Job Hunt Begins

[Blues]

So I am tired of my current employer for reasons I don't want to go into on here and am going to start looking for new employment. I am just wondering what kind of expectations I should have if I look for work. I currently work as one of the 2 help desk people as well many other tasks as the IT team is small it is a sizable company. I want to go into much the same but I am not seeing much besides Tier 1 Help Desk and wondering if anyone knows what kind of pay I might see at those. I also have seen some Tech Firms with opening for similar or related jobs to my current providing Help Desk support plus many more services to their clients much like I do now. I have also thought about applying at some repair shops but I have no idea what kind of pay they offer and if they would be more hesitant as I lack certifications but I have been doing this work for many years. Most job postings I find do not mention pay just say it is dependent on experience. I am in the Nashville, TN area as I know different areas can have different expectations. I am also debating when to inform my employer I plan to leave as I have many bills to pay and being with out a job particularly for more than a month would become stressful.

 

[Markverhyden]

1. If I were in your boots. Under no circumstances would I even begin to let my manager/employer get the idea you are looking around. Even if I had the best of relationships with them.

2. I've not looked into the W2 market in a number of years and have no intention of doing so. Makes no sense in my situation. But be prepared for pay that does not look so good. Around here I've seen Tier one jobs going in the mid to high teen's.

3. There are a lot of opportunities for people to work out of their home. And I'm not talking about things like support.com. I deal with a number of companies and in many circumstances their support staff is spread all over the place. These are national support type companies that provide support for various chains. But many of these are network support jobs that require a very good understanding of networking in general.

 

[NOOB_TECH]

1.

First, I would set up an account on Tech Exam forums and start posting.
Here is the link:

This forum is made up of IT professionals
The members on this forum can help point you in the right direction.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/

You can post in the IT Degrees/Jobs sub form and ask for help/advice.

2.

Second Listen to this Mike Tech Show Episode - Preparing for the Job Interview

http://mikenation.net/2007/06/mike-tech-show-podcast-129-06-16-07.html

Even though this episode is from 2007, the information provided is still relevant.

 

[jkurgeek]

To go along with the Mike Tech Show episode is a Tech Vets episode from 2012 where Mike interviews Carey and then critiques his answers.
http://tech-vets.com/2012/02/22/tv-2012-02-22-072/

 

[BrentfromZulu]

3. There are a lot of opportunities for people to work out of their home. And I'm not talking about things like support.com. I deal with a number of companies and in many circumstances their support staff is spread all over the place. These are national support type companies that provide support for various chains. But many of these are network support jobs that require a very good understanding of networking in general.

It's funny you mention that, I got a job where I work from home doing IT support. I don't hear from that too often, but I landed the gig. I got an e-mail from the CEO titled GFI Max. They wanted to get to managed services, and they wanted to start with someone who had that experience. I love the company I work for, but recently it has been busy.

Back on Topic, I would review what you make and compare it to the median rate for a similar job. I can only guess on what the typical employee rate is for help desk, but it varies by location. If you are below it, there is your motivation. If you make more than average, you might have to settle for same /similar pay. Typically when I want to move to a new job, I want a decent bump in pay (once I took less money. I won't do that again)

 

[Blues]

Thanks for the input so far and welcome anymore input people have out there. I have considering going out on my own it is just a scary task as well all the headaches of managing the business make me less inclined to go to it. I am not closing off that option but with all my bills I don't know that I can do it just yet maybe if my lady starts making the projected figures for the field she is shooting for then I can take the risk.

 

[frase]

I was in a similar situation - I don't possess any certification such as CompTiAA+ etc, I do have Dip in I.T though. I had been doing HD work for around 3-4 years in the health industry and working with PC's my entire life [starting on repairing C64's back in the day and still now]. I found it very hard in the job market - here in Australia anyway. I ended up starting my own business in 2009 as was sick of trying to find work in the I.T industry, it was more flexible in a sense as well as I could spend more time with my children. It does take some time to build up a decent client base - mine was around 4years.

 

[BrentfromZulu]

I was similar to you Blues. I heard Podnutz Pro and listening to Matt Rainey talk about working his way up to Partner made me want to work in an IT firm.

I've worked in IT doing basic Desktop Support for the most part, but I didn't want to be in IT when I didn't understand the industry I'm working in. My pay was too low, and I knew I was more valuable. I feel as where I live I am very fortunate. I decided earlier this year I was going to find a new job, get paid more, and be happier. It happened pretty dang quick.

I got an e-mail from someone with the subject "GFI Max". It took me a second, and realized that the person e-mailing me was the CEO of a company who wanted to get into Tech Services and wanted to start with someone who has experience in the field. We e-mailed back and fourth for a while.

With my updated resume on careerbuilder, a recruiter also found me. We had a skype get-together and spoke about what my options were going to be. She was very confident that I would get something.

Later that week she forwards my resume to a company which had good pay and good benefits. I tell the recruiter that I'm interested and she forwards my information along.

About 2 weeks later, the recruiter e-mails me saying I got a phone interview, and I am the only one interviewing for the position. I tell her great, and she responds that they will call me at 3:00. But, I really wanted to work with GFI Max with the other company.

I called the CEO for the GFI Max job and tell her that I have an offer at X dollars an hour, and I wanted to know if they had interest in hiring me. They said they were, and she said put in your notice and you can start.

Things didn't go over well with the recruiter, as she helped me with my resume and was really nice to me, and I assume I killed a decent commission for her. I do feel sorry for her, but I am finding a job for me, not her. I thanked her and apologized about the circumstances, but never got a response back...

It's been a few months and I am happy with the new place. My immediate boss got let go (stealing), and I have taken his place and I am well liked with my co-workers. I work from home, and it has been great.

I still hold out on starting my own gig. I still own the domain in my signature, that I can still do on the side (no compete clause, so I have to only to residential), but this is really good and stable, and I know I made the right decision.

-----
If you need help or advice with building a resume or anything else, pm me and I can help in any way I can.

 

[Blues]

Until I am no longer the main and sole bread winner in my house I will stick to the route I am taking and the advise given for job seeking. When I see a window open then I will seriously look and dig into the option of starting out on my own which in many way I would prefer to do.

 

[thecheeze]

My 2 cents worth; seems like you do have a family that depends on your income so make sure you have something solid (goals, business plan) before you jump ... they will support you if you believe.

There are many opportunities out there, it just takes vision to see.

Best I can give you is to LOVE what you do no matter what it is ... the money will follow. Good luck and post updates to your progress.