Ummm... maybe my resume just sucks

I never got a I.T job after that temporary job working for the Supervisor of Elections ended in March, it's been 7 months and I'm still doing Security... maybe I'm not employable at all?

So should I change the resume around, do something else with my life or what? I'm not young I'm 36.

So what's the best move? I'm a 36 year old Security Guard making $11.75 a hour, is it time to just throw in the towel and walk away?

I have money saved up for the N+ but my mom needs the money to get the dogs teeth cleaned and I gotta give it to her since I'm not paying rent at the moment.

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Comments

ehnde

Other than the temp job, how many jobs have you applied for? Maybe your resume needs brushing up, and you want more certifications, but your job search needs to be aggressive. I once applied for 31 jobs in 2 days. Go get em

Applying for jobs should be your second job!

rogue2shadow

Never give up and never surrender! It's never too late.

What are your interests, what do you enjoy doing, and where do you see yourself in 5 years (IT wise)?

Have you done security all your life? I understand you do did not get an IT job post the elections but have you worked in IT at all in the past?

Once you have established your goal, the path will reveal itself and I'm sure the TE crew will shed more light on this topic.

TheSweetness

Here's a dirty secret for posting your resume on public job boards like monster..

Don't conform to the general guidelines of being concise, bullet points, or maximum page length.

Be as detailed and lengthy as possible, include as many IT terms that you have any experience with -- and make sure you use the full name and the acronym. For example, "extensive experience in Active Directory (AD), Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)" etc etc etc.

My current resume is formatted as such,

Work Experience -- with paragraph form explanation of all job functions for each position held. Again, use as many technical terms as possible.

Education

Certifications

Professional Training -- if you haven't taken any tech training courses, you can list relevant collegiate coursework

Technical Proficiencies

Analytical Proficiencies

Awards/Recognitions

I'm almost embarrassed to say, but the resume I have on all those recruiter websites is literally 5 pages long. Reason being is all those recruiters/employers do is key word searches. As long as you aren't BSing, the more key word hits you get, the more likely you are to get contacted.

My resume from 9/6/10 on Monster has 33 views to date (and probably 20 e-mails/phone calls) -- which is ten fold better then when I used a 1-2 page resume.

Don't get too discouraged. Best to rotate from updating resume, applying to as many jobs as possible, trying to learn more IT skills, and then taking a break. Can take employers months to respond to your application to best to keep the rotation active.

Good luck!

Zartanasaurus

Are you getting interviews? If so, it's not your resume.

DevilWAH

TheSweetness wrote: »

Here's a dirty secret for posting your resume on public job boards like monster..

Don't conform to the general guidelines of being concise, bullet points, or maximum page length.

Be as detailed and lengthy as possible, include as many IT terms that you have any experience with -- and make sure you use the full name and the acronym. For example, "extensive experience in Active Directory (AD), Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)" etc etc etc.

My current resume is formatted as such,

Work Experience -- with paragraph form explanation of all job functions for each position held. Again, use as many technical terms as possible.

Education

Certifications

Professional Training -- if you haven't taken any tech training courses, you can list relevant collegiate coursework

Technical Proficiencies

Analytical Proficiencies

Awards/Recognitions

I'm almost embarrassed to say, but the resume I have on all those recruiter websites is literally 5 pages long. Reason being is all those recruiters/employers do is key word searches. As long as you aren't BSing, the more key word hits you get, the more likely you are to get contacted.

My resume from 9/6/10 on Monster has 33 views to date (and probably 20 e-mails/phone calls) -- which is ten fold better then when I used a 1-2 page resume.

Don't get too discouraged. Best to rotate from updating resume, applying to as many jobs as possible, trying to learn more IT skills, and then taking a break. Can take employers months to respond to your application to best to keep the rotation active.

Good luck!

I disagree, After listining to some guys on here and neating up my resume, I got jsut as many call, but rather than from generic recuting compinies. I was reciving direct calls from compinies. With in a few days of posting it I had have 3 calls asking for a phone interview with the comapny there and then.

My advice is to keep it short, but list your skills some thing like this

[FONT=Verdana][U]Skills.[/U][/FONT]
 
 
[FONT=Verdana]       [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Switched/Layer 2[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: VLANs, RSTP, QinQ,  HSRP/GLBP, Ether-channels, Wireless, SNMP, Fibre (single + multi mode).[/FONT]
 
         [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Routed/Layer[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]3[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: Subnetting, IP, TCP, UDP, EIGRP, OSPF Routing.[/FONT]
 
         [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Management / Trouble shooting[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: Mutiny, Observer, Kiwi Cat Tools, Wire shark, Cisco IOS, DHCP, FTP, TFTP.[/FONT]
 
         [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Security[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: CISCO IOS firewall, IPS, IDS, ACLs, SSH, port security, CISCO ACS, Dot1x, WAP, TACACS+, Radius.[/FONT]
 
         [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Windows[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: AD, DHCP, DNS, Server 2003/2008, Backups, Antivirus,[/FONT]
 
         [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Other[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: CISCO, VMware, Citrix, Linux, Printers, Apache.[/FONT]
 
         [FONT=Trebuchet MS][B]Documentation[/B][/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]: Accredited to ([/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS]ISO 9001:200[IMG]https://us.v-cdn.net/6030959/uploads/images/smilies/icon_cool.gif[/IMG][/FONT]
[/FONT]

This way you will still pick up all the keyword searches, but you can keep the rest of you CV short and to the point.

Experince should only be what you do at work, you don't need to re decribe all your skills each time.

A CV should leave a potential employer impressed and wanting to know more. You don't want them phoning up and you not having anything to add.

There is only one purpose for a CV, to get the person who is offereing the job to give you a call (not the requiment companys), they do not "GET" you the job. The phone calls and the interviews are there for that..

gunbunnysoulja

ehnde wrote: »

Other than the temp job, how many jobs have you applied for? Maybe your resume needs brushing up, and you want more certifications, but your job search needs to be aggressive. I once applied for 31 jobs in 2 days. Go get em Applying for jobs should be your second job!

I'm doing the same at the moment, as I did 50+ applications the past few days and already had 3 interviews. Now just waiting for people to call back

kidainny

Couple of things here.

I was a mid career changer as well so i wasn't "young" when i started in IT either. Spent the better part of my twenties in finance in NYC. Always loved IT as a hobby but didn't make the move into IT until my late twenties. Good move - lots of my old co workers were thrown out when the market took the hit and had no skills, but i fell back on what i knew and loved. My first job was a basic tier 1 helpdesk for a financial company. I probably got hired because i could sell the finance/technical angle and speak in two worlds. Money was tight to make that transition, and i fully know where you're coming from when the cert's are expensive. I actually just started taking them recently to round out the resume better.

As far as not be able to land a job right now...The economy has been/still is/and may be bad for some time. Depending on the region of the country, where there may be quicker recoveries, jobs may be easier or harder to come by.

All the above advice is quite sound. Recruiters and HR scan for those keywords - but be sure ( and i know this may sound silly ) to check for the basic things as well. Make sure it's structured professionaly, no mis spellings, everything fits chronologically - try to make sure there's consistent employment with no big gaps if you can etc etc.. Many tools are available on the net for this.

If you already have an A+, there's something entry there that will open and get you in. Being 36 means absolutely nothing in my opinion. The average American will be working til their 65-70 anyhow. That's another thirty years for you. Question really is, do you WANT to be doing what you're doing? or doing something else?? There were people on my help desk years ago who were 18 to 50 years old, some of them moved on, some didn't, but it was usually because of their work and love for the field not their age. I love IT for the simple fact that you can take it as far as you want to go with dedication, hard work and a bit of luck.

If you absolutely cannot afford the paper certifcations right now, you should still be reading the stuff and learning. When you come across the money, then give it a shot.

Also, if you get the interview - Always remember they're not there to waste your time or to have you waste theirs. They know you're qualified or they wouldn't have called you in. Just sell the customer service skills and your enthusiasm.

laptop

If you are not getting any phone calls, then your resume needs some work

If you are getting interviews and not the job offer, then work on your interview skills

someuser23

Alright, gonna do the resume over and prepare for the N+, get the money, pass it and hopefully I can land something by then.

My resume definitely is the reason then since I never get any calls at all.

Scott

someuser23

If anyone wants to see my resume and I will appreciate it, please pm me with a email address.

Thank you.

earweed

Why not just genericize your resume and post it here Scott. One suggestion I will give is if you are the "go to guy" for your friends and relatives list what you have done all those times as skills/experience.

someuser23

Targeting Entry-Level Helpdesk Positions
 Energetic, self motivated, certified professional skilled in configuration and troubleshooting PC hardware, operating systems and software applications.
 Consistently recognized for technical troubleshooting skills used to rapidly and cost-effectively resolve challenging technical issues.
 Quickly learn and master new technology; equally successful in both team and self-directed settings; and proficient in a range of computer systems, languages, tools and testing methodologies.
Education
Scam School – Somewhere, Florida
A.S. in Computer Network Administration program 2000
Technology Summary
Certifications: CompTIA A+
Systems: UNIX, Windows 9X/NT/2000/XP/2K3, Novell NetWare and Mac OS
Databases: Oracle, ADB2 and Relational Databases
Languages: Visual Basic, SQL, HTML, ASP, CSS, C++, CGI, Perl and Java
Software: MS Project, MS Visio, MS Office and Lotus Notes
IT Related Experience
So job – Nowhere, Florida
 Helpdesk Technician, (03/10 – 04/10; 07/2008 – 11/200

 A temporary contract that was available whenever there was a General or Primary election in nowhere, with the Supervisor of Elections Office.
 Programmed, updated hardware and software and also ran the EViD’s (Electronic Voter Identification)
 Maintained Ballot on demand printers by replacing consumables and changing belt drives and so forth.
 Took part in audits and recounts of the elections.

No Name – Oakland, California
• Conference Support Technician, (11/07 – 01/0

• A temporary contract assisting in the set-up and break down of computer equipment in the no name area for conferences held by Bank of nowhere.
• Added hardware to computer systems such as: hard drives, video cards, sound cards, SCSI devices, printers and scanners.
• Set up Windows XP based network using Cat5 Ethernet topology, spliced cables, laid cables and installed computers.
• Maintained and setup new user security accounts for Windows 2003 Server.
Non-Related I.T experience
Security Officer No name 01/2009 to present
Front Desk Security Officer No Name 01/2007 to 07/2008
Carpet Care Technician No name 03/2006 to 11/2006
Billing Clerk Some company 07/2004 to 02/2006

earweed

First off..put it in a word or pdf document. That way we can also judge the formatting.
Don't put the targetting entry level jobs there. The little bullet pointed intro is probably better suited to your cover letter, which you should really have yourself a good template of one.
Put the education first as that is probably your strong point.
In your job experiences try to emphasize the things IT and expand on them. Be more specific asd to what kinds of hardware and software you worked with. For your helpdesk job specify the ticketing system used and also mention your superior customer service skills.

jaykoolzboy

IMO you should self study Network+ and going straight to something like CCNA or MCITP, A+ alone can't really get you any descent job.

Another trick I learned, you can start up your own computer repair business in your neighborhood, you will make descent amount of cash there.

Plantwiz

earweed wrote: »

First off..put it in a word or pdf document. That way we can also judge the formatting.
Don't put the targeting entry level jobs there. The little bullet pointed intro is probably better suited to your cover letter, which you should really have yourself a good template of one.
Put the education first as that is probably your strong point.
In your job experiences try to emphasize the things IT and expand on them. Be more specific add to what kinds of hardware and software you worked with. For your help-desk job specify the ticketing system used and also mention your superior customer service skills.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/56302-resume-no-i-t-experience.html

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/56834-your-opinion-top-10-skills-employers-looking.html

Scott,

Have you searched the forums for others who have posted their resumes and reviewed how they complied their information as well as the feedback the members have provided them?

IIRC, you seem to be a half-empty sort of poster and despite some past great advice come back to looking for the magic pill and all will work out.

In some respects, things do work themselves out, but you have to be an active participant of that solution.

If you had a contract that end 7 months ago, how did you find that gig? And have you tried a similar approach at other places? Maybe the place is looking again for a person?

The best time to get a different job is while you have a job, so are you looking enthusiastically? Or just trudging along in the 'hope' that something better lands on your doorstep?

This security job you have it just seems that you really don't like it. Perhaps there may be opportunities within your current employer to move up? Do they have a dispatch or an office that requires PC/Server maintenance? Do they provide security to centers who monitor equipment, but have all that equipment centralized to their own office? If they don't, perhaps there is a marketing opportunity for you to pursue, and install for them to broaden their services.

Your posts stick out to me. I suspect due to the name. Whether it's your name or merely an on-line handle (and you don't need to say)..."Scott" makes me think of someone who can get stuff done. Add to that "LaRock" and it sets the tone of someone unshakable. I read your posts and frequently the sound a bit (no offense) whinny.

Have you earned any new certifications since your last posts here? Have you provided any service hours/volunteer hours to stay current and possibly just get yourself know? Have you looked into job shadowing yet, and if so...how did that work out?

And I agree wholeheartedly with earweed...drop the "targeting..." your resume will likely be passed over if that is on there.

Also, if the school you referenced as 'scam school' is truly that bad...then don't list anything from there on your resume. Just keep that as personal experience and don't announce you attended there.

You have commented in past threads you are 'older' Mid-30s so do you have any sort of experience that takes you back to the 90s? If you had some burger flipping jobs...those are pretty safe to leave off, but from what is listed it looks like you have worked only for the past 6 years??

At a mid-30s age one would think you'd have nearly 20 years of working experience and you provide 6? I'd bet you have 'something' that will give you some additional recognition, right?

someuser23

Plantwiz wrote: »

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/56302-resume-no-i-t-experience.html

http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/56834-your-opinion-top-10-skills-employers-looking.html

Scott,

Have you searched the forums for others who have posted their resumes and reviewed how they complied their information as well as the feedback the members have provided them?

IIRC, you seem to be a half-empty sort of poster and despite some past great advice come back to looking for the magic pill and all will work out.

In some respects, things do work themselves out, but you have to be an active participant of that solution.

If you had a contract that end 7 months ago, how did you find that gig? And have you tried a similar approach at other places? Maybe the place is looking again for a person?

The best time to get a different job is while you have a job, so are you looking enthusiastically? Or just trudging along in the 'hope' that something better lands on your doorstep?

This security job you have it just seems that you really don't like it. Perhaps there may be opportunities within your current employer to move up? Do they have a dispatch or an office that requires PC/Server maintenance? Do they provide security to centers who monitor equipment, but have all that equipment centralized to their own office? If they don't, perhaps there is a marketing opportunity for you to pursue, and install for them to broaden their services.

Your posts stick out to me. I suspect due to the name. Whether it's your name or merely an on-line handle (and you don't need to say)..."Scott" makes me think of someone who can get stuff done. Add to that "LaRock" and it sets the tone of someone unshakable. I read your posts and frequently the sound a bit (no offense) whinny.

Have you earned any new certifications since your last posts here? Have you provided any service hours/volunteer hours to stay current and possibly just get yourself know? Have you looked into job shadowing yet, and if so...how did that work out?

And I agree wholeheartedly with earweed...drop the "targeting..." your resume will likely be passed over if that is on there.

Also, if the school you referenced as 'scam school' is truly that bad...then don't list anything from there on your resume. Just keep that as personal experience and don't announce you attended there.

You have commented in past threads you are 'older' Mid-30s so do you have any sort of experience that takes you back to the 90s? If you had some burger flipping jobs...those are pretty safe to leave off, but from what is listed it looks like you have worked only for the past 6 years?? At a mid-30s age one would think you'd have nearly 20 years of working experience and you provide 6? I'd bet you have 'something' that will give you some additional recognition, right?

The jobs I have worked haven't provided much of anything and it's where the issue is at. I really don't have any good skills to put on the resume outside of the 2 year degree and the A+ certification at all and that is where the problem is.

Security jobs are frowned upon and I want to remove them from the resume but I have been doing them for so long I have nothing to put in it's place and when employers want to see ____________ years of experience I cannot put blank spaces or make up lies to put in there.

The Help desk job wasn't really a help desk job, we didn't use a ticketing system or anything of that nature, it was merely a job in which we provided hands off support when the Evids broke down. Evids are basically Tablet pc's stuck in a little case and when they break (loose wifi card, computer freezes up, signature pad not working) we are given basic instructions on to fix it. That was basically the job, the majority of people hatred it because it wasn't really I.T and they had a very difficult time putting it in words what they did on their resume.

The reason I'm always "stuck" and no improving is mostly because I have no help, no educated people in real life to assist me, no one to network with, no one to help me with a proper resume, nothing at all so I'm left going on line trying to find answers and it doesn't work out at all.

With a outdated degree, A+ and living in a area that in my opinion pretty racist it's very tough to do anything.

someuser23

I whine alot because I struggle, I struggled my whole life and it's tough, that's the reason I whine, I don't whine no where near as much as I did in the past but I still complain.

I complain because I just can't see why it's so hard to get to 1st base, I just don't get it at all, it's just not normal to spend over 10-15 year "looking" for a job.

Not normal at all.

PC roll-out, help desk, pc tech... don't see why I cannot get those jobs, no reason at all. If I whine and bring up racism or whatever reason I see fit it's because it's simply what I see around me.

Nothing else to say.

earweed

Getting your empty resume to look inviting would be a first step. Do you have MS Word so you could type out a proper resume. If you don't check out your local career center as the ones we have around here have it on their PCs for job hunters to use. Quit being so down on yourself and your situation.
Get a good resume and get it on every job board out there and most of the job boards even have alerts where you do a search set up an alert for that type job and the job board emails you when a job of that type is posted. I get close to 30 emails a day from job boards (a lot of which I've already applied to but I apply to every new one there is) Send your resume to every temp agency and staffing agency and recruiter in your area.
I start a 4 day PC rollout Monday and I got the job through a recruiter in Chicago. I start a Desktop Support job the following week and got that one from a recruiter in North Carolina. The main reason I got these is that I kept trying, kept working to improve my situation, and didn't give up. Note that I'm in Alabama, no local recruiters had the "in" for these jobs.

DevilWAH

Scott LaRock wrote: »

The reason I'm always "stuck" and no improving is mostly because I have no help, no educated people in real life to assist me, no one to network with, no one to help me with a proper resume, nothing at all so I'm left going on line trying to find answers and it doesn't work out at all.

How do you think I learnt what I know. I have no formaly IT training, no IT peers to learn from.

I was working in a lab running blood sample tests. same thing day after day. I took time to learn about IT and applied for a help desk postition, no certs jsut showed enthusam and looked through the job spec and learnt all it had on it befoer the interview.

Then I spent 5 years working my backside of. carrying printers across site by day, and burrying my head in books at night.

No drinking, no smoking, no computer games, no TV, learning things that I had never heard of or had any use for at work, but theings that excited me.

i never had any other Networking people to ask for help, or tell me what to learn.

5+ years of hard work. Thats how long it took to get a decent job, working 10 times are hard as the person next to me for the same money. Watching them surf the internet while I worked...

It is very hard to get to first base... Some people find it easy to learn/study, so it looks easy, some people have to struggle every step of the way.

But it is never "easy" amd its no simpler to get from 1st to second base. jsut that getting to first base teaches you how hard it is.

someuser23

DevilWAH wrote: »

How do you think I learnt what I know. I have no formaly IT training, no IT peers to learn from.

I was working in a lab running blood sample tests. same thing day after day. I took time to learn about IT and applied for a help desk postition, no certs jsut showed enthusam and looked through the job spec and learnt all it had on it befoer the interview.

Then I spent 5 years working my backside of. carrying printers across site by day, and burrying my head in books at night.

No drinking, no smoking, no computer games, no TV, learning things that I had never heard of or had any use for at work, but theings that excited me.

i never had any other Networking people to ask for help, or tell me what to learn.

5+ years of hard work. Thats how long it took to get a decent job, working 10 times are hard as the person next to me for the same money. Watching them surf the internet while I worked...

It is very hard to get to first base... Some people find it easy to learn/study, so it looks easy, some people have to struggle every step of the way.

But it is never "easy" amd its no simpler to get from 1st to second base. jsut that getting to first base teaches you how hard it is.

Your situation is still different from mine, working a in lab doing blood sample test is much different than being the security guard working overnight for 8.00 a hour at 34 or 35 years old. I'm sure you networked and made valuable friends will working in a lab doing blood sample test, you began in a much different situation than I began in, different strokes for different folks.

I agree with what you said otherwise. The majority of my jobs were low end crap filled work that most people don't want to do. Imagine all those jobs on a resume....

TheSweetness

DevilWAH wrote: »

I disagree, After listining to some guys on here and neating up my resume, I got jsut as many call, but rather than from generic recuting compinies. I was reciving direct calls from compinies. With in a few days of posting it I had have 3 calls asking for a phone interview with the comapny there and then.

Maybe you are more qualified than me to begin with. From my experience with this latest marathon resume, it has gotten me many more inquiries and interviews than any previous, more concise iteration.

I am a bit bias to the public sector -- applying on usajobs.com and the like. I'd been coached previously when submitting for a DoD position at where I currently work, to be "converted", to make it as lengthy and paragraph like as possible. The job websites allow for 12k characters!

At the end of the day we should be able to agree that a resume is a permanent work in progress. Make some changes, add/remove certain buzz words, apply for some positions (or upload to a job board) and see what happens.

Don't get too discouraged.

Plantwiz

Scott LaRock wrote: »

...The reason I'm always "stuck" and no improving is mostly because I have no help, no educated people in real life to assist me, no one to network with, no one to help me with a proper resume, nothing at all so I'm left going on line trying to find answers and it doesn't work out at all.

With a outdated degree, A+ and living in a area that in my opinion pretty racist it's very tough to do anything.

GOOD GRIEF MAN!

Really?!?

First, you've posted several times to the forum and received solid advice from not only myself (which is why your posts stick out to me...they are not a canned response, I sincerely was offering you assistance, and many others here including earweed).

Second, one should never say their experiences were worthless. They all relevant in molding us into who we 'grow' up to become. Why do you continue to say a security gig is a bad job and one you need to leave off your resume? What's the problem with working security?

Third, you're only STUCK if you 'think' you are stuck. Who do you think helped me? I helped myself. I earned an education. I worked and paid as I attended classes (and no, those jobs were not my career jobs...there were jobs which paid money for me to attend college without loans...and I emphasis 'jobs' not just one I took all I could). I continued to make contacts, bust my butt and made new contacts. When the opportunty to change employment arose, I'd change. I moved several times to GO TO the work. Many areas I have lived dried up, so I MOVED.

I think if you bothered to read the forums, you'll see many others have done this as well. Some of the members here have left their home country for work. It happens. It's hard. It's typically a short-term fix for the long-term goal.

Only YOU can help you.

YOU have been asked by members here to type a resume in a format they can assist you with. You have chosen not to post it and this is why I recommended you search the forum for how other members posted their resumes and read the feedback they have received.

I'm not quite certain why you played the racist card. You'll find there is a mix of folks on this board. Several countries (and continents) are represented. Both men and women. Young and old. Variety of religious groups. And so on...

Find a group in your community or START ONE where professionals met to share leads and ideas.
BNI International - Business Networking and Referrals
Toastmasters International - Home
Or many others..simply search

I complain because I just can't see why it's so hard to get to 1st base, I just don't get it at all, it's just not normal to spend over 10-15 year "looking" for a job.

Not normal at all.

And where did you find your source for that fact? Define normal and then tell me your perception of normal. I know we have members here who have struggled more then what you have posted on the forums, they put their head down and keep moving forward and today you'd call them 'lucky'. It wasn't luck. It was persistance and work. And I'm sorry, I fail to see where in your comments you have put sweat equity into claiming you've given it your all.

I suspect you have been around the bases. You may have even been walked to first. You're simply not seeing the gifts staring you in the eyes.

Go to your library or your old high school if you don't wish to go back to your college and ASK them for some help. IF they are unable to directly assist you, I would hope they know the best resources for you to seek out and help yourself.

-Volunteer.
-Join a business group.
-Be active in a church.
-Go back to school (enroll in 1 class...which may help you find someone who can point you in the best career track for your talents).
-Try a temp job service and look for different opportunities there.
-Move. Try a whole new geographic location.

Every community has SOME form of resources available to them, and if not in yours, go to the nearest one which does have something.

Either you qualify for gov't assistance or you don't. If you don't, that's great because YOU get to control the situation. If you do, then get with your case worker to help you plan a course to get off the gov't assistance and become part of the solution to the world rather then a burden to the community.

I'm still stuck on why you continue to say a security job is 'crap'??? Someone has found you qualified to hold this position. It may not be a difficult job, but not everyone qualifies to hold that position. So you do have something of value you bring to your employer.

However, I'll go on the limb and point out (what appears obvious to me) and that it is your attitude keeping you from being where you want to be. It is not skill and it is not race, but how you speak of your past. You complain it is worthless. You have stated you have rights to complain (and you do), but there is a point where YOU just need to change your life. Until you are sick-and-tired of being sick-and-tired (thanks Dave Ramsey) you will continue to receive the same results day after day.

Review the past suggestions on your resume and post it if you want some feedback.

Then quit devaluing yourself and you'll see others will stop thinking less of you too. With your resume you are selling your most important asset...yourself (talents and skills), so make others want to invest in you by improving your outlook, adding some education, and get some volunteer time in. I stand by you need to find someone in your community to sit down with you and work through a plan (it maybe a fee service, but it should be worth it) and stick to the new plan.

- Where do I see myself in 1 year? 3years? 5 years?
- What skills do I need to reach my 1 year goal? My 3 years goal? My 5 years goal?
- How do I get those skills? More school? More training? Shadow program? Internship?
- Who do I look to for assistance if needed? Business group? College/Trade School advisor? Unemployement office (generally they have programs to help anyone find work...just ask them). Temp agency?

So, it is no longer acceptable to 'complain' or 'whine' here about this problem. It is time to fix it! You have succesfully identified the problem. Work toward the solution Scott! You can do it...and the only person here who can help you is YOU.

Plantwiz

Scott LaRock wrote: »

Your situation is still different from mine, working a in lab doing blood sample test is much different than being the security guard working overnight for 8.00 a hour at 34 or 35 years old. I'm sure you networked and made valuable friends will working in a lab doing blood sample test, you began in a much different situation than I began in, different strokes for different folks.
......

hmmmm...

It may depend on the lab, but lab work can be very lonely and very stressful. DevilWAH can relay his experiences, but one of my siblings is a lab tech...not so much socializing going on there...pretty stressful and nights only have 1-2 techs on depending on the day.

And working only and 8 hour shift, depending on the time you punch out (7am or whatever) that's a great deal of time to shower, change and go out handing resumes all during the 9am-4pm hours and come home sleep and get ready for the night shift. Working 3rd has some great advantages.

ehnde

I'm a 36 year old Security Guard making $11.75 a hour

Doesn't physical security count towards the experience you are required to have to qualify to take the CISSP exam? (Please correct me if I'm wrong guys) That could be something worth looking into, I've heard that's a really valuable cert.

ehnde

Answered my own question:

Physical (Environmental) SecurityThreats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures that can be utilized to physically protect an enterprise’s resources and sensitive information

You need 2 of the 10 domains, though.

https://www.isc2.org/cissp-professional-experience.aspx

My point is that your job experience is not worthless, that's all.

DevilWAH

Plantwiz wrote: »

hmmmm...

It may depend on the lab, but lab work can be very lonely and very stressful. DevilWAH can relay his experiences, but one of my siblings is a lab tech...not so much socializing going on there...pretty stressful and nights only have 1-2 techs on depending on the day.

I can confim that Lab work is boreing. A monkey can run tets and runnign 2,000 a day, day in day out does not give you much time to socialise or form contacts.

Bfore I moved in to networking the only IT related people I new where the people who played online games. And all they new about was what graphic card they had in there system...

Sorry but all I hear is excuses for why you havent got any where, but I know form experince you only get any were by solid hard work, 24/7.

I am sorry, but to get where I have it has taken 7 years +. I no longer play computer games, no longer watch TV, don't drink, don't smoke. I do my 9 hours at work and then I go home, have dinner, hug the baby, hug the wife, and go study for about 4 hours. (or if I am job hunting write up my CV and apply to jobs)

And I know to carry on moving up it will require more of the same.

When you apply for a job, there are going to be plenty of others going for it as well, and the only way you are going to get the job is to be the best one of the lot! If you don't end up with the postition then thats the issue, you did not come across as the best!

My advice is to look for roles that you meet 80 - 90% of the job requirments. Compinies are normaly looking for some one that will get up to speed quickly in a new role.

If you have two few skills for a role then your never going to get the role, as there is almost certentaly someone else applying who is a better match. And applying for jobs which you are over quilified to is also a bad move. Overquilified people tend not to stay long or want to move on quickly to higher postitions, so compinies will often over look them.

What most compinies are looking for is some one who can quickly pick up the job, and who will be happy to stay around for a few years.

So when applying for jobs, look at the job specs and at your resume and think if you where the person looking, would you give you an interview?

someuser23

Plantwiz wrote: »

GOOD GRIEF MAN!

Really?!?

First, you've posted several times to the forum and received solid advice from not only myself (which is why your posts stick out to me...they are not a canned response, I sincerely was offering you assistance, and many others here including earweed).

Second, one should never say their experiences were worthless. They all relevant in molding us into who we 'grow' up to become. Why do you continue to say a security gig is a bad job and one you need to leave off your resume? What's the problem with working security?

Third, you're only STUCK if you 'think' you are stuck. Who do you think helped me? I helped myself. I earned an education. I worked and paid as I attended classes (and no, those jobs were not my career jobs...there were jobs which paid money for me to attend college without loans...and I emphasis 'jobs' not just one I took all I could). I continued to make contacts, bust my butt and made new contacts. When the opportunty to change employment arose, I'd change. I moved several times to GO TO the work. Many areas I have lived dried up, so I MOVED.

I think if you bothered to read the forums, you'll see many others have done this as well. Some of the members here have left their home country for work. It happens. It's hard. It's typically a short-term fix for the long-term goal.

Only YOU can help you.

YOU have been asked by members here to type a resume in a format they can assist you with. You have chosen not to post it and this is why I recommended you search the forum for how other members posted their resumes and read the feedback they have received.

I'm not quite certain why you played the racist card. You'll find there is a mix of folks on this board. Several countries (and continents) are represented. Both men and women. Young and old. Variety of religious groups. And so on...

Find a group in your community or START ONE where professionals met to share leads and ideas.
BNI International - Business Networking and Referrals
Toastmasters International - Home
Or many others..simply search

And where did you find your source for that fact? Define normal and then tell me your perception of normal. I know we have members here who have struggled more then what you have posted on the forums, they put their head down and keep moving forward and today you'd call them 'lucky'. It wasn't luck. It was persistance and work. And I'm sorry, I fail to see where in your comments you have put sweat equity into claiming you've given it your all.

I suspect you have been around the bases. You may have even been walked to first. You're simply not seeing the gifts staring you in the eyes.

Go to your library or your old high school if you don't wish to go back to your college and ASK them for some help. IF they are unable to directly assist you, I would hope they know the best resources for you to seek out and help yourself.

-Volunteer.
-Join a business group.
-Be active in a church.
-Go back to school (enroll in 1 class...which may help you find someone who can point you in the best career track for your talents).
-Try a temp job service and look for different opportunities there.
-Move. Try a whole new geographic location.

Every community has SOME form of resources available to them, and if not in yours, go to the nearest one which does have something.

Either you qualify for gov't assistance or you don't. If you don't, that's great because YOU get to control the situation. If you do, then get with your case worker to help you plan a course to get off the gov't assistance and become part of the solution to the world rather then a burden to the community.

I'm still stuck on why you continue to say a security job is 'crap'??? Someone has found you qualified to hold this position. It may not be a difficult job, but not everyone qualifies to hold that position. So you do have something of value you bring to your employer.

However, I'll go on the limb and point out (what appears obvious to me) and that it is your attitude keeping you from being where you want to be. It is not skill and it is not race, but how you speak of your past. You complain it is worthless. You have stated you have rights to complain (and you do), but there is a point where YOU just need to change your life. Until you are sick-and-tired of being sick-and-tired (thanks Dave Ramsey) you will continue to receive the same results day after day.

Review the past suggestions on your resume and post it if you want some feedback.

Then quit devaluing yourself and you'll see others will stop thinking less of you too. With your resume you are selling your most important asset...yourself (talents and skills), so make others want to invest in you by improving your outlook, adding some education, and get some volunteer time in. I stand by you need to find someone in your community to sit down with you and work through a plan (it maybe a fee service, but it should be worth it) and stick to the new plan.

- Where do I see myself in 1 year? 3years? 5 years?
- What skills do I need to reach my 1 year goal? My 3 years goal? My 5 years goal?
- How do I get those skills? More school? More training? Shadow program? Internship?
- Who do I look to for assistance if needed? Business group? College/Trade School advisor? Unemployement office (generally they have programs to help anyone find work...just ask them). Temp agency?

So, it is no longer acceptable to 'complain' or 'whine' here about this problem. It is time to fix it! You have succesfully identified the problem. Work toward the solution Scott! You can do it...and the only person here who can help you is YOU.

School....

I'm with Vocational Rehab here in Fla and I had 3 classes this term and the major that I was trying to complete was Biomedical Engineering Technology. I didn't pass the technical math class and I was told it's better to drop out and get some math placement than to continue to fail the courses, I did, I dropped the classes and went to my counselor for another plan. Currently she had me check out a trade school for this short 9 week course fixing casino slot machines and so forth.

My goal is just to work a full-time job and move out and get a place, then continue on the path in the I.T field... however, I just wanted my own space.

The only reason I have Vocational Rehab is because the Community College stated I'm ineligible to get financial assistance until my grades come up since it's not high enough to get aid and personally I don't want to want 2 years to be able just to get a decent paying job and I'm 36 already.

As for trying to help myself, I worked with a job placement specialist but he wasn't providing much help since the same jobs he had access too, I had the same access to. I can understand if he had a inside track in companies but he's going to monster, careerbuilder, craigslist and indeed and I'm going to the same places.

someuser23

DevilWAH wrote: »

I can confim that Lab work is boreing. A monkey can run tets and runnign 2,000 a day, day in day out does not give you much time to socialise or form contacts.

Bfore I moved in to networking the only IT related people I new where the people who played online games. And all they new about was what graphic card they had in there system...

Sorry but all I hear is excuses for why you havent got any where, but I know form experince you only get any were by solid hard work, 24/7.

I am sorry, but to get where I have it has taken 7 years +. I no longer play computer games, no longer watch TV, don't drink, don't smoke. I do my 9 hours at work and then I go home, have dinner, hug the baby, hug the wife, and go study for about 4 hours. (or if I am job hunting write up my CV and apply to jobs)

And I know to carry on moving up it will require more of the same.

When you apply for a job, there are going to be plenty of others going for it as well, and the only way you are going to get the job is to be the best one of the lot! If you don't end up with the postition then thats the issue, you did not come across as the best!

My advice is to look for roles that you meet 80 - 90% of the job requirments. Compinies are normaly looking for some one that will get up to speed quickly in a new role.

If you have two few skills for a role then your never going to get the role, as there is almost certentaly someone else applying who is a better match. And applying for jobs which you are over quilified to is also a bad move. Overquilified people tend not to stay long or want to move on quickly to higher postitions, so compinies will often over look them.

What most compinies are looking for is some one who can quickly pick up the job, and who will be happy to stay around for a few years.

So when applying for jobs, look at the job specs and at your resume and think if you where the person looking, would you give you an interview?

I'm sorry if you think I'm some whining bum who sits in moms house and whines to strangers but that's not really the case. Truthfully speaking, even though I don't have the greatest credentials, what I have should be enough to make a start.

Like a said, if the A+ is a building block to jobs like Geek Squad, PC Repair or something like PC Rollouts.. which is essentially hooking up computers.. I don't see why those jobs are so difficult to achieve and it really shouldn't be.

Maybe to you guys anyone who whines is a loser, or "doesn't work hard enough". I don't know but in my mind you do graduate, get even a basic certification and not get anything to show for it... sorry.

To be honest, my "contacts" should come from temporary assignments I "worked" not from the job service in which my counselour doesn't even know how to properly use the machine in the first place, these people can't do much since they don't speak nor know the proper code and when companies hire they want people who know people who can vouch and approve of them.

These threads are all the same, I say something, everyone comes up says I don't this and that and repeat.... I'll let it go and get the resume, I'm not gonna fight with anyone... it's pretty pointless and I'm tired of it.

tbgree00

Scott LaRock wrote: »

These threads are all the same, I say something, everyone comes up says I don't this and that and repeat.... I'll let it go and get the resume, I'm not gonna fight with anyone... it's pretty pointless and I'm tired of it.

Since the way that the thread has gone doesn't appear to be what you were wanting I have to ask how do you want us to help you? I'm not trying to be abrasive or trying to attack you. I just want you to feel like you're getting what you expected out of the thread. I've read through the thread, saw the opinions and advice and thought it was pretty good. If it's not tuned to what you want then help us focus in more.

A lot of members of the IT world are self taught, self made people. A big part of that is putting some effort into yourself. Without confidence and drive that goes to a backseat. Before I could start I had to take a look at myself and make a big change in my thinking. I was 306lbs, sat around playing Warcraft for 6-8 hours a day after work, dressed in horrible clothes that I was ashamed of back then. I was miserable, hated my life, and deep down thought I deserved to work a 12 dollar an hour job. I'm a lot different now but I'm not hijacking the thread (nor am I perfect now) so that's all I'll say about myself.

You seem to want to change yourself which is a good start. If you've been in the same position for 15 years then obviously something is holding you back. Look at where you spend your time away from work. Spend some money on yourself to go to a doctor and get a full physical. Look at your diet and make positive changes there. If you're a gamer look at how many hours you play. Could you spend those hours at a library reading their IT books? Change is hard but time spent on yourself pays off in the long run.

ehnde

My goal is just to work a full-time job and move out and get a place, then continue on the path in the I.T field...

Write it down! Writing down your goals gives them a sort of power....but don't stop there. Add details, be specific about HOW you're going to do it. If you do this and stick to your plan day in and day out, one day you'll be like

........wow...my life is way better now!

More of

And less of

I wish you the best, Scott.