I just got laid off.

[drm604]

I have decades of IT experience and I need something in the Philly area.

[closeupready]

1. Hope you find something else very soon. IT is

actually a terrific career to be in, at the moment. Headhunters name that area (and health care) as big in terms of opportunities.

[democrattotheend]

2. I am so sorry

What kind of IT experience do you have? My mom has a small business doing computer support and repairs for individuals and small businesses in the Philly area. I can ask her if she has any overflow work that she can refer.

[drm604]

8. I'd appreciate it.

Some part time work could help while I'm looking.

I can PM you a resume if you'd like.

[democrattotheend]

70. Please do PM me a resume

Not sure if I can help at all but I will pass it along.

[Tikki]

3. Don't know the Philly area. IT is starting to come alive, again...I hope you find work tomorrow.

GOOD LUCK



Tikki

[4_TN_TITANS]

43. It's coming alive for the same reason my field of manufacturing

customer service is - the outsourced Indian help is difficult for customers to work with. The last few times I've called big corps for customer service, I've been surprised with friendly American help. Charter, Nationwide, Honeywell all have had Americans manning the phones lately - all have provided excellent service.

[Liberal_in_LA]

4. I'm so sorry.

kick for jobs for drm604.

[TBF]

5. Rec for visibility -

hopefully someone who knows the area can give you some leads.

[CakeGrrl]

6. Post your resume on

Dice.com, CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com if you haven't done so already. Make sure it includes keywords you want recruiters to find about you.

I also received a good tip to re-load my resume periodically - once a week or sooner. That sends new notifications to recruiters.

I've been contacted about a couple of solid promising leads from CareerBuilder and Dice.

[drm604]

9. In the past I didn't have a lot of luck with either of those, but I'll try again.

Thanks.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. Don't forget Craigslist.

[drm604]

14. I already did that.

I posted my resume with all personal information removed. That's how I got my current (for 2 weeks) job.

[TBF]

15. I found a couple of jobs (and got offers) on monster.com -

I don't know if that is a good source currently. Jobs I got in 2000 and 2005 - so that's dated information. But at that time it did work for me.

In 2005 I was laid off for the first time ever and my mom coached me to file for unemployment. It didn't really help financially because my husband was still working (so it was pretty much taken in taxes), but it did encourage me to get moving because in order to get unemployment - at least in Texas at that time - you had to show that you were job-hunting. So I dutifully applied for a bunch of jobs and got interviews pretty quickly. Even if they aren't your ideal jobs at first sometimes just getting things in motion help you to feel like you're accomplishing something and makes you more confident in all your job-hunting strategies.

[Auntie Bush]

38. Good advice! And you'll be employed in the meantime. Employers don't like to hire the unemployed.

[Auntie Bush]

40. Good advice! And you'll be employed in the meantime. Employers don't like to hire the unemployed.

[RomneyLies]

17. Go for The Ladders

Decent IT jobs all the time. Nothing under $100K/year listed, so a lot of the crap gets filtered for you.

I see Network Engineer, Coding, and DBA positions all the time.

[MADem]

45. Wow, IT pays a hundred grand a year?

No wonder people go into it...!

[RomneyLies]

56. Depends on how senior you are.

Junior people never make that kind of money, but a Senior NEtwork Engineer with a CCIE can run $125-$150K/year easily.

[drm604]

67. I don't trust any headhunter that I have to pay.

Here's a review of The Ladders.
http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/newsletter/oe20090120.htm

[RomneyLies]

71. I've never paid a dime to The Ladders

I got my current job through them, too.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

7. K & R. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. kick and good luck

things are actually starting to look up

[GoneOffShore]

12. Good luck with your search

And if we had more than a couple of laptops, we probably would need someone in IT.

[LiberalEsto]

13. Check Dice.com

It's a great site for IT jobs. Good luck!
My husband's looking in the DC area.

[Whovian]

16. So sorry to read this.

Best thoughts in you finding something soon.

[woodsprite]

18. It's not in Philly, but in Newark, DE

We have multiple spots available for Java programmers and at least one spot available for a PeopleSoft programmer in the IT-Financials group. If you go to the regular www.udel.edu site search for 'jobs' (search is in the upper right corner), you can get into the job listings. Higher Ed is not the best pay if you're coming out of industry, but the benefits make up for it, and they've been working at making the IT salaries more competitive since we compete for people with all the banks, duPont, Christiana Care System, etc.

If someone didn't want to drive, the train from Philly drops off at a stop right by campus where the UD shuttle picks up.

Sorry you got laid off. I hope you find something soon.

[missann]

19. Consulting an option?

If you're interested in consulting, check out Accenture, IBM, CSC, Infosys, and the like. Also the Big 4 have IT consulting arms.

[Sophiegirl]

24. My daughter ie a recruiter for BAE

They have offices all over the place. I'll ask her. PM me your résumé.

[drm604]

50. Sent.

[freshwest]

20. Good luck and hope more leads come to this thread. K & R for visibility.

[Playinghardball]

21. Depending on your education and work experience you might want to locate a headhunter

who specializes in your field..

Good luck in your search..

[drm604]

22. Yes. I know that.

I just like to spread the word far and wide, because you never know what might turn up.

[skeewee08]

23. K&R.......

Sorry this happen to you drm604 hoping you get something soon....

[HopeHoops]

25. I've got decades of IT experience too. Good fucking luck. No offense, mind you.

Having experience USED to be a benefit, but now it's a liability. They only want to hire low-wage inexperienced people I can program circles around. We "cost too much". Companies are missing out. We can do five times the work in the same time. That's not what the pointy-haired bosses see. We just cost too much. I know far more languages that are no longer in use than the ones that are currently in use and I know now. The mechanics are the same. The logic is the same. The implementation is the same. How the FUCK do you explain that to an empty suit? All I get now is contract work. It pays well, but it isn't steady and doesn't come with health insurance.

My wife has to work just for health insurance. Her salary helps, but it isn't why she works. I'm in poor health and have medical bills stacking up. Without the insurance they'd take our house. Our industry has never been stable and I doubt it ever will be. It's a situation where you just have to grab whatever comes along now. The longest job I had was 3 1/2 years and in EVERY case (including that one) it was because the company went tits up.

I can still program the shit out of any kid.

[ThirdEye]

30. See my post below

Also, consider creating a hobby project that ties together some newer technologies so that you can show a recruiter your new found skills in addition to your overall experience.

[spanone]

26. man, that really sucks...especially this time of year.

[Warpy]

27. I'm so sorry!

They do love to axe people right at the holidays, it must be the best feeling corporate sociopaths ever get.

Until something turns up, consulting might be your best bet. The income is sporadic and unpredictable, but decades of experience are valued in consultants even as they're disregarded by 30 something bosses with actuarial tables.

[Patiod]

60. Although, frankly, now is the kindest time

Worse would be AFTER you spent a bucketful of money, then find that you can't pay it.

Better to have a chance to cut back now when you still have the option of downsizing your Christmas.

[ThirdEye]

28. Try LinkedIn

Create or update your presence on LinkedIn. I have found it to be the greatest source of opportunities out of everything else online. I may be in a slightly different circumstance than you, but I'm also in IT. I literally have to turn down recruiters monthly.

List out both your specific skills (C#, Windows Server, whatever) and your specific accomplishments (migrated 1000 users to Exchange 2010, saving company $X). If it applies and is also the truth, emphasize that you're an enthusiast (not that you are enthusiastic!).

Good luck.

BTW, if you have a choice I recommend diving head first into Healthcare IT.

[HopeHoops]

86. Yeah, my resume's pretty well refined (and uses language like you suggested).

My health issues make a full-time gig somewhat out of reach. I've done some contract work from home, but even there I can't always count on being able to get out of bed. Ups and downs, you know. It depends on the day.

[MANative]

29. Look for a PM from me...

with some information on someone to talk to.

[drm604]

31. I'll look for it.

[malachi]

32. Go to Indeed.com - set up your search agents and Indeed will scrape

all the job posting boards and send you an email will all those jobs that match your skill set on a daily basis. Also, checkout Comcast.com.

[ebbie15644]

33. So sorry to hear this! When building your

resume use O'Net for job description. It is a great tool. I hope you find something soon!

[swayne]

34. Bless you and good luck to you. I pray that you aren't over 50 years old.

People over 50 are being put out to pasture in this country and it is very, very hard to get a job if you have been laid off after you've turned 50.

Not to alarm you, but do whatever you can to get something quickly. The longer you wait, the worse it is. I have friends whose gaps are so long, companies think something is wrong and they can't even work at a McDonald.

It's wrong, but that is what is happening to some of our citizens.

[drm604]

41. You just alarmed me.

I was hoping that I would finish my career in this job.

[swayne]

65. I know how it is. One day the ball just drops...

Were you expecting a lay off in any way? I got called in on a Monday and got laid off and it took me a while to find something else. A lot of these companies are doing laying off, just to lower salary expense. In my company's case they weren't competitive and always lacked behind the 5 or 6 leaders ahead of them in the industry.

You'll be OK. Just make sure that you save your money, get a 2nd mortgage (while you can) and apply for everything out there.

The good news is that 12 million jobs are supposed to be coming over the next few years. Let's hope that they are livable wage positions.

The news media doesn't highlight this enough, but it is a BIG issue in our society.....

PAY ZERO ATTENTION to the Republicans a--holes that will tell you to GET A JOB and this happened to you because you are lazy.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIH2tapQVWAAG0H7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBvbGgza2Q0BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDVjExNg--?p=hard+times+on+long+island&vid=9b9b5be29ddca28b3c13baeb8827255f&l=&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.4575661380075556%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F32798135&tit=Hard+Times%3A+Lost+on+Long+Island&c=0&sigr=10p0ar3fa&fr=aaplw&tt=b

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIH2tapQVWAAG0H7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBvbGgza2Q0BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDVjExNg--?p=hard+times+on+long+island&vid=9b9b5be29ddca28b3c13baeb8827255f&l=&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.4575661380075556%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F32798135&tit=Hard+Times%3A+Lost+on+Long+Island&c=0&sigr=10p0ar3fa&fr=aaplw&tt=b

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play;_ylt=A2KLqIH2tapQVWAAG0H7w8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBvbGgza2Q0BHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDdmlkBHZ0aWQDVjExNg--?p=hard+times+on+long+island&vid=9b9b5be29ddca28b3c13baeb8827255f&l=&turl=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DV.4575661380075556%26pid%3D15.1&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F32798135&tit=Hard+Times%3A+Lost+on+Long+Island&c=0&sigr=10p0ar3fa&fr=aaplw&tt=b

[Patiod]

62. People need to learn how to lie

Seriously. You can't say you had a job that you didn't have, because you'll get caught and potentially fired.

But if you're friendly with your former employer (especially if it's a small company or one that went out of business), you can stretch the dates of employment to cover gaps, or claim to have been taking care of a sick family member.

As someone who actually WAS taking care of a sick family member, I've found that people are pretty understanding about that sort of gap, and no one yet ever asked to talk to my dad to confirm that as my situation.

I'm very much against lying in 99% of all situations, but if it's a survival thing, and the hiring companies are holding all the cards and have decided that a gap is a good reason not to hire you, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to put a roof over your head.

[drm604]

72. I have nothing to lie about.

Why are you bringing up lies?

[Patiod]

85. sorry, you don't but another poster said a friend w/ gaps couldn't get hired

Sorry for the misunderstanding

[glinda]

35. KICK

[snooper2]

36. can you provide some details of experience?

Do you know what I mean when I say RJ48X? experience in any API, CORBA? Java coding? OSI model? Unix OS? MS 08'? Windows, outlook, Soft Clients, BGP, OSPF, etc.,etc.,

[DisgustipatedinCA]

49. I know RIPv1 and BSTUN, and I can work on 56K digital Motorola 6015 Mux'es

Of course, those are as worthless as knowing typewriter repair, but it doesn't matter anyway since you're in DFW and I'm in the Bay Area and he's in Philadelphia. Give the guy a few hours to straighten out his head--I'm sure he'll get around to posting that info, but there's a good statistical possibility that he's out getting hammered right about now.

By the way, and in all seriousness, how is the tech job market looking in your area? I think it's getting better in the Bay Area by degrees--not so good that I could walk and find a job in a day, but the prospect of finding a net eng position, if I had to, doesn't seem as daunting as it has at some points in the recent past.

[snooper2]

80. looking good for telecom folks

I got a position sent to me yesterday by a recruiter for voip engineer...

We've had a voice engineering position open for a month now-

IT is doing okay for the most part

[Tree-Hugger]

37. Good luck. K & R nt

[jeff47]

39. Are you willing to relocate?

And can you be more specific about your experience? We talking configuring routers, writing code or managing databases?

[drm604]

42. All of that.

But I need to stay in the Philly area.

[DFW]

51. Rats.

Last I heard, that's nowhere near Texas.........

[meeshrox]

44. K&R for exposure

Sorry to hear, I'll keep my ears open from here in FL, you never know...

[Panasonic]

46. I get tons of IT job requirements

Will be happy to pass a few along your way.

I haven't seen anything for Philly but I have seen some for Delaware jobs.

Is this an easy commute for you?

[drm604]

52. It depends on where.

Even Wilmington would be a little far.

[Panasonic]

61. Okay.

I will check for you and PM you anything I find on my mailbox

[vduhr]

47. Check you area employment agencies.....

for the ones that might specialize in IT placement. Many times, you can find permanent placement via temp to perm jobs.

[Ken Burch]

48. I am so sorry...but don't give up hope...

You will need to think of your life as a daily act of resistance against the Machine. They are trying to discard you and make you feel as if you are nothing...don't let them.

You have value...you have dignity...you deserve to live.

Non Carburundum Illegitimus Est.

[drm604]

53. I can't give up.

I need the income. Giving up is simply not an alternative.

[Ken Burch]

55. Keep up the fight...and believe in yourself.

Good luck to you.

[applegrove]

54. Vibes to you. Try looking through the

telephone book and come up with a list of 100 places where you want to work. Do a mail merge of a kick ass cover letter and your resume, and get your name in the files of said organizations. Good luck.

[slackmaster]

57. K&R. My experience with having decades of IT experience has been not much trouble finding work.

Good luck!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

58. I'm so sorry.

I know how stressful that can be. I hope this is very brief and that you find a better one really quick.

[aandegoons]

59. Have you tried taking the civil service exam?

Good luck and best wishes.

[progressive_realist]

63. Sologig.com might be worth a look. n/t

[corneliamcgillicutty]

64. I'm thinking Cisco Systems and

the Great Valley/Malvern area--Vanguard. I would look to hospital/healthcare systems such as Main Line Health; universities, colleges and school systems such as Great Valley. I like country club/golf clubs--Main Line--where you are The IT pro/indispensable go to person. Because of today's economy, I'm liking a situation where you run the show.

[drm604]

73. I thought that where I was in this job.

I'm the IT guy everybody goes to. I honestly think they're going to be sorry they made these changes.

Are you saying I should apply at country clubs? They have big IT departments?

[corneliamcgillicutty]

79. I volunteered at a fundraiser at a

golf/country club this past Saturday night and had to coordinate our efforts with the club's IT guy. I was surprised at this but he told me he was there full time. I guess places that cater to big $ people need to be on top of their game in all areas. Also, there is an organization called LeTip here in Chester County. It's a professional networking organization that meets weekly. There are several chapters--e.g. Exton, Thorndale, etc. They only accept one representative from a particular profession in each chapter. I like networking--was a healthcare recruiter before retiring.

[Rider3]

66. You are in a great field.

You will not stay unemployed for long. There's always a need for good IT people. Wish you were in the Boston area.

[EverHopeful]

68. at all interested in a daily commute to NYC?

Here's a link to a discussion about the commuting options:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/philadelphia/12246-does-anyone-commute-philly-nyc.html

It sounds like some of the options take less time than many of my current colleagues' commutes but I know a long commute isn't everybody's cup of tea.

If you're interested, I can pass your resume on to HR. Nothing is currently listed for IT but there is a listing that might be what you're looking for. Please forgive my ignorance if this has nothing to do with what you do. It says: Senior Programmer / Analyst CRM, SharePoint and XML.

I'll keep watching the job postings on our intranet and see if any come up for our IT department.

[WillyT]

69. If Corbett Let's A State Run Health Care Exchange (Affordable Care Act) Proceed...

Like here in CA: http://www.healthexchange.ca.gov/Jobs/Pages/Default.aspx

They will need IT people.



Good luck!

[drm604]

74. I need a job sooner than that.

[WillyT]

75. Look... I Work For The State Of California... Processing Unemployment Taxes And Claims Forms...

Don't mess around... get your Unemployment as soon as possible.

Whatever it takes... call them over and over all day long if necessary.

And THEN... go out and look for a job.

I've seen too many people think they are gonna get a job right away. After 9/11... I spent my savings, my 401K, and everything else, thinking I would be rehired "right away".

Unemployment saved my life. Don't fuck around with this.

[drm604]

78. Oh I intend to.

I tried today, but it won't accept a future date and I was given two weeks notice.

[JackN415]

76. I know how tough it is. Best wishes to you. Hang in there, The econ will recover

[sheshe2]

77. Good luck to you!

Six years ago my company went under. It was scary as I was 50+ at the time.

I was lucky after 4 months to find work again. Unfortunately it was for a lot less than I had been making.

I wish you the best!

[TexasBushwhacker]

81. Check out the school districts and universities in your area

My brother got a great IT job with a school district and since they have their own retirement system, you (and they) contribute to that instead of Social Security. Then when you retire you can get Social Security AND Teacher Retirement or you can take a lump sum.

[drm604]

84. I don't think school districts have much money right now.

[lonestarnot]

82. Bummer. Hope you find something soon!

[CitizenLeft]

83. wish I had more to offer than "good luck" and "best wishes"

I was laid off twice in 2008 - when I was 49 yrs old. The most important thing - other than working 9-10 hours a day perfecting and adjusting and sending out resumes - is to keep your chin up and stay positive. It's so easy to get discouraged. I was only out of work 5 months, but sometimes that hang-dog feeling crept up on me out of nowhere and I dragged it into interviews with me if I couldn't shake it. Sometimes whoever's doing the interview can sense it. That was the hardest thing, keeping upbeat and showing it.

Having said all that, I do wish you good luck and best wishes, and I hope one of these tips/leads on this thread leads you to something fantastic.

[drm604]

87. I got a phone call this morning from a guy who saw my resume on Dice.

I have an interview tomorrow for a programmer / analyst position.

It'd be great if I could move immediately into a new job with my severance in the bank!

[Barack_America]

89. That's awesome! You got some great advice on this thread.

The best of luck to you!

[barbtries]

88. so sorry to hear it.

best of luck for a quick turnaround to a job that's better than the one that let you go.

[drm604]

90. They gave me two weeks notice, so I'm there until the 30th.

I spent this afternoon training my replacement. I know the job so well that I can train a replacement. So why is there a replacement?

If I didn't need the two weeks plus severance (and good references) I'd walk.

[MrMickeysMom]

91. More free advice...

It's worth what you paid, I know,

Seems to be that you will have to show up and speak to "the network", since sending out resumes are a dime a dozen.

Who can you talk to? Are you willing to help someone solve some problems (IT) for "free" to prove yourself?

These are the best pieces of advice I can think to give you, besides, I wish you nothing but good opportunities, since that seems to be what does it (after a good face to put on).

Good luck to you, drm604.