Current Events > The IT world is hiring big time

(+) Yeah! (+)

I get non-stop recruiters emailing me, calling me and texting me for tons of Help Desk and other IT positions all the time even entry level. It's getting to the point where I bluntly tell them if you can't give me a significant pay raise, better benefits and if it's not fully remote then I won't accept.

I'm pretty sure all of you guys are pretty decent with technology and computers. Anyone of you could do a basic IT Help Desk role. Why not apply for a few of them?

Bootstraps and all that

You think so? I've been applying to IT jobs for the past 3 years with an IT degree and I've been getting rejected from every single job I've applied to, including the help desk ones.

My bootstraps are broken.

Puglia77 posted...

You think so? I've been applying to IT jobs for the past 3 years with an IT degree and I've been getting rejected from every single job I've applied to, including the help desk ones.

Is anyone giving you any feedback as to why they rejected you?

I'm good with my career and work remote except one or two office visits a month, sometimes not even that. Sounds like a good opportunity for anyone who has decent tech knowledge and can deal with people fairly well.

VeggetaX posted...

Is anyone giving you any feedback as to why they rejected you?

Nope. I graduated with IT specialization in Game Development and a minor in CS, trying to get a software development job but I've lowered my standards to IT help desks. Nothing yet, the emails always say I'm not a good enough fit and they've moved on to other candidates. I'm thinking I don't have enough qualifications so I might have to take a certification for DevOps or full stack. I just finished moving to a different state and I'm limited on funds so I'm hoping to get some kind of job this year but it hasn't been looking good so far.

The only interview offers I've ever had are those 2 year bootcamp non-compete offers like Revature or Dev10. Tried to do Dev10 last month but they ended up canceling all of their positions for my location.

Puglia77 posted...

Nope. I graduated with IT specialization in Game Development and a minor in CS, trying to get a software development job but I've lowered my standards to IT help desks. Nothing yet, the emails always say I'm not a good enough fit and they've moved on to other candidates. I'm thinking I don't have enough qualifications so I might have to take a certification for DevOps or full stack. I just finished moving to a different state and I'm limited on funds so I'm hoping to get some kind of job this year but it hasn't been looking good so far.

The only interview offers I've ever had are those 2 year bootcamp non-compete offers like Revature or Dev10. Tried to do Dev10 last month but they ended up canceling all of their positions for my location.

I'd use recruiters at this point. They'll find you something.

My email feeds have been going nuts too.

Puglia77 posted...

Nope. I graduated with IT specialization in Game Development and a minor in CS, trying to get a software development job but I've lowered my standards to IT help desks. Nothing yet, the emails always say I'm not a good enough fit and they've moved on to other candidates. I'm thinking I don't have enough qualifications so I might have to take a certification for DevOps or full stack. I just finished moving to a different state and I'm limited on funds so I'm hoping to get some kind of job this year but it hasn't been looking good so far.

The only interview offers I've ever had are those 2 year bootcamp non-compete offers like Revature or Dev10. Tried to do Dev10 last month but they ended up canceling all of their positions for my location.

I'd go back to them to ask for more feedback, as it sounds like you aren't already. Worst case scenario, you get nothing, but they might be able to give you some tips. I'd imagine that if you've been applying for jobs for that long, the problem might be with your applications. Do you have someone else look over them before you send them out? It might be a good idea.

Yeah my husband is an SRE and Ive seen all the messages he gets. He doesnt even open them. Im a recruiter so Im on the other end and I always ask him what would get his attention enough to open a message and I try tailoring my emails accordingly.

Puglia77 posted...

You think so? I've been applying to IT jobs for the past 3 years with an IT degree and I've been getting rejected from every single job I've applied to, including the help desk ones.

What is your current role? If you havent been in IT in 3 years but are trying to get in, it can be very hard as there are tons of candidates that apply that do have current IT experience. As a recruiter, I will value experience more than a degree. The other issue might just be your resume. Ive seen so many terrible resumes.

Why would you go after someone who is already employed? Your chances of stealing them away would be lower than someone who is looking for a job from what I see.

VeggetaX posted...

Why would you go after someone who is already employed? Your chances of stealing them away would be lower than someone who is looking for a job from what I see.

The roles I work on tend to be very senior and highly specialized. For example, I have a search going for a Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer who needs to be an expert at AWS, Terraform and Kubernetes. 8 years of experience at least. But it can pay $250-300k. Most applicants arent qualified.

Im currently a technical sourcer so my job is to create passive leads to help with getting more qualified candidates in the process. The recruiter handles inbound applicants. Its much harder to try and poach other people, but the better candidates tend to be employed. I might get like 20-30% response rate to my messages. Its a numbers game really.

GBH713 posted...

I'd go back to them to ask for more feedback, as it sounds like you aren't already. Worst case scenario, you get nothing, but they might be able to give you some tips. I'd imagine that if you've been applying for jobs for that long, the problem might be with your applications. Do you have someone else look over them before you send them out? It might be a good idea.

My parents tried to help apply for some jobs too but nothing's worked out yet.

Cleo_II posted...

What is your current role? If you havent been in IT in 3 years but are trying to get in, it can be very hard as there are tons of candidates that apply that do have current IT experience. As a recruiter, I will value experience more than a degree. The other issue might just be your resume. Ive seen so many terrible resumes.

I just stopped working at the local supermarket as the part time job in college but since I moved I couldn't work there anymore. My resume has been looked over dozens of times by college counselors, parents, peer reviewed by friends, it's as good as I can get it.

Puglia77 posted...

My parents tried to help apply for some jobs too but nothing's worked out yet.

I just stopped working at the local supermarket as the part time job in college but since I moved I couldn't work there anymore. My resume has been looked over dozens of times by college counselors, parents, peer reviewed by friends, it's as good as I can get it.

Yeah it can be very hard to get into IT if thats been your most recent role. Recruiters will automatically pass. My advice to you would be to engage with a staffing firm that does contract placements and get a customer service job. Its a crappy job but it allows you to get in with a company and move your way up on the inside. Then you can internally move to a help desk job and go up from there.

Puglia77 posted...

My parents tried to help apply for some jobs too but nothing's worked out yet.

I just stopped working at the local supermarket as the part time job in college but since I moved I couldn't work there anymore. My resume has been looked over dozens of times by college counselors, parents, peer reviewed by friends, it's as good as I can get it.

I got my AA in Networking and Administration years and years ago but no one would hire me because I lacked experience. I had to start at a Call Center for Tech Support to get some troubleshooting experience for a recruiter to get me my first Help Desk job. I didn't expect for things to still be like this but you might have to take the same road I did. If entry level jobs won't hire you then you'll probably have to work at Best Buy or some other jobs that deals with computers for some months.

It does indeed suck but starting at a call center might be your best bet. It can be kind of stressful depending on the kind of clients you're working with and the work itself can be generally boring but it helps build experience which will look nice on your resume to help move into other roles. If you stick with it for about a year then getting offers may be easier.

I started out in a call center and it was stressful, but use the time to specialize in a certain area of IT and you'll be OK. I stayed in the call center space for way too long before starting to specialize.

Is help desk just customer service?

Cleo_II posted...

The roles I work on tend to be very senior and highly specialized. For example, I have a search going for a Senior Cloud Infrastructure Engineer who needs to be an expert at AWS, Terraform and Kubernetes. 8 years of experience at least. But it can pay $250-300k. Most applicants arent qualified.

Im currently a technical sourcer so my job is to create passive leads to help with getting more qualified candidates in the process. The recruiter handles inbound applicants. Its much harder to try and poach other people, but the better candidates tend to be employed. I might get like 20-30% response rate to my messages. Its a numbers game really.

Has AWS even been around for 8 years? >.> if this was Azure it would be very different today from like 8 years ago

well-excuse-me posted...

Is help desk just customer service?

Not specifically but if you're working with any sort of clients or customers then customer service is an important skill to have. Obviously it's not the most important but sometimes it could help you stand out from others.

well-excuse-me posted...

Is help desk just customer service?

It's much more than that. You're essentially the IT guy in smaller companies. You fix literally everything concerning technology.

Cleo_II posted...

Im a recruiter so Im on the other end and I always ask him what would get his attention enough to open a message and I try tailoring my emails accordingly.

"$100k/yr, full benefits"

VeggetaX posted...

It's much more than that. You're essentially the IT guy in smaller companies. You fix literally everything concerning technology.

Seems like it would have good job security then, no?

Puglia77 posted...

You think so? I've been applying to IT jobs for the past 3 years with an IT degree and I've been getting rejected from every single job I've applied to, including the help desk ones.

It can be very hard to get your foot in the door with IT even helpdesk sometimes. Are you still trying to get into game development/software development or moving into IT for now?

If IT, work on certs and learn the requirements you see in job descriptions like Active Directory(AD), basic networking/dns, and soft skills(person to person communication). Maybe some Cloud based stuff. Biggest thing is just proving you are self sufficient. Being able to work a problem by researching and learn things on your own.
If dev, keep working on improving your coding skills and build up a portfolio of examples. I'm not super familiar in this area so that's all I can give you.

well-excuse-me posted...

Seems like it would have good job security then, no?

I think so. My first Help Desk was there for 3 years until I got laid off and then I found another Help Desk Admin job within a month with better pay and they would have never fired me if I wanted to stay.

BlazinBlue88 posted...

It can be very hard to get your foot in the door with IT even helpdesk sometimes. Are you still trying to get into game development/software development or moving into IT for now?

If IT, work on certs and learn the requirements you see in job descriptions like Active Directory(AD), basic networking/dns, and soft skills(person to person communication). Maybe some Cloud based stuff. Biggest thing is just proving you are self sufficient. Being able to work a problem by researching and learn things on your own.
If dev, keep working on improving your coding skills and build up a portfolio of examples. I'm not super familiar in this area so that's all I can give you.

I took the game development specialization because it was an easier CS without the math requirements, so I was hoping to stay somewhere in software development. I don't know much about networking, I took a few classes on it but I didn't study it much or I wasn't interested in it. Call centers might be hard, I can't talk as good as I used to. I did a Youtube episode review channel with a group of friends but sometime after that I've been thinking I got PTSD or trauma or something from a semester of college when I studied the most I've ever done for a class but still managed to fail and failed every other class because I didn't have time to study for them.

Kloe_Rinz posted...

Has AWS even been around for 8 years? >.> if this was Azure it would be very different today from like 8 years ago

Been around since 2002. S3 was introduced in '06.

well-excuse-me posted...

Is help desk just customer service?

Really depends on the company. The thing about IT is that the job titles don't always equal the responsibilities. A Help desk role in one company could be as simple as putting in ticket for other departments and resetting passwords while another could be like TC mentioned. Fixing every computer, cell phone, network switch, desk phone, and coffee maker in the building.

As you get higher into IT, you tend to specialize which means you are responsible for one specific area of the IT stack in your company like storage. When you specialize, there is less day to day busy work and way more money.

For real. Help Desk is supposed to be a stepping stone. As you work in technology you'll start to see what you like and find your way.

Puglia77 posted...

I took the game development specialization because it was an easier CS without the math requirements, so I was hoping to stay somewhere in software development. I don't know much about networking, I took a few classes on it but I didn't study it much or I wasn't interested in it. Call centers might be hard, I can't talk as good as I used to. I did a Youtube episode review channel with a group of friends but sometime after that I've been thinking I got PTSD or trauma or something from a semester of college when I studied the most I've ever done for a class but still managed to fail and failed every other class because I didn't have time to study for them.

Ok so you didn't really answer my question at all. lol
There's a lot of different fields within IT. Networking, Server, Database, CyberSecurity, etc. A lot of them don't overlap but so much outside of some basics. For instance, I do virtual server and storage admin stuff. I only have very basic network knowledge like DNS and subnets.

It seems like you want to get into IT but have no idea what field you want. I hate programming but I love infrastructure. You just need to do some research in different areas and figure out what interests you. You'll still probably need to cut your teeth doing helpdesk for a couple years if you aren't planing to do software development. That's just where everyone starts.

Also if you're into programming you should start a portfolio of some work.

VeggetaX posted...

Also if you're into programming you should start a portfolio of some work.

Yup. That's what I mentioned in one of my posts. Hell a portfolio is good for any IT job. A few years back my wife helped me make one and it had blown every interviewer away since. Just the fact that I bring in a binder of experience and a notepad to ask them a ton of questions has impressed everyone. Shows I'm organized and not fucking around. lol

BlazinBlue88 posted...

Ok so you didn't really answer my question at all. lol
There's a lot of different fields within IT. Networking, Server, Database, CyberSecurity, etc. A lot of them don't overlap but so much outside of some basics. For instance, I do virtual server and storage admin stuff. I only have very basic network knowledge like DNS and subnets.

It seems like you want to get into IT but have no idea what field you want. I hate programming but I love infrastructure. You just need to do some research in different areas and figure out what interests you. You'll still probably need to cut your teeth doing helpdesk for a couple years if you aren't planing to do software development. That's just where everyone starts.

Yeah for the certificates my friends told me full stack or DevOps would be good for my field. I like web development and I like software development but I'm not sure which to choose, might go for the web development full stack.

VeggetaX posted...

Also if you're into programming you should start a portfolio of some work.

That's what I told my parents but my dad was forcing me not to do that and just keep applying without trying something different. I have an idea for a website I wanted to make about my Youtube channel, had the idea for years now but I wish I was told earlier that I should have been making it for the portfolio instead of putting it off.

Questionmarktarius posted...

"$100k/yr, full benefits"

Ive been in software development less than four years and this would be a pay cut tbh

recruiters gotta do better than that

Id have to learn how to do a computer

Puglia77 posted...

Yeah for the certificates my friends told me full stack or DevOps would be good for my field. I like web development and I like software development but I'm not sure which to choose, might go for the web development full stack.

That's what I told my parents but my dad was forcing me not to do that and just keep applying without trying something different. I have an idea for a website I wanted to make about my Youtube channel, had the idea for years now but I wish I was told earlier that I should have been making it for the portfolio instead of putting it off.

Do you have a GitHub? More than a portfolio just having a GitHub that you update regularly can show that you have experience and take it seriously if youre trying to do development work

hard to make something like that once youve got a career but if youre otherwise just sitting around you might as well work on some projects

Puglia77 posted...

Yeah for the certificates my friends told me full stack or DevOps would be good for my field. I like web development and I like software development but I'm not sure which to choose, might go for the web development full stack.

Honestly just start with one and move to the next when you feel confident. The more areas you learn, the more valuable you will become. So many devs only know their lane. A dev what know a little able networking and servers is a good friend in my book. The rest of those brain dead devs though...fuck 'em.

Puglia77 posted...

That's what I told my parents but my dad was forcing me not to do that and just keep applying without trying something different. I have an idea for a website I wanted to make about my Youtube channel, had the idea for years now but I wish I was told earlier that I should have been making it for the portfolio instead of putting it off.

I mean are you spending every waking hour applying to jobs? There's only so many you can apply to every day. The rest of that time can be used building up your skills. College gives you that piece of paper more than the skills needed to get a job. Don't worry about making a website. Look for open source software you may be already familiar with that happen to have github pages. There will be an issues section where you can contribute fixes. Adding features or fixing bugs in existing open source software is a great thing to build your skills and add to a portfolio.

TheGoldenEel posted...

recruiters gotta do better than that

It's better than "Masters degree, ten years experience in a platform that's existed for two. $15.50/hr, part-time"

Questionmarktarius posted...

It's better than "Masters degree, ten years experience in a platform that's existed for two. $15.50/hr, part-time"

The quickness with which I delete the email is exactly the same in both cases tbh

VampireCoyote posted...

Id have to learn how to do a computer

With the absence of floppy drives, doing computers is so much harder

Is their hiring pitch "You'll float too?"

How do when tech has been laying off tens of thousands and the tech banks like SVB failed?

WhisperWolf2005 posted...

How do when tech has been laying off tens of thousands and the tech banks like SVB failed?

Its just the big Silicon Valley tech companies that are doing big layoffs

there are lots of smaller companies, and non-tech IT/software careers out there in fields like healthcare

TheGoldenEel posted...

Its just the big Silicon Valley tech companies that are doing big layoffs

there are lots of smaller companies, and non-tech IT/software careers out there in fields like healthcare

Been in the business for 10 years and seen my fair share of stacks of IT resumes. The world desperately needs techs that are worth any damn.

Yeah, I work for a grocery store company that has lots of tech jobs. These days, pretty much every company needs technology. Some will outsource their technology jobs to 3rd party companies and some will keep them in house.

I still cant get hired after being laid off for 2 years from an 8-year career.

Yes, I suck at interviews, but theres still plenty of final round/in-person interviews Ive had that never panned out.

The IT job market is grossly overestimated.

The only "recruitment" emails I get are from well-known temp agencies known for stringing prospective employers along. I have skills and experience but even the shittiest entry-level jobs are now impossible to get unless you have a bachelor's degree.

I had a Zoom interview where I talked about having a mobile repair certification and the interviewer immediately responded with "...from a college? Like a college?".

blackrider76 posted...

I still cant get hired after being laid off for 2 years from an 8-year career.

Yes, I suck at interviews, but theres still plenty of final round/in-person interviews Ive had that never panned out.

The IT job market is grossly overestimated.

That's really saddening to hear. Try uploading your resume to indeed and monster if you already haven't. Some recruiters tell me they get my info from there.

WhisperWolf2005 posted...

How do when tech has been laying off tens of thousands and the tech banks like SVB failed?

5-10 very large tech companies laid off people.
Meanwhile 10s of thousands of other companies are starving for competent IT and/or dev people.