Moving Up the IT Ladder in a Poor Economy?

Andy asks: "As almost anyone who joined the IT industry on the tail end of the Dot-Com boom can tell you, trying to move up in the industry for the past couple of years has been like jogging up-wind in a hurricane. I have sent resumes to countless numbers of employers only to still be working in the same $13/hr. low-end outsource support job as when I started (and $13/hr. doesn't get you too far in Boston these days). Learning more and more languages/technologies/protocols has merely resulted in a larger skill set on my resume, with pretty much the same level of experience, and no new interviews. Has anyone else been able to get out of this sort of slump, either during this economic slump or a previous one? Should I just continue the path of learning as much as I can and applying for jobs? Would getting a cert (maybe an RHCE or some Cisco certs) help? Would it be worth it to get a degree in MIS or CS?"

Comments

Specialize

[rigmort]

I'm a Macintosh (mostly) sys admin and there is plenty of demand for my skills. Windows sys admins seem to be a dime a dozen. Find a specialty -- even my dog has his CCNA and MCSE.

Re:It's who you know, and what you know

[kjd]

Let's face it, computers are for sissies. Electrical engineering is where it is at.

Re:It's who you know, and what you know

[fimbulvetr]

You don't sound like a very good friend to me. Depending on the friend, I'd usually do a bit of fighting for them.

No offense, of course, we just have different views of what we would do for your friends.

Re:My suggestion is

[blair1q]

Beats having to suck Dick Cheney's cock to make up for your lack of intelligence and experience.

Re:It's who you know, and what you know

[dave420]

"Dude, if you were a tech guy for the US Navy, you will find a job when you get out"

Those burgers don't flip themselves...