General Forums >> How To Move Ahead >> How to get my foot in the door?
How to get my foot in the door?
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Posted about 1 month ago I am a recent college graduate with a B.S. in CSIS. I worked throughout college but not in the field and now I am having a very hard time finding employment in the field. Every place I look at usualy wants more experience, which I understand why companies would like that, but unfortuantly for me I dont have any. I am online applying to jobs constantly but I rarely get a call back or have any interviews. I am starting to get HUGELY discouraged... any advice? *DanaLynne |
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| Posted 28 days ago Welcome to the club. It isn't just you or a lack of experience. The job market, and IT market is tough and replies have been spartan for a lot of us. You might consider getting in touch with a recruiter to see if they have any entry level openings anywhere that can build you a little bit of experience temping for a while. I guess it might help to have some direction on what you want to do. If you want to do programming, download a Java or .Net IDE and start practicing. If you want to get into database administration, download Oracle or another database application and start plugging away learning the ins and outs of the system. Take the time to start building your experience in your free time between posting for jobs so you might just surprise someone in an interview :) |
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| Posted 26 days ago I have to agree with Sumwatt, the job market is really suffering. I have been trying to get back into the tech field of work and have had NO offers, but I feel this has a lot to do with where I am living. It is a military town and really a good place for jobs. What was said about self-education is a good idea. I have been doing this for a while and have updated my resume. Good luck out there, we ALL need it. Oh, have you tried possibly getting on as a tech on a help desk? |
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| Posted 15 days ago Sumwatt, Its good to know that I am not the only one suffering here. I have been looking for entry level positions with no luck. I am more interested in database administration... I think. Its hard to say when you have no experience what area I would be more interested in. I have been recently looking into possibly getting a certification in something specific which I would hope would give a bit of help in the job market. Good idea about teaching myself in my own time. I decided to build my own databse for the time being to at least keep my mind sharp about how to do it. |
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| Posted 15 days ago Keeping your skills up is important. Unfortunately, I can't because it would require thousands of dollars of hardware, i.e. rack mount servers, switches, cables etc. |
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| Posted 15 days ago ZeroDayExploit, I have been trying to not limit my chances by staying in one town or area. I have been widening my search to include 5 states and yet still nothing. I have not tried to get on a tech or help desk. I don't know how qualified I am to do something like that. I should really give it a try to get my foot in the door somewhere. Do you have any suggestion about where to look for a help desk position? dlynnecline |
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| Posted 15 days ago If you have a basic technical knowledge you should be able to get into the help desk field. Keep in mind, speaking with experience, it is a very stressful job, but usually pays above other fields. Try telecommunications and try companies that have their own IT department. You might be able to get an entry level position. Good Luck. I am in the same position you are. When I lost my job at the previous company I worked for I started looking and have not found anything either. I am not looking outside of my area for personal reasons though. My house is paid for and I am caring for an elderly parent. Good luck again. |
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| Posted 4 days ago Although it may not help now, IBM offers internships in the areas you are referring. Try them if they are in the area you are looking to live. |
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| Posted 4 days ago Did you intern? I can't, not in school anymore and a tad old to do so. |
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| Posted 4 days ago Start small, my friend. Have you applied to work in the tech deparment of Best Buy or such? You could get great experience working at the Geek Squad, which will help you in future jobs. Also, go around to the places that fix computers and see if they need some part time help. Even if it's just a bit of volunteering while you're flipping burgers at McDonalds, that is a start. At least you're learning something and gaining experience for those future applications. I started out by working in the cafeteria of a large plant. I got to know people, made friends, and then when a co-op position opened at the help desk, I already had a toe or two in the door. Now, I just work and aim at one day moving up into the job of my dreams. Sometimes you gotta start small, Remember, never feel like you're overqualified for something or you'll have trouble getting a shot at something you are qualified for in the future. "And so, the lion fell in love with the lamb..." |
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| Posted 3 days ago Good advice but it also depends where you happen to live. Due to the ecomony, getting a job at a McDonalds is a major feat. Getting your foot in the door in this town is harder than in any other place like Atlanta, Dallas etc. In the company I worked in I was working as Tech Support Specialist assisting customer with issues regarding Internet connectivity, Telephony and Video products. I was getting burned out working with customers with an issue only to have them cuss you out because they wanted you to help them with something that was not our product, I requested to be transferred to our in house I.T. Department, but there were no openings. After someone left the I.T. department, I planned my move, or at least attempt it. Well the position was filled without it being posted internally. I asked my supervisor why it wasn't posted and she told me that the position filled was pre-planned for this one individual. Down south it is the "good ol' boy" system sadly. |
