Turned down a job due to low pay, where to focus now?

I just couldn't give in to the employer just because I don't have a job. They were paying extremely low about $12/hr to do LAN support while people make anywhere from $18-25.

That being said, I am a bit confused as to where should I focus. I don't like programming, but I certainly enjoy and am good at troubleshooting desktops and servers of any kind, but jobs in this area is very limited.

I've heard so much about MCSE/MCSAs being out of demand as there is just too many people. What about CCNA? Do I need programming skills to do Oracle or SAP as I hear they are very popular? Except for programming, I'm open to follow anything. I do have training networking and pc/server hardware.

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Comments

remyforbes777

My reply to this is, it really depends on how bad you need a job. If you maintain and pay bills for a while, then don't settle for anything. If you are hurting for money, then it would not be smart to take money that is offered to you. Accepting a job does not mean you can't still look for a job. At least it guarantees you some income.

keenon

focus on a better job.. if this is your first gig take it you will need the experience to earn more in about 6-12 month

binarysoul

Thanks guys. I actually have almost four years experience in LAN, desktop and server support, so I didn't feel the pay matched my skills, let alone the fact that in my last job I was making way higher.

I actually took a year off to complete a management degree I started few years back, but you I can't get a managerial job in my without experience. So I know I have better perspectives, but when you don't have a job, sometimes you get a feeling that nothing may come your way, but I'm taking a risk. No risks, no rewards

How is job perspectives for CCNAs nowadays? I am in Canada.

keenon

now with that said ... i wouldn't take it either if you want the gig counter offer and be prepared to walk if the deal won't work

BubbaJ

binarysoul wrote:

I actually took a year off to complete a management degree I started few years back, but you I can't get a managerial job in my without experience.

That's a little hard to decipher, but I don't think you could pay me enough to go into management. In any case, properly paid technical employees should make more than their managers. I would have to take a not insignificant cut in pay to move to the management track, and I would hate it.

binarysoul

In any case, properly paid technical employees should make more than their managers.

BubbaJ, I agree with you to a certain extent as most companies must pay their tech people well as they may possess expertise that can't be offered by new employees, at least not readily.

But the point remains that the North American IT job market is overwhelmed by suppliers of labor than by those who demand IT labor. Some companies have taken jobs to places like India and China to get advantage of cheap labor rates. Jobs that remain here are becoming competitive due to IT certification that can be learned and obtained even in a remote village in Africa or Asia by those who then make it here to North America to compete in the job market.

BubbaJ

binarysoul wrote:

But the point remains that the North American IT job market is overwhelmed by suppliers of labor than by those who demand IT labor. Some companies have taken jobs to places like India and China to get advantage of cheap labor rates. Jobs that remain here are becoming competitive due to IT certification that can be learned and obtained even in a remote village in Africa or Asia by those who then make it here to North America to compete in the job market.

Now you start to see the secret. You have to find a technical job that can't really be off-shored. Help-desk work doesn't pay much because it can be done from anywhere. There are technical jobs that require someone to be on-site. While these jobs can be outsourced, they can't be off-shored. That means the outsourcer needs employees where you are.

Some jobs, although not requiring someone on-site, require actual in-house employees because of all the new federal regulations (Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA, etc.), and these jobs usually pay very well.

binarysoul

Some jobs, although not requiring someone on-site, require actual in-house employees because of all the new federal regulations (Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPPA, etc.), and these jobs usually pay very well.

I agree with you 100%, but how can you get training on such technologies? For example, I've tried to learn SAP, it seems very complicated that you need to be in a production environment to know it. Any suggestions?

BubbaJ

binarysoul wrote:

I agree with you 100%, but how can you get training on such technologies? For example, I've tried to learn SAP, it seems very complicated that you need to be in a production environment to know it. Any suggestions?

Well, I wouldn't know about SAP. I know networking. I know that institutions of higher learning, especially private, pay fairly well because they need in-house people. Large medical centers practically require in-house employees because of HIPPA. Financial institutions, while normally not known for high pay, are highly regulated and require highly paid in-house technical people. I could go on and on.

You have to balance the job type with the employer. For instance, programming is a commodity job. Microsoft support is becoming that. Certain jobs such as network security, VoIP, etc. are very hot right now, and you can easily get training for them.

Even if you have commodity training, if you get on with the right type of employer, you should be able to climb the ladder.