Help me find a job!!!

For the last 12 years of my life I have been wasting away my life working in
retail. I recently went back to a Tech School and passed my A+
certification and took the Network+ class too (I will take that exam really
soon). I have been looking at career options and wanted to know where I can
find job with the skills that I have been taught. I started to apply for
help desk positions, but with absolutely no professional experience I
haven't had any luck. I just left my retail job to concentrate full time to
find a job. I have meet with recruiters that promise you the world but
never come through. Where is the best place to go now? It is pretty
discouraging when Best Buy won't even hire you. I thought since I live in a
hot bed of IT firms (Reston, Virginia area) it would be pretty easy to find
a job. Please HELP!!!

Seth Haber

Seth Haber wrote:

> For the last 12 years of my life I have been wasting away my life working
> in
> retail. I recently went back to a Tech School and passed my A+
> certification and took the Network+ class too (I will take that exam
> really
> soon). I have been looking at career options and wanted to know where I
> can
> find job with the skills that I have been taught. I started to apply for
> help desk positions, but with absolutely no professional experience I
> haven't had any luck. I just left my retail job to concentrate full time
> to
> find a job. I have meet with recruiters that promise you the world but
> never come through. Where is the best place to go now? It is pretty
> discouraging when Best Buy won't even hire you. I thought since I live in
> a hot bed of IT firms (Reston, Virginia area) it would be pretty easy to
> find
> a job. Please HELP!!!

You need to learn how to get a job, which is in itself a skill.

First, get your retail job back--it's easier to get a job when you've got a
job--also retail is a good place to practice salesmanship--getting a job is
the art of selling yourself. Next, see if your library has anything by
Bernard Haldane--if so, read it. Also "What color is your parachute" and
"guerilla marketing", because that's basically what you're doing,
marketing. Read, think, do.

Do you have a gray suit, a white shirt, and a tie? If not get them (doesn't
have to be a fancy suit but it should fit and hold a press so don't get too
cheap) also a pair of black leather shoes and give them a spit shine
(amazing how much that little detail adds to a first impression). Get your
hair trimmed, if you have a beard make it look you you _mean_ to have it
and not like you forgot to shave, and brush and floss regularly. Seems
like a bunch of nitpick stuff that shouldn't be important, but it is. Walk
in looking like death warmed over and you've blown it.

When you write your resume, read it over and over to make sure there are no
grammatical or typographical errors, ditto the cover letter--if you aren't
sure, find someone who is to review it. Make sure that you have both
memorized cold because you're going to be asked questions about them in the
interview--if you can't keep your story straight you've blown it.

Most important--learn how to interview--practice with anyone who will sit
still--your parents, your siblings, your friends, the guy who used to beat
you up all the time in high school, your teachers, your high school
principal, the cop on the corner, anybody. The more you practice the more
confident you'll be.

Don't be afraid to start small--are you fixing computers for people now?
For yourself, your family, your friends? If not, start. Do charity
work--fix machines for the food bank or the soup kitchen or whatever is
around in your area. After you fix each dead machine, make a story out of
it and practice telling the story--you'll use those in interviews.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

J. Clarke

something that might interest you but that you havn't thought of is
something I accidently found.

I had a Business Degree and Computer Degree and the A+ cert. and couldn't
get anyone to even look at me. I HATED, and I mean HATED my job so was
getting desperate so I sent resumes to office supply places thinking that at
least I could something in warehouse, or maintaining their computers. That,
I thought, would at least tide me over until I got something I wanted. I
got a response from a company that sold copy machines as well as plain
office supplies. They wanted a Copier Service Technician and three
interviews later I had a job. Only started at 11.5/hr but I got my foot in
the door and I do like working on them because they are not only computers
but are electromechanical so I get the best of both words. The only thing I
don't like about it is the driving. I go 2 hours in any direction from the
shop. Hated the travel at first but 6-8 months later it doesn't bother me
near as much.


"Seth Haber" <> wrote in message
news:VDHjf.1706$fz5.68@dukeread04...
> For the last 12 years of my life I have been wasting away my life working
in
> retail. I recently went back to a Tech School and passed my A+
> certification and took the Network+ class too (I will take that exam
really
> soon). I have been looking at career options and wanted to know where I
can
> find job with the skills that I have been taught. I started to apply for
> help desk positions, but with absolutely no professional experience I
> haven't had any luck. I just left my retail job to concentrate full time
to
> find a job. I have meet with recruiters that promise you the world but
> never come through. Where is the best place to go now? It is pretty
> discouraging when Best Buy won't even hire you. I thought since I live in
a
> hot bed of IT firms (Reston, Virginia area) it would be pretty easy to
find
> a job. Please HELP!!!
>
>



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SBFan2000

Lovely advice, I must say..


"J. Clarke" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Seth Haber wrote:
>
>> For the last 12 years of my life I have been wasting away my life working
>> in
>> retail. I recently went back to a Tech School and passed my A+
>> certification and took the Network+ class too (I will take that exam
>> really
>> soon). I have been looking at career options and wanted to know where I
>> can
>> find job with the skills that I have been taught. I started to apply for
>> help desk positions, but with absolutely no professional experience I
>> haven't had any luck. I just left my retail job to concentrate full time
>> to
>> find a job. I have meet with recruiters that promise you the world but
>> never come through. Where is the best place to go now? It is pretty
>> discouraging when Best Buy won't even hire you. I thought since I live
>> in
>> a hot bed of IT firms (Reston, Virginia area) it would be pretty easy to
>> find
>> a job. Please HELP!!!
>
> You need to learn how to get a job, which is in itself a skill.
>
> First, get your retail job back--it's easier to get a job when you've got
> a
> job--also retail is a good place to practice salesmanship--getting a job
> is
> the art of selling yourself. Next, see if your library has anything by
> Bernard Haldane--if so, read it. Also "What color is your parachute" and
> "guerilla marketing", because that's basically what you're doing,
> marketing. Read, think, do.
>
> Do you have a gray suit, a white shirt, and a tie? If not get them
> (doesn't
> have to be a fancy suit but it should fit and hold a press so don't get
> too
> cheap) also a pair of black leather shoes and give them a spit shine
> (amazing how much that little detail adds to a first impression). Get
> your
> hair trimmed, if you have a beard make it look you you _mean_ to have it
> and not like you forgot to shave, and brush and floss regularly. Seems
> like a bunch of nitpick stuff that shouldn't be important, but it is.
> Walk
> in looking like death warmed over and you've blown it.
>
> When you write your resume, read it over and over to make sure there are
> no
> grammatical or typographical errors, ditto the cover letter--if you aren't
> sure, find someone who is to review it. Make sure that you have both
> memorized cold because you're going to be asked questions about them in
> the
> interview--if you can't keep your story straight you've blown it.
>
> Most important--learn how to interview--practice with anyone who will sit
> still--your parents, your siblings, your friends, the guy who used to beat
> you up all the time in high school, your teachers, your high school
> principal, the cop on the corner, anybody. The more you practice the more
> confident you'll be.
>
> Don't be afraid to start small--are you fixing computers for people now?
> For yourself, your family, your friends? If not, start. Do charity
> work--fix machines for the food bank or the soup kitchen or whatever is
> around in your area. After you fix each dead machine, make a story out of
> it and practice telling the story--you'll use those in interviews.
>
> --
> --John
> to email, dial "usenet" and validate
> (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

kallim!

Try moving to India.


Seth Haber wrote:

> For the last 12 years of my life I have been wasting away my life working in
> retail. I recently went back to a Tech School and passed my A+
> certification and took the Network+ class too (I will take that exam really
> soon). I have been looking at career options and wanted to know where I can
> find job with the skills that I have been taught. I started to apply for
> help desk positions, but with absolutely no professional experience I
> haven't had any luck. I just left my retail job to concentrate full time to
> find a job. I have meet with recruiters that promise you the world but
> never come through. Where is the best place to go now? It is pretty
> discouraging when Best Buy won't even hire you. I thought since I live in a
> hot bed of IT firms (Reston, Virginia area) it would be pretty easy to find
> a job. Please HELP!!!
>
>

Glenn

yeah move to India and become a telephone jockey.......





On Thu, 08 Dec 2005 14:27:53 GMT, Glenn <> wrote:

>Try moving to India.
>
>
>Seth Haber wrote:
>
>> For the last 12 years of my life I have been wasting away my life working in
>> retail. I recently went back to a Tech School and passed my A+
>> certification and took the Network+ class too (I will take that exam really
>> soon). I have been looking at career options and wanted to know where I can
>> find job with the skills that I have been taught. I started to apply for
>> help desk positions, but with absolutely no professional experience I
>> haven't had any luck. I just left my retail job to concentrate full time to
>> find a job. I have meet with recruiters that promise you the world but
>> never come through. Where is the best place to go now? It is pretty
>> discouraging when Best Buy won't even hire you. I thought since I live in a
>> hot bed of IT firms (Reston, Virginia area) it would be pretty easy to find
>> a job. Please HELP!!!
>>
>>

Gary