Why is it so hard to find work in something you Qualified in

Gaztop1 · April 2007

Hey guys,

i am just sort of venting here and also looking for some advice or solice , last year basically started studying in IT hoping to find myself a career i can grow in i mean i enjoy working in IT very interesting and challenging....

I took the time to go the Networking route cause i feel its really challenging but seems so difficult to find work unless you have so many years worth of experience...

My question is really how do you find work as a newbie in something you have spent all your blood , sweat and tears on studying for and doing your best to be as compitent as the Pro's ? Is there no chance of getting your foot in the door and shadow or apprentice to a more qualified senior guy ? or do all companies thesedays expect you to be born PRO with a great resume and references ?

Aquabat [banned] · April 2007

Yes, i am the same way.

I graduated in octber 06', and i worked as helpdesk, and recently have been promoted to creating accounts in AD and exchange. I am all over the place looking for Network Administrator/Analyst/Engineer but i can either not find anything, or everything needs alot more experience. I almost think becomeing a network admin with only 6 months of experience(like me) is hopeless.

i don't want to wait another year for mroe experience, or to get promoted at my current job. But i may have to

sprkymrk · April 2007

I know it can seem like a long and hard path. There are more qualified applicants than there are jobs in many cases, but it's not hopeless. A search of this forum will reveal others that were able to land good network/admin jobs. Some were fortunate enough to land something right out of college, some had to work and toil for years, but either way it is persistance and drive that pays off, so hang in there.

Gaztop1 wrote:

last year basically started studying in IT hoping to find myself a career i can grow in i mean i enjoy working in IT very interesting and challenging....

I took the time to go the Networking route cause i feel its really challenging but seems so difficult to find work unless you have so many years worth of experience...

My question is really how do you find work as a newbie in something you have spent all your blood , sweat and tears on studying for and doing your best to be as compitent as the Pro's ?

Let me ask you a question - would you say that 1 year of studying counts as "all your blood, sweat and tears"? It's all a matter of perspective really, but I do understand the frustration.

blackmage439 · April 2007

Basically, I don't think you have any hope of finding a job shadow/internship in the papers. I've seen a few on the job searching websites. You're best bet for finding something is through the institution of higher learning that you (hopefully) attended. Practically every college nowadays has some kind of career assistance program to help you learn your trade through apprenticeships. I know the networking department at my college is always posting flyers about job openings and apprenticeships.

dynamik · April 2007

My understanding is that you really need 2-3 years of good experience before you get a "real" position. My advice would be to try and find a small business that doesn't have any IT personnel and try to take that over in additional to the other responsibilities you will be given. You will likely have to apply for some other position, probably something more clerical, to get your foot in the door. Maybe check with friends and family members.

I actually started with a small company about 5 years ago. I just did basic networking with an XP file server. They were literally running floppies around to share files; it was hilarious. That was a sign company and my primary responsibilities were fabrication with a small percentage of my time focused on anything IT related. About a year and a half ago, they merged with another company, and I've now setup a pair of domain controllers and manage around 20 users. I still don't consider this to be a real IT job as only a fraction of my time is spent dealing with IT issues. I get below average pay for my position, but this experience is priceless. They're going to allow me to roll out sharepoint and exchange later this year, which is something I'm really looking forward to. They also help cover the costs of my certifications and training materials.

I guess my advice is to just accept that you're going to have to start out on the lower rung, despite your credentials, and start obtaining some real-world experience.

Slowhand · April 2007

Aside from the regular job searches, I've got one word for you: Craigslist. That's where my current employer found me, and a lot of my friends and former classmates have had luck finding jobs there.

sthomas · April 2007

Unless you get lucky and get a job as a Jr. Network Admin or Network Tech you will have to start at the bottom and work your way up. That usually means starting out at Tech Support and then moving up to a Network position. You may even have to take a lower salary than you would like. If you are in school still you can try and get a part time job or volunteer your time to gain experience. If you are out of school try to get a full time Tech Support job, if they are hard to come by you can volunteer to get experience or get a part time Tech Support job.

I had trouble getting my first full time IT job until I volunteered to gain experience. After about 4 months of that I got offered a full time Tech job as an IT Support Tech at a healthcare company. After a couple of years of that I was offered a full time job at the place I volunteered at. Now I am working as a Sr. Tech there. I guess my point is sometimes you have to make opportunities for yourself instead of waiting for them to come to you. Anyway, I hope that helps and good luck in your career.

Kasor · April 2007

This is a very good question. I'm still waiting for someone to answer

TechJunky · April 2007

Without 2-3 years experience at least, I wouldnt expect to jump into an admin role. Most companies want to know that you have been able to deal with high pressure situations for a couple of years along with your IT background. Plus employeers look for constant growth over the years, rather than staying in the same position year after year.

Good luck!

It took me 5 years to get a Systems Admin/Project Management role. Like any job, no one is an expert over night.

Darthn3ss · April 2007

heh... starting off in tech support. funny you mention that. I was looking through monster.com for jobs last week or so and saw one company whose ideal candidate was one with a BS in computer science, and 2-3 years of experience in tech support. i found that extremely funny.

Plantwiz · April 2007

Gaztop1 wrote:

Hey guys,

i am just sort of venting here and also looking for some advice or solice , last year basically started studying in IT hoping to find myself a career i can grow in i mean i enjoy working in IT very interesting and challenging....

What sort of job do you have today?
No offense, but a LOT of people enjoy networking....so what? What special qualities can you provide your 'future' employer? Do you have marketing skills? Sales skills? Assembling skills? etc... or are you exclusively a 'network' person? Meaning are you limiting the type of employer who could hire you, or are you versitial enough to work for a company AND troubleshoot their network problems as they arise?

Gaztop1 wrote:

I took the time to go the Networking route cause i feel its really challenging but seems so difficult to find work unless you have so many years worth of experience...

Where have you looked? Only your city or withing 50 miles of your city? Have you gone out of state? Out of the country? There are jobs out there for good people...however YOU need to be willing to go GET the job.

What sort of personal networking do you do? What sort of people do you know who can recommend you to other people? There are business groups in many cities where you can socialize with peers and trade services (swap business cards etc.. shake hands, meet-n-great sort of stuff....how much of this have you done and do you do weekly?)

Gaztop1 wrote:

My question is really how do you find work as a newbie in something you have spent all your blood , sweat and tears on studying for and doing your best to be as compitent as the Pro's ? Is there no chance of getting your foot in the door and shadow or apprentice to a more qualified senior guy ? or do all companies thesedays expect you to be born PRO with a great resume and references ?

A great employee is a great employee period. While it may appear that a young person has an advantage in one company and another company the old person has the advantage....that's bunk. You need to market your skills, there is a very, very slim chance that some HR person will open the door one day, walk out and say..."I'm going to the local mall to hire some 'kid'".

Dress for the work you want! If you are young or look young, then dress so people will believe you are credible. I know guys in their 30s who just are very young looking, and are finally now reaching a point of looking like their old enough to work...where in their 20s you'd wonder if they homework or the big football game to get ready for.

Watch your language (and not just swearing) but the 'hey dude!'; 'yo, that's sick man.' etc.. speak like a business professional, not just a punk. There is a place to be yourself and one to get yourself established. The time to grow-up is now

Know how to write/correspond with other business professionals. Grammar, spelling, word usage is a deal breaker for many of 'us' old-timers...but it really boils down to respect. For yourself and the person you are addressing....so grab a dictionary and be certain to use the correct words and spellings.

The work is out there.

Darthn3ss · April 2007

I'm new tot he field, not totally ready to get into the industry yet, but it'd like to comment/ask on a few things in your post. Some backround, i'm an 18 year old college student who works full time.

Where have you looked? Only your city or withing 50 miles of your city? Have you gone out of state? Out of the country? There are jobs out there for good people...however YOU need to be willing to go GET the job.

What sort of personal networking do you do? What sort of people do you know who can recommend you to other people? There are business groups in many cities where you can socialize with peers and trade services (swap business cards etc.. shake hands, meet-n-great sort of stuff....how much of this have you done and do you do weekly?)

Speaking for myself here, but if you're looking for a job 50 miles away entry level, it better have good pay. Thats either a: a tank of gas every other day, or B: relocating. Not saying i'm not looking out of town, but I can see why someone wouldn't be happy about having to relocate to get a tech support job paying $12 an hour or something.

On the personal networking thing, do you know if theres any specific organization for that? I live in a fairly small area (Charleston, SC) so if the IT jobs market here is tiny, i can hardly even imagine something like that existing here.

A great employee is a great employee period. While it may appear that a young person has an advantage in one company and another company the old person has the advantage....that's bunk. You need to market your skills, there is a very, very slim chance that some HR person will open the door one day, walk out and say..."I'm going to the local mall to hire some 'kid'".

Dress for the work you want! If you are young or look young, then dress so people will believe you are credible. I know guys in their 30s who just are very young looking, and are finally now reaching a point of looking like their old enough to work...where in their 20s you'd wonder if they homework or the big football game to get ready for.

Watch your language (and not just swearing) but the 'hey dude!'; 'yo, that's sick man.' etc.. speak like a business professional, not just a punk. There is a place to be yourself and one to get yourself established. The time to grow-up is now icon_wink.gif

Know how to write/correspond with other business professionals. Grammar, spelling, word usage is a deal breaker for many of 'us' old-timers...but it really boils down to respect. For yourself and the person you are addressing....so grab a dictionary and be certain to use the correct words and spellings.

The work is out there.

I completely agree with the above. Even though the jobs i've had aren't exactly high paying, have great benefits, etc, It kills me ever time i see someone coming for an interview unshaved, dressed sloppy, hair looking like they just woke up, inappropriate attire, etc.

buulam · April 2007

Darthn3ss wrote:

I completely agree with the above. Even though the jobs i've had aren't exactly high paying, have great benefits, etc, It kills me ever time i see someone coming for an interview unshaved, dressed sloppy, hair looking like they just woke up, inappropriate attire, etc.

i think that attire is a requirement at a video game company

Kaminsky · April 2007

If you show an interest and graft you a$$ off, especially out of hours when most others have gone home, the senior guys who are still trying to finish their daily tasks will notice you. Especially if you have doghnuts! Get chatting if you /they have time and say where your coming from /what your working toward..... You get the picture. (don't forget the doghnuts though and try not to look all wide eyed!)

coldbug · April 2007

IT is a TOP growing career field. A lot of people are shifting to it. The more people gain skills, and education, the harder it will be to get a job for those starters.
Five years ago, 9/10 hiring managers might had hired someone with just certs, and little skills. Then, they would try him out for a few months as a temp. That opportunity has said "Goodbye" to those with no skills, nowadays.
Don't get me wrong. There are some companies that would still do that today, but the chances are trimmer.

I, myself had been looking for a job <pc tech, help desk, or tech support> for more than 6 months now. I had recruiters call me like 2-3 times a week, but havn't landed 1 interview.
All i have is A+/Network+, and great desire to get a job in IT field. I have almost 5 months experience as Hardware Support tech back in 2002. That aint helping either.
But you know what? Giving up is not on my list!!
All i can do is keep my current job at Radio Shack, keep taking certs, and hunt for jobs everyday.
OMG..i dont even mind to work at Help desk with $5.75/hr minimum wage, eat Raymen Noodles and live in a box. I am serious. lol

Why is it so hard to find work in something you Qualified in

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