New grad considering Epic
Hey everyone. A recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn and after doing a deep dive on this sub I am seriously considering applying. Before I do I wanted to get some honest answers from people who have actually been through it.
I am a recent IT graduate with six years of hands on technical experience in device repair, client support, and team leadership at Geek Squad. Strong with hardware, Windows environments, and working directly with customers.
My questions:
1. Salary vs hourly and hours worked Are these roles salaried exempt positions? If the workload is as demanding as most people describe, I want to understand what I am actually signing up for in terms of hours per week. Is it consistently 50 to 60 hours or does it come in waves and calm down in between? Basically what does a typical week actually look like?
2. Time off and PTO For those of you who relocated to Wisconsin with family or loved ones back home, how realistic is it to take weekends or vacation time to travel back? I have a young son in Indiana and being able to see him regularly is non-negotiable for me. Do people actually use their PTO or does the workload make that difficult in practice?
3. Drug testing Everything I have read says Epic does not drug test even when clients request it. Is this still accurate as of 2026?
4. Best role for my background With experience in hands on hardware and software troubleshooting, end user support, technical training, and a Windows Server infrastructure project, which application or team would be the best fit for someone like me? I want to be challenged but I also want to set myself up for success and not drown in something that does not match my strengths. Any guidance on which tracks to avoid or pursue would be genuinely appreciated.
For those who left after 1 to 3 years, how aggressively were you recruited afterward and what kind of roles and salary bumps were you able to land?
What do you wish you had known before applying? Open ended but anything you wish someone had told you before you started the process would be incredibly helpful.
Thanks in advance to anyone who responds. This sub has been more helpful than anything else I have found.