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What to do...what to do...

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by flux78

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Hello to who ever reads this....

I have taken the time to read many of the posts written in this forum and found that many people have given some good advice. Anyway here goes....

Earilier this year I finally decided it was time to get out of the navy after serving for 5 years. During my term in the navy, I was working in the dental field, and had a collateral duty as a low level PC tech for my clinic. I did work ranging from installation of software and hardware to basic troubleshooting. As time went on, my focus was more towards IT than dental. Right before I got out of the navy I was given an offer to work at a company that does contract work for the military. With this in mind I was pretty much comfortable with getting out considering the fact that I would be able to transition with out any bumps on the road. After I did get released from the service, talks resumed about the job that I was going to fill. A few months later, I found out that this job was canned. Now, fast forward to now( 8 months later)...at the moment I am working at a job that I really do not want to do....aka fastfood. I had to work this job just to make ends meet financially. The big thing is I am still working towards what I want, a job in the IT sector. I am working on certs starting with A+ and will be knocking out net+, ccna, and mcse one right after the other. But looking at the jobs offered here in Japan both in the federal sector and locally in the japanese economy(I forgot to mention this earlier), I am finding some sort of low level job (to get my foot in the door) very hard to find. I read articles on volunteering services, but I don't know where to look. Although I am working on getting my certs, would it be wise to pursue a higher education or to keep searching? Obviously I do want to get a degree of some sort, but I feel that if i do go to college, I will not be as competitive due to age. And if I were to keep searching, the word experience will slap me in the face cause I lack that. Any advice to steer me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. And before anyone asks about going back into the military, I have given it a lot of thought, but that is something that I will do if all doesn't work out for me.

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by jimhm

I was in during Vietnam (USN)- discharged and found a position at a company. I was a programmer in the Navy (computer programmer that is), but couldn't find a job on the outside - even with years of experence.

Found a position as a computer operator and started going to college for Computer Sc / Math degree. With 1 year of education under the belt - found another job as a programmer - they hired me with the understanding I would continue getting my degree.

Yes - it suck went you have to take that low level position - but it gets your foot in the door. Start night school - if they don't pay is there VA benefits still available for school? Once you start down the education road, go back out looking many more doors will open..

As one employeer told me - what do I need with a tactical strike programmer for? I ended up fixing an Optical Scan program for them a few years later - That wasn't a cheap contrat - a little pay back.. But Military experence is good for Government jobs (PS - did you check the local GS positions or state positions or county positions)..

Good luck Bro - USN 71 - 75

by worker bee

If you still have an active security clearance then you have a good shot at a job working for a government contractor. Many government contractor jobs require that you have an active security clearance before you can even apply for the job. This really cuts down on the competition.

Another possibility is a job working for the government directly. Veterans' preferance should get you in and once you get in you can work toward transferring into an IT role.

by chase69007

Although i am not in the military, i definitely understand what you are going through. That is the only problem that i see in the IT industry. You have to be experienced, and have enough certificates to satisfy a potential employer. Many times people choose between experience(keep working), as opposed to school(which will take away from experience potential). It is a "damned if you do, and damned if you don't" scenario. I personally, am going for the experience since, i also, am not the youngest tech on the block. Your company may have programs where you can go to school while you work there to get the degrees that you need to become more marketable. Even if they don't, you can do it in your spare time. If all else fails, you still have the navy to fall back on. It is odd that they (the navy) cannot connect you to a government agency where you can ply your trade at. I have heard of plenty of people who have networked with the armed forces for a job in their specialty field. You should try this approach also. Good luck

by john_wills

In the early Roman Empire soldiers were recruited in one province, served 20 years in a second and then received farms in a third, where they settled down with the wives and children they'd acquired while on post in the second province. It seems that the U.S. armed forces today are not nearly so good at providing for those leaving the service.

by dingyanyan

ya, find a decent job in IT today is like a crazy game. higher education may not help much since today's grads too much!
i think pass certs is a good idea but understand more practical concept like design pattern etc. can help a lot.

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