GaryK

ADP,

Completely agree! People seem to think they can just walk into an IT job, when I started back in 84 I did alot of tea making, formatting disks (god those old 360K 5 1/4" disks!), and doing data entry before making decent money some 9 years later!!!

Gary

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

I've always been a permie, and have been in IT since 1996.

What I was earning in 1999-2001 was amazing for my ability!!! (Still working on my MCSE during that time!!!! )

After a bad batch (redundancy and poor career choice) I'm finally on the sort of money I was on late 1998, but without the perks!! (car allowance and petrol car )

Back then I was a Systems Engineer running around the country maintaining servers, now I'm an IT manager! But I work 10 minutes walk from home, so quality of life is much better!

I guess as we get older we hanker after different goals!

Good luck job hunting guys, I know how tough it is!!!

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

Fogot to say when I was job hunting I went to a few interviews including:

Technical Support - 5 years NT/3 years Citrix/2 years Novell/UNIX & SQL an advantage, with MCSE and degree! £22k in Leatherhead!

Problem was I had all the experience, the skills and the qualifications, but they wanted someone to grow into the role and that I was too experienced, even though I fulfilled the criteria!

Technical Support - 5 years NT/2 years Citrix/Excellent desktop skills - 5years/MCSE/Router skills! £23k Kingston

Filled in the application form giving all experience and examples of my work that covered every point. Didn't even get a letter either way!

Technical Support - 5 years NT/2 years W2K/2 years Citrix/2 years consultancy/MCSE/degree - £24-26k Leatherhead

Again the form was filled in with all qualifications, experiences and examples. Just got a letter saying no!!!

Technical Support - 5 years NT/2 years W2K/1 year Citrix/1 year UNIX/MCSE/degree, ideally Cisco routers and SQL - £24k Guildford

****-up at the interview!

IT Manager - 5 years NT/2 years Citrix/Good server knowledge/consultancy & project based background/good workstation background/management experience/willing to get hands dirty/Advantage - MCSE/CCA/Degree - £(more than above)

I found this one on a website, the agency pushed me to do it, even though I had doubts! Breezed it!!!

Just be persistant!! I certainly was and some would say I fell on my feet after a bad patch! I (and lots of other people) think the job was designed for me!!!

ADP

way hay!

I have a job interview on thursday.

Its quite strange I didnt even apply for it, a recruiter called me up and said wondered if youd be interested. Its a bit further than Id normally want to travel, but there is a car and more money than I would expect - so that will make up for it!

Its odd, Andy(above) and myself seem to have experienced the same scenario. Andy you seem to have perhaps applied for jobs you could comfortably do - these people seemed to have turned you down. this same thing has happend to me. I have been turned down as over qualified and told Id grow out of the job in 6 months.

Now Ive gone for something thats a bit more of a challenge they might be more interested?

Modrapheniac

Ah ! Sh*t !

Thought the IT Market was bad, but not THIS bad !! My long term contract is coming to a close at the end of March. I've been thinking about making a change of career, and from the feedback I've been getting from Agencies, looks like it'll be sooner rather than later !

I'm currently based in London, living in Dorset, but I'm happy to go anywhere really !

Oh well, best get Corgi registered, start plumbing, and earn what I've been used to I s'pose !! Either that or move to India and manage a Helpdesk !!

Good luck everyone who's currently looking for employment, looks like we're gonna need it !!

Darrell

SeanT

Anyone living in South east area, Im looking for contractors with compaq hardware experience, mcse2000, some citrix experience and project management experience....mail me your CV's.....

stevencotton

Might sound funny but I think the current IT growth industry is with online ****. At least you can have fun whilst "looking for opportunities"

Steve.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Think the money is out there if you really know your stuff, mate just went to about 40k as an Oracle DBA !, I am on much less but really enjoy the job and dont want to move, flexitime (13 extra days off a year), 29 days hols (24 < 5 years service), decent pension, more courses than you can cope with.

You too can have a bit of this, come and work for Greater Manchester Police, we are currently recruiting for 2 * Data Analysts (Oracle DBA's) and a Data Manager (Head DBA), Salary range is about 21-26k for the Data Analysts and 30-33k for the boss. OCP is preffered and a murky past is unlikely to impress.

http://www.gmp-recruitment.co.uk/

The vacancies arent on there yet but should be soon, the phone number for personnel is though.

krankyd

>>http://www.gmp-recruitment.co.uk/


had to double take on the last post - i thought it said gimp recruitment.

I can see myself turning up for the interview in a leather suit, mouthpiece zipped up

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

the interview panel could shout

"Bring out the (next) gimp"

To be honest its not far from the truth, some right oddballs there.

stiscooby

Well how’s this for taking the ****.............I work for an IT company and am 24 and earn 12.5K a year!!!! Been there for nearly 7 years now and was on 11.5K for last two years, up until last month.

I have had to ask for pay rise, didn't get offered one!

Boss is total ****-I had to pay for a temp to go on holiday once then when I came back he never got a temp in during my holiday and wouldn't give my money back

I also want to change jobs, can get paid 15K for being a bloody dust man!

Guess it's not worth doing MCSE now? Wanna buy my own house but can't even get a mortgage very very depressing

MarkO

Never was in the first place.

damian666

HELLS BELLS STI!!!!

Where the hell do you work (geographically?) I'm 19 and I'm earning more (not a brag - im totally shocked)

Although, I worked in IT at an engineering firm before this who thought that 8000 was an excellent salary, and a payrise to 8500 was even better - muppets!

Ken E

stiscooby

get another job then take the company to court to get your money back, if you are a permie then you are entitled to holidays by law, they should pay you whilst you take them, not you paying them.

stiscooby

Yea I know!!! I am a Muppet!

I work in the south east.

Yep took me two years to get a pay rise (had to ask for one) and only put it up 1K tight tw@t. I am trying to look for something else but probably won't be in IT as don't seem to be much about. Don't know what else to do though??

I even got a warning once because he "told" me to wash company car (well exact words were "wash the car on w.end it looks like ****") never got round to it as I was away for weekend so I got a mouth full when went in had to put up with loads of stuff like that but guess its better than getting no money at all i.e. no job!

It's not that I dont work hard either I am the only engineer there. Secretary gets 21K for some reason dont know how that works!

Far as the holiday goes: Wanted to go on hol for two weeks (gave over six months notice) and the fat **** secretary wanted few days off on one of the weeks I was away. So they said I couldn't have the time off. I thought sod it and told them I won't be in during that time so can do whatever you like they then came out with the old crap about being sacked etc etc bla bla & I said yea whatever.

Anyway boss had talk with me and said he will pay for temp for one week and I pay for the other so thought well ok. gave him over £200 for temp for a week (which wasn't even going to do my job & was more than I was getting paid). Well when I got back he never got one in, asked about getting my money back and he said to my face "your pissing me off now" nice i thought!! This was about 3 or so years ago now. Didn't do much about it as couldn't be bothered with all the hassle! bad I know.

Sorry to go on but I feel bit better now

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Guess it's not worth doing MCSE now?

No, Do OCP instead !

Im 3 down, 2 to go, all paid for by my employer.

stiscooby

Call me stupid but whats OCP?

Thanks for info

stevencotton

stiscooby, your boss is taking the pi55 to the extreme! Trouble is with people like that if they think they can get away with it they'll do it again. I had a bit of trouble once with a board member who'd lied to me about a pay increase, I'd already taken on the extra responsibility but it was 4 months before I was paid for what I'd done. I went via HR in the end since the guy in question wasn't interested in talking to me about it but it seems you have to make a lot of noise in some companies before you're heard. If I were you mate I'd devote my entire life to leaving that place you work in What kind of stuff do you do, out of interst?

Steve.

GaryK

Wasnt OCP the company that built Robocop????

They must be doing courses in robotics and prosthetics

Gary

fusioneer

sti more fool for you for allowing yourself to be treated that way I would never stand for an employer to treat me the way you say yours does and I suspect im not alone there!

stiscooby

Yea I know. Different people have told me to jack it in but as I said before better to have a crap job than none at all!

How would I run my Type R with no job!

I work for Computer Company, build/repair/install pc's etc. the normal type of stuff on-site repairs/installations, small networks etc. Can't even get any training out of them as all boss is interested in is selling his computers/making money!

Even if I done some training myself, I am not putting it into practise at the place I am at.

Hard to get out as other places I have been to either want someone qualified up to their armpits or someone with little knowledge who they can train (meaning be even lower wages).

Kevin Mc

OCP - Oracle Certified Professional.

As I use Oracle daily, I asked for training in this but got Citrix instead??? Grateful for that mind you.

DavidLewis

I have 20 years experience in my field and what am I reduced to.........an OPERATOR, 80 miles from home, working 12hr shifts!!!!

But thats better than the 9months of being out-of-work and I must admit I am enjoying it.

polarbearit

If your interested in the Swindon area - CV please

polarbearit@hotmail.com

Cheers

[Edited by polarbearit - 3/4/2003 9:14:37 AM]

ADP

SeanT

you have mail well you will have once hotmail has sorted itself out


Andy

[Edited by ADP - 3/4/2003 12:12:36 PM]

beemerboy

DavidLewis, Good on yer mate.

There are loads of bitter and twisted wingers out there...

I faced I.T. redundancy last November with a wife and small child to support, however, they decided they needed to keep me at the last minute.

Months prior to that, i had a 3k pay cut, just to keep my job.

Now i am slowly making that back with Travel expenses, adsl line, and odd bits of surplus hardware here and there.

I still look over my shoulder, and the company is still sailing through a rocky period, but i have to "live for today" at the moment, and enjoy just having a job and self-respect that goes with it.

You make your own luck, and can learn lots from life's cruel blows.

Just spare a thought for others, far worse off.

Good luck all with the Job hunting though, the market will turn again, dont worry, when all school leavers become plumbers or plasterers for loadsa money!!!


XXX

BB

Edited to say i agree with MarkO on the MCSE statement, i couldn't keep out of the pub long enough to even open a textbook!!!!



[Edited by beemerboy - 3/6/2003 4:13:41 PM]

Andy Mid.

here's some unemployment humour to try and cheer some of you lot up

http://www.oddtodd.com/laidoff2.swf

[Edited by Andy Mid. - 3/6/2003 10:02:25 PM]