Not sure what's next !!

NetworkWarrior33

Hi,

I am not sure guys what to do next in this ever-changing and evolving IT industry. I've been in the industry for 10 years and holding several certs from MS and Cisco since 2002. Although i have MS certs under my belt, i've only done 5% server admin work. Most (3/4) of my experience were focused on the internetworking (Cisco, 3COM, HP ProCurve, Fortinet, Symantec). Now, i am unemployed for 24 months since 2012 because i was laid off. With that being said, i am going crazy regarding the decision of what to do next.

Here is my dilemma.

The hottest technologies these days are: Cloud Computing and Virtualization. Unfortunately to me, these technologies are part of the server/storage admin job. It is insane to think about shifting my current internetworking career into server admin career just to get employed. And if i decided to accept this realiy, it is very hard for me after all these years to take over a junior job. I want to do CCIE as my next step but several online forums greatly discouraged me as the trend now is for virtualization. Not only that, several jobs out there also require you to know MS server applications (AD, Exchange, SC, Lync) besides storage networking and virtualization management.

This upsets me because i've been applying for jobs using my almost perfect resume and rarely find pure internetworking jobs. Sadly, the JOAT concept is returned and companies require you to know it all, from servers/storage/Apps to routers/switches/firewalls/wireless/voice to fix printers/scanners if possible. My problem is, i am unable to study for server admin jobs as my brain is no longer capable of absorbing servers knowledge. My brain got used to just accept internetworking knowledge because I Love It. And if you love something, your brain is more ready for it than something you don't love. Because of that, i have CCNP level certs from 4 tracks and Juniper is on its way.

Only thinking about studying server 2012, AD, exchange, sc, lync, hyper-v, vmware, citrix xen server, and FC storage from scratch drives me crazy. I just CAN'T. And yes you heared it right, several companies out there require you to know all of the virtualization platforms as well, which make things worse.

I really need your thoughts in this guys. I just simply want to get employed.

Appreciate your time.

Jon_Cisco

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

This upsets me because i've been applying for jobs using my almost perfect resume and rarely find pure internetworking jobs. Sadly, the JOAT concept is returned and companies require you to know it all, from servers/storage/Apps to routers/switches/firewalls/wireless/voice to fix printers/scanners if possible. My problem is, i am unable to study for server admin jobs as my brain is no longer capable of absorbing servers knowledge. My brain got used to just accept internetworking knowledge because I Love It.

Appreciate your time.

I am no where close to your position. Just the opposite I am starting out in IT and one of the reasons is the possibility of always learning.

I think you need to take an honest look at your situation. Your near perfect resume is not getting any attention. That does not sound near perfect to me. The skill set that is being sought is what is important. My limited experience says that IT you either keep learning and get ahead or you stagnate.

I'm sure your in a tough spot right now. Just be honest and start doing whatever it is that gets you working again.

Good Luck!

LinuxNerd

You need to sit back and figure out where your passion lies with IT. Jack of all Trades, master of none. Figure a niche area and focus your studies there. If you have a passion for Linux, become a Linux master. There are positions out there working almost entirely with this platform, same with Cisco, or Microsoft. Become a Microsoft master and get a job in a Windows environment. What I'm typing is that focus is essential or you will get burnt out.

If you love Cisco, get that CCIE and don't stop, work on your certs continuously and the knowledge gained in the process can help you get a job.

What I love about programming/scripting, in any language, is that you produce product. If you think there is a need for a certain program, no matter how little it is, program/script it and work on the next one. Use these to help you land a job.

I'm absolutely certain that anybody on this forum can have a gap on their resume and get a fantastic job if they used this time to learn a programming language, spent endless hours refining their skills, and producing a program and showing it to the right hiring manager.

I rambled a bit but what I'll come back to is this: Passion + Niche Focus is better than Jack of all Trades, Master of None. Don't work for a company that wants Jack of all Trades. Find an IT company that works with your Passion/Niche.

Figure this out and you're golden.

UnixGuy

I'm not really an expert on the Networking job market, but when I was looking for a new job I too was surprised by the amount of things they advertised..Here's what I did that worked for me:

1) I I was willing to relocate.

2) While I never claimed to be an expert on every technology, I've setup VirtualBox and tinkered around with SOME things that I could tolerate. On my CV I said that I have 'knowledge of' said product or even Lab based knowledge. In the interview I said that I was willing to learn the technology and will pick it up quickly. It's okay, no one knows everything!

3) Tweak your CV AND cover letter for every job you apply to! Highlight the relevant experience.


Again, be willing to relocate. Don't stay unemployed for more than a year!

Hammer80

I know that this may not be something you want to hear but have you considered that your location might be the problem, if after two years you are unable to get a job with all your certifications than you live in an area that has no IT opportunities and it's time to move. Not sure where you are located but here in Texas you would have a job instantly with companies falling head over heels for you.

kohr-ah

I have to agree. In Chicago you'd easily get picked up as well. Where you located at OP? Virtualization is big yes but you can apply it to networking as well. Look into VMware/ESX but read and lab CISCO UCS and Nexus. Those are big parts for data center which will come in handy to know as well. You don't need to switch entire paths to HyperV / VMware / Systems Admin. And anyone can learn storage with just some basic hands on experience.

NetworkWarrior33

Thank you all.

@Jon_Cisco: I always keep learning new stuff and keep re-visiting old stuff just to refresh my memory. This is not my current problem. Lack of practice and hands-on is my problem. If you don't practice, you will simply forget. If i take you back in 2011 and ask me anything in OSPF, i would answer you with confidence. Now, i don't even remember LSA Types . In other words, study is good but it is a waste of time if you don't apply it in production. About my resume, you're wrong but i can't blame you as i didn't clarify my situation good. Actually, i got several interview requests but bad offers or no offer. Unfortunately, two factors are the cause of this: 1) HR in my area are idiots and underestimate your skills. 2) The economy is really bad so they need an All-in-One clown with low wage. No issue, i can accept a bad offer but i have a family to feed and bills to pay. Lucky you, in my location, new IT folks like yourself are get hired more quickly than us these days because you can get paid a low wage with a smile in your face as you're building your career.

@LinuxNerd: As clarified, my passion is "InterNetworking". However, this passion is not getting me a nice offer since 2012. So, i thought it might be a good idea to ask your opinions if changing career is good for my situation. Life before 2012 was easier. The economy is bad and competition is very tough now. As i said to Jon, companies hire fresh graduates more than experienced workers because they don't have money to pay them. In this bad economy, IT became luxury. Companies prefer to train fresh graduates from scratch until they become experienced rather than hiring expensive workforce. Of course, companies will pay the price of systems downs, configuration corruptions, data wiped or some other disaster due to lack of their experience.


@Hammer80, @kohr-ah, @UnixGuy:: Although it is very hard to relocate now, i am considering this option. Thanks for the heads up. ) I am in Canada, ottawa.

Jon_Cisco

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

Unfortunately, two factors are the cause of this: 1) HR in my area are idiots and underestimate your skills. 2) The economy is really bad so they need an All-in-One clown with low wage.

This comes across as personal resentment. While I am sure the situation sucks I don't feel this is going to get you moving forward. I hold to my original suggestion.

I'm sure your in a tough spot right now. Just be honest and start doing whatever it is that gets you working again.

Good Luck!

LinuxNerd

Well, it should be understood that Passion must inherently Equal an employable quality and pref something "hot" and "in demand". A couple of my friends have passions for smoking marijuana every day, and unfortunately for them their IT careers have gone nowhere.

While your statement may be true: "Companies prefer to train fresh graduates from scratch until they become experienced rather than hiring expensive workforce" it brings me back to my original post, if you can code and make a product that is in demand, you will get hired. People with real skills in a niche area are always in demand.
(Programming Security Tools for instance). I'm sure there is something else you can think of personally that fits your unique skill set, that's just an example from my skill set.

I would recommend anybody reading this to learn to code, get great at it and start now. In 1 years time you should have a program or programs good enough to have great conversations with hiring managers and land a good gig. Best luck!

Next year I'm looking at the Los Angeles area and San Jose/San Fran for my next job, so make sure to pick a place with lots of gigs. Just read you are in Canada. Maybe Vancouver has the hottest market? This brings me back to proragramming though, you make a sweet program and borders don't matter, you can sell it to a company in Saudia Arabia.

NetworkWarrior33

Sorry for the late reply. Just to update the thread.

I just got a good offer as a "Network Security Analyst" in a good company and it's worth a shot. I don't know how this happened but you guys rock. I just paused for a second when i received the offer and guessed if the company saw this thread and had some sympathy on me. hehe

Anyways, thank you guys for your awesome comments.

Jon_Cisco

Great News! Thanks for the follow up.