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In a brutal twist of irony, I find myself now in a clear, present, and immediate need for ideas relating to the securing of a new job. I went back and reviewed the notes from the presentation I gave at Spiceworld about a month ago, began work with the “usual suspects” online, and am in the process of using social media outlets to help. That’s where the community comes in!

I have nearly 18 years of IT experience, ranging from helpdesk and related management, to project management, and systems administration. Having participated in the Community for nearly 8 years, I’ve seen 4 different Spiceworld events, at least 5 separate Spicecorps groups, the Spiceworks video studio a few times, and a handful of other Spicy-related promotional things.</shameless plug> It’s been an interesting career…

And now it’s time for something new. Got any ideas or leads?

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I think the first question you need to answer is what do you want to do? With that answer, you can start moving forward. Rework your resume and start getting it out there. Sites like Monster and Dice are good to start with. Update your network and let them know you’re on the hunt for opportunities.

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Try to make sure that you get all of your online “presences” up to date.

Is this an opportunity for a career direction change, or simply a new job along the same path?

Someone once told me, the easiest way to do this is to break it down into stages. Get your Resume up to date first, Then start worrying about the job hunting.

Once you see something you like, pitch your Resume at it as much as you can.

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Check out this site, http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/ and subscribe to the newsletter. Nick’s advice is likely different from what you will generally hear. Good stuff!

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Start networking with people you know and have met. You don’t want to ask them “Do you know of any openings?” because the answer will be “No.” Instead, you want to let them know what you are looking for, then ask them who they know that you should talk to. Then try to reach out to that person, telling them the same thing. You will eventually end up at a hiring manager in the field you are interested in. Then you can WOW! them to get the job.

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I would take the advice of all who have posted so far. I know a couple of people in that area, but none in IT. I’m hoping the job market in that area is decent because after the first of the year, I was planning on getting a job in that area. I know that the Tampa area and Jacksonville area both have lots of opportunities.

I would also look up the names of any hospitals, companies, etc. in the area and start checking their sites maybe even put a generic resume in on their sites.

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For securing a new job, studies… studies and more studies…

I left my old job and studied hardcore for 2 years… My old company just hired me back.

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Hey Katie… I don’t know how the job market is out there, but maybe list all the things that excite you (job related of course), and then weigh them out… see if there is a market and go from there. I know writing a pro and con list helps me out… nothing is perfect, but somethings are more enjoyable than others.

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One thing I did today was register with some local headhunting firms - when I first moved to FL, it was through a local agency that I got a gig - so I reached out to them, and the other ones I spoke with back then. Keep your fingers crossed!

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I look forward to hearing your talk at Spiceworld next year detailing what worked best for you!

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:wink: I’m keeping something else crossed… j/k… My eyes are fine! You should be good, you have a lot of qualifications.

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I don’t know if a whole breakout session on that topic will be popular, but I’ll be happy to keep folks updated. :slight_smile:

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I think LinkedIn is great resource. I get an email once a week from LinkedIn telling me jobs that may interest me. I’m not sure how it was setup or if LinkedIn is using my profile info to create the job list. Most of the jobs fit my area of expertise.

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It all depends on your job title. I’m “IT Operations Manager” which means I get anything with “Operations” and “Manager” in. Most of the roles aren’t even slightly related to IT. My old role was “Helpdesk & MI Manager” which generally gave me anything with two of those words in - and it counted the “&” as a word so I got crazy suggestions!

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One place you might want to start is figuring out where you want to work. If you’re looking to stay in your current area, focus on what organizations are there and if you’re open to re-locating then the possibilites are endless! Once you identify some awesome companies you’d like to work for, use LinkedIn to see if you have any connections there. If you do, reach out to them and get your foot in the door that way. Best of luck in your search!

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