# having a hard time finding a job



## FULLmetallica (Oct 4, 2009)

well i have been looking for over 19 weeks now but most employers want experience but none aren't willing to give any. i'm looking for work in admin or simple data entry. any advice? here are my noteworthy qualifications:

BTEC introductory diploma with IT @ work - distinction
BTEC First diploma for IT practitioners - distinction*
BTEC Employability skills will deloitte
European Computer Driving Licence(ECDL)

i was doing CISCO CCNA but i didn't qualify for the grant because my parents supposedly make enough to pay my way. bull. i had to drop out of the course i loved doing because of this. worst of all everyone in my class who had the grant blew it all on booze and weed when i actually needed it.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

that's how I am feeling. I am doing online classes for my AA and trying to find a part-time job since i just got my A+. So far I've only applied to two places and they haven't called me back yet.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

I would start applying at stores like staples as an Easy Resident Technician Associate. The job deals with selling PC's and PC accessories, but you also do computer technical diagnostics for customers, and make upgrades on customers computers. It's something to do until the job market gets better.


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## blackbeagle (Aug 8, 2008)

Armymanis said:


> I would start applying at stores like staples as an Easy Resident Technician Associate. The job deals with selling PC's and PC accessories, but you also do computer technical diagnostics for customers, and make upgrades on customers computers. It's something to do until the job market gets better.


That's a very good advice. Take entry-level gigs for now. Know the customer service end first. Then as you get more experience, you'll be able to climb that ladder. 

Also think about getting your BS degree. Most companies won't look at your resume if you don't have one.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

blackbeagle said:


> That's a very good advice. Take entry-level gigs for now. Know the customer service end first. Then as you get more experience, you'll be able to climb that ladder.
> 
> Also think about getting your BS degree. Most companies won't look at your resume if you don't have one.


^ I agree. After months of research on different bachelors degrees, I am going after my Bachelors of Science in Technology. It is a degree for Managers in the Information Technology field. I would check your local colleges to find out what Bachelor degree's you can do. 

I've applied to three part-time jobs in the past month and none of them called me back yet.


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## blackbeagle (Aug 8, 2008)

One last bit of information. When seeking a degree, make sure it's from an accredited university and not a private 'for profit' college like ITT, DeVry, U of Phoenix, etc. You're wasting money here. You could get BS degree from your local state U for a third of the price. On top of that, most are regionally accredited (preferred by most employers), where the schools I've listed above are all nationally accredited. 

I can tell you all the dirt you want about these for profit school because I used to work for one.


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

^ I never knew that ITT, Devry, or the U of Pheonix were rip off schools! Please tell more


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## blackbeagle (Aug 8, 2008)

Armymanis said:


> ^ I never knew that ITT, Devry, or the U of Pheonix were rip off schools! Please tell more


What I mean by rip off is that they charge a hell lot more for tuition without giving anything more. You're talking about near $500/cr for a 185 credit bs degree. Do the math. That's almost 93k for a bs degree. You're thinking, "Wow, 93k is a lot but I pay more at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, etc.". True but ITT/Phoenix/Devry aren't those schools. 

Basically, these schools hire the best sales people money can buy. I was hired at a premium, more than any 'counselor' would ever make at any community colleges or university. I wasn't a counselor. I was a sales rep and senior level at that. Pure and simple. My job was to sell you the school and I was good at my job. Some time it was ruthless. I would literally put the armbar on students and parents to sign the enrollment papers. It was basically high pressure sales tactics. If you don't believe me, fill out a request for information at any of those schools. Your phone will be ringing off the hook for a month straight, even on weekends and 10pm at night. We won't leave you alone.

With that said, the education was not bad. The instructors were good and had experience in the field. The equipment/labs were also decent. However, with that said, there's no way I could suggest to my own kid to spend $93k at such a school. No way. No how. The only way my kid would go to these schools is if they went for free (employee benefits). 

Often times, I'd talk to a bunch of 18 year old, pimpled face, WoW til 3am, kid that wants to design video game for a living. We have a DEGD (Digital Entertainment Game Design) degree that would be perfect for them. Once they get me as a rep, they sign up. That's basically 4 years and over $95k for the school. 

What made me feel bad is that they are still using the Unreal engine for game design. Not Doom engine. Not Unreal II engine. UNREAL...the original. Think about it. You're using technology that's about 10 years old. These kids would have no chance at a real job when they are done. If they get damn lucky, they would work for $8 and hour. Trying paying off $93k with that and figure out how long it would take you. 

The bottom line is this: There's no way to justify a degree to cost $95k. None. Unless you had a chance to make that back. Yes, I would spend that to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. These schools do not prepare you for that.

Like I said, just watch out for any school that is nationally accredited. You go in there, you ask, "What is your accreditation?". Pure and simple. If they can't show you the regionally accredited emblem on their wall, you walk out. No ifs. No buts. Don't even let them try to explain it. They will again try to sell you the fact that nationally accredited is just as good. Don't fall for it. Just walk out. 

You'll thank me later. :grin:


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

Man good thing I told University of Pheonix to stop calling me. I wanted to request more information and I thought they would email me a PDF of their brochure of the courses that are in the Bachelors degrees for Computers. Well I was wrong there! They kept calling me and I finally told them to take me off their list, they havn't called since. Right now I am enrolled in Bellevue Community College and pretty happy with it. I am getting an AA in Technical Support and plan on transferring to Eastern at Bellevue to get my Bachelors degree in Technology. 

Eastern at Bellevue is basically Eastern Washington University located on the Bellevue Community College Campus. They have one or two buildings used for the distance education area, so students can still come to class and see an instructor. So all in all its accredited and I am so glad I did not sign up for that school. University of Phoenix wouldn't even let me know their prices for their courses. They just kept wanting me to fill out forms over the phone. Good thing none of those included my SSN or I'd be screwed.


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## blackbeagle (Aug 8, 2008)

You did the right thing. Go to a local cc first, then transfer to a university after that. This is the proper way of doing it. I would even suggest even before you go to the local cc, you get the curriculum from the university. Find out what all the requirements are first (gen eds, freshman level classes, etc.). Then take those exact same classes at your community college. Then after two years, you'll be assured that most classes will transfer over (every time you change schools, there will always be classes that won't transfer).

U of Phoenix is a very sly school. If you're a pure freshman, they trick you by saying tuition is low, like a university. They will tell you the first two years will be at Axia College or something like it. Tuition is not as high as the final two years. Then once you get into your junior year, Boom, rates go way up. Try transferring then. 

You'll be in a world of hurt. No other schools will accept these credits. You'll have no option but to finish up. 

U of Phoenix employ some of the most aggressive marketing tactics. They built the foundation to how most schools recruit these days. 

At ITT, our job was to call prospects 3 times a day for 3 days straight. After that, it's twice a day every other day until we reach you. How's that for phone tactics? We do more phone calls then telemarketers.


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## Blade_Jones (Feb 5, 2005)

Repairing computer is an entry level job, but if you want "experience" in that area then practice infecting a test machine by downloading viruses at malwaredomainlist.com


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

A better thing would be to go to a local computer volunteer group and ask if you can volunteer at their place and either build/repair/install operating systems.


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## tim19889 (Jan 24, 2010)

Do you guys think I should get a bachelors degree? I just got a+ certified and my plan is to get 2 years of experience doing pc repair, while at the same time getting my MCTS: configuring windows 7 and Comptia Network+.
I should be able to get into a good helpdesk job with those three certs plus two years of experience right? Or will they really need to see a bachelors on top of that do you think? Advise me please...

Btw blackbeagle, this was rich lol. "18 year old, pimpled face, WoW til 3am, kid that wants to design video game for a living."


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## blackbeagle (Aug 8, 2008)

tim19889 said:


> Do you guys think I should get a bachelors degree? I just got a+ certified and my plan is to get 2 years of experience doing pc repair, while at the same time getting my MCTS: configuring windows 7 and Comptia Network+.
> I should be able to get into a good helpdesk job with those three certs plus two years of experience right? Or will they really need to see a bachelors on top of that do you think? Advise me please...
> 
> Btw blackbeagle, this was rich lol. "18 year old, pimpled face, WoW til 3am, kid that wants to design video game for a living."


:laugh:

I hope you didn't take any offense to that Rich. Anyways, yes, you need a BS degree. Right now I'm looking for another job. In fact I've been looking for one for months and it's damn hard. Every IT job (support, business analyst, administrator, etc.) requires a BS degree. Some even Masters preferred. Do you need a Masters to fix computers? No. But it's an employer's market right now. They know the demand is high. They can request whatever they want. If we don't have the qualification, someone else will. They are simply trying to get the most bang for the buck. 

So if you don't have EXACTLY what they are looking for (BS degree in IT, 5 years plus dealing with clientbased services, 5 years of SQL, 3 years of Oracle db management, etc.) you're not going to get a call. It's as simple as that. 

Even tech support, help desk jobs have high demands. You have to be competitive. Take a lesson and get your BS degree. Certs won't do you any good at this point and will never be a substitute for a degree. Certs will come later as you get more experience. Get your degree, then beg for a $12/hour job to get experience. It's a long ladder up to the top but you'll eventually get there. 

Just don't go listen to those commercials from schools that promise that "You can get into the IT NOW and make $50k year" with just 18 months of training. It's hogwash. 

Good luck WoW til 3am guy.


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## tim19889 (Jan 24, 2010)

Yeah I know it's a tough market out there and having a BS would look a lot better but school's just so expensive...like right now I have enough money saved that I can start looking at houses in another year or two. If I go to college that idea goes down the drain :\.
Anyways if I do get two-three years of real-life experience repairing pcs (say for bestbuy or something), that would be better than just having a BS and no real-life experience right? Especially with certs as well? Or no?


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## Armymanis (Feb 19, 2010)

For me personally, I would rather live in a rental home and get a bachelors then spend my money on a house. You will be working dead end jobs until you are 60 trying to pay that thing off. Most jobs require a Bachelors now.


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## tim19889 (Jan 24, 2010)

Not really..I'll be able to put about $30,000 down for it, and if in 3-4 years i could get into a $20-$25 an hour job of some sort, it wouldn't take that long. But anyways, this isn't a financial services website I don't know why I'm talking about this on here now lol.


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## blackbeagle (Aug 8, 2008)

Success story:

Well I got together with some friends tonight and received good news about a colleague of ours. 

This guy is in his late 20s early 30s. Married with a first kid on his way. He works at the school as a support technician. Hell, he runs our whole network and upgrades all the computers/parts in our labs. He's our 'Go To' guy at the campus. He also happens to be going for his BS degree at the school as well in Network Securities. He's about done with his BS degree and will owe about $80k. 

I knew how much this guy was making. It wasn't a lot. It was mid 30s. But it's a job he got AFTER he received his AAS degree. I knew that if he stuck with it, got the experience, he would be a valuable commodity upon receiving his BS degree. 

Sure enough, I found out he's been offered a job for over $50k/year. Now that may not sound much, but its his 2nd official job post college. Think about that for a second. I think back of my 2nd job post college. It was making a little over $24k/year. Granted that was a while ago but it goes to show that if you stick with what you love and get the education, it will pay off. 

It certainly paid off for him.


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