Update on my job hunt.. Advice needed please.

Mmartin_47

About me: I'm currently 20 years old, turning 21 in March. Graduated high school back in 2006. Pursuing my degree in Network/Communications Management @ DeVry.

My certifications include: CompTIA A+ and Network+, and MCDST.

Been having a hard time finding a job. Truth is my parents are now divorced and I don't want to ask my mother to keep supporting me. She's a CNA (certified nurse assistant) and she doesn't get many hours. Plus she has to support my 2 little sisters and help pay the bills. My father on the other hand is an systems analyst in the IT field for a major power company out here in California.

I've applied for a handful of jobs and got a few interviews including: FireDog (god forbid I accepted it!), some IT company near my home, another IT outsourcing company not too far, Comcast as a desktop technician.

Last interview was with Comcast, but the IT Operations Manager told me that they made an internal offer.

I was never able to pass 291 after 2 attempts, but now I'm determined to. Question is, keep looking for a desktop support job?, or repeat 291 and move on as a systems administrator?

I've never worked in my life before even back in high school, but now I regret. I should of to get some work experience but my parents always told me to focus on school.

I know the economy is bad right now, but what should I do? :
A) Continue on to 291, and hopefully get hired as a administrator
Keep looking for a desktop support job
C) Work at like Best Buy in the computer department to get some experience, although we all know I'm way overqualified.
D) Just wait until next year and see if someone hires/contacts me.
E) Play Call of Duty

Oh and I live in the San Francisco bay area. I would volunteer at my father's work but their mainly a Unix/mainframe environment. Have a bunch of cool equipment in their 45,000 sq. feet datacenter. Not like I can do anything there.

gojericho0

I'd keep going for the 291, but apply to any and all positions. Even if it it a help desk job you will learn a lot both on the IT and business side of things. You can then get experience and move on while continuing your cert quest.

Just keep the resumes flowing. You've already had an interview which is a good thing so you resume must be good. Eventually you will land something but just keep applying everyday and don't give up

Turgon

Mmartin_47 wrote:

About me: I'm currently 20 years old, turning 21 in March. Graduated high school back in 2006. Pursuing my degree in Network/Communications Management @ DeVry.

My certifications include: CompTIA A+ and Network+, and MCDST.

Been having a hard time finding a job. Truth is my parents are now divorced and I don't want to ask my mother to keep supporting me. She's a CNA (certified nurse assistant) and she doesn't get many hours. Plus she has to support my 2 little sisters and help pay the bills. My father on the other hand is an systems analyst in the IT field for a major power company out here in California.

I've applied for a handful of jobs and got a few interviews including: FireDog (god forbid I accepted it!), some IT company near my home, another IT outsourcing company not too far, Comcast as a desktop technician.

Last interview was with Comcast, but the IT Operations Manager told me that they made an internal offer.

I was never able to pass 291 after 2 attempts, but now I'm determined to. Question is, keep looking for a desktop support job?, or repeat 291 and move on as a systems administrator?

I've never worked in my life before even back in high school, but now I regret. I should of to get some work experience but my parents always told me to focus on school.

I know the economy is bad right now, but what should I do? :
A) Continue on to 291, and hopefully get hired as a administrator
Keep looking for a desktop support job
C) Work at like Best Buy in the computer department to get some experience, although we all know I'm way overqualified.
D) Just wait until next year and see if someone hires/contacts me.
E) Play Call of Duty

Oh and I live in the San Francisco bay area. I would volunteer at my father's work but their mainly a Unix/mainframe environment. Have a bunch of cool equipment in their 45,000 sq. feet datacenter. Not like I can do anything there.

Well forget 'E', because games are a waste of time. Far too many adults wasting time on those things.

Seriously though you need a job. You don't have any experience so I don't know how you can assert you are overqualified for the Best Buy job. You could get some valuable hands on there. Lots of people start out in such places.

Quite honestly I can't see you getting in somewhere as a sys admin even if you keep passing certificates without some time underfire on your CV (which you don't have).

Don't write off some kind of work at your Dad's place, even voluntary work there will be useful as contrary to popular opinion the world actually does not revolve around Microsoft applications and networks. Many organisations rely on Unix/Mainframe/AS 400/SAP/Oracle/VMS et al for their core transactions and data warehousing with Microsoft providing desktop environment, file and print and ebusiness access. There may actually be a number of worthwhile duties there for you to perform if you show willing and patience. Documentation is one as is helping out with simple scripting chores and backups.

So I would talk to your father about getting in there for a while. Meanwhile keep hitting the books and your certificates and continue to apply for jobs. Give it a window of say two months. If you really can't get something you think you should be doing then go for whatever you can to get a wage and your first IT job.

I hope you get a break.

mrhaun03

I wouldn't be so full of yourself. Chances are, you're not going to find a Sys Admin position even with the 291. You have no experience. You gotta take anything you can find right now to get your feet wet.

Turgon

Fair comment from the last poster.

Even George 'W' has finally used the word recession in his speech the other day. Times are rough and getting rougher. 500000 people laid off last month and economists saying these are the worst figures since 1974 and others saying they are unable to find words to describe just how unspeakably shocking the general economic situation is now and where it's heading.

If there are job possibilities out there take them while you can.

mrhaun03

Turgon wrote:

Fair comment from the last poster.

Even George 'W' has finally used the word recession in his speech the other day. Times are rough and getting rougher. 500000 people laid off last month and economists saying these are the worst figures since 1974 and others saying they are unable to find words to describe just how unspeakably shocking the general economic situation is now and where it's heading.

If there are job possibilities out there take them while you can.

And an even better comment from you my friend. Lots of people are losing their jobs now due to the worsening economy. You should be happy if you can find a job making any kinda money.

Melvin_the_Geek

A) Continue on to 291, and hopefully get hired as a administrator --> Do it!
Keep looking for a desktop support job --> Do it!
C) Work at like Best Buy in the computer department to get some experience, although we all know I'm way overqualified. --> Do it!
D) Just wait until next year and see if someone hires/contacts me. --> Partially do it!
E) Play Call of Duty --> Do it!
I would volunteer at my father's work but their mainly a Unix/mainframe environment. Have a bunch of cool equipment in their 45,000 sq. feet datacenter. Not like I can do anything there. --> Do it!


These are not mutually exclusive plans. You can continue on the path to 291 (and hope for that SysAdmin job, cause dreaming makes you desire for change) while looking for a HelpDesk job while working for Best Buy (cause the good helpdesk job might not come right away and a little experience is better then no experience, that and it says to the guy/gal hiring for that good helpdesk job "I work"). And you can wait actively to see if someone hires you, as in look for a job while working the non-dream job. And what would be so bad about getting to learn real-world systems info in the land of Unix? You could ask real world questions. Better then some video professor.


And at night, after a real search for a job, you could reward yourself with the fragging of some baddies! All the kids I grew up with who played lots of video games all got jobs in computers making good money while enjoying their career.

And never forget to Free Your Inner Melvin!

Mmartin_47

Turgon wrote:

Mmartin_47 wrote:

About me: I'm currently 20 years old, turning 21 in March. Graduated high school back in 2006. Pursuing my degree in Network/Communications Management @ DeVry.

My certifications include: CompTIA A+ and Network+, and MCDST.

Been having a hard time finding a job. Truth is my parents are now divorced and I don't want to ask my mother to keep supporting me. She's a CNA (certified nurse assistant) and she doesn't get many hours. Plus she has to support my 2 little sisters and help pay the bills. My father on the other hand is an systems analyst in the IT field for a major power company out here in California.

I've applied for a handful of jobs and got a few interviews including: FireDog (god forbid I accepted it!), some IT company near my home, another IT outsourcing company not too far, Comcast as a desktop technician.

Last interview was with Comcast, but the IT Operations Manager told me that they made an internal offer.

I was never able to pass 291 after 2 attempts, but now I'm determined to. Question is, keep looking for a desktop support job?, or repeat 291 and move on as a systems administrator?

I've never worked in my life before even back in high school, but now I regret. I should of to get some work experience but my parents always told me to focus on school.

I know the economy is bad right now, but what should I do? :
A) Continue on to 291, and hopefully get hired as a administrator
Keep looking for a desktop support job
C) Work at like Best Buy in the computer department to get some experience, although we all know I'm way overqualified.
D) Just wait until next year and see if someone hires/contacts me.
E) Play Call of Duty

Oh and I live in the San Francisco bay area. I would volunteer at my father's work but their mainly a Unix/mainframe environment. Have a bunch of cool equipment in their 45,000 sq. feet datacenter. Not like I can do anything there.

Well forget 'E', because games are a waste of time. Far too many adults wasting time on those things.

Seriously though you need a job. You don't have any experience so I don't know how you can assert you are overqualified for the Best Buy job. You could get some valuable hands on there. Lots of people start out in such places.

Quite honestly I can't see you getting in somewhere as a sys admin even if you keep passing certificates without some time underfire on your CV (which you don't have).

Don't write off some kind of work at your Dad's place, even voluntary work there will be useful as contrary to popular opinion the world actually does not revolve around Microsoft applications and networks. Many organisations rely on Unix/Mainframe/AS 400/SAP/Oracle/VMS et al for their core transactions and data warehousing with Microsoft providing desktop environment, file and print and ebusiness access. There may actually be a number of worthwhile duties there for you to perform if you show willing and patience. Documentation is one as is helping out with simple scripting chores and backups.

Wow you were dead on about the AS 400/SAP/Oracle. Had pops talk to his supervisor, they can't allow me to work there. Probably due to the sensitivity of the environment.

May just wait until next year to see if anyone replies. Hasn't even been a month yet. Was hoping to get hired before December, but that did not obviously happen. Thanks for all the replies!

Mmartin_47

gojericho0 wrote:

I'd keep going for the 291, but apply to any and all positions. Even if it it a help desk job you will learn a lot both on the IT and business side of things. You can then get experience and move on while continuing your cert quest.

Just keep the resumes flowing. You've already had an interview which is a good thing so you resume must be good. Eventually you will land something but just keep applying everyday and don't give up

Problem is will most companies will hire a system administrator that has no work experience?

Mmartin_47

Another thing I'm afraid of when I do apply for a desktop support tech, and they do see 291 listed on my transcript, scared I may be turned down for the job because I'm MCSA, overqualifying me for the position.. Any thoughts?

kripsak

Go for the Data Center. I've learned a lot at my current job, which is in a Data Center. I've seen a lot of System Admins, struggle to rack up servers and PDU's.

Especially, when I see their job titles & certs on their email sig, I get a good laugh knowing that they couldn't rack up those things or follow a port map.

Another good laugh, when Network Engineers complain their experiencing latency issues, and we look at what information leads them to think its latency. Usually they'll fly some tracerts to us, and they always read trace routes wrong.

LarryDaMan

Mmartin_47 wrote:

Another thing I'm afraid of when I do apply for a desktop support tech, and they do see 291 listed on my transcript, scared I may be turned down for the job because I'm MCSA, overqualifying me for the position.. Any thoughts?

You will NOT be over qualified just because you passed 291. There are MCSEs out there doing desktop support. Relax, get your foot in the door somewhere. Walk before running. If you really fear being over qualified, then don't list 291 on your resume. If your employer even looks at your MS transcript, it will just be to verify what is on your resume.

Mmartin_47

LarryDaMan wrote:

Mmartin_47 wrote:

Another thing I'm afraid of when I do apply for a desktop support tech, and they do see 291 listed on my transcript, scared I may be turned down for the job because I'm MCSA, overqualifying me for the position.. Any thoughts?

You will NOT be over qualified just because you passed 291. There are MCSEs out there doing desktop support. Relax, get your foot in the door somewhere. Walk before running. If you really fear being over qualified, then don't list 291 on your resume. If your employer even looks at your MS transcript, it will just be to verify what is on your resume.

Right on. Thanks. Guess will proceed towards 291 again.

Turgon

Mmartin_47 wrote:

Turgon wrote:

Mmartin_47 wrote:

About me: I'm currently 20 years old, turning 21 in March. Graduated high school back in 2006. Pursuing my degree in Network/Communications Management @ DeVry.

My certifications include: CompTIA A+ and Network+, and MCDST.

Been having a hard time finding a job. Truth is my parents are now divorced and I don't want to ask my mother to keep supporting me. She's a CNA (certified nurse assistant) and she doesn't get many hours. Plus she has to support my 2 little sisters and help pay the bills. My father on the other hand is an systems analyst in the IT field for a major power company out here in California.

I've applied for a handful of jobs and got a few interviews including: FireDog (god forbid I accepted it!), some IT company near my home, another IT outsourcing company not too far, Comcast as a desktop technician.

Last interview was with Comcast, but the IT Operations Manager told me that they made an internal offer.

I was never able to pass 291 after 2 attempts, but now I'm determined to. Question is, keep looking for a desktop support job?, or repeat 291 and move on as a systems administrator?

I've never worked in my life before even back in high school, but now I regret. I should of to get some work experience but my parents always told me to focus on school.

I know the economy is bad right now, but what should I do? :
A) Continue on to 291, and hopefully get hired as a administrator
Keep looking for a desktop support job
C) Work at like Best Buy in the computer department to get some experience, although we all know I'm way overqualified.
D) Just wait until next year and see if someone hires/contacts me.
E) Play Call of Duty

Oh and I live in the San Francisco bay area. I would volunteer at my father's work but their mainly a Unix/mainframe environment. Have a bunch of cool equipment in their 45,000 sq. feet datacenter. Not like I can do anything there.

Well forget 'E', because games are a waste of time. Far too many adults wasting time on those things.

Seriously though you need a job. You don't have any experience so I don't know how you can assert you are overqualified for the Best Buy job. You could get some valuable hands on there. Lots of people start out in such places.

Quite honestly I can't see you getting in somewhere as a sys admin even if you keep passing certificates without some time underfire on your CV (which you don't have).

Don't write off some kind of work at your Dad's place, even voluntary work there will be useful as contrary to popular opinion the world actually does not revolve around Microsoft applications and networks. Many organisations rely on Unix/Mainframe/AS 400/SAP/Oracle/VMS et al for their core transactions and data warehousing with Microsoft providing desktop environment, file and print and ebusiness access. There may actually be a number of worthwhile duties there for you to perform if you show willing and patience. Documentation is one as is helping out with simple scripting chores and backups.

Wow you were dead on about the AS 400/SAP/Oracle. Had pops talk to his supervisor, they can't allow me to work there. Probably due to the sensitivity of the environment.

A pity. Well ask again next year. Yes those environments are what actually makes business tick, has been for years. Any experience in such places is very worthwhile!

ITdude

mrhaun03 wrote:

Turgon wrote:

Fair comment from the last poster.

Even George 'W' has finally used the word recession in his speech the other day. Times are rough and getting rougher. 500000 people laid off last month and economists saying these are the worst figures since 1974 and others saying they are unable to find words to describe just how unspeakably shocking the general economic situation is now and where it's heading.

If there are job possibilities out there take them while you can.

And an even better comment from you my friend. Lots of people are losing their jobs now due to the worsening economy. You should be happy if you can find a job making any kinda money.

Amen, to all of the above!!!!!!