The Official IT Thread

[traestar]

Yeah, not feeling the current job market at all. Trying to find a career/career path, not a job if you know what I mean. I get calls/emails at least once a week about positions similar to what you're talking about. It would have to be a great opportunity with the perfect company, for me to even entertain some of the things they come up with.

I was the same way two years ago, in fact you can look back a few pages and archive some of me and the others paths. Yea they will take advantage anyway possible, I've experienced it!

From my experience, most companies are way outdated when it comes to technology. Apparently, it's extremely expensive to upgrade software at that level.

Good look on the course sites. I already mess with coursera and MIT's open courseware site. I'll definitely take a look at the others and see what's up.

I'm not up on the whole pp presentation thing. You use your pp at interviews? Post them on a personal site or something?

Those online sites are really killing the game right now. What I've started to do in terms of interviews and talking to employers is do whats called Active Interviewing. What it means basically is instead of relying on a resume to land the job, you are acting as a sales representative displaying why you would be an ideal candidate for the position. So basically you have a job description from the employer, you use this to create a powerpoint presentation to compare the skills that you have in each of the requirements and qualifications as well as other things such as additional areas of expertise, accomplishments, my personal factors that I live by (cooperative, dependable, etc), and other points to show your value to a company.

That book really helped me to land my previous job WITHOUT A TECHNICAL INTERVIEW!

 

[King Erauno]

good to hear y'all making moves

i just left a position after 2 1/2 years because they were trying to bs me on salary. 3 months into the new gig, I'm miserable and bored. but i got a 25k pay raise. Old boss called me this am offering me my old job back and will match my current salary.

I'm thinking about taking the offer...and work there again until i pass this CCIE exam

Word. These companies ain't loyal, so no need to be loyal to them.

I don't know about the whole matching thing though, I would ask for more bread, more vacation time, signing bonus or something. Can't just match and think I'm going to come running back, especially when you was trying to play me before.

yeah i thought about that after i hung up on the call. gonna make it interesting and ask for like fridays off or something lol

 

[traestar]

good to hear y'all making moves

i just left a position after 2 1/2 years because they were trying to bs me on salary. 3 months into the new gig, I'm miserable and bored. but i got a 25k pay raise. Old boss called me this am offering me my old job back and will match my current salary.

I'm thinking about taking the offer...and work there again until i pass this CCIE exam

Word. These companies ain't loyal, so no need to be loyal to them.

I don't know about the whole matching thing though, I would ask for more bread, more vacation time, signing bonus or something. Can't just match and think I'm going to come running back, especially when you was trying to play me before.

yeah i thought about that after i hung up on the call. gonna make it interesting and ask for like fridays off or something lol

I think its a psychological thing as well, thats why they have trap questions for people just so they can see you fail. Its like their way of filtering candidates.

Displaying your value to a company instead of applying and giving off that "job applicant" vibe to a company. I've seen that placing them in a situation where if you don't go for me, you're missing out! Instead of "this is what I have", can I work here. If they said no, there's other companies that will say yes!

 

[valdez21]

I took a contract gig in Atlanta, it's been good so far

 

[B_A]

How would i go about acquiring a phone interview rather than an in person interview? I haven't moved to the city that im looking for a job in yet, and would rather not have to drive 200 miles one way just to make the interview.

 

[King Erauno]

How would i go about acquiring a phone interview rather than an in person interview? I haven't moved to the city that im looking for a job in yet, and would rather not have to drive 200 miles one way just to make the interview.

sometimes employers would do a Skype interview if they are really interested. 99% of the time there is an initial interview over the phone anyway and they'll know where you are located and may work with you on that. Most of the time though, if you want the job you would have to make that drive. I drove about 250 miles for an interview and landed the job.

another thing is if you have friends or someone who live in the city you want to get to, use their address on your resume so that way it will be searchable for recruiters in that city..and they'll hit you up with a lot of job options

 

[B_A]

How would i go about acquiring a phone interview rather than an in person interview? I haven't moved to the city that im looking for a job in yet, and would rather not have to drive 200 miles one way just to make the interview.

sometimes employers would do a Skype interview if they are really interested. 99% of the time there is an initial interview over the phone anyway and they'll know where you are located and may work with you on that. Most of the time though, if you want the job you would have to make that drive. I drove about 250 miles for an interview and landed the job.

another thing is if you have friends or someone who live in the city you want to get to, use their address on your resume so that way it will be searchable for recruiters in that city..and they'll hit you up with a lot of job options

i Already did that, my girl already moved down there.

 

[valdez21]

How would i go about acquiring a phone interview rather than an in person interview? I haven't moved to the city that im looking for a job in yet, and would rather not have to drive 200 miles one way just to make the interview.

Phone interview is all resume fam. Get you a google voice number, forward it to your cell. Use a local address. the screening software they use they can filter by area so if you not in the area, your resume doesnt exist.

 

[traestar]

Just landed a Tech Support position around my way!

 

[Bcotton5]

going to school for my CCNA right now, never had a job in the IT field , I know I need something to get in my foot in the door for when I finish school for experience any suggestions?

 

[Bcotton5]

Left HP about 3 months back after getting my ccna, then got a desktop support gig at a small company 5 mins away from my house. really like the company so i havent been studying lately

You in Michigan right? You know any places that would hire someone studying for their CCNA and no prior experience , shit Id do a couple day a week internship while still going to school if I can.

Ill have this Cisco network professional associate degree done in next year if everything goes as planned.

Not tryna have the degree and just be assed out with no job after graduating though

 

[King Erauno]

going to school for my CCNA right now, never had a job in the IT field , I know I need something to get in my foot in the door for when I finish school for experience any suggestions?

make sure you get a ton of hands on experience when you practice. learn to use packet tracer and gns3 at home. learn the different technologies that make up the CCNA and throw all that shit on your resume. with that in place you should be good. just make sure you learn the topics and know what you are talking about in the interviews

do some freelance work if you can, or get a few paid gigs here and there

 

[Bcotton5]

going to school for my CCNA right now, never had a job in the IT field , I know I need something to get in my foot in the door for when I finish school for experience any suggestions?

make sure you get a ton of hands on experience when you practice. learn to use packet tracer and gns3 at home. learn the different technologies that make up the CCNA and throw all that shit on your resume. with that in place you should be good. just make sure you learn the topics and know what you are talking about in the interviews

do some freelance work if you can, or get a few paid gigs here and there

yea Im in this semester right now so I figure I wont be able to get a job yet I figure Im gonna start really looking after next semester since theres only 4 semesters worth of classes to get the degree

And yea all the homework is done packet tracer and in class we do hardware labs they both help alot.

Honestly right now the hands on and packet tracer stuff is easy (I got like 99% in the class right now) but I feel like the book learning is going in one ear and out the other despite me acing all the quizzes and exams

I know that cant be good for when I have to take the cert exam a year from now

shout out @John_Blazini

 

[King Erauno]

yeah for me reading the book is boring as fuck ...and sometimes watching these videos. i learn best by hands on

 

[John_Blazini]

i cant retain much from the books so i rely on video hands on and some reading

 

[Bcotton5]

I'm worried about acing all the exams and tests and then getting out in the field and not knowing what the fuck I'm doing on the job

 

[King Erauno]

I'm worried about acing all the exams and tests and then getting out in the field and not knowing what the fuck I'm doing on the job

there's always a learning curve at a new job. also because you are at the entry level. just make sure you know your ccna level stuff and get that experience.. it will make you better.

especially in networking, its tough coming behind someone that built the network and you have to work on it and learn it

 

[Bcotton5]

I'm worried about acing all the exams and tests and then getting out in the field and not knowing what the fuck I'm doing on the job

there's always a learning curve at a new job. also because you are at the entry level. just make sure you know your ccna level stuff and get that experience.. it will make you better.

especially in networking, its tough coming behind someone that built the network and you have to work on it and learn it

We actually did a lab in class today about that

We had to build a real network with hardware just off looking at the routing table on paper. It helped a lot

 

[Bcotton5]

I'm sure there are jobs maybe in new construction where you set up the network in a office building and do the initial configuration On all the switches routers and pcs?

 

[Bcotton5]

i cant retain much from the books so i rely on video hands on and some reading

I don't wanna just brain dump the exam by memorizing a bunch of answers though