IT jobs in Chattanooga

[blueoktober]

It isn't just ONE but two of us looking ...... My brother lives in Chattanooga, I went to college in Chattanooga, so I know very well what Chattanooga pays and what jobs (if any) are there. I had recruiters in Chattanooga - some from Atlanta that also work in the Chattanooga area. My brother has "ins" at the major insurance companies and still - no jobs.


I currently live in Orlando where I make more than double the amount I posted. I am a software specialist/ implementation specialist. My S/O is a Sr. Gis Analyst. Neither one of us could FIND a job there much less accept one at that really low wage. We moved to Spring Hill (suburb of Nashville) instead of Chattanooga and both of us could barely get over 40k a year there. So we moved back to Florida.

Chattanooga doesn't have an IT industry. It has other industry that has IT departments. If you need to know the difference then look at Huntsville or Chicago or Houston or Austin. Please don't confuse desktop support with a solid Software/Technology industry. You have no tech sector and most likely never will.

As far as jobs in other cities? I STILL to this day get calls from Atlanta and any major city near because there are jobs out there.

No offense to you, but you're comparing oranges to apples here.

[Celsius]

Originally Posted by blueoktober

It isn't just ONE but two of us looking ...... My brother lives in Chattanooga, I went to college in Chattanooga, so I know very well what Chattanooga pays and what jobs (if any) are there. I had recruiters in Chattanooga - some from Atlanta that also work in the Chattanooga area. My brother has "ins" at the major insurance companies and still - no jobs.


I currently live in Orlando where I make more than double the amount I posted. I am a software specialist/ implementation specialist. My S/O is a Sr. Gis Analyst. Neither one of us could FIND a job there much less accept one at that really low wage. We moved to Spring Hill (suburb of Nashville) instead of Chattanooga and both of us could barely get over 40k a year there. So we moved back to Florida.

Chattanooga doesn't have an IT industry. It has other industry that has IT departments. If you need to know the difference then look at Huntsville or Chicago or Houston or Austin. Please don't confuse desktop support with a solid Software/Technology industry. You have no tech sector and most likely never will.

As far as jobs in other cities? I STILL to this day get calls from Atlanta and any major city near because there are jobs out there.

No offense to you, but you're comparing oranges to apples here.

Guy, don't get so upset... Please show me in my post where I said that Chattanooga has an "IT industry" and that jobs were plentiful.. I was pointing out to you that yes,, you are correct that there are not a lot of jobs in that area or industry here specifically IT based, but what you were saying is that the highest (without going into any detail) job for a SR. level position was going to pay 28K here and that's what I was disputing.

After seeing more detail in your latest post, you are correct, it would be hard to find a job in Chattanooga specializing in the areas you've mentioned, but the IT Field is very broad in nature, and not just the area you are in, are the positions people are competing for. And no offense to you because I'm sure you went into the area of IT that you did because you wanted to, but it may actually hinder you from moving to a lot of midsize cities because of the specific specialization of the job. I'm sure not only Chattanooga is lacking is those types of positions. I am one test away from my MCSE and I know the title might not be as glamorous as yours, but people with my skills are needed in New York, Orlando, Atlanta, and yes Chattanooga (even in the tech sectors you speak of that are not here--we are needed),, and the pay in Chattanooga at some of Insurance companies you referred to for instance for my type of position, is way over the SR. level 28k you were able to find.

I was not comparing apples to oranges, you were. I guess we both understand each other better now though. Good luck in your endeavors.

[Jon F Moss]

You guys should band together and start your own IT consulting firm in Chatta.

If only it were that simple

[Yeorwned]

Well, it doesn't look like anyone has really looked into the IT industry in Chattanooga at all from what I'm reading here, or you we're looking in all the wrong places. A technical support position working for an area school system pays 40k+ with full benefits.

I do agree that you don't go to Chattanooga in hopes of searching for "programming" jobs but they do exist. Best bet is to get the list of businesses in Chattanooga, largest to smallest, and go to their web site career sections. Submit resumes. I think you will be surprised. Just don't expect to find a job on a Monster/Dice type job search and you'll be fine.

Also, it isn't impossible to commute to Atlanta...as previously mentioned, Groome runs 7-8 shuttles a day. While it is pricey and lengthy, it could be done if you enjoy the travel time.

[ITConsultant]

Regarding the post where someone couldn't find an I/T job in Chattanooga earning more than $28,000 per year in a senior level position, maybe you were going through the wrong sources (i.e., newspaper classifieds, recruiters who are not well connected)?

I tried in vain to find employment here 10 years ago in an I/T related capacity when I didn't have much experience, and the experience I had was "before its time" relative to what companies were doing in Chattanooga in 1997. Fast forward to 2005. Better resume, better skill set, jackpot.

Having such a narrow, specialized skill set can be a curse. If you have a broad skill set, 10+ years of experience doing many things in the I/T field, and have excellent communications skills, it's not difficult to make $100k or more in an IT position here in Chattanooga (I do). That's not even a management position. I have many friends in I/T in Chattanooga, none of whom earn less than DOUBLE the salary you mentioned ($28k). Most earn $70k or more.

Hiring comes and goes in waves, but try Computerjobs.com and Dice.com using "Chattanooga" as a keyword. If you've got a good resume/experience/skills, it's hard not to find a job earning more than double or triple the $28k "maximum" you were offered. The major employers here with substantial I/T departments are TVA, Unum, BlueCross BlueShield, and Electric Power Board. The unemployment rate here for I/T professionals is absurd - like 1.0% or less.

[clbarnes82]

I'm originally from Chattanooga, but moved to Seattle 3 years ago, I had a job in a matter of a week at Starbucks in their IT division.

fast forward to Jan 2008. My wife and I moved back to Chatt because of a baby on the way, wanted to be close to family.

I've been looking, literally, every single day for several hours over a 9 week period and I do NOT have a job yet. I have six years of IT networking/desktop experience and I'm A+ and Net+ certified and nearly finished with my AA Network Mgmt degree. I have three years of experience with Starbucks in their IT infrastructure department, I've touched almost everything IT related with Starbucks. When I moved here I thought they would respond well to my resume, but I've barely had even a call-back. I check every single job search site and I have a list of 10-12 large companies I look at daily. I network, cold-call, and have friends and family networking for me with still NO IT jobs. It's frustrating beyond belief and scary with a baby on the way. Thankfully my wife is a nurse so we can pay the bills, but it's tight.

The few jobs that I did see, I applied for, but didn't even get a call back (???). Many of which I was overqualified for, and still, did not get a call back or followup.

To those looking for IT work IN Chattanooga, BEWARE. It's VERY bad here at the moment. When I was in Seattle I was getting 10-12 calls a week for IT jobs and passed them all down to move back home (which is fine).

I think the people who are in these positions NEVER leave and retire in those jobs. The market is slow here and headhunters can't even find work and even scoff at you for asking i've noticed.

Good luck to those moving here, but beware that if you're in IT, research first before you move and/or be prepared to commute 1+ hr each way to small towns outside of the city.

[Eat]

If you are looking for IT work, you are much better off heading a little north to the Knoxville/Oak Ridge/Maryville area. While IT jobs aren't as plentiful as in the major metros, they are here. This area has quite a few corporate headquarters plus Oak Ridge National Labs and some other DOE facilities.