Career Advice in IT -- from some of our 25+ members

So yeah I just finished grad school, just moved out to Colorado and I am in the job hunt and becoming very frustrated so I'm looking for advice on how to go about this.

I'm 27, just finished up grad school where I studied IT management.

So far I've been applying to jobs online through career B. and corporate sites and haven't even had a nibble. I feel like even though I can do the job my lack of experience is killing me, even though I do have some it's not the 5+ years of doing this exact job.

How would you guys suggest looking? I've tried to change tactics, I've called places hoping to talk to someone, they just tell me to go to the website, I've tried working with a few headhunters and they just seem to waste my time either with falling off the earth or coming up with jobs I wouldn't have needed to even have a bachelors for. So I'm left with applying online which feels like I keep sailing resumes off into the void.

Any advice is appreciated.

There are two ways that I know to get thru this brick wall:

1. Take an entry level job that is below your skill/training level. Most better jobs are filled from within and never advertised to outsiders. Move up from within.

2. Find a company that wants to train you their way. These companies prefer little or no actual experience that they will have to undo. They want somebody green to learn it their way from the start. Then move up from within.

Over 25? Yes, by quite a bit.

eaglescouter said:

Over 25? Yes, by quite a bit.

Click to expand...

Oh I just didn't want some 16 year olds trying to give me their 2 cents on job advice.

One reason I have been leary to go with the lower job is I've been told by several people that if you undercut yourself first, it'll be really hard to make any headway with pay later on because everyone will just want to base your pay off of your last position.

Experience and degrees go hand in hand. Unless you're already well-established, one does not go without the other in today's age. Without a degree, you better have well-documented experience with proven results and rock-solid references. Without experience, well, you better have a degree to even have someone look at your resume.

The fact is, you have no experience and that is what entry level positions are designed for. Regardless of your education level, there are millions just like you that do have some experience, effectively giving them a leg up on you. That post-grad degree does very little in the early goings where experience is king. It is later on, after you've gained some experience, that you can use that in bargaining for higher positions and better salaries...whether it be with the same company, or another.

Salary histories can play a part in what you get hired at, but most employers also know when they can and can't get away with undercutting. More than likely, they're going to know a post-grad took an entry level position to get some needed work experience. Depending on the company, they will more than likely see that as a sign of doing what it takes, rather than settling.

blueswitch said:

One reason I have been leary to go with the lower job is I've been told by several people that if you undercut yourself first, it'll be really hard to make any headway with pay later on because everyone will just want to base your pay off of your last position.

Click to expand...

Another way to look at it is this: Imagine you start as Jr. Something at $30K and in a few years you're Sr. Something at $60K. On your resume you simply say you worked at company XYZ for 4 years as a Sr. Something

Also people like to hire those with lots of promotions behind them, even if they started off small. It shows you're worth promoting. This is why sometimes it's worth mentioning you were an intern, then a coordinator, then a manager all within two years. It shows you were really putting in the work to be worth promoting.

Depending on the specifics those two tactics can spin your resume in the right direction.

Also don't underestimate the power of negotiation. Once they make an offer they want you, so negotiate for the value you provide. Try and avoid any and all talk of pay prior to the offer to solidify your position, then negotiate based on the value and skills you bring to the table.

The salary history point is a tactic employers will use to determine what's fair, like, "Hey, what we're offering is 15% higher pay, that's a deal!"

When you bring really unique experience and/or if the market for your skills has changed, you have to turn the discussion into a value-based negotiation, not a fairness-based negotiation. Unless you're in a heavily commoditized field (which unfortunately IT can be) employers are looking for the best candidate, not the cheapest candidate. They aren't shopping for a 'deal', they want talent that can help the company grow.

--Illah

How long have you been looking?

One thing to keep in mind is the average job hunt lasts 6 months, while most people start to get discouraged after 2 months!

Career fairs are your best friend. It gives you the chance to speak to someone in person. Hopefully your people skills are up to par, having a face-to-face greatly increases your chances.

No job I have ever even thought about taking would ask me what I made before telling me what they were willing to offer.

Either tell them what you are looking for as far as a salary goes (a range is sufficient) or state a minimum amount you are willing to take (they may offer less than that, but at least it will be a starting point)

thanks for the responses guys, I haven't been looking all that long, but figured I'd get some advice early. I'm anxious to get back into the work force and start getting established.

If you're not getting any bites, I'd recommend re-writing your resume. I wasn't getting any hits on mine, then I used the Office '07 template for tech resume and suddenly all these calls came in! You just have to use the right wording so your resume gets hit by search engines, and your resume has to be very concise & good looking from first glance.

This was also in Denver...actually I got hooked up by a company called Modis, they're a tech staffing firm, so they sift through resumes and do a lot of pre-screening for companies. Now you've gotta be careful because they're trying to 'sell' you the job, so take their job descriptions with a grain of salt. I got an entry level temporary position helping a cable company's support center with a building move, and there was an immediate opening for a permanent position that I was qualified for so it was easier getting an interview for that job. It didn't work out because I needed them to sponsor me for a work visa (I'm not a US citizen), the lawyer's fees are over $1000 and I wasn't allowed to start the job until several months later even if I was hired (visa restrictions).

What I gained out of the experience was that the company actually wanted people who would gel well with their existing employees. For my interview, first the younger support group interviewed me to see if they liked me, then upper management interviewed me to get an idea of my education level and skills.