personally with an engineering degree, if i was so inclined to start an IT career i would begin a tier 3. There problems you will face are much less soul sucking. also you should look into getting certifications with at least CCNP, MCSE and say MCTS (microsoft cert = job security) before you apply for a job. For me i went so far beyond the call of duty as to get my ITIL manager and PRINCE2 practioner certifications. Now all i have to do is wait for my boss to die cause lord knows he'll never retire and give me a chance with the torch