How marketable am I??

hey guys, love this site!!

my question i guess alittle premature but i wouldnt mind getting more information on top of what google offers..
**Background**
im graduating in August with a BS (computer related)
i feel like a have a solid internship experience 3 in total around a year+ in total time (desktop support, little system and network admin work thrown in, and some good projects that i did for the different internships)
i got my N+, CCENT and just today my CCNA

live in boston, ma there seems to be alot of opening as far as i can tell but idk if there will be when i graduate
*****
when should i start applying for FT jobs and how much should i ask for??
Any info/experiences would be great

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Comments

Mrock4

Hard to say- I don't know what jobs are like in Boston. Here, your skillset would probably bring in around 40-60k if I'm guessing. A little more experience and that will surely go up. A lot of other factors are to be considered, though.

Congrats on the CCNA BTW.

spicy ahi

I would honestly look at what you need to survive first. Figure out your daily/monthly/yearly costs to survive and make sure you cover that. Everything else is gravy. That way, you will have a good idea of what you NEED to make it. Especially in the beginning of your career, you should concentrate on finding a job that look/sounds interesting and will provide you with valuable experience. Jobs with big companies tend to pay a little better but you'll more than likely be relegated to a position with little chance to learn anything outside of the scope of your job. Smaller firms will more than likely need someone to wear several hats so you'll get a lot of valuable experience in different roles. The downside is you probably won't make as much salary-wise.

I personally started working for a small unit that had four contractors to handle their entire network. Systems, networks, security, documentation, we did it all. I learned a lot and the experience from that first job is what catapulted me into every consequent job I've taken. The depth and breadth of that experience has allowed me to apply for different jobs which has come in handy recently in this tight job market.

Roguetadhg

Congratulations on the ccna.

N2IT

Well done on the CCNA. Nice cert to have under your belt!

matt333

Thanks Guys
yeah the whole big vs. small company. I work for a small YMCA type of company now and i love it. feel pretty important ("go-to-guy" here), which is a nice change from my last internship. I guess I'll have to find a middle ground and go from there. when do you guys think I should start applying for FT jobs??
I was thinking a month before I graduate because any earlier seems too far of a start date( I kind of want to hit the ground running)