Sooo....anybody know of any IT jobs in Oregon? (Or...anywhere?)

by Xander 21 Replies latest jw friends

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  Xander

  Oh, a lot of companies are HIRING in the PDX area...just not hiring *ME*. I've interviewed up there about a dozen times, now. And I've applied at WebMD without even getting an interview. Given the...position...interviewers tend to approach my resume with when talking with me, I'm 99.99% certain the problem is the lack of any higher degree. Apparently, 8 years work experience is not worth as much as the 2 years of college I lack. At least, in Portland.

  It's times like this I get particularly frustrated (read: angry) at my parents for forbidding me from going away for college when I had the chance and a scholarship. (Mom because of the JW thing, Dad because he had no spine and just went along with whatever my mother said)

  I actually got my associates degree while married and working full-time (and regularly attending meetings and service at the time, for much of it. That DID suck, btw.)

  Anyway, that's all a moot point. I'm still looking, but could use any leads anyone has. I feel my best chances would be inside information on companies that need to fill a position but have not yet advertised it. Oregon unemployment is still bad, and there are a lot more BSes and MSes floating around with more experience than I have that promptly flood any new listings, kinda cutting me out of the running.
• 

  IronGland

  I mean, everyone is talking about how "recovered" the economy is....but I'm still not seeing any jobs!

  There are probably MANY MANY IT jobs in Oregon. Do you speak Hindi?
• 

  Elsewhere

  I'd love a chance to work in such an environment, but the reason I mentioned SQL is because that's what I excel at *right now*. My degree (an AAB - hey, when I got it, that ALONE caused enough waves in the hall since I gave up pioneering to pursue it) is in Client-Server programming in a Visual Studio environment. I wrote the case project in Visual C++ (for the dll components) and the GUI interface in Java2.

  Never, never, never, never sell yourself short. When talking to a potential employer, never, never, never, never express doubt in yourself - express your eagerness to learn new things!

  PM me if you want me to pass on your contact information. During business hours I can call or email the right person in New Jersey in a matter of seconds.
• 

  Xander

  Oh, good grief, of COURSE I do not sell myself short when talking with interviewers. I've a couple of those 'job seeker's guide' books and have done fairly well remembering the way to phrase disadvantages when asked point blank about them, how to highlight strong points, what to say and not to say, etc.

  I am presuming in this thread that the conversation is less formal, however. I know a LOT about aspects of the IT industry that I have no firsthand experience in, and I can talk up my actual skills and knowledge quite a bit. I'd just hate to 'talk myself up' into a position I can't actually handle from the get-go. That would be...more than a little embarrassing.
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  Why Georgia

  My husband works in IT here in Massachusetts. The pay is pretty good if you are willing to work in Boston...but the housing prices are high too.

  We had talked about moving to Idaho to be closer to family but the IT field pays half of what it does here....Uggh!

  Good luck in your search.
• 

  Xander

  My wife works retail (manager), so she can get a job pretty much anywhere. DINKs means that we can actually afford more house than our ages would betoken. It's just up to me to find a position.

  (And, knowing the wife's interest in history, I could safely guess she'd just about KILL to live in Boston - LOL. )
• 

  Odrade

  yeah, you're right. The lack of a degree is a serious disadvantage in Portland right now. It's one of the primary screening tools companies are using because there are sooooo many applicants for each position. Sorry that "info" was less than helpful. LOL. Sorry, I should have known it wasn't exactly insider info. ;) Good luck in the job search.
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  Xander

  No, don't be sorry, it's my own fault I didn't fight harder to finish a degree that'd actually be USEFUL today. I appreciate any help or suggestions anyone can offer!
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  Carmel

  Check the State of Oregon official website and look under "Employment". Last time I looked there were several agencies in the state looking for IT nerds.

  carmel
• 

  catchthis

  I've been working at a telephony company

  And you need a higher level degree? Generally in telephony, experience is what counts. But seeing that you are on the IT side of the house, it probably is different. I guess I can consider myself lucky having been in wireless for 13 years now....without a degree(dropout).

  Not sure if you have other telco experience or not, but it is fairly easy to get into a "field tech" position at a wireless telco that pays decent. Starters with little experience can usually make around $35-40k. As long as you can tie your shoes, you are qualified.(I'm just saying that because we have a couple idiots that work for us who have needed to get the boot for soooo long) Plus, you almost always get a company vehicle too.