I don't belive the market is as bad as everyone says and here is why:
In August of 2000 my old company told us we were going to be let go, my release date turned out to be April 1 (which got extended to July 15th... and probably would have been extended longer as the site I worked at is now remaining open... but that is a diffrent story...
Anyway, in August I started to talk with recruiters and watched the market and the IS field go to pot, laughing as my chances at getting a new postion quicly faded...
Between August and March I chatted with a HERD of recruiters, they were just about banging down my door (as recruiters will do)
In March I became a little more serious about finding a new postion and set the recruiters out to do there job and sent out my resume to maybe 50 - 150 places between the time I started really looking for a new job and the time I accepted a postion...
At the start of the whole process I told the resume specialist my company had hired that it would take me a few days to find a job... maybe 2 weeks, as it turned out it took a little longer.
April and May rolled around and I had a few interviews... mostly programming stuff where I am no where near strong enough for what the market wanted those days, I am strong enough for what the market wanted in 99... oh well, I couldn't program 8 hours a day, I'd go batty.
June came around and suddenly I got a few calls about technical support, which I was wanting to move away from and toward more of web development and support... but hey, whatever pays the bills at that point, I had a July 15th end day hanging over my head.
I interviewed with a few companies that ended the interview as soon as they heard what I was asking...
Then I interviewed with Executrain to teach web development to people and that went well, then a technical postion with a law firm that went well, and a technical postion with a non-profit that went well...
In the end I was offered the last three postions and turned down Executrain and the law firm even though they were the highest paying (by a few thousand) Executrain because of the hours and the Law Firm because they wanted me to move to KC...
I accepted the non-profit postion, a good pay raise from my last position, and it incuded technical support, web development, design, database development, etc etc etc... Basicly mixing together a lot of the things I can do.
My advice to people that say the market is just not there is to look back at themselves, perhaps you are the problem and not the market... yes there is a lot of flack out there from the paper MCSE'ers and the younger crowd, but you have to sell yourself, prove your worth spending the money on.
Remember, Pepsi was able to take over a market that Coke ruled for years and years, so if your having trouble finding a position, then there is a good chance the problem is the way YOU are trying to sell yourself and not the way the market is...
One other thing, want to make yourself a better technical person? Don't take MCSE classes, take MARKETING classes, learn the business you work for or want to work for; and my #1 peice of advice for looking for a job, control the interview, if your leading the way, then you can set the tone... When they ask you questions answer them and then lead into another area where you might be able to improve the company, lighten the mood with a joke, and keep the interview flowing... that first impression is what is going to get you the job, the resume got you in, now you have to sell yourself again. CJ
- If chickens could fly would they egg ugly people?
![[roll1]](/data/assets/smilies/roll1.gif "[roll1] [roll1]")
Sebastian Jazzer