So, my aunt knows I’m looking for a new IT job. She’s like oh yeah the buffalo news is having a career fair at the Millenium Hotel. I’m like great, a few miles from my apt, i’ll be there.
So it says dress professionally, so I wear my usual office attire.
I arrive there, and just walk around the room instead of registering.
I was really excited that there would be some good places looking for IT work.
I start walking around, who do I find?
Rotor Rooter, Tops Supermarkets, Wegmans, a telemarketing company, buffalo news.
There was like 10 companies there tops, it was all crap entry jobs.
I don’t know if you have no experience or what…I have been watching buffalojobs.com or whatever the buffalo news job finder is…Applied 2 places got offered a job at both…These were mid level jobs but they were also hiring entry level.
There are a number of computer staffing places in Buffalo that can get you in some where.
I searched for awhile and theres nothing in the IT department up here, especially anything past entry level. I can’t wait to move to Virginia/DC area where IT is flowing out the butt down there and awesome starting salaries in the network administration department.
But I am stuck here for a while, so I’ll enjoy living check to check haha
I started off doing call support, then got a job with a small company here in buffalo earning less but getting more experience.
I got laid off from the call support job, so I took on the other job because they offered it to me.
At that job, I basically oversee 50 employees, doing helpdesk. Also being a general tech, repairing everything under the sun, and building their network from the ground up, as well as admin’ing it.
So its not even like I’m looking to answer phones at client logic, or answer phones anywhere for that matter. I did that shit when i was in college.
What I’d like is maybe a network admin assistant job, or a field tech job.
Nah thats not true, I’m just tapping all my resources to look around for a quality job here in buffalo.
Its not a negative post, I just found it kind of funny that the buffalo news hyped the shit out of this job fair.
I go there, and there are ten booths filled with jobs such as roto rooter, and cashier jobs at tops.
As I was walking out to my car, there was another dude my age (20 something). I could hear him muttering to himself “fucking roto-rooter”.
I talked to the guy for a minute, we just laughed how this is supposed to be showcasing the jobs in buffalo/niagara, and it shows whats really available.
The old saying is very true. Its not what you know, its who you know.
I still keep in contact with some of the guys who graduated with me. Some are doing ok, and they got their IT jobs through friends and family, not experience, and not their education. If they have a basic education and a referral from someone inside, they get the job asap.
I do a ton of networking. I know so many people. Recently I was offered a job in Salamanca working for the Seneca Nation as a field tech. I’m actually considering it now. But who wants to drive 90 minutes each way to work a 12 dollar an hour job with odd hours, and plan on working every holiday?
I’m not a negative dude at all, i’m the exact opposite.
i dont know any local ones… but i have them calling me weekly trying to get me to leave my current employer. they typically dont get paid until they place someone at a job, so they will try very hard to do so… i think there is a place on transit between walden and mcdonalds by tops in depew/cheektowaga near louies hotdogs. if thats still there. look online im sure they are out there.
i agree with justin, in that it is who you know. i have the same education as him, and admittedly know much less about IT.
i got lucky with a resume actually getting read somewhere, passed the phone interview… and then told my dearest mother about the actual interview. well, she knew some of the influential people, and i get the job making actually more than they advertised to start.
don’t get me wrong, i still had a great interview and was easily qualified… but unless you have an inside edge, sometimes it’s hard to beat out 25 or 50 or 500 other people.
+1 for recruiter. They get paid good money to place people, so they work hard at it and try to get as many people hired as possible. They take your resume, match it up with jobs that companies have hired them to fill, and schedule interviews for you. They don’t try to get you an interview, they just schedule them with the companies that have hired them.
I had my resume up on monster, hot jobs, career builder, etc and had recruiters calling me. Get your resume in order and get it out there. Addecco Professional is one recruiting place that kept in touch with me. There were others but I don’t remember names.
