Job/intern searching ?

diablo911

Just had a quick question, so i have looked for jobs out of curiosity for entry level computer networking positions and i mainly use indeed.com

i am currently a student in Mississippi and cant find any jobs, at least entry level and the same results show up for my hometown in Bakersfield CA which is a large city, like a small version of LA, but again all i see are the senior network admins with 5 plus years of experience with a tremendous amount of  wanted skills, skills that i have never even come across while going through my degree. In short it looks very dim finding gainful employment with just a  BS in networking and a CCNA with no experience. Any suggestions towards other site tools i should be using vs indeed or any input would be greatly appreciated.

paul78

Whenever we have needed interns - I do one of 3 things.

1. I attend tech meetups where interns and job-seekers gather - usually I can gather a dozen resumes that way.This is my preferred method.
   
2. I contact one of the boot-camp schools and go to their student presentations.
   
3. I use LinkedIn and reach out to my contacts.
   

diablo911

sounds like finding one myself online is a NoGo then huh. Ya its a funny thing, man i even tried contacting my own scools network department to talk to a CCNA type of person and ask a few questions, like what do they do on a daily basis for there job and cant even get a response from them. Iv tried at least 100 times to random places throughout the country to ask someone over the phone what they do work wise in short and never get a call back, the networking world seems very closed off, i would have a better chance getting in contact with a 2 star general back on my old post vs a networker in the civilian world lol.

paul78

It sounds like your local area may not have the same supply/demand for tech talent. Does your school have any sort of placement or intern program? That's usually a good way to get connected.

I can't comment about military networking but as an outside observer, I would imagine that your military connections in private sector would be a good way to network. I should point out that many hiring managers in private sector are always willing to give former military members an extra look.

Random reach-outs are not going to work - and I would dispute that the private/commercial sector is closed off. That has never been my experience. Networking is all about relationship building. Think of it almost like dating...

I think when I started out - I probably sent out over 500 resumes maybe 1000 resumes before I got my first job. I don't think that I've had to ever sent out a resume since then because most - if not all of my other jobs have always been referral based.

The job market in the US currently has very low unemployment at 4% so I'm sure you will get a break. When I started - unemployment rates was over 7%.

Neil86

I got my first gig with a non profit. Entry level but it's experience. Also, some electronic recycling places in my area offer part time or volunteer time to repair/rebuild computers and stuff that get donated.  It's one way to get some experience even if it's small. Good luck, it was tough for me at first as well!