Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Help me find a Job? :P

  1. #1
    Senior Member Dracas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    746

    Help me find a Job? :P

    Well, the results are in and Its decided. Southern California's Computer Job Market sucks. They're all looking for 1337 T3X0r$ with 1337 h4x0r $|<1LLz.

    Currently my job isn't cutting it and being around $100-$200 behind bills every month is really cutting into the already meager life that my gal and I have.

    Sucks.

    So if Anyone in the SO-California area think they can help me find a job, priv-msg me or something.

    Its not like I don't have comp skills, or computer background. I do, but the only work experience I have is fricken fast food. Certs, all I have atm is a CompTIA A+. That doesn't reflect what I do know at all, hence all the trouble getting a comp job.

    I mean, seriously, how do they expect you to 'get your foot in the door' if what San Diego Employers call "Entry Level" requires three years experience in computers, 8 years in customer service, and 3-4 years in Low-level electrical repair??

    No joke, I've seen ads like that, repeatedly. Moreso then anything reasonable.

    Beh.
    "Save us Booze, show us the way!"

  2. #2
    Senior Member Monster1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Kalamazoo,MI
    Posts
    593
    same here and unemployed, but, you do have an advantage over me,, I live in michigan known for cars, cows(not gateway) and maple syrup.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Dracas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    746
    Originally posted by Monster1
    same here and unemployed, but, you do have an advantage over me,, I live in michigan known for cars, cows(not gateway) and maple syrup.
    I hear that, I've lived everywhere from Detroit to Vanderbuilt and Fremont (Home of Gerber the smogging Baby-food company). The only job I managed to land there was a restaurant job workin overtime and getting paid 5.50 an hour to bend over and kiss my bosses *****. I hated the job so I quit

    But to be honest, theres a large IT market up in Michigan in the Detroit area, and the same applies to Lansing and Traverse City, the whole area was starting to do a technology boom when I moved out. Look into an IT tech school and find one that has a good job placement program maybe?
    "Save us Booze, show us the way!"

  4. #4
    KMA
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    4,067
    "ELECTRICIAN"


    Is a decent career if you don’t mind doing construction work. If you join a local union they will pay for your schooling which counts as college credits. Many apprentices go for engineering degrees after topping out. Furthermore, if you are willing to do a bit of traveling after topping out you can easily make $30k plus in fewer than 6 weeks if you are willing to work the hours.

    Starting pay in the San Diego area is about $10.90hr.

    I generally wire robotic systems, PLC’s, conveyor systems, ect. Good clean technical work for the most part.
    Last edited by jad1097; 09-23-2002 at 07:52 AM.

  5. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2001
    Location
    NSW, Australia
    Posts
    44
    Man, I hear you. Even down under here, it is not easy to get into the field. You need experience, and the only way to get it is to be in the field. But you can't get into the field without experience, etc etc etc.

    I have to support myself by working at McDonald's. Not great, but it pays. By far not enough though. Why can't life be fair? All I ask is for Bill Gates to deposit 1,000,000,000 (! Billion) in my account for one year. He can take it out again, after that, but the interest I would earn on that would set me up for life!!!

    I guess it isn't helpful, unless you are good friends with Bill, but who knows?
    ---=={VIRJO}==---

  6. #6
    KMA
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    4,067
    Why work at McDonalds, Wal-Mart or other low paying jobs when you can make more at an entry-level construction job? Heck even laborers around here make around $8-9hr to start compared to $5.5-6.5hr at those other places. You just have to be willing to do some physical work and/or get a bit dirty.

  7. #7
    Senior Member strat1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Boston Mass hole
    Posts
    549

    Lots you can do-

    I would seriously suggest interning, volunteering, whatever you could get- do it for 10-20- 30 hours a week in a field or a company that you want. Prove to them that you are a great worker, fast learner and a long-term investment worth training. You need references and contacts in your local market- call your professors, Schools-- anything to get work related experience on your resume-

    Look at what all the other unemployed people are doing-- then do the opposite!
    Posting this thread was a good first step- you should be sending your resume out to 10 companies per day on real jobs- Set up Job Agents on Monster.com and the other sites!
    The market is tough-- but not that bad! Hook up with Temp agencies-- there is lots you can be doing to better your chances!

    Its All Relative!!

  8. #8
    Senior Member tking's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    www.kingdomta.com
    Posts
    702
    Not to be cynical or anything, but why don't you do what most business men do?

    LIE!

    ... or at least stretch the truth. Dress up the resume to emphasize your computer experience. If you put rigs together for family, make that a "Professional Computer Technician" job. If you have ever taken a call from friends/family on a support issue, give yourself a big, "Computer Helpdesk facilitator" job.

    When you're in the interview wow them with your know-how and tell them you'd love to show them first-hand what you know.

    A little bluster goes a long way, especially in bussiness. These guys are all crooked anyway, don't feel bad. Play their game, win at it, buy your girlfriend a nice dinner.

    Look what they did with Enron, your capatilist dollars at work!

    T

  9. #9
    Senior Member strat1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Boston Mass hole
    Posts
    549

    NO

    DON"T LIE ------ WRONG

    You will lose the job then anyway!

  10. #10
    Senior Member tking's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    www.kingdomta.com
    Posts
    702

    Re: NO

    Originally posted by strat1
    DON"T LIE ------ WRONG
    Just curious Strat, where is the line?

    I look around at the friends I grew up with and what they do now. Nepotism did more for them than any education or experience ever did. Isn't nepotism just a lie by another name?

    How are you supposed to compete when you're going up against the hirer's stupid nephew who's going to get the job anyway unless you can trump him somehow?

    T

  11. #11
    KMA
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    South Florida
    Posts
    4,067
    If you know what you are doing you can talk yourself into a job by stretching the truth like tking said.


    I have no certs or experience other than me being an extreme hobbyist who helps freinds and family. But I have been offered jobs by a couple local shops. And these are good shops with people who know what they are doing. They really don’t care about certs, at least the small local shops don’t for the most part.


    Go into the small shops and talk to the people. Show them you know your stuff and then inquire about a job. Try to buy something small every time you go. If all else fails break out the phone book and go from A to Z. Been there done it and always got a job by the end of the day. If you don’t get it that day then try again next week and keep doing it until they either start hanging up on you or until you get a job. Show determination and eventually someone will hire you in the field you want to work in. You will either pi$$ them off or earn their respect but either way you don’t lose anything but time.


    In the mean time get the heck out of the fast food industry and get a job that pays better. Construction companies will hire just about anyone and they pay better than fast food joints do. The only thing is you have to be willing to do some real work. If you make $2hr more doing construction that is $360 a month more on average.
    Last edited by jad1097; 09-23-2002 at 03:26 PM.

  12. #12
    Senior Member tking's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    www.kingdomta.com
    Posts
    702
    Good advice Jad, that's how I saved myself enough to go to University.

    Originally posted by jad1097
    If you know what you are doing you can talk yourself into a job by stretching the truth like tking said.
    I've done my share of hiring and being hired. In many cases the sell involves getting your foot in the door as you suggest above (taking little and offering a lot in return). Once you're inside you say, "I can do that" when something comes up and you do it. The papers don't matter so much if the knowing is there, but the process only seems to start once your already inside.

    In my (poorly connected-no extended family to get me inside-immigrant) experience the getting inside has been mighty tough.

    The way I've seen it work (again and again, with friends and enemies) is your well connected relative drops your name and (usually as a favour to that powerful, well connected relative) the hiring person gets you an inside track. Once you're inside (and assuming you're not a complete imbicile) you move on up.

    I don't know Dracas' situation, but if it was anything like mine, I had to move mountains and be born on Krypton to have a chance in a skewed job market like that. Taking creative writing in school sure helped.

    Maybe saying the word 'lie' was stirring the pot a bit, but making your education and experience go the distance on a resume requires a fine balance of self promotion - often right to the edge of the dreaded 'L' word.

    T

  13. #13
    Senior Member strat1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Boston Mass hole
    Posts
    549

    Re: Re: NO

    Originally posted by tking
    Just curious Strat, where is the line?
    How are you supposed to compete when you're going up against the hirer's stupid nephew who's going to get the job anyway unless you can trump him somehow? T
    That is way too funny and does happen once in a while- not to mention affirmative action and special consideration.
    In today's market the hiring is tough and tight- background checks are the norm. If you start lying to one company, then it grows or changes- you will get caught and burn that bridge. It's just like your OS -- you can Tweak IT, but can't change the code. It takes more time to change your resume to target each job so that it stands out. But if you work hard you will get it! Cheating is a bad way to start down the career road.
    You are banging the Enron scum, but then suggesting he do the same-- not right.

    How many resumes have you sent out?
    How many phone calls have you made?
    Have you followed up with a phone call 1 week after sending your resume?
    How many people have you asked (in Person) for help? Friends, family, UNCLE?

    People want to hire honest, hard workers-- Show them that is you!

  14. #14
    Member Tick's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Free and Proud! USA!
    Posts
    209
    Amazing! Simply Amazing! I started out shovling **** at local race track at 13 years old. Some twenty years later I now work for an HVAC company getting paid very well. No diploma, Left home at 15, 3 years Army, And no College!

    Honestly get a job stick with it till something better comes along. Dont whine about how some young kid has a silver spoon in his mouth and is beating you out of a job! Get some honest skills and use them to better yourself! If you cant do that, Well then I stop in a BK every now and again to have some punk ***** be rude to me. Might be you who knows!

    IMO!

    Tick

  15. #15
    Senior Member Dracas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    746

    Well, I think the waiting game is the best bet

    I just got a call today to go to an assessment for a Security Screener position with the TSA. Not bad, I guess - it pays about $29K-$39K yearly.

    It may not be computer work, but the way I reason it is that its a government job now that Airports are switching over to the whole Transportation Security thing the government set up after 9-11, that means I can possibly wind up with Security clearance which is necessary down in this part of CA for getting baseline computer work ripping out old servers, converting old Military intranets, etc. Should be interesting to see where this goes, but if you think about it, computer technology is everywhere, no matter what you're doing, somewhere down the line you should be able to make it into the business

    So I guess the waiting game is best

    As for the whole 'Lieing' thing, or stretching the truth - I'll pass, I've gained more references, and good 'hear-says' by being an Honest, Straightforward and Down to earth person then I know I ever could by being a sneaky/conniving/under-handed employee.

    Employers like trustworthy people I think.
    "Save us Booze, show us the way!"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •