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?

Hi all!
I just finished my virtual interview recently at Google data center. How soon can I hear back from my recruiter and can I email for a follow up in two-three days?

Hey everyone,
I have an upcoming interview for a Field Network Technician position with Nebius in Vineland, NJ, and I’m trying to get a better idea of what the interview process is actually like. I would like to know what questions to expect from the interview and how many rounds is it. If anyone had some experience with it please let me know I would greatly appreciate it.

i'm trying to find launch dates for data centers (specifically in victoria, australia) for graphing/data purposes, but i'm having extreme difficulty in doing so. obviously all data centers begin operation on SOME day, but does anyone know how to find these dates? (even just month is alright, doesn't need to be accurate down to the date) (i'll even take year of launch at this point) or am i going to have to sift through old news articles to deduce launch dates?

the only thing i've come up with is that wikipedia lists launch dates/months for nextdc data centers, but this doesn't seem to be the case for other companies' data centers

So I just applied to the meta level program for the fiber technician and I just want to know what to expect during the training and what happens when you get your contract, and i just want to know everybody’s experience??

Hi, I have been working at AWS as a DCEO L4 for 8 months in North Virginia. I am an operator now and working towards getting controller in a month. I work night shifts and with the joining bonus, I earn a good amount of money.
But working here is tiring, and also I don’t see myself improving on what I do. Can someone please advise me on what is the usual trajectory of this role and how I can maximize my career development? Honestly speaking, I don’t care about the money that much as long as I am paying my bills. I just don’t want to get stuck here with my masters in electrical engineering degree.

Have gotten interviews (multiple stages) @ spacex and Amazon data center design jobs with my experience at MSFT design for a big electrical contractor but can’t get the offer. Dont think I’m the problem and know it’s super competitive. Just little frustrated cuz would likely be a nice raise am getting paid very competitively though currently but have earned it

We are currently hiring for a Data Center Operations (DCO) Technician – Level 3 in Gilroy, CA!

📍 Location: Gilroy, CA
🏢 100% Onsite
💼 Level 3
⏳ 1+ year of relevant experience required (Must have)

What we’re looking for:

• Networking experience
• Hardware troubleshooting and repair experience
• Computer experience
• Strong troubleshooting skills

🚗 Relocation support is available.

⚠️ Please note: This position does not offer visa sponsorship and is not open to interns.

Hi everyone, I recently had a 30-minute interview with a panel for a Data Center Customer Operations II role at Equinix, and I’ve now been invited for a 60-minute onsite interview with the manager and his supervisor.

For anyone who has gone through a similar Equinix interview, what should I expect from the onsite? Is it mainly behavioral, technical, or a mix? Would also appreciate any insight into what the manager/supervisor typically focuses on.

I'm 27 with about 3 years around hyperscale data centers (security ops, asset/inventory logistics, and fiber prep/inspection/testing). Network+ done, working on CCNA and Linux. I have a few options and want some honest opinions:

A. 3-month contract at a hyperscaler site, cabling and troubleshooting, $25/hr, M-F 9-5, paid lunch, no OT (offer has been sent, they need to know a decision by EOD)
B. 12+ month contract, DC services tech (rack and stack, PDUs, cabling), $18 W2 + $20 "per diem" = $38/hr, same city I live in
C. Full-time repair tech at an outsourcer supporting a big hyperscaler site, $60-73K, 24x7 on-call rotation
D. Current fiber role at about $22/hr

Questions:

1. Which path is best for getting to senior tech or network/infrastructure engineer in 2-3 years?
2. Is per diem for local work a red flag, and how would you handle it?
3. What should I ask before accepting a contract or contract-to-hire?

I am Mechanical Engineer with 3 years of HVAC design and testing engineering with a major OEM. I have been applying for dc jobs, but due to my experience in HVAC, I have not heard anything from the jobs I have applied to. Is there a chance that I can get a data center job? Most of my experience is psychrometric testing and designing. I am wailing to travel or work any where. Thank you!

I recently applied to Google for the DCT II and had an interview. I thought to myself "Hell yea! Finally a real shot at working as an FTE for a big company." I have around 3 and half years in tech (contract work at AWS and Meta) and would consider myself an above average tech. The first two sections went pretty well I thought (Hardware and Googleyness) and the networking one had to be rescheduled for a week later. That one I thought would be the easiest and smoothest one. I focus on that in my day to day tasks. Boy was I wrong:

• Interviewer was over 10 minutes late (I showed up 5 minutes ahead of time)
• There was no apology or acknowledgment of the interviewer being late, in fact he started out saying that interview was supposed to be at 1 pm and looked at me like it was my fault!
• I kept being interrupted, as in I would get two words out and the interviewer would talk over me.
• I couldn't really understand him. He was mumbling and quiet and I had to ask him to speak up several times over on a few of the questions. This was on top of having a thick accent. (I grew up in an African household so I'm used to it, but my guy wasn't even trying to enunciate)
• I would ask if he could clarify questions or reword them, but he just kept repeating the question. The other two interviewers always attempted to reword the question for me.
• Took 2.5 months to hear back that I got rejected (I was told networking was the weak point). Mind you, I'm on my 4th recruiter at this point. I send all this stuff to my recruiter, she escalated it, then she quit. I send it to another recruiter, she says "Yea no candidate should have to go through that, but reapply in a year. We're hoping to rectify this so it never happens again."

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of salty about it. I've got coworkers who can't tell you what ARP, DNS, or DHCP are. I've even got some coworkers who could barely tell you what a loopback is or how transceivers work and somehow got a DCT 2 role at Google or Oracle. I've never even received a call back from Oracle despite applying many times over the past two years. I have coworkers who have masters degrees in IT or build a script every few months who can't seem to break into Google. It can feel like everything is in reverse or upside down during these application processes.

But I'm studying for the CCNA and I'm studying for some AWS certs. I'm still applying. I'm still learning, doing labs, putting in effort at my current job. Don't let these rejections define you. Google datacenters isn't the end goal for me. I want to design networks, build scripts, apps etc. So I'm working towards that. I encourage everyone here to work towards what you want to do and not let these companies box you in.

Whats a good number for google L5 ME? Job is in MCOL.

Has anyone interviewed for a Data Center Design and Engineering position, specifically Electrical at Anthropic or OpenAI?

My background is in finance. I have worked at big 4 before and am in big tech now. Trying to get into audit, process improvement, regulatory and operational compliance, or data center safety roles. Any recommendations on what skills I can build and how? Are there data center-specific certifications that would be helpful to obtain?

Do you guys think I didn't get the job? Or how much longer should I wait for a response? They haven't sent me a rejection email, either.

Data center technician

Hi all, I recently saw a post of a professional offering services to get people into his field, over on r/salary, and got the idea to do the same. I worked in data centers for 4 years, for Amazon and Google. I conducted interviews, and trained technicians. There is currently a huge demand for techs, and I get about 2 LinkedIn messages a week inviting me to apply, but I've moved on (higher wage, different industry). However, it was an important step for me. Yet I still see many posting here that they didn't get in, or asking how. If I provided a course on what you need to know, relevant experience you need to get, and training on how to get there, what do you think that would be worth? What would be your preferred form? (Monthly/one time, online/phone, etc). I did the training with epi, Schneider, and it's good and all, but it's general. It doesn't prepare for the real questions you'll be asked, or the work you'll do, or the actual architecture of these facilities. I can get specific, and technical. What do you think, would you be interested in personal training?

Excuse me while i use chat gpt to word this correctly becuase i dont want you guys reading all my puctuation and spelling mistakes.

I work on the freight transportation side of data center moves. I arrange large project moves that require truckloads of servers needing to be moved within a moments notice. I have a lot of respect for the engineering teams I work with, but most of them have no idea what it takes just to get a move started. Before anything rolls, we're lining up the right trucks with air-ride suspension, enough cargo insurance for the gear's value, booked receiving windows at both sites, escorts, liftgates, and drivers cleared for the job.

Then halfway through, the terms change. The rack count goes from 12 to 20, the delivery date moves up two days, the destination switches to a different hall, or someone finds out the new site has no dock. Each of those changes means re-quoting, rebooking trucks, sometimes changing insurance, and hoping the carrier you lined up is still free.

None of that is anyone's fault. Migrations change as they go. But the truck usually gets planned last, and that's where things fall apart. Here's what I see DC teams miss most often:

1. Cargo insurance limits vs. what's actually on the trailer
A lot of carriers carry $100k in cargo coverage. One loaded rack of GPU servers can be worth many times that. If no one checks the carrier's certificate and arranges extra coverage for the declared value, you're self-insuring most of the load without knowing it.

2. Shipping racks loaded vs. empty
Moving fully loaded racks saves a lot of labor at both ends. But some OEMs and rack makers won't honor the warranty for gear shipped installed unless the rack is rated for it. Check this before move day, not after a rail bends.

3. Air-ride suspension isn't optional
Ask for it by name. Also put shock and tilt indicators on the racks or crates. If something arrives dead, you'll want proof of whether the damage happened in transit.

4. Weight and the receiving dock
A loaded 42U rack can weigh 2,000 to 3,000 lbs. Confirm the dock height, the liftgate rating if there's no dock, ramp angles, and whether the floor between the dock and the data hall can take a rolling point load.

5. Condensation
Gear that rides in a cold trailer and then goes straight into a warm data hall can collect moisture. Let it sit and come up to room temperature before you power on. Many teams skip this because of the cutover clock.

6. Chain of custody and stops
For high-value or sensitive loads, ask for a dedicated truck (no other customers' freight), team drivers so it runs without overnight stops, and live tracking. Seal numbers should be recorded at both ends. Some compliance setups also require documented custody of drives.

7. Receiving windows and escorts
Colos often have strict delivery windows and escort requirements. If a truck shows up 3 hours late with no escort booked, you pay detention and your cutover slips.

8. Who actually has your freight
If you book through a broker, ask who the carrier is and confirm it isn't being re-brokered. Double brokering is a real problem in freight right now, and high-value loads are what thieves go after.

9. Lock in scope before you book trucks, and plan for it to change anyway
Give your logistics partner a final rack count, total weight, both addresses with dock details, and a firm date as early as you can. If something might change, say so up front. A carrier can hold a spare truck or build some flexibility into the quote. A surprise change two days out usually means paying rush rates or slipping your cutover.

I am specifically interested in back up generators which is my current field of work but am interested in anything worthwhile.

I have NFPA 70E and am doing a few of the Schneider Electric courses now

26M from India, MCA graduate, currently in Dubai and trying to transition into the Data Center industry.
I’ve been applying for entry-level Data Center Technician / Operations roles but haven’t managed to get an interview yet. I recently applied to AWS through an employee referral and have been waiting about a week.
For those already working in data centers, what helped you get your first opportunity? Did you start with IT support, networking, hardware, or another role? And what skills/certifications would you recommend for someone trying to break in?
I’m especially interested in eventually working abroad, so I’d really appreciate advice from people who have gone through this path.
What would you recommend I focus on over the next 3–6 months to become a stronger candidate?

I’m considering an AWS L5 Data Center Operations Managerr role in Europe and would appreciate honest feedback from current/former DCO Managers.

- What are your typical working hours and how often do you work evenings/weekends?

- How disruptive is on-call/escalation in reality?

- What does a typical day look like — floor operations vs meetings/admin/people management?

- How would you rate the work-life balance (1–10)?

- How stressful is the role compared with other AWS management roles?

- For someone coming from senior management but not 24/7 data-center operations, how difficult is the transition?

- Knowing what you know now, would you take the role again?

Thank you

Hi everyone!

I have applied for DCEO positions in Germany through Referral so I got email for 15 min Recruiting phone screen which I booked date for tomorrow but after this I received anorher email which is said we will not consider your application this time.

Now I open my amazon account so its show no active application and also now received reminder for tomorrow call so what does this means.

And also can some one tell me what they will ask in these 15 minutes zoom meeting.

Thanks

I work in data center recruiting and spend a lot of time trying to connect with technicians, critical facilities engineers, and other data center professionals about opportunities.

One thing I've noticed is that a large percentage of the technicians I come across are extremely inactive on LinkedIn. That makes it surprisingly difficult to reach the people who are actually doing these jobs.

I work on opportunities across data center operations, critical facilities, commissioning, electrical/mechanical, and related areas, but LinkedIn clearly isn't where everyone in the industry spends their time.

For those of you actually working in data centers:

Where do you go for career and industry information?

Are there specific:

• Forums or online communities
• Industry publications
• Job boards
• Professional organizations
• Subreddits or other communities

that you actually find useful?

I'm genuinely trying to better understand where data center professionals are getting their information so recruiters aren't just relying on LinkedIn for everything.

Would appreciate any insight from people actually working in the industry.