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This morning's Houston Business Journal article about Ken Lay can be refreshed a couple of times until the accompanying ad shows a little building, with little people running around, and the caption Monster

The headline for the Wall Street Journal talked about a dead Ken Lay and offered a "Free Preview" in big red letters at the top of the first few paragraphs before cutting off.

but by and large it seemed like most of these applicants got very little broad-coverage training in the real IT world, but instead were all pidgeon-holed into little isolated sub-sections of IT training and knowledge without being able to be immediately competant at the "big picture"

Most of the job listings I have encountered seem to call for specialists. They read like this. The listing is obviously the resume of the guy who just left. So tell us, is this sort of listing a bluff? Do all managers really want broad-coverage people and figure asking for the opposite is the best way to get them? Or are you the only one who wants broad-coverage staff?

Go onto the online job search engines and look for a Admin/Tech job
that requires the certifications you have .

List your prior work experince as a Admin, do some of the quicker
certifications to get yourself established .

Their are a LOT of places looking specfically for certified ppl
in the Tech Support / Network Support arena .

A+, MCP, MCSE, CCNA, CCNP ...

Apply for many, and talk to staffing firms, and recruiters .

You may have to move to another state or stay with friends
or family as you hop around a bit .

You will get a few deployments under your belt , and then you
can get a long term gig locally and get some of the highly sought
after senior level certifications like CCNP/CCIE .

If you can get into a Linux/Unix environment you will be a lot happier,
but they tend to think less of the certifications .

At a code shop certifications are gonna be laughed at, but in the support
side they are not laughed at and often it is the only way gauge whether
or not ppl can do the work required .

Otherwise companies would have to revert to entry level tests that
would be much like them giving the same tests .

Now if someone can make a "free" open source type testing for all skillsets
that could be accessed by employers where they could set candidates down in front of it
to test them prior to hiring them , then it might work .

But for now to absorb the cost of trainers, materials, and perpetual changes
to the course material we have what we have now .

I hear lots of ppl talk about how they know nobody that gets the jobs posted
online paying $45 an hour for CCNP's , but ppl actually do .

I have met them, I have worked with them .

The jobs were out there, less now, but some are still there .

http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=4223 0283&AVSDM=2006-04-27+06%3A01%3A01&Logo=1&q=ccnp&c y=us

80k - 90k right there .

2 certs required, some experince required, no mention of a degree .

Peace,
Ex-MislTech

I was just looking for something to do this same thing. I haven't solved the problem yet, but Netgear and Linksys have some inexpensive stuff.

Dude, there is a reason why they're inexpensive. If you stick to exactly the same model with the same firmware version at each site, you might be OK as long as you don't do anything too strenuous with it. Or expect it to work the majority of the time.

If this is something you're doing at home then fine. If you're proposing to implement a corporate VPN with consumer routers, I suggest you start browsing the following website http://www.monster.com/

Unfortunately I do this for a living, so my opinion is likely to get drowned out by all the people suggesting OpenVPN and PPTP. Actually, just listen to them - anyone recommending PPTP for a secure multi-site VPN must really know what they're talking about.

Barby says, "IPSEC is hard!"

"I've been working on legacy government apps written in VB6 COM+ with ASP and VBScript and helping them migrate to .NET (my language of choice being VB.NET but not averse to C# at all.)"

Most of my work is in VB.Net and some ASP.Net, with a little VB6/VBA work in maintenance and conversion.

"I graduated with my BS Computer Engineering in 2002 and a year later started my graduate course while working full time here in Virginia. I graduated with my MS Computer Information Systems degree on December 31, 2005."

Grats on the degree! I used to live out in VA. Just north of Quantico (I'm a former jar head)

"First, what sort of job opportunities are there?"

In the last 6 months I've had 4 cold call job offers (as in I wasn't looking, old coworkers and head hunting groups we looking for help). All of which were decent, but would leave me with a longer commute. I live about 30 minutes south of the city, so taking a job 45 minutes north of the city would be a bitch of a commute.

"Do any jobs require a security clearance? (If I take a job that doesn't, I will lose my clearance and I'd rather not.)"

Not much. Maybe some of the stuff at the UW, or a handful of positions with the state. My clearance has long since lapsed and it hasn't altered my employ-ability in the least. But it is nice to have if you are working in the DC area.

"Would these jobs even provide me with the ability to attend courses? Would I be able to afford to live and attend school on the salary?"

I didn't get my degree from the UW, so I can't say for sure what their schedules are like. But I am just wrapping up a bachelors of technology management from a local private college where I have taken my classes at night and online. The cost at that school is about the same as the Wisconsin Resident rate for the UW. The office here though does operate on the standard day shift (I pull 8-5 with an hour lunch), so day classes might not be possible, I could ask though. As for salary, I would imagine you could handle school and life costs on the money here. I bought a house (had help with the down payment), supported my wife and son, and went to school on an entry level pay rate. It was a bit tight, but survivable. Back in my single days (before house or college) the entry level rate around here was enough for a nice apartment, excessive electronics gear and lots of bar time.

"Looking for positions in that area, the type of work I do seems very sparse or at a level far below my abilities and experience. I can't imagine an employer would want to hire someone for a job much below their level without feeling fear that the person may leave as soon as they find something more fitting with their experience."

That's one of the things my manager is concerned about. The average time on deck for this company is crazy. My manager has 30+ years here, most of the supervisors are 10+ years, and there are tons of other employees with 5+ years on staff. That's why he isn't keen on relocators (he thinks if they are willing to jump to come here they will be willing to jump again as soon as another offer presents itself.) But if you are still interested, here's the monster link: http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3993 1208&AVSDM=2006-03-09+14%3A41%3A58&Logo=1&q=gordon +flesch+co&cy=us

Just toss a note on your cover letter that you talked to 'Rick Way' from the IS department.

-Rick

http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3993 1208&AVSDM=2006-03-09+14%3A41%3A58&Logo=1&q=gordon +flesch+co&cy=us

-Rick

It's interesting that GoDaddy.com is looking for people with Linux skills:
http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=linux &cn=GoDaddy&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&re=14&brd=1%2C128%2 C1862%2C1863

Examples:

Linux Systems Manager
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3993 8005&AVSDM=2006-02-20+15%3A04%3A46&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

Senior Linux Software Engineer
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=4015 5008&AVSDM=2006-02-24+17%3A38%3A10&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

It's interesting that GoDaddy.com is looking for people with Linux skills:
http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=linux &cn=GoDaddy&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&re=14&brd=1%2C128%2 C1862%2C1863

Examples:

Linux Systems Manager
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3993 8005&AVSDM=2006-02-20+15%3A04%3A46&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

Senior Linux Software Engineer
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=4015 5008&AVSDM=2006-02-24+17%3A38%3A10&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

It's interesting that GoDaddy.com is looking for people with Linux skills:
http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=linux &cn=GoDaddy&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&re=14&brd=1%2C128%2 C1862%2C1863

Examples:

Linux Systems Manager
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3993 8005&AVSDM=2006-02-20+15%3A04%3A46&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

Senior Linux Software Engineer
http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=4015 5008&AVSDM=2006-02-24+17%3A38%3A10&Logo=1&q=linux& cn=GoDaddy&lid=338&sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,128,18 62,1863

Go to http://www.monster.com/

From TFA, they describe him as an "Office Assistant". On a whim, I went over to Monster and plugged in a search for "Office Assistant" in the Albany area. Here's a representative sample of what came back: Office Assistant Job Description.

For everybody complaining about "thought breaks" and the like, this guy was NOT being paid to think deeply... he was being paid to do things like answer the phone... file, fax, and copy... type correspondence, etc. I don't mean to be disrespectful here, but the guy was doing a $13.50 an hour job that doesn't look like it's exactly going to put a lot of stress on the mental faculties. How much of a "thought break" does he need?

If typing, filing, copying, and faxing is too much for him, I'm sure there's plenty of candidates who would be happy to step in and take over; We're not talking about skilled labor or a highly trained technical person here... this is a pretty basic, straightforward job.

George Deutsch? Is that you? I think you're looking for Monster.com. HTH. HAND.

Doing a quick search on monster for perl vs .net yielded some fairly similar numbers. Of course, this is just one day's worth of job postings. But promising nonetheless.

Doing a quick search on monster for perl vs .net yielded some fairly similar numbers. Of course, this is just one day's worth of job postings. But promising nonetheless.

do you have a resume loaded with all your experience ready? if so, spend the time to load it onto the following sites:

Monster
hot jobs
Dice
Career Builder
and www.yourlocalnewspaper.com

Don't worry about your one year at a company so far, people will understand it was your first job, you got your experience and 'want to find somewhere to build your career' (or at least that's a line that used to work).

Unless you're a lame NFL Head Coach who's original team fired your a$$, no one is going to come looking to give you a job. Stay up late one night, get yourself online and order and extra shot of caffeine in the AM.

FYI

The jobs are still on monster @ http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=3715 8798

Apply!

Some of the comments about DICE are right on, but what about some of the other sites?

I have actually found a couple good positions using monster and careerbuilder.

One of the new trends I am seeing is the use of LinkedIn

Currently I think there are more recruiters on LinkedIn than there are job seekers, but as it grows in popularity being able to directly find either skilled people or jobs could be a good thing. I think it has the potential to bybass the traditional Careerbuilder, Monster, Dice , etc...

You mean like this:

http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?opt=go& sort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&re=14&brd=1%2C1862%2C1863&rad=5 0&q=mainframe

Context-based ads, of course

Great... clippy for IM only more effective.

"It looks like you are chatting about your boss during business hours! Would you like to check out this site?"

"It looks like you are chatting about STDs. Perhaps this or this might interest you."

This seems like the right time to toss in a line about welcoming our new overlords or something.

monster.com has a server for cookies: cookie.monster.com

Examiners are on a quota system.

And to correct my own post, Pixar does require some Linux experience for some jobs.

Apply here if you wanna work for HP.

http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?co=xkem tahx

I was going to say this as soon as I saw the article. I recall a big case involving Monster Cable last year, it was widely discussed on a few Usenet groups. They're bullying every commercial use of the word monster with claims that they're about to go into business in whatever area it's used in, not just audio-related businesses.

Want to see who, apparently because of legal bullying (technically called abuse of process), gives a link to Monster Cable? The job site. Look at the link at the very bottom of the page:

http://monster.com/

I guess a little -- he works for Monster.com!

Hilarity.

I see 7 hits for "perl" under $30k. 76 under $50k.

Did I blink or something and companies suddenly quit using Perl? I get 9 hits for J2EE under $30k. 45 under $50k.

Obviously the future lies with the latest and greatest languages. C# has a whopping 85 entries under $50k. 5 under $30k.

So tell me, what do I need to search for to pull up the 14,000 jobs that IBM has available? Surely I can move in with my parents and give up saving for the future and make myself competitive for one of these positions, right?

Hilarity.

I see 7 hits for "perl" under $30k. 76 under $50k.

Did I blink or something and companies suddenly quit using Perl? I get 9 hits for J2EE under $30k. 45 under $50k.

Obviously the future lies with the latest and greatest languages. C# has a whopping 85 entries under $50k. 5 under $30k.

So tell me, what do I need to search for to pull up the 14,000 jobs that IBM has available? Surely I can move in with my parents and give up saving for the future and make myself competitive for one of these positions, right?

We have 9 open positions currently for C++ developers. We have high expecatations in terms of developer skill. This means understanding the language at some depth..

We can't find 9 people in the Dallas area (or willing to relocate) to fill these. I've done around 50 interviews in the last 4 weeks. Of those 90% have been foreign workers needing H1B's. We've extended 2 offers. If there are a lot of out of work American programmers, we can't find them.

For anyone who might be interested:

http://jobsearch.monster.com/getjob.asp?JobID=2940 2017&AVSDM=2005-05-27+10%3A07%3A53&Logo=1&opt=go&s ort=rv&vw=b&cy=US&brd=1,1862,1863&rad=50&q=quickof fice

* Bluechip client
* Excellent Package
* London, Engliand Offices

Requirements -

* 5 years of writing AJAX apps for enterprise clients
* 5-10 years .NET Experience on Linux
* At least 15 years Linux experience

Call now or apply online by clicking here!

They probably do. They are looking for a Render Farm Sysadmin... Seems they use Linux!

In today's society on an airplane, even if had to smoke four packs a day, I certainly wouldn't want to pull out a lighter during a flight, much less use it.

You're liable to get a stun-gun fired into your chest, spend the rest of the flight in handcuffs in the back of the plane, and face criminal charges when you land-- thanks to these guys.

Litmus Test @ Monster.com

I try to apply that Test when I feel dumb for putting stuff on my resume'.

I thought a lot more was illegal then really is. I found this somewhat related page from Monster. Either way, asking questions like that will raise a considerable suspicion and not something I think any company would like to get involved defending.

'We can't expect our employees to be human lie detectors,' Mitnick said.

Ok,

More information would be great! What applications are you running? What hardware is running it? How much do you spend yearly in maintenance costs? What is your storage architecture like? How many employees does your IT staff support? What product or service does your company provide?

These are all very important questions. You may be running on old hardware that requires 8 processor cores to run Oracle 9.2 database. If you upgrade to newer hardware, you could probably cut the processors need in half or more to do the same job. If you use multiple different storage products, this can really eat up time in systems management. If you go to a centralized storage pool and allocate resources off that pool, you may be able to cut Management costs in half. Depending upon the industry you're in, their may also be industry specific solutions that a tailor made to your needs.

This vague question can not be answered in a chat room. Contact a IT infrastructure architect in your area to do an evaluation of your IT infrastructure. Often times this service is free. They will be able to point out inefficiencies in your IT dept, provide solutions to your problems, and do a cost/benefit annalysis to get an idea as to your ROI.

Of course, you could always go to http://www.monster.com/ and get a new job.

This happened to me too, but only for a job interview at Google. That's as far as I made it: I never worked for them or signed any NDA.

My resume was submitted, and I made it as far as the first phone screen. It was one of the best interviews I have ever had in my life! Everything went 100% great, better than I had ever hoped for. I felt we had really clicked. Then, it turns out that I lost the interview, because the interviewer read my blog.

He didn't like me talking about my job search or my experiences with Google's hiring process. He especially didn't like the way I described the interview, perhaps because it would have given future interviewees tips on what to expect. He valued his ability to "surprise" people with trick logic questions, and my description of the involved thought processes might have tipped his hand. (I've since edited my blog to remove the spoilers, as per his implied request.)

Google and Microsoft share similar cultures, evidently. Both select for candidates who are good at discovering the "a-ha" moment that enables them to see through a tricky logic puzzle and solve it. I'm not good at logic puzzles or riddles in general, but in this case, I was able to relate the puzzle to a real-life problem I faced (when writing a simulator for a particular mechanism of a pinball machine).

Lesson learned. The culture at Google is one of paranoid security, as others have confirmed with me. When interviewing (or working) there, don't reveal anything about the process. Merely mentioning the fact that you are interviewing/working might raise eyebrows. When in doubt, don't.

The good news is that the interviewer liked me, and encouraged me to re-apply. Since I seemed to learn my lesson well, he told me he wouldn't put me on the blacklist, so I've another chance. I believe the cut-off period for previous failed applicants is a year and a day.

During the time, I found a job I'm happy with now, and I'll definitely stick with it. I won't be jumping ship, in case you're reading this posting there and wondering :) The free food at Google is tempting, though....

It's a little-known fact that LabVIEW has something like a 90+% marketshare in the realm of, well, I'm not sure what you'd call it: Engineering/Scientific-ish data gathering - the kinds of things that Engineers and "Scientists" do in their laboratories and out on the assembly line floor.

Anyway, if you search at monster.com, you'll see that there are often more hits on "LabVIEW" than there are on "MCSD" [Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer]:

http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=mcsd

http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=labvi ew

Also, it's another little-known fact that National Instruments offers certifications in LabVIEW, so that you can earn yourself a little "diploma" which might open a few more doors:

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nioc.vp?cid=10638&lang= US

It's a little-known fact that LabVIEW has something like a 90+% marketshare in the realm of, well, I'm not sure what you'd call it: Engineering/Scientific-ish data gathering - the kinds of things that Engineers and "Scientists" do in their laboratories and out on the assembly line floor.

Anyway, if you search at monster.com, you'll see that there are often more hits on "LabVIEW" than there are on "MCSD" [Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer]:

http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=mcsd

http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobsearch.asp?q=labvi ew

Also, it's another little-known fact that National Instruments offers certifications in LabVIEW, so that you can earn yourself a little "diploma" which might open a few more doors:

http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nioc.vp?cid=10638&lang= US

Apple has posted job ads in classifieds and on Monster Jobs for a "Senior Thermal Engineer" and "Thermal Engineers". This is much more promising as far as the possibility of a PowerBook G5 than the article above. Oh, they've also posted ads on their own job site (jobs.apple.com) for a Senior Thermal Design/Engineer...

Apple has posted job ads in classifieds and on Monster Jobs for a "Senior Thermal Engineer" and "Thermal Engineers". This is much more promising as far as the possibility of a PowerBook G5 than the article above. Oh, they've also posted ads on their own job site (jobs.apple.com) for a Senior Thermal Design/Engineer...

Apple has posted job ads in classifieds and on Monster Jobs for a "Senior Thermal Enginee r" and "Thermal Engineers". This is much more promising as far as the possibili ty of a PowerBook G5 than the article above. Oh, they've also posted ads on the ir own job site (jobs.apple.com) for a Senior Thermal Design/Engineer...

Apple has posted job ads in classifieds and on Monster Jobs for a "Senior Thermal Enginee r" and "Thermal Engineers". This is much more promising as far as the possibili ty of a PowerBook G5 than the article above. Oh, they've also posted ads on the ir own job site (jobs.apple.com) for a Senior Thermal Design/Engineer...

One change I've noticed is that XML and related technologies are getting bigger and bigger, and it's redefining what it means to be a web application developer. I feel like my skill set is being spread thinner than pâte.

Other than that, it's the same old situation:

1. Employers seeking ridiculously diverse skill sets. What do you want, a software developer with ten years experience, or a GIS specialist with database skills? Pick ONE!

2. Employers requiring experience or expertise in obscure software, but who are unwilling to train. (We're smart; we can learn your industry-specific database front-end for god's sake!)

3. Shops with a depressing preference for Microsoft and IBM languages and software. LAMP jobs and their ilk are comparitively scarce, and therefore highly competitive.

4. HR people who don't know what they want/need. The other day someone posted a "need" for a C# developer with more than five years experience.

So employers are feeling a crunch from the H1 issue. Fine, I'll take that underpaid position! Where is it? We've talked about this before, and I understand that employers are trying to thin the pool by posting stringent (or ideal) requirements, but I think it's getting out of hand and alienating worthy applicants in the process.

As for the relocation bit, I don't buy it. I would welcome the change to relocate almost anywhere in the world for a decent job. I would appreciate a system that makes it easier for employers willing to hire from a remote job pool to find job seekers who are serious about relocating. Monster's system is just too limited.

• Google -- a huge number , and nothing to do with searching, per se
• Amazon -- WTF does Amazon have to do with book, rather supply the wood ?
• Monster -- Monster ?. and jobs ?.
• Ebay would BuyHere.com sounded better ?
• Slashdot what does "Slashdot" mean actually ?. "Slashdotted" ? (ok, sourceforge makes sense for one).

Kinda makes you wonder what reverse enginners, keygen programmers, and software crackers are going to do when they have to pirate a web service instead of a normal app.

DICE and Monster. After enough of you leave, this idiot CIO will get the idea.

specifically, i'd check monster.com - so i could get a new job. and in my exit interview, i'd state that my primary reason for leaving was because people were choosing technology based on uninformed politics instead of a decent understanding of technology.

Monster.com has an entire page dedicated to interview tips. They include things like illegal interview questions or talking salary. Generally it's worthwhile to establish top three priorities that you would like to see in a prospective employer.

Choose from wide array of things like good team to work with, free coffee in the office, paid vacation, general atmosphere, opportunity for advancement, trip re-imbrusement policies, overtime policies, sick leaves, vacation packages, perks like gym memberships, availability of good food nearby, company kitchen, dress code, stock options, medical insurance, dental packages, etc. Ask about your top three priorities directly during the interview, when the HR person or manager asks "Do you have any questions for us?" This will tell them that you have thought certain things through, and will also signalize that those are some things you care about, so it must be important to you.

Or just think about the three-four things that were awesome about the previous employer or other companies on the market (like Google allows you to spend one day on your own projects, and they allow pets in the building, Microsoft buys its employees gym memberships, and I think at some point they were also buy Costco cards).

If you're serious about relocating, check out the out of the way places... like this- Network Job at CenturyTel

monster.com