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Landing a "Regular Job"?
sfe_software asks: "I'm an out-of-work programmer and systems administrator. I've reached a point where I have to find a job - any job - and I am finding this quite difficult. I'm apparently 'over-qualified' for everything from flipping burgers to fixing PCs at the local CompUSA. Noone wants to hire you at $6-$12/hour when you were making $45-$75/hour on previous jobs, yet, I'm not finding the high-paying work any more and need *something*. As a contractor, I've always kept a savings, but at this point that river is quickly running dry. What are other out-of-work techies doing? How do you convince a hiring manager that you aren't simply using them as a temporary stepping stone (even if this is true)?"
If you really *want* a lower-class job...
Instead of over-stating your resume, understate it. Problem solved.
Another techie running out of $$! It's great to know that I'm not alone, bud. My advice is to lie on your resume.
When you put in that application to WalMart, *don't* tell them that you made $68 an hour. Tell them you made $7.15 an hour.
That way they'll think that you might stay if they pay you $8.00 an hour.
Good luck!
or other educational facilities. Also look into tutoring for classes. Also government jobs. Also, many colleges have job listings for other places in the community. Mentioning that you saw their ad in the college listings may make a difference.
I know this has been said before, but just lie. Just tone down your resume a bit, say you were a field tech for a small and now defunct company and only made 15 bucks an hour. If you want send me your resume and I will help you curtail it for a retail job (before I was an engineer I managed a retail software store (damn that sucked).
I totally understand the difficult situation that you are in. In fact, I ended up giving up the IT career that I had and went into the retail market.
.com bubble has burst. Don't afraid to be honest with them, but you have to be honest with yourself.
I think that employers want to know how long you want to work for them. When you go in and hand in your resume, do you explain to them that the IT market is not good right now? If you just go in and ask for a job, how will anybody know that you will still be around 3 months from now? How do *you* know that you will stay with the company 3 months from now?
Anyways, my story is that I moved to another city and planned on finding a simple retail job to get me settled in for a year. After that, I intended to find computer work. The reason that I wanted to wait a year, was because finding computer work is hard.
I would ask to speak to the manager, and when I saw him, I would say, "Hi. My name is Eugene, and I am new in town. I'm just looking for some work right now to help me get settled in for about a year. After that, I'd like to get some computer work. Have you got anything available?". This got a me a job the first day that I tried it. In fact, I got 3 interviews and 2 job offers. One was with Grand & Toy [stationary company] and the other was with McDonald's as an assistant manager.
People understand that the
If a job offer for an IT job comes your way at $50K/year, are you honestly going to stay around flipping burgers or running a cash register? If not, then you can't make promises to them.
testing out my trending skills
No offense, but I think that if you were raking in an amount near 75$/hour (150k a year) you could have certainly put away enough savings or other investments to wait out an economic downturn.
Isn't it a rule of thumb that the more you make, the longer it will take you to find a similar job in a competitive labor market?
If you are really hard up why don't you just lie or refuse to disclose your previous salaries? You do have this option, no matter how hard HR leans on you- I say this from experience. You can also say that you're retiring early and need something to do, or say that you're staying home to help with a toddler or going back to school for a couple years and want a part-time job. There's lots of reasonable excuses for looking for a "not great but puts money on the table" job.
You could also try doing some freelance consulting to pass the time. There's always people who will need your help if you take the time to find them and negotiate a price they can afford.
And then there's the time-honored tradition of hitting up all your ex-coworkers for possible opportunities. Hopefully you weren't a BOFH!
Unemployment will get you at least a 6 months buffer in any humane US state as well.
Myself, I always had an interest in submarines, action, and travel so I joined the military as a Fire Control Technician. Awesome job, I couldnt be happier...Im a computer junkie and was all self taught but they surprised me with 3 schools known as ISA, NSVT, and ANA. The first is fairly high level computer training, second is Network System Vulnerability Tech.(hacker school! sweet!!) and the third is Advanced Network Admin, which is godly. My self taught level covered me up to the last, and that one surprised me most, it covers EVERYTHING and then some. The guys that run that are extremely well paid in the civilian world(after the service) and work for almost every big tech firm in the country, except Micro$oft ;) I've been having a blast since day one. You probably have the option of being an officer, and on a submarine, my my thats nice pay.
At Banff, there are a lot of transients, and as a result, they have a high turn over of workers. One day, you may never find a job, and the next day, managers are desperate for someone to fill in. Do a google search on Banff, Alberta and you'll come up with something. Contact the hotels and see what kinds of living arrangements they may have.
Some day, I expect to go there as well.
testing out my trending skills
i am an out of work programmer. was laid of to months ago. unlike u i have no savings. so i just did'nt tell McDonalds that i was a qualified person. i am not saying you should lie, dont lie.
but tell the full truth either. i mean after all, half the content of the resume is jack-shit. right?
How do you convince a hiring manager that you aren't simply using them as a temporary stepping stone (even if this is true)?
Certainly not by admitting it on slashdot, Justin.
Assuming you don't have a friendly pizza place hiring nearby, my other efforts - selling stuff on eBay, and networking your gluteus off to get website or consulting work (even if it's just upgrading an old P-120 for someone's Mom...) is a good way to bring in a few bucks while passing time in a quasi-productive way. You can also take time to learn new skills, from books or classes, that you never got around to while employed.
The most important lesson I've learned is to keep my income sources diverse. I still deliver pizza one or two evenings a week, I still scan eBay for poorly-advertised stuff I can buy and resell at a profit, and I still do websites and upgrades for people whenever I get a chance. No one person, company or even industry can determine whether or not I earn money.
Perfectly Normal Industries
I graduated with last May with a BS Computer Engineering, at the time there were very few people that were hiring, and I was leaving the country until November anyway so I decided to look when I got back. Now I can't find anything in that field at all, I interviewed for a power systems job and I was basically told they would be doing me a dis-service since I had so many "high-tech" things in my degree and work history.. Best Buy even turned down my online interview, which consists of, "do you do drugs, do you have car", immediately. Perhaps because over 21 and not with 5 miles is undesirable in a Best Buy employee. Perhaps Market Basket will hire me to bag groceries and drool for $6 and hour..
:)
Posted anonymously to protect myself if my past potential employers read this
If you are shooting low, the people hiring for those positions are not smart enough to understand what you even put on your resume.. target it for the bottom-feeder IT jobs like compusa techs. HIDE advanded information, do not put down salaries from your last job, and even if you did they cant verify them it's illegal to release that information without your written consent and only for income verification ... employment is not eligeble for income verification.
you need to downgrade your resume alot, and dumb down when you talk to compusa, remember these IT people at compusa barely operate let alone understand IT.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
If you find the right district (or private school gig) and you have the skills, they'll help you work around the certification thing while you work.
it might also help to be flexible about location.
One of the secrets of getting hired is to write a custom resume for each job. A resume is supposed to show a selection of your qualifications, not be all encompassing. List your credentials for the particular job. Write a custom statement about what you want in a job, etc.
The nature of the resume is a sample. You are under no obligation to list all of your experience nor do hiring managers want to see it all. So when applying for a programming job, you show programming experience, etc. Don't show exhaustive system administration or internetworking experience. Also, so that you don't get hit with the dreaded overqualifation tag, don't show 20 years worth. The last 5 years is fine.
I suggest you get a copy of some of the books on job searching. Finding a (or the right) job is a full time job. "What Color is your Parachute" is a good example is a good example of this genre.
"Anyways" is not a word. Try "Anyway".
You should have got a job with a dynamic company. Those stationary companies aren't going anywhere.
TEACH! In Dallas, Texas there are plenty of community colleges/commercial training places that will hire someone who *knows* what they're talking about(*know, being the key term there). Some will pay up to $50/hr (of course, only 6-8 hrs a week, which still isn't all that bad). It all depends on what you wanna do. Dallas needs some good Unix/Linux classes to take foot and start running....there are a few, but nothing really "everyone take this class" kind of setup.
TheBigChoice
CV Writing Tips and much more
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
Are times really that bad that people are actually leaving IT? Of Course I am not in the States but I would have thought after working in IT noone would want to go to some other field. Where else can u get decent wages even at the lowest levels for work in a nice office environment with coffee breaks whenever u want (Just say the comp is rebooting after a crash)
But if u really have IT experience and dont mind doing anything why dont you teach? Kids are still willing to learn IT as by the time they are looking for jobs IT will be back and about.
**Life is too short to be serious**
We recently had an article about commercial companies having marketeers posing as posters online to influence the discussion in their direction. This sounds like the army is doing the same.
While I do agree the army is a good option if its a army recruiter they shouldn't post pretending to be someone from the ranks.
On the other hand if I am wrong my apologies
**Life is too short to be serious**
Get a job through a temp agency. I started out as a temp software tester making $8/hr and landed a full time tech job there after 9 months.
(1) Change your first name to something suitable. For example: "Billy-Bob", "Little Paul", etc.
(2) Start buying your clothes at K-Mart "end of season sales". Color co-ordination and size matching need not apply.
(3) Marry someone you suspect, but not necessarily know, might be in the same bloodline as you. She should change her name to something like "Sue-Ann" or "Peggy-Sue".
(4) Acquire a 1979 Ford F-150. Place two armchairs in the flatbed for when ma and pa need a ride.
(5) Apply for job at K-Mart, gas filling station, fast food restaurant of your choice.
And, et voila! You too will have no trouble living close to the poverty line.
Yes, relocation is a pain - just did it last year myself. This makes the 2nd time I've moved to places other than my first choice of living areas...been happy both times. When I was laid off last year, I looked in my large metropolitan home first...after three weeks, looked nationwide. I considered Nebraska, Mississippi, all sorts of places most people wouldn't pick as their first choice. Personally, I'd rather be working than unemployed or flipping burgers. And I'm too young (and so are you if you're under 50) to lock yourself down to one geography. If you want steady upward mobility, you have to RELOCATE SEVERAL TIMES IN YOUR CAREER.
If you cast your net wide - the whole US, go anywhere, do anything - you will find work if your skills are in demand. If you don't find work, then your skills are not in demand or your experience isn't sufficient and you have to lower your sights or improve your skills or both.
It's simple market mechanics. Brutal if you want to call it that, but simple nonetheless. If you're not finding work in your home market, then you need to look in other markets. You might end up in some place you don't like, have never heard of, or not your dream, but you'd be working.
PS...I've never met anyone who was both a senior sysadmin AND a senior programmer. I've also never seen a truly senior admin/programmer who was out of work for long. I'd pick which one you like better and go gonzo on it.
Advice: on VPS providers
Ok What I did after losing my beautiful Motorola Contracting job was to kind of be depressed for about 2 weeks. I mean I didn't ahve it bad or anything, but I felt sorry for 2 of my co-workers who had pregnant wives. So yeah it sucked for them. And I just uh kinda slept.
But After that I had 3 glorious months of over competition for every job out there. So I took myself out of the running for a corporate job, and applied at some small local ISP's. I got hired by one as a tech support worker for $10 per hour. Not enough to survive on my own with, but enough to share a house with 4 others.
It's Loud, the Dialup support calls were hell, and the roommate were messy. But they bumped my a the secondary Unix admin after 3 months. (see as how that was my previous job) So may pay went up agood amount. And I still live with 4 loud roommates, and I save all of my money.
I kinda hope to return to the corporate world eventually, but that's just for the money. I love my Small ISP, and it's employees, and my free SDSL access.
http://thepoliticalgeek.com/blog/ Politics for Geeks.
My answer to this was to file for unemployment. If you haven't, you should. Its good money, and you *earned* it because whats being returned is money that was taken from you before. Unemployment is not welfare.
Secondly, start a company. Anyone who's an unemployed geek in the Seattle area, drop me a line. I started a small business (runnable only by me so I can work during the day if I need to). I've found that I'm getting turned down for jobs in part because I put the business I started on the resume-- people think I'm not going to work for them full time.
But that business returns positive cash flow, allowing me to spend money building another, bigger, business. (Which is why I'm looking for fellow entrepreneurial geeks) I've some ideas that will be really big, there isn't the competition there once was for staking out space in the industry-- most companies are shrinking or retreating. Now is the time to boldy go forward and start a
Now is the perfect time to start a company- resources are cheap, from office space to engineers and the competition is not getting off of the ground because most of your would be competitors are going the VC route and finding VC funding hard to come by. (There's a simple solution to this if you need investment- some businesses inherently need investment- but I'm not going to reveal it here.)
Anyway, its a good time to start a company and you should use unemployment to smooth things over.
Plus you won't have a difficult to explain gap on your resume in a couple years.
Yeah, and you guys panned the ipod too: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23
If your flipping burgers they don't exactly go over your background with a fine tooth comb. Fixing pc's at CompUsa just tell them you did something else at your previous employers it's not that hard to land a crappy gig to hold you over, if your not to honest that is.
>
The solution, of course, is to alter your resume when applying for certain jobs.
The simplest strategy is to simply offer no resume: for the burger flipping job, or many other minimum-wage positions, presenting a resume is probably a red flag all by itself.
On job applications (or on your resume), do just the opposite of what most folks do: understate and deflate your experience.
I suppose the worst problem is how to fill the blanks: if you were working at a dot-bomb company from 1997-2001, you can't just leave those years blank without raising concerns (though if you have young kids, you can report that "following the birth of my first child in 1996, I decided to spend more time at home" without actually lying (maybe you didn't ever manage to act on that decision, for example, until the company's Chapter 7 filing in 2001).
Or just make some minor changes in the way you describe that job: if your resume now says, "Chief Technology Officer supervising 65 programmers and maintenance of 200 web servers from 1997-2001," try changing the title to something that sounds a lot less grandiose (like "Computer Operator" or "Equipment Manager").
Let's face it, being "over-qualified" for a job you want right now, is a problem that most people only dream about.
-- http://www.MarkWelch.com/ Pleasanton California
You're sick and tired of IT and are ready to change careers... (Hey, you can always change your mind, right?)
This is a general rule for all job application situations. It's none of their business what you used to make. The only thing they need to know is what you're willing to do the work for *now*. You should be making the decisions about how much yout time costs, not some egotistical HR manager.
Also, apply at a temp agency... They won't turn you down.
I would say do NOT lie on your resume. Even if you lie by understatement it is still a lie. If you lie, you run the risk of being fired from the job at any time. Say you get hired at CompUSA and work there for a year. On your anniversery you get fired because some overacheiving assistant manager noticed a problem on your old application. Well then next month when you have to go and apply for a job how are you going to explain being fired? Or will you lie again? In that case, how will you explain not working for an entire year? Not to mention that lieing in any form shows poor character.
I believe omitting glorious details would be the way to go. Simply restructure your resume not to include information that may hinder your chances. For example, do not not salary information. CompUSA probably does not care about your salary history anyway. You are required to tell them either. Instead of talking up your previous job like you normally would, talk it down. For example:
"...where I was responsible for rebuilding the database from a Micorsoft Access db into 3rd normal form SQL based database. At that point I trained a team of programmers on 3NF and proceeded to become a certified Oracle Expert."
Let's change that to:
"...where I worked with an Access database to track our inventory."
You're not lieing, but you are showing you have some abilities above most others. Remember, lieing (even if to make yourself look worse) is wrong and could cost you a any job.
LOL!
I found myself in the same situation about 8 months ago, so what did I do you ask? Simple, I applied myself to a totally different field of work (granted impossible for some, but I find that the computer types tend to be fairly smart and flexable) I went to work for a car dealership as a salesperson, and get this, I actually suffered from a pay RAISE, now hows that for a good solution to a bad problem?
everyone in the world has heard about
your failings as a sysadmin, no wonder
you do not find anything...
Google passes Turing test : see my journal
In the US, as long as they comply with non-discrimination statutes, companies usually can fire you at will; they don't need a reason.
Reactor SCRAM?
Nuclear subs have "battle shorts" which short-circuit the reactor protection so that, when in a tricky situation, the reator will not trip or "SCRAM". Civillian nuclear reactors do not have this facility, since they do not get involved in underwater confrontations with the enemy. Although, the crazy Russian RBMK (and I dare say their VVERs) have reactor protection which _can_ be disabled. This was one of the causes of the Chernobyl accident.
I'm out of my tree just now but please feel free to leave a banana.
I'm in (well was) the same boat you were in. I used to do all the systems and application managment on one of the largest Windows 2000 datacenters int he country, over 2300 servers. I've written articles for Hewlett-Packard newsletters about OpenView, written a few articles for Windows 2000 magazine, even see me in a book or 2 here.
Six months ago recession hit me. I lost a 65k/year job (Not to bad for Illinois) and the reserves started to go.
What did I do? Well, after an exhaustive search I found and settled on (quite happily I must admit) Semi Truck driving cross country. The company I work for pays for all the training, gets me my CDL, and sends me out in a truck. Pay is low for the first year (no more then 36k or so) but within a few years you go up to 60-70k/year plus.
Thing I dig about it, I only work 2 weeks a month. 2 weeks in a row mind you, but I have 2 weeks off. And Im getting paid for it. It's not as abnormal as I thought either, normal job stuff. Drive 8 hours, etc. Only thing is sleeping on the road thats odd.
And on the upside I get to work on my OWN projects now. I'm working on a free game for fun, and talk about war driving. How about over 2000 sites on a trip from Illinois to Oregon and back. Hell, if anything it's sweet for geeks. A lot of toys I get to bring with me on runs. Plus I do IT stuff on the side.
I used to work 15 hours a day. 3 hour round trip commute, plus 12 hours in the shop. Now I'm not so stressed, the money is good and you meet a lot of cool people.
So give it a shot. I went through Schneider Trucking but I see ads for a lot of other companies that do the same thing.
And yes, they hire ANYONE. Literally anyone. During training I was with 5 other IT pro's, one with a MIS. There was a college professor, and a housewife too.
Looking for hardware (Currently need: Large Etch-a-Sketch) Have one? See my journal!
I'm a third year computer science students who is searching for work just for the summer, shit jobs do not even exist anymore with in a 2 hour radius of where I live (Madison, SD). Relocation is not much of an option as I will just be back here again in a few months. Being from the Minneapolis area originally you'd think that there would even be great opportunities there. unfortunately if you think that you soon find that you are wrong.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
Using a resume to apply for blue colar work is like searching the Infoworld classifieds for cashier openings at Giant. If you want one of these jobs, go in and fill out an application and track it all the way back through your work history. Make sure to include low paying jobs, do not buzzword them to death. Don't translate salary to $/hour, simply list salaried. If you cannot get your head around the application, talk to a friend doing that kind of work.
Emphasize you are going back to school or strongly considering it and don't light up like a Xmas tree when computers come up. Almost anyone will hire you despite sky high figures if think you want to do something while educating yourself.
All you are doing is saying, "I want to do the work, I can do the work, and I need the work".
That said if you cannot find any techie work chances are you are not really looking hard enough. How many employers a day do you contact? Do you customize your resume for each one? I know it is hard, I had a three month lull lately. It was my issue for not writing a proper resume for the PEs. Try 'What Color is Your Parachute' and 'Break the Rules'; success seems to be somewhere in the middle.
Also, appeal that unemployment claim. You are getting screwed.
Good Luck.
~~ What's stopping you?
Need honest person to infiltrate telemarketing lair and mark all potential customers as "do not call". Must be able to find your own way out of a 3,000 square foot cubicle maze.
It's not clear from your comment whether you want to be a regular full-time employee because you prefer it, or just because your savings is running dry.
If you prefer being a consultant, but you're not getting contracts, you need to up your marketing and sales. Some excellent advice is in the Contract Employees Handbook, especially the appendix on resources. Another good place to check is Janet Ruhl's site, Real Rates which tells what recent contracts have gone for by specialty.
(A great tip I heard is to bypass HR altogether and ask the switchboard for "procurement" or "vendor relations". You are, after all, a business offering a product, not a worker offering to become an employee.)
On the other hand, if you prefer to be an employee, dig out your trusty copy of What Color Is Your Parachute. Do the exercises, then go after companies who do what it is you want to do.
Either way, it has to start with what YOU want to do. You might take something else as an interim measure, but always keep your focus.
I started a business in college, and work it part-time. Upon graduation, I had no debt, but I also didn't have a job. The business helped keep my head above water until I could find stable employment where I could pay my bills and sink additional money into my business in the hope of being self-employed full-time. Among the other skills I've acquired: operation of manufacturing equipment, selling, washing dishes in a nursing home, and the most important of all...networking.
I went to college right out of High School, and managed to flunk out within a year and a half, then I realized larger companies with good benefits look for employees that have a college degree. Think of it as a test of self-discipline, the employer feels that if you had the perseverance to complete college you would be better prepared to deal with situations on a job. If you want to make good money and have a good benefits package working as a Network Admin in a large system like a Hospital or Retail outfit then college is the way you want to go. I was able to expand my choices to include companies that would only interview college graduates and as a result, I am now an IT Director for a Non-Profit Assoc.
Certifications are good and useful, but if the other guy has a degree, you are probably less likely to be called back for a second interview.
The sum of our knowledge today becomes the reference point of our ignorance tomorrow.
My wife works at Starbucks and they are always hiring. They are also always trying to get new management types and pay pretty well for food service (my wife makes $11.50/hr). Tell them you are looking to change career paths. They are usually so desperate for good employees (they try to stand above the average fast-food joint) that they probably won't care if you interest is not 100% sincere. I was actually going to apply, but I landed a contract right before I was forced to.
Good luck
I just got a job. Took me about 6 months. I am now, ahem, an application development team leader with Uncle Sam. Good money, too. Anyhoo, check out www.usajobs.gov. The CS and IT jobs are labled Computer Specialist (GS-334-xx), IT Specialist (GS-2210-xx), Computer Engineer (GS-854-xx), Computer Scientist (GS-1550-xx), Electronics Techs (GS-856-xx), Telecomm. Spec. (GS-391-xx), Electronics Engineers (GS-850-xx), . (The 'xx' is the grade 1-15. Grade 9 is college-degreed entry level.) The salary ranges from Entry level (GS-9 (34K-44K))through Branch or Division Manager, (GS-15 ($82K-107K)), with a little extra for high-rent areas (3%-10%). Please note that relevant experience in specific areas is the overriding criteria for getting an interview and getting hired. Most job announcements have requirements of either a degree or X years (usually 4-8 years) of relevant experience. The process, if a success, can take 2-5 months, assuming no security clearance is required. Many of the jobs have a "career ladder" that can take one from GS-9 (or higher) up to GS-13 & GS-14, my new grade. http://www.opm.gov/oca/02tables/indexGS.htm
The quality of federal employee is much higher than generally realized. (At least by me.) Surprisingly, most feds. are pretty serious about the idea of being a civil servant, probably because it's their taxes, too. I find it very interesting to be a part of something that can, on occasion, directly affect everyone in my (& your) neighborhood. (Ba-ha-ha!) Good luck!
I am in the same boat.
My favorite rejection is...
You'll leave as soon as the economy gets better...
Meanwhile my resume shows me staying at least 3 years at every company.
And when is the economy going to get better...
I also like when the HH says, "You won't be fufilled in this position..."
Lady my fucking 2800USD mortgage is going to be fufilled if I don't get a job soon.Looks like
I'll be driving a Forklift again real soon!
This
"In-cab e-mail allows you to send and receive e-mail through the satellite hook-up in your tractor"
I am so all over this.
-Rich
They hire new people every week. And believe it or not, half the people they hire will be gone in less than a month. The turnover is horrible. And anyone with half a clue will have the opportunity to get promoted into management in a few months or less. They don't care very much if you're "over" qualified, as long as you can pick up a box and show up to work everyday. If you do have potential beyond the typical grunt worker, they have an almost endless supply of opportunities, even tech related jobs.
They go out of their way to find and keep competant workers. They won't hold too much experience against you. And if you're worried that they will, just tell them you're there to take advantage of the college refund program. Even if you're not, that will at least tell them you plan to stay several months. And in the summer months (especially in Texas), they simply cannot get enough people. Its not possible.
Although, I'm not sure what its like in other states. There are hubs in certain states that only hire new people when they lose someone, and the only time they lose people is when one someone retires after 25-30 years. Local economy
might make a difference.
Good luck in any event.
-Restil
-Rstil
Play with my webcams and lights here
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesect ion=news&thesubsection=&storyID=1992520&reportID=4 62584
The sacked chief executive of the Maori Television Service, John Davy, has admitted forging his resume to get the job. He pleaded guilty in the Auckland District Court this morning to one charge of using a document, his CV fraudulently...
It should be noted that John Davy claimed his MBA was from 'Denver State University' and is a Canadian who does most of his paperwork by cut and paste.
- Kaos games and encryption systems developer
As well as pruning your resume, consider your appearance and personality.
You might want to leave your ipaq and your $700 suit at home, and be ready
to talk beer/sports/cars/girls instead.
Most non-professional interviewers are trying to hire 'themselves', so don't
present yourself as being too different to them.
My suggestion is that if you don't hold a degree, leave the field. That will open up more jobs for those of us who actually HAVE a degree and can problem solve something more than Microsoft Windows problems.
I think the IT arena would be a much better place if BA people would get out. Let those who have TECH degrees do the work that they have been trained to do. I really enjoy getting paid the same or less than those without a degree or with a 2 year degree. Makes me sick to think that they somehow got a job from knowing nothing about technology and how it works.
u will be slaughtered any where u go. bow down and stay on u'r knees where u seem to belong....