IT Employment·20,060 discussions

Unemployed

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I was laid off from a rent a car company back in July 2004 since then I tried my best to look for a job that would pay as close to as what I was making (68k).I was hired by SAIC in August of 2004 and was required to get TS/SCI Clearance .I filled out all the forms in September of 2004 .I am still waiting to get my Clearance .I was not born in USA may be that could be the reason why it is taking so long.I did B.A in Journalism and asking if anyone can help me get a Job .

Thank you

Topic

Who are you and what are your technical qualifications?

In reply to Unemployed

This website is dedicated to those in the Information Technology field. We can’t help you if we don’t know who you are or what technical skills you have. Perhaps you should try your luck with sites like Monster and Hotjobs.

my luck

In reply to Who are you and what are your technical qualifications?

I dont have any IT Background but I want to get in IT field.I want to start at entry level and may be work my way up

My name is Rana

And you want 70K/Yr no exp?

In reply to my luck

I am pretty sure that is not going to happen. You will probably get a $20-30k/yr for starting in the field unless you have some special skills. Without any special skills you may get upwards of $12-15/hr

I would take that

In reply to And you want 70K/Yr no exp?

I would take that just to get in IT field.

I am just tired of being non IT

Thanks

Don’t do it just for the money

In reply to I would take that

If you’re not serious about making the commitment of working long hours and studying plenty of technical material, then IT is not for you. IT takes dedication and passion and is not something for those who simply chase a dream of striking it rich. Consider it carefully before you proceed.

So why can’t people…

In reply to Don’t do it just for the money

…do it for money? Anything wrong with that?

Think M$…

In reply to So why can’t people…

Does that answer that question?
No, it’s not about the money, it’s nice to make of course, but if you don’t have the drive to do it, all the money in the world won’t keep you going long.

The drive will come…

In reply to So why can’t people…

…as you keep working.

Heart <-> Brain Conection

In reply to So why can’t people…

if there’s that, anything will work.
I think it’s called ‘Passion’ Sad that our society doesen’t put as much emphasis on that as it used to.

Attitude, right?

In reply to So why can’t people…

If one has the attitude, then one can always put the heart into the job, right? Ofcourse if one lacks the “raw brain power” then the person is not going to shine in industries that critically need “raw brain power”.

I just don’t have the skill sets to create music (I had some interest and practiced Violin for couple of years). But I can always get trained in some areas and get employed in the massive music industry – without having to write one line of lyric or create music, right?

I can not paint or draw great (though I had some nominal interest ). But still I can pick up some skills or get trained in some areas (cartoon, sketches etc) and write books for kids, right?

And you might be able to provide so many examples where passion is a criteria to survive and excel 🙂 I believe our IT industry has grown by leaps and bounds, and is so vast that it can take people even without passion into its folds.

And ofcourse, one can try and if the industry does not interest, then s/he can move on 🙂 to greener pastures (if any).

Try some of these

In reply to I would take that

Call a few of the IT headhunters. Become willing to work crap jobs. Take and pass the A+ exam.

These are some starting points. Consider a few others.

Technical writing or technical journalism- submit articles. How-tos and other useful things- even if you only publish to a blog.

What do you want to BE when you grow up? What work do you REALLY want to do?

A security clearance for a not American can be a toughie. But a temporary clearance does not have to be a show stopper. Start thinking like an American.

And don’t take a job for money. Take it for commitment. You’ll be happier.

Thank you

In reply to Try some of these

Thank you so much for your input
I am an American now but I was not born here.

Same with me, but that should have no bearing on your employment

In reply to Thank you

It’s not who you are or where you’re from that matters. It’s what you know and what you can contribute that matters most.

Nice story, but….

In reply to Unemployed

We still need more info. The ‘Why’ maybe. The best I can sugest is to get your-self some training in some way related to the field of computers. The companies that I know, and deal with, are not looking for “IT” people, they need (bad) people who have skills that are critical to the operations, AND can do that with a computer. Most companies are not IT companies, but they do need people with computer skills who also know that company’s core business. That is where the jobs are.
Find a company and a field you would enjoy to be working for/in, do some research, and go talk to them. -d

Too bad about SAIC

In reply to Unemployed

Would be my dream co. interesting projects. know someone who works for them also.

obviously not happening if since 2004.

I’d leave past salary OFF your resume and try to get something for less. you don’t sound like you have much experience.

Learn on the cheap: take courses at your local community college, many have IT progs. Very inexpensive per credit.

Learn on your own: join the IEEE or acm.org. both have (different) sets of thousands of courses. the acm courses are Thomson-Net-G, and will familiarize you with topics from office sw, using ERP systems like SAP, databases like acccess and oracle, programming in VB and netnwork stuff like Cisco.

Total cost to you: about $100/year, plus LOTS of your time running thru the courses online. THey have questions every few pages to make sure your payi8ng attention, and if you get 70% or more print nifty cert. Don’t show employer one but when you have a notebook full of these, shows you are plugging away and know a bit.

each course will take 3-6 hours, and you need to put away ALL OTHER DISTRACTIONS> no music, no tv, no phone, no talking, etc.

books24x7.com is good also, read up on various hardcore IT topix. about ht3e price of 7 good IT books for a subscription.

the acm subs includes o-reilly books you can read online a few at a time.

Eh?

In reply to Unemployed

How long have you been a citizen? Have you left the country much? Are you still with SAIC? Are they your sposors?

Reply

In reply to Eh?

I have been Citizen for over 7 years now.
SAIC is still my sponsor and was told by them a month ago that the DOD is still working on my case.

You might just have to wait

In reply to Reply

Since you are a non-citizen, it takes a LONG time to get a clearance, especially after 9/11.

Get out of I.T. now. SERIOUSLY. GET OUT NOW!

In reply to Unemployed

After suffering numerous direct pay cuts, indrect pay cuts (such as higher workload, increased hours per week, more responsibility without more $) increasing difficulty in getting jobs, or consulting gigs, I have finally come to the conclusion that I’ve got to find another way to make a living. (BTW, I now know how auto workers feel) Get out of I.T. What should you do? Read the want ads and determine what is needed and wanted.

Not surprising.

In reply to Get out of I.T. now. SERIOUSLY. GET OUT NOW!

“…I have finally come to the conclusion that I’ve got to find another way to make a living.”

That’s probably a good decision for someone replying to a year-old discussion.

[Author]

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