Getting a job with no related paid experience

So, in this wretched economy of ours, what are the odds really of a person who gets a mid-level cert (like a CCVP) - but who has no paid, hands-on experience with voice - of getting a paid voice job?

I've trolled the job boards for a while now (you know them - Dice, Monster, Yahoo, etc), and I've yet to see a single voice job (requiring something beyond a CCNA) which didn't require 5-10 years previous voice experience. Worse, they all - without exception - really wanted a CCIE in voice (as if they'd grudgingly suffer the ignominy of just a CCVP with 5 years experience in lieu of an IE). Now, I have IT experience - just not voice experience.

So - you need voice experience to get a voice job. But to get a voice job you need voice experience. Forget "volunteering" for someone, since nobody is going to let you into their environment and tinker with their stuff and risk you breaking something (not to mention the security risk of having someone not on the payroll come in and work their network).

I heard that the economy is still at least five years from recovering, and IT is being hit the hardest. I suppose if one wanted to just learn voice better and better on his own in the meantime and just wait out that five years, that's an option (while working a non-voice job in the meantime). You might get lucky and actually get a voice job in the meantime, where an employer will hire you with zero voice experience (even with a VP), but don't wait by the phone for that call.

I feel bad for those who work their butts off getting a VP, then have no one offer them a single interview, much less a job offer. It's hard to believe, when you consider how VoIP is supposedly the wave of the future when it comes to phone service. It seems the only employable folks right now who aren't already working in voice are those with a CCIE in voice. That would be the third option for getting a voice job - just get a CCIE!

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Comments

ColbyG

Find an entry level position supporting voice and work your way up.

A CCVP without any experience won't do a whole lot for you.

networker050184

ColbyG wrote: »

Find an entry level position supporting voice and work your way up.

A CCVP without any experience won't do a whole lot for you.

Spot on, no way really around getting started at the bottom and working up. Find a place where your primary function isn't supporting voice. That way you can gain experience for the resume, but you won't need those 5 years to get your foot in the door.

Hyper-Me

From what I understand VOIP is one of those things that, in lower roles, is like "oh by the way you support this too".

Unless of course you work for a TelCo or get a higher end position.

I would also pick up your CCNA so you can prove you can do more than just voice.