I need some advice/help

[BTM]

Okay, lots of things in my life aren't going so great, but for this post, I'm gonna to focus on one thing in particular: my career.  I'm having a REAL difficult time getting it started.  I graduated back in August of 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Technology.  Basically, it's kind of a "catch all" for various computer related fields, involving stuff like web design, tech support, database management, web security, even assembling computers.  The degree (at least where I went) dipped into each of those areas just enough to get your feet slightly damp. 

For my internship I did a website for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and started some website for other non-profit charity groups.  It was an good internship, but it didn't really give me much in the way of practical experience in the IT world or networking connections I'd need for another job.

It's been over a year since I graduated, since then I'm now working at a 32 hour minimum wage job in a hotel which, frankly, I didn't need a degree for, and barely getting by (despite living in public housing with cheap rent).  I've applied for several jobs through online sources, but it seems like everywhere I turn they want way more experience than what I have. 

I'm most interested in doing creative stuff like web design, but it turns out that wasn't really the focus of the degree (or at least, not the way the university taught it).  I know some stuff about Dreamweaver, Java and HTML code, but the college didn't cover anything on subject like Coldfusion, ASP, Ajax, PHP, Flash, and numerous other programs that most of the jobs seem to want.

Another strike against me is the job market here is REALLY poor... I know the economy is in the s**ts right now, but this area sucked ass even BEFORE all the big housing collapses.  I wouldn't mind moving, but I don't really have much money saved up right now, and it's hard to save when you're barely getting by as is.

I've tried looking through the college, they've got a career placement program, problem is, since it's been over six months since I've graduated, they want me to pay to "register" with them, $50 for a year's registration.  I guess that's a good deal, a whole year and all, but it's fifty more than I have right now. 

I've been in touch with some of my teachers, but, ironically enough, the head of the IT department answered my first email, but none thereafter.  My counselor just repeated the advice, "Go see career placement."  (Gee, thanks, you've been a big help.)

I don't know... I'm getting frustrated, and I'm already depressed about other things and this just isn't helping.  Feel like I'm stuck in a pit I can't get out of, and I feel like the more time that passes, the more out of date and useless my degree will be.  Been trying to keep up with the news and advances but it's hard sometimes when everything feels a bit pointless.  Plus I've got several thousand dollars in college loans looming over the horizon (I'm on a deferment right now, but it's still there.)

To be honest, if I could go back in time, I would have gotten a different degree.  IT isn't quite what I thought it would be, and being that the college didn't have too many courses about the subjects I REALLY wanted to learn (web design), I wish I'd have gotten a mass media degree instead.  Got my IST degree on the wall above my computer, and sometimes I feel like for all the good it's doing me I should throw it on the floor and p**s on it.

Anyway, I do have some assets in this... I just registered with odesk.com, this freelance website, been taking tests and stuff, going to put up some examples of past work and try to get some freelance jobs from there.  I also own (yes I bought it)  Macromedia Suite 8.0, with Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, etc, so those are at least some programs I can learn more about.

So, any other advice or things I should try I'd appreciate... been doing searches on a lot of the bigger known job sites, Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice, etc. 

Like I said, I'm still trying but, it's just frustrating when you feel all your attempts to improve your life aren't bearing fruit. 

Anyway, if nothing else, thanks for reading this.

[Jack]

I guess the only advice I can offer is to look in the newspaper and apply for every job you think you might be halfway qualified for. 

[ghouck]

That's a tough one, especially with this F-ed up economy. Here's what 'I' would do if I were in your situation: First, you speak of your hotel job, I would concentrate on making THAT work better for you until an IT job opens up. Don't let people think you look at it as a temporary job, else you'll be stuck at the bottom. See if you can work your way up a little, or even see of other hotels or such have jobs you can count this one as experience in that pay better or have better hours. If you're making minimum wage, another 50 cents and 8 hours would go a long way to help.

You don't say how old you are, but honestly, I would at least consider the military. I mean, it will pay similar at first, but it gets better fairly quick, plus you may qualify to enter at e-2 or e-3 instead of e-1, quite a bit of a difference in pay there (It looks like the lowest private makes $1200+ a month before taxes). The military will pay for your food, roof (actually, provide meals in the mess hall and give you a room in the Barracks), and medical. If you are single living in the baracks, you can often get away with not having a car at all, I did for over a year. There's quite a few education opportunities, plus the GI Bill. I would see if you could get a few-year hitch in something related to your degree, you can keep studying, work up your resume, AND get yourself the GI bill to use when you get out, all at the same time. When I was in, the military would pay 2/3 of the cost of your classes, provided you pass them, books were extra, clep/dantes tests were free. It's also a good way to get out of where you are, which seems like part of the problem. Of course there's the whole war thing/getting shot at thing, but (with any luck), this war won't go on forever. Hey, it's an option. If you joined for a few years, when your time is up, you could look for a civillian job, and still have re-enlisting as an option. I'm not going to BS you though, I was in the Army, and there was times it SUCKED. I also had some of th best times, but, , did I mention how it SUCKED from time to time. It was alot of fun, I got to do some pretty fun stuff and go places I'd have never gone otherwise. Perhaps Andrew can give you an idea of what more modern military life is like (I've been out since '95).

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's a valid option.

[Doctor Menard]

Let's not be too hasty about p!ssing on your degree.

First...

You have a degree which, regardless of anything it is worth or for what it is, it is a foot in the door at many job opportunities. I don't know how many jobs I have seen a requirement for a bachelor's degree minimum, regardless of the field of study; so long as they can checkmark that box.

Second...

Dude!

You're on the internet.

Want to learn more about web design and the most current stuff? Look around, it's free on here.

Go to php.net if you want to learn more about php.

Want to have something to show for it? Build a website which you can include in your application; probably another checkmark in a box.

Don't have money for hosting? Freehostia offers ad free php hosting. You can get dollar hosting from 3ix or Oxyhosts.

Anybody can design and host a website for cheap. Just look at this crappy website some fool has on dollar hosting (oh s**t...that's my website ).


If somebody is not going to give you the experience you feel need to advance, make it happen on you own.

Don't just fill in an application, create a resume that highlights your accomplishments and skills, regardless of whether you think those accomplishments and skills are little or not...talk it up.

Employers today, and the people in the so-called human resources departments ( ) are so separated from communication, and being a human being in general, that what makes them happy is seeing checkmarks.

Checkmarks are things like...


Having had a job within the past year; regardless of the job.

Having a good job reference (timeliness is a key factor); again, regardless of the job.

Related experience; regardless of how related it is (make it seem related).

And...did I mention...a college degree.


If you are wanting web design experience, you are on the best place for the...the web.

You can create a website to use as a show piece. It doesn't have to be about anything, just put stuff on it, or even make it about how you designed it.

Do some searching on the web for businesses around town to find their websites, or discover if they don't have one. Then go to a few of them and offer to make them one, or improve their current one, for little or no charge. You can then link to these from your website as examples of your work and include them in your resume to prospective employers.


The web is also filled with other webmasters who can offer some help through webmaster forums and other forums as well. Yes, some of them are lifeless virgins, with attitudes, who never got out of the basement, so you just have to learn which pricks those are and ignore them.


Here's something else...

You have a degree in IT.

Who uses IT?

Most any business that needs to keep a network with others in their business.

That would be hospitals, grocery stores, retailers, libraries, television stations, etc. (to infinity and beyond).

If the place where you are working does not offer some potential for advancement into a department where you can get experience in your field, check with other potential employers who may seem unrelated, but have such a department which you may be able to move into once you get in the door.

An example is Kroger. They have pretty much taken over this state where grocery stores are concerned. They have IT people who keep those servers, and the network, up and running or they cannot do any business (it actually did happen at our local store when they had network problems that prevented them from processing credit cards...talk about the goddamn nightmare that created). I don't know for certain if they hire directly into the IT department, but it seems likely that someone who is employed by them and has a degree in that field would be considered for placement into that department.

Businesses most likely to have IT departments within them are going to be your chain stores, banks (at the main office), schools, hospitals, state and local governments, and I'm certain you can think of more. Some will have an IT department within the specific location, where many will have a centralized IT department that goes around to the different sites/stores. Some of these places will be relatively easy to get a job; it may be as a bagger, sweeper, etc., but it is putting you within reach of that department.


Just some random musings...I think I forgot what I was talking about.

[Rev. Powell]

Let's not be too hasty about p!ssing on your degree.

Want to have something to show for it? Build a website which you can include in your application; probably another checkmark in a box.

...


You can create a website to use as a show piece. It doesn't have to be about anything, just put stuff on it, or even make it about how you designed it.

That was going to be my suggestion as well.  If it's web design you're really interested in, make a webiste to show off what you can do... use it as your resume.

Another idea is that you can freelance web design--just open up shop (on the web) as a sole proprietor and design websites for small businesses in your spare time.  Since you're doing it mostly for experience and to build a portfolio rather than to make a living, you can afford to charge less than the going rate... which may help you get clients, especially in this economy.  If you can make a living off it, great!  But even if you don't, it shows initiative, experience and self-motivation, which should be valuable commodities to any employer.

[BTM]

You don't say how old you are, but honestly, I would at least consider the military.

You're right, I forgot to mention that.  I'm 31 years old.

[BTM]

You guys have given some good advice, I thank you for that.  I guess part of the problem for me it's frustrating that I spent all this time in college, learning all this stuff, just to turn around and be, "Oh, BTW, this degree didn't prepare worth s**t for what you think you want to do, you gotta learn a whole bunch MORE stuff on your own now!  HAHA!"

I mean, yes, I knew I wouldn't graduate college with all the knowledge that I'd need for a job, but I was hoping when I'd be learning new stuff, I'd be learning it ON THE JOB.  School wasn't easy for me, I'm not always the best at focusing on the task at hand (or, in some cases, hyper focusing), trying to learn a bunch of stuff on my own just seems a bit overwhelming at times.

But, I'll give it another shot.

[indianasmith]

Incidentally, with a college degree, there is a good chance you could enter the military as an officer rather than an enlisted man . . . pay's better, and there's a shot at a really interesting and fruitful career.

I did four years in the Navy, and loved most of it.

[ghouck]

You don't say how old you are, but honestly, I would at least consider the military.

You're right, I forgot to mention that.  I'm 31 years old.

Oh, just a young buck :)

[sideorderofninjas]

Try seeing if any of the local community colleges need someone for teaching their computer classes?  Granted, they are typically more part time than anything else but still a step up...

[Trevor]

Anybody can design and host a website for cheap. Just look at this crappy website some fool has on dollar hosting (oh s**t...that's my website ).

 

[akiratubo]

Sounds like you're in the same boat as me.  I'm seriously looking at joining the Air Force.  I can't even get hired at Wal-Mart and going back to school doesn't seem to be working out, either.

Good luck to you.

[asimpson2006]

If possible I would try contacting the college you graduated from to see if they offer job assistance.  Not all colleges do that but some will help you locate jobs with your degree.  Job fairs are also great to check out potential places of employment.  Meet as many people as you can, get as many business cards as possible from the reps you meet, and I would probably have a large amount of resumes on hand as well.

A lot of IT jobs don't pay very well starting but it will be better than min wage.  I went from getting 7.95 as a part time training butcher to 10.00 when I started my tech support job.  It wasn't much better overall from what I got, but it was still an improvement overall.

[BTM]

If possible I would try contacting the college you graduated from to see if they offer job assistance.  Not all colleges do that but some will help you locate jobs with your degree. 

Well, like I said the University I went to has a Career Placement program, but they want me to pay a registration fee.

The college I went (went to a two year college then transferred to a four year University), has a program where the list local jobs every week or so, and I check them regularly. 

Again, once again man, wish I'd gotten a degree in mass media... It's my fault really, I didn't have a "four year" plan when I started this degree thing.. just looked to see what the community college offered instead of looking at all the University's degrees and then seeing what I could "fill in" at the college first for that degree.  By the time I started getting an inkling that IT may not have been exactly what I thought I was midway in year three...

Guess maybe I could see about getting ANOTHER loan and taking some more classes... not sure how much I could get with the various loan programs having trouble with the economy though...

[Derf]

Another possible thing to consider is a graphic arts job. Most businesses that advertise for a graphic artist are actually looking for a combination of glorified secretary and web designer, and many places aren't picky about specific degrees. If you can use Microsoft Office (mostly PowerPoint) and can design web pages, you stand a chance at these jobs. I worked for 14 years as a graphic artist, without the web-page-building part, and when I looked for another job, that's the one thing companies seem to be looking for. It didn't help that I despise Office, and PowerPoint in particular. If you know these programs, however, graphic arts may be a viable option.