Jobless Again

phuz

Gotta love it. Right before Christmas too. heheheh

Hey Matt and Micah now is your chance! I KNOW you need a good sys admin/network engineer right? RIGHT?????

RuSsMaN

Originally posted by phuz

Hey Matt and Micah now is your chance! I KNOW you need a good sys admin/network engineer right? RIGHT?????

If they did, I'd be there already. Dumbass.

Cheers,
Russ

phuz

Originally posted by RuSsMaN


If they did, I'd be there already. Dumbass.

Cheers,
Russ

Hey man, I said a *good* sys admin/engineer.

Ron-P

Hey man, I said a *good* sys admin/engineer.

Is there such a thing? If so, must be the 8th wonder of the world.


Peace Out~:D

Steve@3dai

I think Dell is hiring if you just want a "job", other than that, I dunno.

danger boy

Steve@3dai,

how do those LSi9's, LSiC, and LSiFX, sound with DVD-audio?

Steve@3dai

Like Cambells soup, mmmm mmmm goood

STUFFMD

Sorry to hear that phuz....A lot of that going around this year...The company where my wife worked went out of business and my brother and law got laid off from Lucent......
Things to think about next time at the polls........Good Luck Man.....To a better year next year....
Peace StuffMD

madmax

Sorry to hear that. And right before Christmas. Whats up with that? Ignore it until after Jan 1 and then go find a job. Your next employer will have to be better than the last considering they let you go right before the holidays. Good luck!
madmax

Strong Bad

Things to think about next time at the polls........

If you mean by voting in Bush, then you should thank him. That Homeland Security Bill that was just passed just set in motion a serious push for technology. The government wants to be able to track EVERYTHING. How can they do it....by pushing everything to the internet. Wanna track everyones telephone calls...push for "Voice Over IP". Sure they can do wiretaps right now, but Voice Over IP...much easier.

Yeah baby, you think big brother is watching now, just wait.

You Tech guys, just be patient. In there with ya...almost. I'm finishing up my MCSE in a few months. Technology is going to turn around in a huge way!

RuSsMaN

Originally posted by john d. strong
You Tech guys, just be patient. In there with ya...almost. I'm finishing up my MCSE in a few months. Technology is going to turn around in a huge way!

I sure hope so, otherwise I might be stuck as an installer at *Tweeter*. Ack!

Cheers,
Rooster

jrausch

You need the dot-coms to bring back all of the Admin jobs. The MCSE is a start, but most companies are looking for someone who knows some weird piece of software and has 10-15 years experience with it. Take Citrix for instance. A friend mine was a master with Citrix mainframe. He was paid 270k a year to fly around on the corporate jet and set up and maintain several hundred systems. Citrix took a dive and now he drives a bus for 31k. Allot of my friends that have MCSE's are help desk monkeys. The market is flooded with over qualified computer people. When I was out in the Bay Area during the boom, people with regular jobs were quitting and getting their certifications just to cash in. Now they are back doing what they started out with.

I personally blame the whole crash on bloated salaries and bloated ego's. The top execs cashed out and used company funds like water out of a faucet. John Q Public was not ready for doing everything online like all of the experts were claiming. I do believe the dot-com era will be back when Johnny gets his **** together, but next time budget restraints will be more adhered to. Too bad folks out on the east coast were busting their asses, while lazy west coast jerk asses sucked the budgets dry. I do believe the days of the employee setting his own salery again will be a long time comming.

jdavy

That sucks. Directv Internet is going out of business as well. They canned 1/2 of their employees yesterday and will see what happens to the rest if they can sell the business to a compeditor. The Directtv - Echostar merger did not get approved and they needed to shore up the bottom line. Merry Christmas in the corporate world.

OK, which one of you voted for the village idiot that is ruining this country?

shack

OK, which one of you voted for the village idiot that is ruining this country?

I DID!

And being from the home state of the other BIGGER idiot that could have been in office I can tell you that you better be glad Gore is not the President!

I am sorry for all of you guys that are out of work but I can tell you that this economy was a time bomb waiting to explode. The problems that exist today were in place for many years before Bush took office. Dot.coms, bio-tech, high tech companies have been using BILLIONS of investment dollars and producing absolutely nothing. Investors are as much to blame by paying hundreds of dollars for shares of stock in companies that never made a penny in profit. Greed from top to bottom has contributed to the problem....from the Corp. execs that made millions of dollars while running their companies into failure to the small investors in mutual funds that expected 20% to 40% rates of return. The general state of economic prosperity has been "smoke and mirrors" for quite some time. Enron and Worldcom are not so much examples of theft as it was "cooking the books" to make companies look better that they were for their own personal gain and for the benefit of the investors. We have not yet seen the end of these issues. In order for the economy to get back to solid ground all of the crap has to be cleaned up. This is painful but it has to take place.

Again, I am sorry for all who have lost their jobs. I've been there...but the economy will come back and hopefull it will be a better one this time.

nadams

Originally posted by Ron-P

Is there such a thing? If so, must be the 8th wonder of the world.


Peace Out~:D

BOFH!

F1nut

I DID TOO!

I agree with everything shack posted. I lost a job years ago that caused me to change direction and I couldn't be happier today. I wish those who have lost a job the very best.

F1nut

schumach

For those of you in the tech business I would have to agree with the VOIP statement above, but not just for the government. I work for a large company and have my CCIE and can tell you I am pulled into deals with VOIP and Security constantly. These are areas, at least in California, that are driving business. I wish you all luck in finding jobs and I would recommend that at this time study what you can so you are ready when the time comes.

One more thing. Lazy people do not only exist in California, they are found everywhere. Even in your town. I did not get to where I am today by sitting on my rump and being lazy. I think execs everywhere were looking for the easy way to cash in on the market.

Strong Bad

Allot of my friends that have MCSE's are help desk monkeys.

And if they think that MCSE is going to get them much more beyond that monkey status, then they're dead wrong. An MCSE is a great start to get into the field, but you have to keep pushing into the Cisco certification realm and beyond to really get anywhere.

For those of you in the tech business I would have to agree with the VOIP statement above, but not just for the government. I work for a large company and have my CCIE and can tell you I am pulled into deals with VOIP and Security constantly. These are areas, at least in California, that are driving business.

Yes sir, you got it!!! VOIP and security is where it's at!!! I have a friend that is into security BIG TIME. Works for a company that develops network monitoring software and other things for government agencies...and not just for this country. Another friend works for a division of a company and does tons of PKI Technology consulting. Both will attest to the security thing.

Thank your President for signing the Homeland Security Bill. Technology will be back. Tech people just have to be ready with the proper education for these changes. Also remember that Bush inherited this economic mess from Idiot Clinton!

brettw22

Originally posted by schumach
For those of you in the tech business I would have to agree with the VOIP statement above

What is VOIP?

jrausch

Notice I said all California jerk asses were lazy. Not just the dot-com people. I feel like Sen. Lott

phuz

Originally posted by brettw22



What is VOIP?

Voice Over IP.

An MCSE is just the same as any cert wether it be cisco, sun, checkpoint, or whatever. It's a piece of paper. What counts it experience, tenure, and all of the other things needed to get through that interview and do the job properly.

I don't buy the whole "MCSE is a joke" bit. Any cert can be had easily, it's all of the other stuff that counts. Certs will only get your foot in the door no matter what it is (save a few of the elite certs).

A professional is a professional, and an idiot is an idiot. That'll show through any piece of paper.

dylan

Originally posted by phuz

A professional is a professional, and an idiot is an idiot. That'll show through any piece of paper.

Agreed 100%, this only hit home the last few months. I heard a lot about paper MCSE's when I went through the track, and took exception. However, an 'mcse' just started at the place I now work and I had to show him how to map a drive . That and a LOT of other things leave me completely stumped how this guy ever passed the tests.

I could see the privacy part about VOIP, but we just installed a v-mail system that ties in to Exchange that lets your voice mails show up in Outlook as emails, then you can play them over your phone or play them through Outlook when you need to. Some cool features with it...

BTW: Leaving the room after passing my final MCSE exam is still one of the proudest moments I've had.

Strong Bad

Agreed 100%, this only hit home the last few months. I heard a lot about paper MCSE's when I went through the track, and took exception. However, an 'mcse' just started at the place I now work and I had to show him how to map a drive . That and a LOT of other things leave me completely stumped how this guy ever passed the tests.

The paper MCSE's were mostly on the NT 4.0 track. You could pretty much go to any number of sites and get the test Q & A's there. The questions were lame as hell too! "What does DHCP stand for?" was a question on the NT 4.0 track. Now on the 2000 track, you need to know some **** to pass the exams. My instructor told us that about only 1/3 of the NT 4.0 MCSE's were able to pass the 2000 track to upgrade their certification.

An MCSE not knowing how to map a drive is pathetic!!! We have to do this every single class when each student has to build 2 machines...an Advanced Server machine and a Professional machine. We have to map a drive to the school server to download video drivers and service packs after imaging them from Ghost. At the end of class, we wipe out the machines and do it all over again next class.

Passed my Professional test this past thursday. Going for Server next Saturday, then Active Directory probably 2 weeks later.

brettw22

Right now I travel around and install computer sytems and networks for the company that I work for, but I haven't ever done the cert thing and they're such cheapasses that they won't ever pay for it. I don't deal with the programming aspect of it all, and really want to, but don't have the time to attend any sort of classes based on being gone out of town approximately 80% of the year.

I'm curious about the time and money investment involved in getting the proper training. I'm more of a hands on person than I am a person that can/likes to read a book and learn the stuff, but can't really do that being gone as much as I am.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

phuz

Brett, the best way to do it is on your own at your own pace. Get a spare machine, install 2k server/pro, IOS emulator, or whatever it is that you are studying - and hit the books.

You can spend thousands of dollars to get a cert in a couple of weeks, but you will NOT retain much from it. You'll get the piece of paper, and forget everything that you don't use quickly. It's WAY too much to take in over a couple of weeks. Certification "bootcamps' are expensive and don't care if you learn anything, they just coach you on how to pass the test and you'll forget 70% by the time you get your nice certificate in the mail. (unless you use it)

My advice is to get some good books, software, and take about a year or so and study and *use* each item that you will be tested on. You can do it all at home for really cheap. This way you'll not only learn what you need for the test(s), but you'll retain it as well. Transcender practice exams help as well.

brettw22

I was at a bookstore the other day with a friend and happened to look at the computer programming secion and was floored. I wouldn't have the first clue as to where to begin. A++, C+, blah blah blah. NONE of that makes sense to me at this point and I dunno about what exactly it is that I should study up on for more marketability. Not that I just want to do something that's going to pay good money. Obviously I have to somewhat enjoy it, but I don't know if I so much want to sit at a computer typing code all day ya know? What would be a good field involving both hardware and software aspects, or is it pretty much one or the other, with one paying much more than the other?

RuSsMaN

Brett,

I don't know if you are actively looking or not, but I do have some good contacts in the Phoenix area. If you want to, forward me your resume, and I'll put it in their hands.

Cheers,
Rooster

brettw22

Originally posted by RuSsMaN
Brett,

I don't know if you are actively looking or not, but I do have some good contacts in the Phoenix area. If you want to, forward me your resume, and I'll put it in their hands.

Russ,

I don't have any formal training, or experience for that matter, with anything other than hardware installation and some light software programming, but all of the software experience that I have that's work related is software that's specific to our company. I don't know how marketable/valueable that is to another company......

In this day and age, I don't know that there are many companies that are actually willing to put their employees through training to get them the certs to do a job, rather they want someone that's already been doing it, true?

schumach

An MCSE is just the same as any cert wether it be cisco, sun, checkpoint, or whatever. It's a piece of paper.

I would agree with this statement, except for the CCIE. You cannot read a book to obtain this cert. This requires a written and hands on lab test be passed. I have heard many people say they can obtain the CCIE, but they never seem to pass.

When you get down to it, education with experinece is where one can make his mark.

phuz

schumach, I agree. Thats why I threw in that "save some of the elite certs" comment.

I consider the CCIE to be one of the higher end and most valuable certs.

schumach

I do not nor will I ever make the statement that I know everything. But having the experince, education and what I would consider to be the most valuable, contacts is what makes a good engineer. Knowing where to find the answer is as valuable as knowing the answer.