Need some encouragement

Not beating around the bush here with that subject.

Still working at this place - it's been a year coming up within a week or so.
http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/67124-4-months-noc-but.html

Yeah; I should have left there, but the problem is I live over an hour away from pretty much anywhere.
Springfield? 1 hour
Bloomington? 2 hours
Peoria? 2 hours.
St Louis? 2 hours.
Terre Haute? 2 hours.

Sometimes I think I'm lucky to have a night gig that lets me work from home and study most nights (which let me study for the CCNP in the past year - I passed Route in December, Switch on Feb 1, and am sitting Tshoot on saturday)

Other times I realize I've been there a year, and the only thing I have to show for it is the CCNP where I only had the CCNA before. Lot of good it does when I can't say I've done much more than open tickets with carriers (I've managed to put up 1 access list, and set up a few routers for snmp... and a handful of 'default interface s0/1:1' followed by a shutdown)

I just feel ... STUCK! Too far to easily go canvassing a city (or to even know how). All the nearby temp agencies that do IT (all one of them) want people with a lot more experience, as do the few postings that are within that 2 hour radius.

Yeah, I'm ranting. I think I'm done ranting now though.

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Everyone

So where does that put you... Decatur? I drive 4 hours down to Springfield once a month.

Maybe time to move closer to St. Louis, or come up north closer to Chicago.

I can't think of anything major down in Decatur, but I've never really been there either. Springfield has... state government jobs? Bloomington has State Farm. Peoria has Caterpillar and a pretty big hospital. St. Louis has a ton of businesses. Don't know what Terre Haute has.

cyberguypr

Everyone wrote: »

Maybe time to move closer to St. Louis, or come up north closer to Chicago.

I was gonna say. You are shooting yourself in the foot by looking locally where the market is limited. Are you open to relocating?

bermovick

Everyone wrote: »

So where does that put you... Decatur? I drive 4 hours down to Springfield once a month.

Maybe time to move closer to St. Louis, or come up north closer to Chicago.

I can't think of anything major down in Decatur, but I've never really been there either. Springfield has... state government jobs? Bloomington has State Farm. Peoria has Caterpillar and a pretty big hospital. St. Louis has a ton of businesses. Don't know what Terre Haute has.

Pretty close - Decatur is about 40 minutes away.

cyberguypr wrote: »

I was gonna say. You are shooting yourself in the foot by looking locally where the market is limited. Are you open to relocating?

Yeah, at some point moving'll become a necessity. It's just hard with a full family (wife, daughter, 3 dogs haha) and a house I'd have to put up for sale - and save the $ for a down payment somewhere else.

Everyone

bermovick wrote: »

Pretty close - Decatur is about 40 minutes away.

Champaign-Urbana? Is there even anything there besides U of I?

bermovick

Everyone wrote: »

Champaign-Urbana? Is there even anything there besides U of I?

... 2 hours

Pretty much smack-dab in the middle of it all.

Even the smaller "cities" like mattoon and vandalia are about an hour away. Effingham about an hour too. It's ridiculous, I tell you!

Everyone

bermovick wrote: »

... 2 hours

Pretty much smack-dab in the middle of it all.

Even the smaller "cities" like mattoon and vandalia are about an hour away. Effingham about an hour too. It's ridiculous, I tell you!

You really are in the middle of nowhere. Time to find some remote work or move closer to civilization. :P Either that or change careers to something more suited for middle of nowhere small town Illinois than IT.

cyberguypr

bermovick wrote: »

Yeah, at some point moving'll become a necessity. It's just hard with a full family (wife, daughter, 3 dogs haha) and a house I'd have to put up for sale - and save the $ for a down payment somewhere else.

It is doable if you set goals and execute an intelligent plan. I moved from another country to Chicago 6 years ago. Sold everything and just brought my wife and daughter. Best thing that ever happened to me.

Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

Not beating around the bush here with that subject.

Still working at this place - it's been a year coming up within a week or so.
http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/67124-4-months-noc-but.html

Yeah; I should have left there, but the problem is I live over an hour away from pretty much anywhere.
Springfield? 1 hour
Bloomington? 2 hours
Peoria? 2 hours.
St Louis? 2 hours.
Terre Haute? 2 hours.

Sometimes I think I'm lucky to have a night gig that lets me work from home and study most nights (which let me study for the CCNP in the past year - I passed Route in December, Switch on Feb 1, and am sitting Tshoot on saturday)

Other times I realize I've been there a year, and the only thing I have to show for it is the CCNP where I only had the CCNA before. Lot of good it does when I can't say I've done much more than open tickets with carriers (I've managed to put up 1 access list, and set up a few routers for snmp... and a handful of 'default interface s0/1:1' followed by a shutdown)

I just feel ... STUCK! Too far to easily go canvassing a city (or to even know how). All the nearby temp agencies that do IT (all one of them) want people with a lot more experience, as do the few postings that are within that 2 hour radius.

Yeah, I'm ranting. I think I'm done ranting now though.

Seek out some remote working gigs with homeworking options. It's 2012 and companies do it. Just be prepared to be at base while you settle in and visit there once a week or in emergencies. I think you are much better off spending 6-12 months trying to find that sort of gig than moving your whole family out soon to somewhere new. Try resellers. If you can handle things for customers they dont mind where you are based. Some companies dont offer it of course, but others do if they really want you. So sell yourself as someone people would really like to hire and they will do what they can then to accomodate your personal situation. It's all part of the package!

bermovick

Turgon wrote: »

Seek out some remote working gigs with homeworking options. It's 2012 and companies do it. Just be prepared to be at base while you settle in and visit there once a week or in emergencies. I think you are much better off spending 6-12 months trying to find that sort of gig than moving your whole family out soon to somewhere new. Try resellers. If you can handle things for customers they dont mind where you are based. Some companies dont offer it of course, but others do if they really want you. So sell yourself as someone people would really like to hire and they will do what they can then to accomodate your personal situation. It's all part of the package!

Isn't that sortof what I'm doing now though? Or perhaps I don't understand the terminology or what you're saying.

Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

Isn't that sortof what I'm doing now though? Or perhaps I don't understand the terminology or what you're saying.

If that is what you are doing carry on Sergeant Major. Im not a fan of the migrant population theory. You have roots, family and responsibilities where you are and moving incurs all kinds of costs for families both financial and emotional. Plus you leave dependants behind. It's a modern age and job opportunities for people working remotely exist today. Use them.

bermovick

Turgon wrote: »

If that is what you are doing carry on Sergeant Major. Im not a fan of the migrant population theory. You have roots, family and responsibilities where you are and moving incurs all kinds of costs for families both financial and emotional. Plus you leave dependants behind. It's a modern age and job opportunities for people working remotely exist today. Use them.

No; I don't think I understood what you were saying, because right now I work from home (homeworking?). I used to have to go down every couple months, but I don't think I've been down there since summer, so it's been a good 5-6 months. On the surface it seems like the same thing, but I've read enough of you threads to think you wouldn't be saying I should try doing what I'm already doing.

Eventually I actually WANT to move - I'd love to eventually work overseas in the EU. I just don't see it as being too feasible for entry-level positions. Like you said, the financial and emotional costs seem to not be worth the $17/hour.

Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

No; I don't think I understood what you were saying, because right now I work from home (homeworking?). I used to have to go down every couple months, but I don't think I've been down there since summer, so it's been a good 5-6 months. On the surface it seems like the same thing, but I've read enough of you threads to think you wouldn't be saying I should try doing what I'm already doing.

Eventually I actually WANT to move - I'd love to eventually work overseas in the EU. I just don't see it as being too feasible for entry-level positions. Like you said, the financial and emotional costs seem to not be worth the $17/hour.

In that case you are mobile so long as you get the rates you are looking for.

bermovick

In theory I guess, but not really in practicality.

Days like today I think I'm just wasting my time. 40 years old, no experience (or 1 year if I load up the BS which I don't do). No prospects, nothing.

Turgon

bermovick wrote: »

In theory I guess, but not really in practicality.

Days like today I think I'm just wasting my time. 40 years old, no experience (or 1 year if I load up the BS which I don't do). No prospects, nothing.

I wouldn't say that bermovick given what you have told us. Have you had your CV up here for everyone to help you polish up? Lots of people here to help with that and it has gotten results for many members. You have some good qualifications and just need someone to give you a break.