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Greetings,

I am officially asking the grey-beards, and those who are in a good IT department already.

How did you do it? I have been attempting to find a decent IT job since the beginning of January, and have had no luck. I’ve been passed over many times, told "we will contact you"and subsequently left hanging, or simply never contacted. I have interviewed for positions that i was told i would be a perfect fit for, then suddenly i’m not. Recruiting agencies haven’t been much help, neither has “pounding the pavement” as it were. What am i doing wrong? I have a solid resume and cover letter, yet i am getting no results. No clue at this point what do at this point. I humbly ask those in the know, how do i get in the know?

@Google

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I had the same problem many years ago and the only thing that got me over the hump was networking, i.e. knowing people in the industry. Try Linkedin or making friends with someone in a position to help you get your foot in the door. Unfortunately in this “modern enlightened” world its who you know more than what you know that matters.

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I looked at your profile and I would suggest cold calling cyber security firms, or sending your resume out to them, and trying to get an entry level position with them.
Cyber Security is the hot field in IT now with what is going on out there and I would push that aspect of your education.

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Are you asking for too much? Care to post a resume?

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Luck mostly. I also took a lowly part-time position and then worked my way up.

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Too many variables here… nobody can view your performance in an interview objectively. Are you presenting something that just doesn’t sell yourself… or over selling what they don’t want?

Anyway, are you willing to relocate?

Our Sys Admin is leaving.

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@MrMac55

I would if i had to, but i’d rather not, as i don’t think the Mrs. would be to keen on that idea, unless it was within the state someplace. I am in the Tacoma area, and am willing to drive a bit, but as for pure relocation, i’m not sure about that one. How would i know if i’m selling myself the wrong way? Is there a right way to sell oneself properly?

@Ethan6123

Some of the roles ARE low end part time ones, for those i get told i’m too qualified or some spiel.

@Brent9432

I may be at a disadvantage there. I am in LinkedIN as well, and there i have very little nibbles too, though i actively use their job search function, and have been applying to those positions that seem like a close fit

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sign up at onforce.com. Helps pay the bills while you find something longer term.

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@J Rad

I’m looking at that right now, and am thinking about signing up, it seems a bit like thumbtack.com however. Do you have experience with Onforce? How often do they bring you work?

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Do you use that profile pic on your resume/linkedin? If so I would definitely try a smile! Happy Tuesday :smiley:

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@BenSedgwick

That is indeed my Linkedin pic.

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Security is on everyone’s mind. A buddy of mine did this and it got him a job.

Identify a dozen companies in your area that you think would be good companies to work for. Learn what you can about each company then send a letter to the COO/CEO talking up what you know about each company then how your skills can help them tackle problems specific to them/their industry.

While this method is slow, and lots of work but it will help you get an interview. Good luck.

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I’ve been in the IT world for 16 years. I’m female. DUDE try a smile, your linkin pic looks like a hacker stuck in moms basement. Are you TOO qualified? maybe say less? Are you over serious? I started on the helpdesk, went to sysadmin 1 and now sysadmin 2. Do you upgrade your skills? None of your posts say how long you’ve been at “this” or how many certs, have you tried internship? try asking for a temp/probationary period. My current manager believes that every IT person should be a Project manager. (she is a PM) I might be looking for work soon too.

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Hi George,

If you’re looking for a new position cold then don’t be surprised if the search takes about six months. That’s simply how the industry is right now. It can be extremely frustrating if you’re out of work but there are some things that will help.

  • Make sure you know WHAT kind of work you’re looking for. Make sure it’s in your resume. Also, be clear in your mind how far you’re able to commute and whether you’re willing to relocate and under what circumstances.

  • If you’re open to more than one kind of position, consider having more than one resume with each tailored toward the position you’re looking for. If you have experience with a particular product make sure it’s in there.

  • Speaking of resumes, don’t forget to list any accomplishments you had while at a company. It helps later because you can point to getting results.

  • Refresh your resume at least once a month on Dice and Monster in particular. The mechanics here are pretty simple, companies and recruiters periodically troll those databases for new resumes. If your resume’s been out there for a while, it won’t come in as a new hit.

  • Be prepared for recruiter spam and set up a special mailbox for your job search. It’ll help keep things organized.

  • Treat looking for a job as a job. Go through the exact same morning routine you’d go through on a normal work day. Go to your desk and check for new e-mails. Look for any new postings that interest you and submit your resume. Return any phone calls you get from recruiters. If they bothered to pick up a phone and call you they’re pretty serious. Go to any meetings or interviews you have set up. At the end of the day, track where you are with the various opportunities.

  • Finally, and this one is important, schedule time every day to get out of the house. Sounds trivial I know but people who are out of work have a habit of staying in the house all day to save some gas. You’re not saving that much and you might miss out on an opportunity. Plan out time to get to know the businesses in your area. You’ll meet people that may be able to help you and also get a feel for who needs what locally. It’ll also keep you from going into that bunker mindset that makes a stressful situation that much worse.

Now, I’ll tell you right now MOST (not all but most) company HR departments suck when it comes to keeping candidates informed. Some don’t even bother to notify you that they received your resume never mind whether a position is still open or not. Recruiters are more variable with about half being ok at keeping in touch with you and the other half sucking as well. Unless it’s a dream position, my practice is to simply move on. If they’re that way now, how will it be once you’re an employee? I’d rather not find out and I value my time too much to go chasing people like that down.

Hope some of this helps. Being out of work really is one of the less fun positions to be in.

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Google Liz Ryan and Pain Letter. That will be a good start.

And truly, if your profile pic on LinkedIn is the same, you should change that immediately. I’m sure your really cool and jazzy in person, but that pic would turn me off to you if I just saw it on LinkedIn. Not trying to be harsh- I doubt you’re doing yourself justice there.

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Hi Emilie, welcome to the Spiceworks community! (saw this is your first post)

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George, one thing I’ve found with the job application process is that sometimes we think our resume is solid, when it isn’t. By that I mean, you have stuff on your resume that either doesn’t attract attention or attract the right attention. Are you tailoring your resume towards specific job postings? Are you then making your cover letter connect the dots between the posting and your resume? I’ve found that helps a lot.

Also, with regards to interviews, apply for jobs which you know you are qualified. Apply to ones you aren’t qualified for. Your goal during this time is to reach out and get your name out there. Have you tried reaching out through your local Spicecorps for localized assistance? Stuff like interview prep or resume reviews or stuff like that? Some folks there may know of jobs that have yet to be posted anywhere and may be able to get your resume in front of the right people.

Good luck!

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I do admit i probably need a new pic.

How does one compile a letter to a CEO / COO and not sound desperate for a job?

I am on Dice, Monster, and Career Builder. As a proxy, i get messages from Sologig, Zip Recruiter and a couple others. Once in a while i get calls from recruiters in other states about a position in my area, problem is the position is either too advanced, or i simply cannot understand a word they are saying about the position.

Why do HR places put these ads / postings / blah blah, then ignore or are lackluster on feedback of any kind. It sounds like one of the few recruiters i am dealing with right now. How does one meet the people in the industry, i have considered going to business, and have done so, and actually chatted up the owner of one of them. That was a month ago and still haven’t heard back. A lot of things make me wonder if i am approaching job search entirely wrong.

Right now, i need something entry level, as a result i have no accomplishments to put on my resume, i also think i might be late to the train as it were, in to the field. I had a position with a mobile PC repair company, however that position went away in December, and am just about out of resources. So any suggestions, leads, or advice is useful.

I agree with a previous poster, i might be too qualified for some things, but i don’t have an internship under my belt, and am not in a position where i can take one readily.

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Some other hints after glancing over your LinkedIN profile -

  • Your last name isn’t capitalized, you need to fix that.
  • “Entry level IT Pro seeking full time employment” Scratch that. You have experience.
  • Your summary can be re-written better.
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@Bud G.

We posted at the same time, hence i didn’t see your reply.

I actually have gone to the local spiceworks community, had one lead that was made out to be a good fit, would be helped in the things i didn’t know. However, that was one of the positions that i had been passed over for, and THAT was AFTER completing the interview process. Very discouraging. I’m not sure about applying to ones i am not qualified for, wouldn’t that make me seem like a tool?

Edit: Thanks for the pointers, complete rookie mistakes on my part. Corrected, though admittedly my summary skills might be lacking.

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