Getting Experience in Comp industry..

[dawks]

I have a friend, who took a two year course at a local private college. Graduated from the school with a diploma in Computer Network Administration along with A+ N+ MCP, MCSE, and has picked up CCNA on his own. He knows his sh!t pretty good unlike many who use braindumps to get certs. He can also design websites, runs his own server hosting several websites, and keeps up on tech very well. I and several people have looked over his resume and cover letter, and both look great.

Hes been applying for 5-6 IT jobs weekly (anything from entry level phone support up to senior network admin postions) for almost two years now and hasn't even gotten a phone call, much less an interview. We suspect his lack of real world experience is holding him back since 98% of the jobs advertised require a minimum 2 years experience.

How does one go about getting experince? Hes tried volunteering at local computer shops, but the don't want any volunteer help.

Hes got a pretty nice website showcasing his skills and knowledge, but after analyzing his webstats in detail I dont think theres been a single possible employer visit it. (ie most hits come from links from other sites or forums, and non come from the IP's of the companies hes applied for.) I think if a HR type person saw his site, they'd be impressed. His cover letter has the URL in three places, as does his resume.

 

[fs5]

bad job market = no jobs,
it's picking up though, I see tons of more job postings on hot jobs lately than in the past couple years.

His only hope if to get refered by someone....

 

[DougK62]

Two years and not even a bite? He's definitely doing something wrong or not putting much effort into it.

 

[dawks]

Originally posted by: DougK62
Two years and not even a bite? He's definitely doing something wrong or not putting much effort into it.

This is a typical job hes applied for. He sends an e-mail to the address, with a nice clear coverletter (in HTML format to ensure nice formatting - not a good idea?) along with his resume attached in Microsoft .doc format, and has even begun pasting his resume in the body of the e-mail in hopes that many HR people are too lazy to open the attachment. His computer is virus free, and all out-going messages are scanned and tagges as clean by AVG, so they shouldnt be getting blocked by companies virus protection..

If they dont provide a phone number to nag, does that mean the just want to see if you'll put in the effort to find it?

Where can I find a script like deal that gives advice as to what to say during the NAG call?

 

[cHeeZeFacTory]

Seems like your friend is well qualified for many IT positions out there. I graduated last fall with a B.S. in So Cal, applied to about 5-6 per week for 3 months, got about 1 interview out of every 5..until I got my current engineering position. Many ppl say Monster doesn't work, but that was actually how i found my job.

 

[atom]

How is he following up on his resume submission? It's really hard sometimes these days with online or e-mail submissions because you don't really know who to correspond with but following up is still very important to get your name out there.

Has he tried going to a temp agency? The pay is kinda shady in my experience but it's better than not working for two years, and at least he's getting some experience.

 

[Goosemaster]

In doubt, take it like a man, and defaultback to work study..get some good experience and he'll be set.

 

[DougK62]

Confess - your "friend" is you, right?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: DaZ

This is a typical job hes applied for.

"Minimum Competencies:
Applicants must have a two year Technical Diploma in computer technology or
related discipline and a minimum of 3 years related experience in a client service
and support environment. "

If he's applying to 5-6 jobs a week where he doesn't meet the requirements then it's not too surprising that he hasn't found a job.

He should be searching for and applying for entry-level positions instead of wasting the time of people who need more experience.

I realize there are very few entry level jobs right now, but resume spam is not the answer -- networking with friends and associates might be, as well as looking for positions at small companies, non-IT focused companies, and perhaps temp or contract agencies.

 

[dawks]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: DaZ



This is a typical job hes applied for.

"Minimum Competencies:

Applicants must have a two year Technical Diploma in computer technology or

related discipline and a minimum of 3 years related experience in a client service

and support environment. "


If he's applying to 5-6 jobs a week where he doesn't meet the requirements then it's not too surprising that he hasn't found a job.

He should be searching for and applying for entry-level positions instead of wasting the time of people who need more experience.

I realize there are very few entry level jobs right now, but resume spam is not the answer -- networking with friends and associates might be, as well as looking for positions at small companies, non-IT focused companies, and perhaps temp or contract agencies.

Thats the problem, like I said above, 98% of jobs require 2 years experience, the other 2% want 7-10 years experience.

-------------

As for: "In doubt, take it like a man, and defaultback to work study..get some good experience and he'll be set."

Whats work study and where does one obtain that?

 

[Staples]

I have wondered this myself. I have excused skewing from my computer science major because of this very fact. I figure that a ton of people have been fired over the past 5 years and when a job openning is there, the veterans who have many years experience are 99% more likely than you to get the job. Until there is a huge boom in the industry, I figure there will be tons of people sitting at home who once worked in the industry who will continue to apply for the job that you want to land.

 

[Riverhound777]

You may want to start trying to meet people in the industry to get the inside info. Many times there are jobs that no one even hears about that go to people that know the boss. Its all about the people you know. I work on campus right now and know a lot of people who will be able to help me get a job once i graduate. All about connections...