Where should I start?

I've tried similar thinks and no good. I went to a recruiting company and registered in their database. 12 months later I had an interview with a recruiting officer, and two weeks after that another interview with one employer. Since then I've changed two jobs through the same officer and now I'm finally in the position I've wanted, with more than double the salary and benefits I had at my first job. Same officer helped several friends of mine.
My oppinion is to try to focus and specialise in one field (i.e.: Infrastructure, System Engineering, etc,) and try to expoit it as a niche market.
Regards,
Radu

Without seeing a resume, it's difficult to judge. The above has a number of spelling and punctuation errors.

Job situations depend a number of factors... including location, industry, experience and education. You sound like you have a lot ofthe basics down...5 years NT experience is great! 9 years technical experience is great too! You should be able to easily find technical support jobs.

System Administration positions may need more in terms of UNIX (at least in this physical location (city)), UNIX knowledge or experience will make you more rounded in technology. What about Novell NetWare? Apples?

Recruiters look at everything... how long has it been since that AA degree? Have there been unexplained gaps between jobs? Have you had many jobs for a short period of time?

You may need to look at revising your resume toward the things you have accomplished (list work experience... "job titles" are not always indicative of accomplishments). You might need to get others to read and comment on your resume. Do you have people you've helped with computers that you can use as personal references?

Persistance pays. Don't give up.

You don't say how long you've been looking. A job search can seem like it takes forever because of the anxiety.

When I was looking, I had a list of IT sites that I went through every day. I had a couple of different resumes and cover letters customized towards slightly different jobs. I applied as soon as I found out about a job -- I wanted my resume to be one of the first they had. Several of the job ads actually were from recruiters and I talked to all of them, making sure they understood what my experience was and what I was interested in doing. A recruiter can't market you if they don't know enough about you. If a recruiter suggests changes to your resume, then make them.

Make sure that your resume has all the buzzwords you can think of that might possibly apply. In an interview you can explain the depth of your experience.

Make sure that people know you are looking for a job. Often the lead comes from an unexpected place. You might consider going to the local PC User's Group (if there is one where you live). Contacts you make there could be valuable.

I wouldn't emphasize your job title if it doesn't accurately reflect your IT responsibilities.

Have someone you trust (or several someones) proofread your cover letters and resumes. It's VERY important for these to be free of grammar and spelling mistakes. The impression you want is competent and professional.

Thank you for your posts to my question. I am reading them, I just have not rated them because I am hoping for a few more ideas. I have worked for my current employer, in several different capacities, for over six years, so I am not a job-hopper. I got started with computers in 1989 with an Amiga 500, and in 1992, with the eminent demise of the Amiga line, I migrated to PC's. I began building them for friends and family (when you could save a lot of money by doing that), operated a BBS (Lantastic, got up to 10 nodes). I was not employed in the IT field, I was a lab tech at a chemical plant, and then promoted/advanced to the accounting department. I had more computer experience than the LAN Manager at the time, and I helped him out with advice and labor, and when he left for a new job, the responsibility of supporting the network was added to my responsibilities (though there was no adjustment in compensation). For over two years I have been the LAN Manager, setup, troubleshoot, administration, documentation, you name it, at our plant. I support 65 users on 45 machines with two servers and 12 network printers in a 23 acre environment that requires the use of fiber to reach many of the machines. We connect through a 156k fractional T1 to the rest of our company, and off site equipment that I support connectivity to includes AS400, IBM and HP mainframe systems accessed through reflections, and SAP. I am in Penascola, Florida, and there is not a large market for IT professionals here, but I am willing to relocate. Any advice on where to look, how to look, would be much appreciated. Except for my time in the Navy this is the only job I have had, so I have no real experience in job hunting. So far my endeavors have been limited to Internet job posting sites. Thank you for your help.

I have notied that people in desperate need advertise locally, so check your newspapers and such. And do not count out jobs that are maybe not exaclty what you WANT. Get your foot in the door and then blow them away you will gain much needed experience and you will grow. One more thing considering your lack of BS degree, certifications and experience to some degree, once you find yourself in an interview, DO NOT TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT AND DESIRE THAN YOU ABOUT YOUR DESIRE FOR AN OPPURTUNITY, THEN IF THEY GIVE YOU ONE, ROCK-N-ROLL. Get training, gain experience, learn how to deal with people, and most of all say what you can actually and actually do what you say!

Your work is very hard for a recruiter to characterize. Your best bet is to pick up a copy of the Chamber of Commerce directory in your city, or the Yellow pages, and start broadcasting your resume by e-mail to every company in the area. Focus on the distance from your home you are willing to go, and a few key industries/types of companies, such as small business, midsize, etc., retail or development, manufacturing, or ad firms. Specialize your search first. Job boards are somewhat useful if you're in a major city, but even they are a mixed bag with all the recruiters on them.

Be ready to work with the rule of 10: each action you take will yield about 1/10 of the responses needed for the next action. Thus, send out 1000 resumes to yieldabout 100 interviews, which in turn will likely yield about 10 offers, and that in turn may yield one job you want to take. It's a numbers game, despite what the "bestselling job hunting books" may tell you.

Send your resume to every company in your target area - whether or not they are hiring! Some companies that need people can't afford to pay Monster.com the $10K/month listing fees.

Regards,

Chris
Former Recruiter

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