Can't Find IT job! Getting Very Frustrated!!

I've been on several interviews and no one will hire me. I do admit, my interviewing skills need some work. I have practiced and I also sat on mock interviews. I have my Bachelors of Arts in Management Information Technology and I can't seem to land the job. I even tried an entry-level position and a woman who worked as a secretary and has no I.T. background got hired before me and when I inquired about it they said she interviewed really well (what an excuse!) The next interview I went on, it seemed as if the hiring manager wanted someone with project management experience or coursework and unfortunately I have neither! This situation really does suck. I'm thinking of either entering a Masters program in a different field because I.T. is So Difficult to break into. I feel like I'm mad at the world!!

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nhan.ng

have you ever work in IT before? what type of job did you apply for? in this field a BS alone will not land you a job, experience will (well, unless you're lucky and someone willing to take a chance in you)

jamesleecoleman

I suggest volunteering at small organizations such as schools or religious organizations.
I know volunteering isn't the best thing in the world to build experience but its a start. Also what certifications do you have? It will help you out a lot.

SteveLord

I think you are very confused my friend. If you have little to no experience, you are not very marketable. I would almost say your bachelor's makes it worse. Why? Because they think you'll demand more money. Don't let it go to your head.

NetworkVeteran

New2ITinCali wrote: »

I'I have my Bachelors of Arts in Management Information Technology and I can't seem to land the job.

I'm sorry to hear that. You have to be realistic about your expectations--you didn't get a technical degree like a CS/EE degree. If you want to increase your chances of landing a technical position, you should aim to obtain technical knowledge some other way. Like certifications!

I even tried an entry-level position and

You even tried an entry-level position? That's what you mostly should be targetting. And I hope you don't believe those are beneath you, as that will usually come across in your demeanor.

a woman who worked as a secretary and has no I.T. background.. I.T. is So Difficult to break into. I feel like I'm mad at the world!!

Re-read what you just wrote. They gave a secretary with no IT background a chance! If you're up to obtaining some technical knowledge, they will likely give you a chance, too.

I wouldn't worry so much about "interview skills". An interview is actually quite simple--they will come up with unique ways to determine if you have the necessary skills and personality to do the job they want--and you are interviewing them to see if it's a good role for you. Work on learning the skills for the career you want and the interview tends to flow easily.

YuckTheFankees

Look at indeed, simplyhired, dice, and your local craigslist site. I received my 1st I.T. job last October with no degree or I.T. experience doing NOC/ Linux support. After 6 months of that, and gaining multiple certifications..another company took a chance on me and paid me double! The jobs are out there, just keep looking.

I forgot to mention that your location does matter. When my friend in Detroit looked for jobs in a NOC, only 4 hits came up on indeed, I had over 100 hits here in Denver.

docrice

I'm not paying attention at entry-level positions, but I'm under the impression that the Bay has a growing pool of jobs in the Silicon Valley. That said, I'd guess that many companies are picky about what they expect. If you lack experience, then certs or a degree might help, but isn't always the ticket. Sometimes you just need to show that you have a personality that works for their culture. If they feel you have an attitude of entitlement, they're going to pass you right by because in the IT world, you have to pay your dues. It's not a fair game, but many times that's just how it is. Every interviewer asks him/herself whether they can put up working with you every day.

That said, my company has been hiring and while it's not entry level, I will say that we've had a damn hard time finding people that are a good fit. We're also pretty choosy. An IT job is a position of high trust, entry level or not, because there's a lot of potential access to sensitive data. The perception of character and trustworthiness comes into play a lot here in a big way.

How long have you been looking and how many places have you interviewed at?

a.a.!4life

New2ITinCali wrote: »

The next interview I went on, it seemed as if the hiring manager wanted someone with project management experience or coursework and unfortunately I have neither!

Have you thought of getting the Comptia Project+ certification?

Essendon

Great advice by the previous posters already, but you ABSOLUTELY must work on a certification. The A+ is a good start for someone trying to break in to the industry, helps in getting your resume picked from the pile.

It may/may not make you feel better, but I hunted for 9 months after completing a Master's in Engineering. This was a technical degree with some research thrown in and from a decent school, still took me that much time to land a job. And the job was doing the graveyard shift for an ISP that most people hated. That was 5 years ago. In 5 years I've been able to more than triple my salary by working my a$$ off on certifications and at the job. Keep at it, you'll land a job soon enough.

the_hutch

a.a.!4life wrote: »

Have you thought of getting the Comptia Project+ certification?

...or an MS powerpoint certification

RouteThisWay

I feel you man. Just wanted to throw out my experience to see if maybe you could do something like it.

While getting my Associates degree, I knew it would be hard to break into IT in my location. I live in a smallish college town not really known for it's technical work (except for a DOE lab nearby). What I ended up doing was identifying companies that did IT work. One turned out to be a local small business with about 75 employees that built their own branded PC and sold them to other business, school districts, and other govt entities. They were hiring in the warehouse however doing shipping/receiving. Basically, I did inventory control, received packages, shipped out ones to customers. After I did that for about a year I finished my degree and earned my A+ and Net+. Once a tech position opened up, I interviewed as an internal candidate and was building their PCs in their production room. After a year of that, I moved to the Service Dept and went out to repair them. Once I had another year of that with break/fix and assembly- I leveraged my technical skills and soft skills I developed as a company representative/customer support person to land a Help Desk job. The Sys Admin there began to let me take on smaller and smaller functions in his job until I ended up finding a System Administrator position somewhere else.

It wasn't glamarous and it was a hard road. It may not be for everyone- but, I identified a way to get my foot in the door somewhere. It doesn't have to be a tech job to start out with. Just get in somewhere that you can prove you fit the company culture, show ambition, etc.

And yes- get technical certifications. They matter when starting out.

rensational

In my opinion--and I'm going to say something different from what most are saying--for the most part, if you're getting interviews, then I don't think a lack of certs or experience is really what's holding you back. You do have an example of a time when someone brought you in to interview without having the experience they seemed to be seeking, but that suggests something about your resume is intriguing and the problem really is mainly coming in the interviews. In general, employers won't spend time interviewing you if they look at the resume and feel it's lacking.

I know you're getting a lot of different stories and opinions, but I'll add at least one more. My experience has been such that I believe you can get something without a degree, certs and/or experience. It sure does help to have at least one, preferably the experience--again, going off my experience. My degree is not in IT, CS, EE or anything like that...it's one of those "you're an idiot for getting a degree in that and then wondering why no one will hire you" degrees, according to most people (ironically, my major actually did seem to help me with my current employer, even though it's an IT job). I can't right now get a high-paying job with no IT-related degree and no certs, but, like someone else said, using volunteer and freelance-type of experience on my resume did start to help. I used to work on other people's computers, laptops and networks all the time for free, and eventually I just decided to put that on my resume and ask some of those people if they'd be references if I needed any. This led to entry level jobs, which, sorry, you'll probably have to "settle" for in order to build more experience. After getting that first entry-level job, I've had no problem getting callbacks, interviews and other job offers.

The only other thought that comes to my mind for you is the Bay Area just seems like it would be a hard place to find an IT job starting out. I don't know for sure. But I'd guess there are a lot of highly-qualified people out there applying for IT jobs, so you'd have more competition. One of the things that I feel helped me get an IT job is leaving a major city and going back home to what I consider a B or C-list city. I was getting interviews in Chicago, but I was not getting those jobs. I imagine I had more and better competition in Chicago than I do where I live now.

So, my advice would be to work on your interviewing skills, apply for entry-level jobs and...not going to tell you to move, but you might need certs and experience more in SF, or any other way to stand out above the competition.

drkat

One word... Experience...

You're going to need to gain that experience. I'd look at TekSystems or Spherion or even RobertHalf for a contract gig doing deployment or desktop support and hopefully you'll be hired on full time after X days, or moved into another contract. You'll gain VALUABLE experience doing this in the beginning and you can then start interviewing for the full time gigs and will have the experience to go with the degree. Just my $0.02

I did it - hell I had no degree but just a raw passion for IT - all you need is a little determination. Good luck to you!

VAHokie56

There are two or three post in this forum that are kind of "what was your first IT job" type threads...go have a look at all the reply's and see what people started with and where. Most started with an entry level cert in a entry level job. That and all this other great advice in this thread should give your answers.

RouteThisWay

Not to beat a dead horse, but I guess I missed this part when I first read your post:

"I even tried an entry-level position"

I am not sure how you feel you are qualified for anything other than an entry-level position if you don't have any experience. Maybe you need to try to focus on entry level jobs and not settling for applying for one. The secretary with no IT experience is sitting in the same boat as you experience wise.

Just having a degree doesn't mean you skip to non-entry level positions. The only way you do that is by getting experience, therefore becoming a non-entry level person.

Also, the whole "what an excuse" comment about her interviewing well- that isn't an excuse. They picked her over you because she interviewed better than you, simple as that. They felt she was a better fit for the job and it sounds like you felt the work was beneath you anyway since you "even tried an entry level position". That probably came across in the interview unintentionally. We have all had other candidates selected over us. It will happen again to you in the future. Good luck man and keep your chin up.

halaakajan

Target entry level jobs and improve your resume. An Interviewer determines if he/she will hire someone within minutes you walk in the door, how you walk, how you present yourself, how you talk etc. (professionalism stuff) if you dont have experience working but you have experiencing studying ? tell them what you know and what you can do. Pray before you go to the interview. Keep applying.

networker050184

If they are giving a secretary with no IT experience the job over you I'd have to say you are doing a poor job of selling yourself in the interview. I'd work on that before anything else. If you can't close the deal once you get in the interview room all the qualifications in the world aren't going to help you.

JasonX

This advice may be too little too late, though did you have any internships? During my undergrad, we were able to enroll in a Co-op course which was essentially a paid internship which also provided 3 credits.

I ultimately ended up taking a position with the company I interned with for a reasonable salary.

I'd suggest you consider applying towards internships, they are not limited to only enrolled students and could get your foot in the door for a fulltime permanent position. You need to build some experience.

networkjutsu

I feel your pain. I went through the same thing. It took me a while to get a job in IT. I was picky though. I didn't apply to any help desk positions so that contributed to the reason why I didn't get an IT job as soon as possible. Try getting some certs and try to network with people. That might help you land a job. Anyway, if you're interested, I can pass your resume to one of the managers here at work since there's an open Help Desk position. Let me know!

HLRS

its doesnt matter what degree or certs you have. end of the day it matters "who you know". it helps a lot .
also problem is , you dont any relevant IT certifications, do you see post listings sayin degree+ IT certs like A+, N+, CCNA, etc.
degree its self is useless. you need experience, degree and specific certs. Degree itself is very general. there are many ways to go it IT, Networking, Security etc.

Keener

I was in a similar situation about 7 years ago. I graduated with a Computer Science degree in May 2002. At that time, the market was flooded with higher level IT people taking pay cuts for jobs and I didn't try real hard to get a job (slacker!). I ended up bartending and then managing in a casino for about 3 years. After a team member survey (where I was tore up - basically since I made people work and didn't give them slack on the job- USMC background) I was headed out the door. In my action plan I was directed towards a book titled How to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less. I used this to help me land my first job in IT almost 3 years after completing my degree. I would recommend it to you as it will help you create that first impression and learn some techniques to develop rapport and get them to remember you when it comes time for job offers. That job I applied for I applied for on a whim. I didn't have but about half of the experience they were looking for, but it still worked out. Keep your head up. It will come when you least expect it.

Akaricloud

I hate to say it but if you're getting interviews and getting turned down in favor of less-educated applicants then the problem most likely resides in you.

Saying that it's a hard field to break into really is just an excuse. Anyone can get an IT job quite easily with the right attitude but I really don't see that here. Instead of being "mad at the world" and blaming the interviewers for picking alternative candidates, take some responsibility and own up to your downfalls. Realize that you have no experience, you're not better than a secretary that walks off the street and what is going to get you a job is only your attitude.

Apply for entry level jobs, show your excitement to learn, and explain how you as a person will benefit their company.

scottbomb

I'm in a similar situation as the original poster. The problem I'm having is that "entry level" IT jobes don't even seem to exist. Everyone says "help desk" and "desktop support" positions are entry-level (and perhaps they are) but I have yet to find a company that will even consider someone with less than one or two years of experience. I live in the 4th largest metro area in the country and sites like dice and monster are overflowing with IT openings. But when I start reading through the ads - they're all the same. No experience? Don't bother. I still apply, and always get the same answer: "Sorry, you have no experience."

I think the overall economy has a lot to do with it. Real unemployment is around 13%. Add in all the outsourcing to India and the insourcing of H1B visas and it's a double-whammy. There are a lot of unemployed IT pros that do have experience so employers have it made. Hopefully this will eventually turn around when the economy does finally recover. When that happens is anyone's guess.

petedude

scottbomb wrote: »

I'm in a similar situation as the original poster.

Do you live near a Best Buy? Get a Geek Squad job as a starting point.

WafflesAndRootbeer

petedude wrote: »

Do you live near a Best Buy? Get a Geek Squad job as a starting point.

I wouldn't suggest that to anyone. Speaking from experience as someone who went from Special Agent to more or less running the precinct, it's absolutely nothing like real organized IT jobs and I've had it used against me in the hiring process when I've had it on my resume. Working at a similar setup through Office Depot or Staples will give you much less work but it will also be (in most cases) a lot better for you in terms of what you have to deal with and the kinds of people you have to deal with on a daily basis, not to mention you will feel better.

hackman2007

scottbomb wrote: »

I'm in a similar situation as the original poster. The problem I'm having is that "entry level" IT jobes don't even seem to exist. Everyone says "help desk" and "desktop support" positions are entry-level (and perhaps they are) but I have yet to find a company that will even consider someone with less than one or two years of experience. I live in the 4th largest metro area in the country and sites like dice and monster are overflowing with IT openings. But when I start reading through the ads - they're all the same. No experience? Don't bother. I still apply, and always get the same answer: "Sorry, you have no experience."

I think the overall economy has a lot to do with it. Real unemployment is around 13%. Add in all the outsourcing to India and the insourcing of H1B visas and it's a double-whammy. There are a lot of unemployed IT pros that do have experience so employers have it made. Hopefully this will eventually turn around when the economy does finally recover. When that happens is anyone's guess.

Instead of trying to use Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice, etc, try proactively looking for jobs. Since you live in a large metro area, make a list of all the companies you could work for. It doesn't matter if they have open positions, just make a list. Then go through the phone book and look for companies you recognize and write them down. Next, go back through the phone book and look for smaller companies, research them a little and start drafting resumes.

From my job hunting experience, please make sure you tailor your resume to the position, don't just throw your resume at the person (no 5 page resumes, no errors, no oddities, etc).

It also helps if you drive around town a little bit. The one piece of advice I took away from my university, if the place has 2 or more doors, they probably have a need for IT and may or may not be hiring.

Good luck.

Daniel333

Can you please post your resume?

scottbomb

Good suggestions, thank you. That's a new approach I will have to try.

petedude

hackman2007 wrote: »

Instead of trying to use Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice, etc, try proactively looking for jobs.

There is nothing like going door to door in 90-degree heat in a three-piece suit. Yes, it's crazy, but you'd learn a lot about businesses in your area and maybe garner a few contacts (not to mention it being "good for character").

The only problem with the in-person approach is that some companies are starting to shy away from it, as they've gotten acclimated to getting resumes via E-mail.

hackman2007 wrote: »

It also helps if you drive around town a little bit. The one piece of advice I took away from my university, if the place has 2 or more doors, they probably have a need for IT and may or may not be hiring.

A better indicator would be number of employees. Fewer than 12 employees, and they can use consultants/MSPs. 12-30 employees, they can use someone but it's tough to justify the expenditure so MSPs are a big sell. 30-99 employees, easier to get in but probably long hours with low pay/benefits (good cred if you do well, though, and a lot of flexibility once you earn your stripes). 100-300 employees, they almost certainly need at least one full-time system admin. At 300+ employees they should have a small IT staff.

While we're on this, you should start knocking on doors at the MSPs. Great entry-to-mid level IT jobs there, and often times they're good places to work culturally-- even if the pay/benefits are not what you'd like.

kurosaki00

get certs man
I spent 2 years looking for an IT job, I worked selling phones and around in "pc repair" in my free time
Once I got my first certs (the only ones I have lol)
I began to get a lot of calls for interviews
at some point I had 3 interviews in one week.
After a while I landed my network admin job

Get your A+ and your Net+ or skip to CCENT if you know your network basics
get your MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support (cheap exams ++)

scottbomb

If Daniel333 is asking about my resume, I'll be glad to post it. I also think it's part of my problem. I've been in sales roles for about 15 years and I'm trying to make a career change. I'm currently enrolled in a BS - Information Systems program at a university but I attend part-time (because I work full-time) and I've got a long way to go before that's complete. I certainly have a passion for IT and I've been building my own computers since the 1980s (including some programming in BASIC and Java).

That being said, here is what I use for a cover letter and resume.

Cover Letter:

Hello,

I have extensive PC hardware and software configuration and troubleshooting skills with Windows 9x, XP, 7. My computers are all home-built, proficiency is A+ equivalent level. I have a good understanding of networking principals (including subnetting), proficient at the Network+ level. I have experience with Linux (including 2 computers that dual boot Linux and Win 7). I also have intermediate-level Java programming skills, including a strong understanding of OOP and the software development lifecycle. I am working toward Oracle certification in Java.

I attend school part-time, working toward a degree in Information Systems. I also bring 15 years of experience in inside sales, training, and customer service roles, which gives me the soft skills needed in today's business environment.

I am proficient in Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), PeopleSoft, various CRM applications, proprietary billing systems, and other applications. I also have professional experience training hundreds of people on CRM and customer billing systems. I also have some experience in website design (I own 2 domain names and manage a 3rd).

I hope you'll consider my application.

Sincerely,
Scott M****

Resume:

Objective
Sales and customer service professional with over 15 years of experience seeking entry-level IT position while completing a bachelor’s degree program in Information Systems.

Experience
June 2010 – Present
Ambit Energy
Plano, TX
Senior Consultant Support Associate
Assist Ambit’s independent sales consultants with all aspects of their business in a multi-level marketing organization. Research and solve problems related to commissions, customer billing issues, and company policies and procedures. Train, coach, and trouble-shoot various issues on their marketing and business management websites. Assist sales consultants with their electric and natural gas customers who may have billing issues, including those who have been disconnected for non-payment.

Aug 2009 – Feb 2010
SuperMedia
Irving, TX
Media Consultant
Sell yellow pages, Internet, and direct mail advertising to new, existing, and former customers. Create ads and internet business profiles, modify telephone directory listings, and prospect for new business. Assist business owners with internet marketing and search engine optimization.

Mar 2008 – Aug 2009
The Regus Group
Dallas, TX
Sales Consultant/Regional Account Manager
Sell Virtual Office space and qualify/pre-sell full-service, managed offices to small and medium-sized businesses. Process leads from company website and brokers for customers seeking office space in over 1000 locations worldwide. Maintain a pipeline of leads from inquiry through sale.

Aug 2004 – Mar 2008
The Dallas Morning News
Dallas, TX
Account Executive
Sell, create, and manage classified and ROP ads for various clients including real estate, automotive, and merchandise advertisers. Assist customers in creating exceptional ads that highlight benefits for prospective buyers. Maintain over 75 business and private party accounts and consistently exceed sales goals. Recipient, 2004 and 2007 Dallas Morning News President’s Club/APEX Award for sales performance.

Jan 2000 – July 2004
West Corporation
El Paso, TX
Training Team Leader
Responsible for training and supervising classes of 20 new-hires each month for a large customer contact center. Taught product knowledge, selling skills, and systems (CRM, billing, data entry). Kept daily records of student progress. Coached students and tracked their performance when they complete training to ensure they met company sales goals. Previous role: Several inbound and outbound telephone sales projects for clients including business-to-business and business-to-consumer. Products include local & long-distance telephone, Internet, and cable TV. Often called upon to train, coach, and motivate other Marketing Representatives.

Computers
Highly proficient with all versions of Windows, Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), PeopleSoft, various CRM, proprietary billing systems, and other applications. Extensive PC hardware and software configuration and troubleshooting skills, A+ and Network+ level. Some experience in website design, Java, C++, C#, and Linux. Working toward Oracle Java certification.

Education
Currently enrolled at Regis University for the completion of a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems. GPA was 3.3 with 44 credit hours completed as of Nov 2011.

Note: Employment experience goes back to 1990. For the sake of brevity, I have presented the last 12 years. I’m happy to discuss my additional sales, retail management, and restaurant experience.