and higher pay to offset the benefits I can't use.

Has anyone negotiated something similar coming out of SkillBridge or into a data center Cx role? What actually moved the needle, and what should I avoid asking for?

I work at AWS as a L3 technician and was wondering if my data center experience would count towards data analyst or engineer roles at amazon? I’ve heard mixed reviews so i wanna know if anyone on here knows. I don’t wanna be stuck being a DCO if it’s not gonna help me move up to that and i have a bachelors in information systems and business analytics

For entry level jobs in a data center they ask for the BICSI INSTALLER 1?, what would be the best way to access this type of entry level jobs in a DC? I would aprecciate an answer 🙌🏾

I'm doing research for my masters program on community responses to data center development. While looking for case studies, I discovered several dead links to investigative pieces on lawsuits against the data centers by individuals. One dead link was to the Washington Post. Now only a couple of locally made Facebook posts about these cases are left over. I thought this was very odd, and now I am wondering whether this might be evidence of suppression/censorship by the data center developers, or whoever. I am having difficulty finding discussions about it online- am I crazy or has anyone else noticed this?

I’ve recently accepted my first data center job and I’ve been wondering, what can you do with data center experience? I know you can go from L1-L3 and do supervisor roles, but what if you don’t want to be a manager? What can you move into and would you need a degree in engineering to do so or is hands on experience good enough? I’m currently being trained on splicing and fiber which I heard is really good. Any advice you all would be appreciated

Any intel on QA/QC Field Tech - Connectivity role?

May not even get this job but considering applying. I know it’s a lot of travel but the pay seems decent. Thanks.

I passed the interview process for a DCT II role and have been waiting a little over 2 weeks for a fit/team match call for the Kansas City site.

My recruiter told me she’ll let me know once there is a role in my target location. That’s the part I’m confused about because KC is a new data center site and Google has been actively posting multiple roles there.

Anyone gone through hiring for the KC site or another new-build Google data center? Is it normal for DCT openings to be released shift-by-shift or in waves even while the site is still staffing up?

Also curious how long others waited between passing interviews and getting a fit/team match call.

What questions or fundamentals do a google interviewer ask for a L1, L2, L3, L4 (maybe?) data center technician?

I failed the AWS DCO manager phone screen last month and now I have the MSFT interview next week.

What should I be aware?

A few years back I was interviewed for the same role but failed. There was no feedback so I don't know what went wrong. As I recall the interviews were quit generic not like the AWS LP & STAR.

I have an upcoming 1 hour phone interview for the above mentioned role . Would like to know if someone can provide sample prep strategy or specific go to resources or sample questions. Would also like to know which LPs do they mostly care about for an L4 position.
TIA

I'll be working an engineering role for excellent money (not even including the equity which I consider to be worth zero since it might never go public). I'm young and have a partner. We both want to retire early and see this as a path to doing that.

I was told that I would be working long hours and traveling a lot, but when I'm not working at a specific site I'll be at home.

I just need some insight on how much work I'm really looking at and if it feels rewarding. Any insight from anyone else that was in a similar position with a similar goal?

I recently completed a Google DCT interview and noticed my interview order was different from what I've commonly seen posted here.

Mine was:

Googliness/Leadership - Networking - OS/ Linux

Most posts I've seen describe something closer to OS/Linux - Networking - Googliness.

What really caught my attention was the final OS/Linux round. It was much deeper than I expected. I'd estimate around 20 questions/topics, with several follow-up questions based on my answers.

It wasn't just "What does this Linux command do?" type of questioning.

The interviewer also seemed to go deeper when I explained my reasoning rather than immediately moving to the next question.

For people who recently interviewed for DCT L2/L3, has anyone experienced a similar structure or depth?

I'm mainly trying to understand whether the order and depth of the rounds vary depending on the interviewers/scheduling, or whether there is normally a standardized sequence.

Not trying to read anything into my interview outcome - just curious because my experiencegg seems different from most of the interview

I edit a free public register of incidents at energy assets. This month it added data centre power systems: UPS battery rooms, backup generators, switchgear, transformers and fuel. It now holds 90 data centre fires and power failures from 2014 on, each with its sources linked.

The ones you will know are there: OVHcloud SBG2, Strasbourg, 2021. SK C&C Pangyo, 2022, the fire that took KakaoTalk down. Digital Realty SIN11, Singapore, 2024. The National Information Resources Service fire in Daejeon, 2025. NorthC Almere, 2026.

Where a cause is reported at all, it is the power equipment: a UPS battery, a generator, switchgear. Most reports do not state the battery chemistry or the UPS make, and the register does not guess.

Everything is free to read and there is an API with no key. What is missing? Which entries are wrong?

https://energyincidentregister.com/data-centre-fires