What did you do to get a job at first?

Destonomos

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 13, 2004
Messages
1,027
I'm a college grad, well going to be one in May with a BS in telecommunications systems management. I also have the CCNA cert and have done a 5 to 6 month intern at the 3rd largest bank security and service company in the US and I'm having trouble finding a job. I'm moving to the St. Louis area (fenton, edwardsville, o'fallon) and I have litterally applied at every job I qualify for on hotjobs, monster, and careerbuilder and I've gotten 3 or so rejection emails and 1 written mail rejection. The only people that have called me back was att in o'fallon about a sales rep job that only required a GED....

How the hell am I supposed to find a job in an area I don't already live in because I plan to move there because my fiancee lives there? What did you do to find a job?
 
Social network -- that's how I got my current and previous jobs. College buddies got me in their IT Dept for a healthcare consulting firm. They moved on to other jobs, and I took their spot. Probably will do the same in a few more years depending on how things go.

However, I shouldn't be a prime example b/c I don't have any certifications, and I get paid alright for what I am currently doing. I would be making a lot more if I had the B.S or vendor certification like you do/will have.

You have desirable credentials, so just keep applying. Maybe try a recruiter that is dependable (and hungry) that other IT Professionals have used (and you trust).

I don't really like the hotjobs, monster, careerbuilder sites though. Especially Monster -- so flippin' annoying to respond back when you're not a member.
 
I networked,

I worked for a company and got to know some of the guys in the MIS department, when he got married and moved, he got me his job. Very nice of him, never heard from him after that lol
 
I joined the Air Force. Before I was going to get out I put my resume on monster and dice. I had a few calls after I posted my resume. I still get calls from time to time.
 
IMO, certs and a degree are only about 5% of the equation. You'll get farther with experience then you will with your certs and/or degree. What I'm saying is, just because you have the papers, doesn't mean you aren't going to start as a desk monkey doing the crap jobs for $10-$15 an hour until you get the experience needed to move up in to the fields you want to be in. I'd plan to be a monkey for 2-5 years, you may get a break sooner but you may not. Networking is one of your most useful tools. So start networking ;)
 
IMO, certs and a degree are only about 5% of the equation. You'll get farther with experience then you will with your certs and/or degree. What I'm saying is, just because you have the papers, doesn't mean you aren't going to start as a desk monkey doing the crap jobs for $10-$15 an hour until you get the experience needed to move up in to the fields you want to be in. I'd plan to be a monkey for 2-5 years, you may get a break sooner but you may not. Networking is one of your most useful tools. So start networking ;)

I'm looking for the desk monkey jobs and still can't find any :(.
 
One tip is to have all your contact information reflect the area where you are applying in. Keep in mind that there are a lot of highly skilled/qualified/competitive applicants in the area. So if they see that you don't live in the area, they'll probably dump your app in the recycling bin.

Take a look at the classifieds in the local papers or craigslist even.
 
combination of many things for me. I was under qualified in termof certification, but I had some good experience and breadth of knowledge. a very professional and courteous demeanor helped a lot as well. To get my present job I knew someone at the company who was kind enough to pass along my resume, along with a verbal recommendation. I also ended up taking an entry level job at the company, before being promoted to the position I first applied for a few months later. They put me in helpdesk for a while to verify I knew what i was talking about (as I didn't have certs) but am not doing systems administration, and a bit of network administration. Should also mention I didn't move straight into the role of "systems administrator" after helpdesk, I was a "junior systems administrator" for a while too.
 
I applied for a job that I wasn't even close to qualified for. I was lucky enough to get an interview and I showed a strong eagerness to learn. Low and behold I got the job.
 
I applied on some obscure sites today and got a phone call about a linux OSx support job I applied for because it specified lan/wan. Dammit I'm a windows guy :*( I have little to no experience in linux and osX
 
I applied for a job that I wasn't even close to qualified for. I was lucky enough to get an interview and I showed a strong eagerness to learn. Low and behold I got the job.

Protoform-X brought up a good point. A lot of employers look for people they can "train" if it isn't of a Senior level job. Even at such a level, being able to adapt and learn at the job is a positive trait.

You might want to consider doing some volunteering/internship for a bit so you gain exposure to current technology and so you can put it in your resume, and possibly acquire a solid position of employment. I volunteered at the Red Cross for a while, and I was going to be hired there b/c of my aptitude for learning and b/c I was the "IT guy that didn't make people feel like idiots." I turned the job down b/c it interfered with school and I ended up getting a better paying job.

Good luck though. And also, do try to learn how to administer with different operating systems. There are jobs out there that want those qualities.
 
I got a couple of certs and took a shot. The second IT job I interviewed for, I got. I don't have a college degree, although I am working on one.
 
I got offered a job starting after I get my degree in May!

I think it helped that I have done voluntary IT work for a big company previous and have my fingers in many pies, so I managed to shine in the interview when I got asked very varied questions.

Only thing is, i've been studying networking for the last three years and i'll be working as a consultant in a purely microsoft shop! Was kind of hoping to get into networking, i'll still aim for my CCNA/P though!
 
I got my first IT job because I was hungry for it. I walked into a small potatoes system builder and asked for the owner, who I literally yelled at to give me a job. I chewed on him for about 5 minutes in a rant because I was fed up with toting around my resume to HR pencil-pushers that just tossed my life's accomplishments into a big pile of To-Be-Shredded hopefuls. I don't recommend you get up the face of some poor guy that doesn't deserve it, but looking back on how he must have perceived me I understand 100% why he hired me. He saw that no matter how inexperienced I was (and believe me, I had no tech experience, no certs, not even a degree) he knew that I was passionate about working in the tech field. I was eager to learn and hungry to work.

Now that I'm on the other side of the hiring game I'm looking for similar qualities. It doesn't matter to me as much what certs or degrees a person has... what matters is the dedication a person will put into their work. The old adage of "Hire character, train skills" is totally true, at least for me. When I'm looking through resumes, I look for experience to get an idea of what character building elements a person might have taken from a given job. If you don't have experience, then it's a lot harder to wow me with a resume.

If you're not at all in the area then you might want to revamp your resume to show a dedication to learning and a love of technology. If you are able to get to the area for a day or two during the week, start banging on doors. Even if you start in a small potatoes firm, you'll be on your way to the experience your resume needs.

I'll close agreeing with the above posters on the thought that you probably will start out at a low paying job. Don't expect the $50k job with 401k and nice vacation package right out of the door. Many of us started in some kind of helpdesk environment, often for $30k a year or less. You've got good credentials, be sure to keep current with your certs. When you're looking for a better paying job in 12-18 months you'll want to have those shining stars to put smiles on the pudgy faces of HR.
 
I'll give you my experiences. Even though I'm new on this road. Age matters, and experience matters.

I'm 33, christ I'm getting old :(

I've done mostly network stuff for myself, but I've done a lot of everything. I tried for a job 2 months ago with a local cable company, they wouldn't let me test despite my experience.

Fast forward 2 months, and 2 certifications later (A+ and Network+, low level crap that anyone thats opened a PC in their life can pass, trust me).

They were still hiring yesterday, I took my resume with my fresh new certifications as the top 2 lines.
12 hours later, I got a phone call and an interview.

Experience matters, and apparently so does the paper. I'm hoping all goes well, not that I have a bad job at this point in my life (disabled for 18 months, people call you a risk factor, and I pulled a $16/hr job outta my ass right out the gate).

If you have a BS, you're well ahead of where I am, I have no college degree, but I have kid tested, mother approved good hard work ethic, and I've never went to a job interview and not got the job after interviewing. I write shitty resumes, but you sit me in front of the person that calls the shots, and I'll walk outta there with a job offer,

In a few weeks I'll be getting my MCP (1 test, dumb easy) and getting 1/4 of my MCSA by doing so, hint, if you have A+ and Network+ or Security + combo, you get 1/4 towards your MCSA that way, so I'll be 1/2 way towards a MCSA, and I plan on having that complete within 2-3 months (some call it hard, but I been doing this crap for so long, its just second nature to me at this point).

Don't stop your education where you are, CCNA is an awesome credential, and one I'll never be interested in getting, but you don't see a whole lot of people doing CCNA these days, and having it gives you a leg up an a guy like me in a fight for a job that wants it.

Oh and one thing I learned:
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY LIST everything you ever did. If you learned how to install PC hardware, LIST IT, install Windows and configure it, LIST IT. Even if you don't have the paper to back it up, LIST IT, I've admin'd Linux servers, listed it, windows servers, listed it.
Trust me, make sure you leave no stone unturned, I'm a modest modest fellow, and I have a hard time "bragging about myself" but on a resume, you SHOULD.

Now, if you can't backup your bullshit, don't list it, but seriously, don't be shy.
 
i have my mcdst cert and getting my A plus cert. i will also get N plus cert. i want to do security plus also. i hope to get a job somewhere i see some good advice in these thread.
 
Thats one of the few things I'm lacking... Linux experience. One of my classes at college used it for 2 weeks and that was is and that was 3 years ago... I think I'm going to put the CCNP on hold and try and go for a linux cert to show that I can do that operating system. There are a ton of jobs listing Linux Admin experience.
 
I actually found sites like Monster and CareerBuilder and whatnot to be of very little help. I just started a new job this past week, and I found it by looking at their website. I've gotten a couple of leads and interviews by finding the jobs on their websites. Find out some of the companies in the area, and then start looking at what they have open.

I doubt it's any consolation, but I graduated with a BS last August, and I was working a part time job (at 40hrs a week...) until this opportunity came up. It's an incredibly tough market right now.
 
Yes, absolutely its a tough market. But thats part of the rewarding aspect of getting a job you want IN a tough market.

As far as getting additional certs. I would agree its not a bad idea, a well rounded individual has many options for expansion, both sideways and upwards in a company that has that kind of options.

You'll find though that most will focus on a central point, and kind of branch off from there. Like, DBA will do 90% DB work, and they'll be backup on other projects.

Me personally, I'm taking a very focused approach once I'm in the door.

To put it bluntly, I'm gonna tailor my future education towards what my employer has a need for, as long as its within reason of course. I'm not gonna go get a BS, but I can see myself finishing up a 2 year as I can basically test out of most of the computer/networking stuff without much worry, and then just rounding out the general study crap they force you to take to continue to feed the hand that feeds you.

I've always enjoyed the more technical / vocational college approach, get in, get what you need to excel at what you want to do, and move on. Focused learning, with a definitive goal. If I wanted to learn about liberal arts, I'd go paint, I want to learn about networking, because I'll be smashing network cables into switch ports. They at least balance the off topic stuff around more general area's, language, writing, communication.

As far as knothead goes. I'd suggest you grab up security+ for the simple fact that as you advance, your MCSA will become MCSA:Security, so you'll have 1 more you can throw down on paper that will show some more specialization into that area, and its apparently one of the hotter directions for MCSA/MCSE is to snap up the security side, and security+ is what you can have along with A+ to reach it. Once you can start intertwining them all together you ease the workload necessary to do it all, and still get your goals accomplished, then you can continue to grow up, or grow out to more topics.
 
I used Dice.com to land a few interviews, went down to final few.. didn't work out.

Got hired by a local firm who had good relationship with my old boss who pointed me in their direction. Networking.
 
Me to find a job. I'm in the Air Force for another two months but just talking with the guys and finding out about the hidden jobs that aren't advertised is helpful. I'm working with the same people that I hope to turn into a career.
 
this is the best thread ive seen on these forums.

try checking out schools. there're plenty of schools that are behind in technology or under-utilizing what they have. If you call around you may even convince a school they need another technology worker. you could call the principals and ask how well their technology is working and how well connected they are. if they seem dissatisfied, you can bring this up with the superintendent, business admin, or network admin and offer your services. Plus the hours are always good and you may even get full benefits included.

I'd been looking for a job for months. i have no certs, no degrees; just experience and a good attitude. i heard my old high school was looking for an IT position and i applied online. they had me come in for an interview and a technology exam. Brought a few resumes with me, impressed with the interview and experience, and did OK on the test. they liked me so much that they had me come back later in the day to meet up with some of the others i might be working with, including my old middle school principal, and to tour the buildings that i wouldnt have seen as a student 5 years prior.

they had me come back for 2 more interviews with the Business Administrator and the Superintendent and a week later they sent me an offer that i accepted. Both the SI and BA loved the fact i graduated there and still lived in town. they repeated this throughout the interviews.

i'm the low man for sure and i'm very under-qualified compared to both my bosses but i handle the simple stuff with ease. All 3 of the technical people on the IT staff (we have a secretary/assistant) are more than happy to teach me new stuff. they know i'm eager to learn new things to help out with the work loads.

Before this job, i'd applied to probably 30 positions through Monster, got rejection emails from a half dozen, and had one hit that ending up fizzling. it was blind chance that i found out about this job opening and im fortunate for the chance to let me show em my stuff despite lack of any formal education or papers.
 
There seems to be a ton of linux jobs in the st. louis area so I think the next exam I'll be doing ins the linux+
 
IMO, certs and a degree are only about 5% of the equation. You'll get farther with experience then you will with your certs and/or degree.
Yes, but only in the context of applicability to the IT Manager.
Certs get you past HR, after that they become worthless.

I got my first IT job because I was hungry for it. I walked into a small potatoes system builder and asked for the owner, who I literally yelled at to give me a job.
While that does show you are passionate, I'd never advise it. I would've hung up on anyone that did that to me.
try checking out schools.
Only problem with that is it is a state or city job, depending what kind of school. You've usually got budget restraints which means no job raises if it's not approved or the money isn't there.

However like you said, the pluses are good benefits as well as just 40 hours.





Networking is 100% key. Heck, I was ASKED to come in for a formal interview on my first real job. Didn't know much, but A) Good worth ethic and B) Ability to learn and adapt and the company took a risk and hired me on.
 
This is probably an ovious answer, but millitary is one of the best sources to get experience, and have a guaranteed job waiting for you if choose to get out after your first enlistmnet. I dont have a college degree, but make an extremely good living, all thanks to my millitary experience.

Also employers love to hire veterans, they know they will have the discipline and work ethic.
 
One thing you have to deal with the the AB layoffs going on right now. I am not sure how much they are affecting the IT department though.

One place you can check out is bjc.org. I know they have a few IT spots. Also saic.com they hire a lot with government contracts and I get email from them all of the time.

If nothing there is something you would be interested I could at least hook you up with a few head hunters I know.

If you need any contacts shoot me a PM
 
The air force base where I am moving to is hiring but they want people with 6 to 10 years experience and I've applied to all jobs I qualify for but I haven't gotten any word back in months and they have relisted the jobs many times. Its nothing glamorous but t-mobile emailed me today about an interview they want to setup on thursday of this week. I've got to email two teachers, talk to my boss tonight at work and drive 8 hours round trip in one day and crunch my homework into 1 day that was going to take 3 now all for a 12 dollar an hour job + commission :(.
 
If you have absolutely nothing to go on, with no experience or certs to speak of, then Networking is your best bet (err...talking to people, not LAN/WAN).

Talk to parents, friends, neighbors. Have them talk to people they work with, and put in a good word for you. There are a lot of jobs not posted on places like Monster, Hotjobs, etc. You never know, one of them may say they have a low-level IT opening at their company, and if somebody with trust puts in the resume for you, it helps.

I have certs and experience now, but even still, I had more jobs because of people I know than what I know.
 
I'm a college grad, well going to be one in May with a BS in telecommunications systems management. I also have the CCNA cert and have done a 5 to 6 month intern at the 3rd largest bank security and service company in the US and I'm having trouble finding a job. I'm moving to the St. Louis area (fenton, edwardsville, o'fallon) and I have litterally applied at every job I qualify for on hotjobs, monster, and careerbuilder and I've gotten 3 or so rejection emails and 1 written mail rejection. The only people that have called me back was att in o'fallon about a sales rep job that only required a GED....

How the hell am I supposed to find a job in an area I don't already live in because I plan to move there because my fiancee lives there? What did you do to find a job?

Dont hesitate to call a head hunting service either. My last two jobs have been through teksystems and some other recruiter. Call them up, be enthusiastic ("i saw such and such position, and am very sure it would be a good match for the both of us") As long as you are relatively qualified, your enthusiasm will go a long way...and your really doing their job for them. Obv if your not qualified, go make urself qualified.
 
Back
Top