IT Professional looking for IT Job in Florida (Tampa, Palm Harbor: to rent, headhunters)

[vertock]

I'm a young almost 30 year old male looking to move from Ohio to Florida. Wanting to know if anyone has advise or knows anyone looking to hire IT. I have two degrees and am willing to pay my own way to interviews and to move if need be. Been applying as much as I can but not get many interviews and if I do get an interview it doesn't go past a phone interview. Please provide any help you can thank you.

[stpeteguy]

If I had a dollar for every person I met from Ohio who moved to Florida, I would be rich. Ohio must be a terrible place to live.

[Beacher23]

Originally Posted by stpeteguy

If I had a dollar for every person I met from Ohio who moved to Florida, I would be rich. Ohio must be a terrible place to live.

That it is, glad i'm outta that s***hole!

[Beacher23]

Originally Posted by vertock

I'm a young almost 30 year old male looking to move from Ohio to Florida. Wanting to know if anyone has advise or knows anyone looking to hire IT. I have two degrees and am willing to pay my own way to interviews and to move if need be. Been applying as much as I can but not get many interviews and if I do get an interview it doesn't go past a phone interview. Please provide any help you can thank you.

You need to work with an IT recruiter, that will pretty much be your only chance. You need to let them know you're 100% serious about moving here, make sure your resume is very professional and clean, and just keep applying on job sites like careerbuilder, monster, dice, simplyhired etc.
There are many recruiters in the Tampa area that will be willing to work with you but you have to sell yourself. Also, don't let people scare you about wages here either, if you have the qualifications and experience a company wants, then you will get the money you deserve, i did.
If you want it bad enough you'll make it happen.

[vertock]

stpeteguy I was born in Florida so I'm ready to return home. Ohio isn't bad if you like the cold but it lacks very many IT jobs

[vertock]

Beachers23 I do have some experience but it is limited. It's hard to find a job with little to no experience but the only way to get a job is to have the experience. I've got an associate Computer Networking and a bachelor's in Information Systems Security. Just need someone to give me a chance to prove I can be a great asset to a company

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by vertock

Beachers23 I do have some experience but it is limited. It's hard to find a job with little to no experience but the only way to get a job is to have the experience. I've got an associate Computer Networking and a bachelor's in Information Systems Security. Just need someone to give me a chance to prove I can be a great asset to a company

As someone who is a government IT security professional all I can tell you is to get certifications and take whatever job you can find to get some time under your belt.

This is a heck of a field to be in right now, but people are in such demand that employers are under pressure to have someone who can walk in the door and get to work the first day. I specialize in SIEMs and I can't begin to tell you how many job offers I get in a month - unsolicited. While I work in government I could easily leave tomorrow and pretty much double my pay.

I would definitely try a recruiter, while I don't like them in your case trying to find a job from outside the area you're going to need a presence here. As I have suggested to other out of area job seekers in the past, see if you can find a friend or family member in the area who's address you can use as a mail drop, and get a Google Voice phone number with an 813 (Tampa) area code. Employers around here (and elsewhere) will often ignore resumes from outside the area, especially if the position does not provide relocation. With a local address and phone number you'll have a far better chance of at least being seen.

As a former manager who did their own hiring, I can tell you that I don't want to be bringing on a new employee who is worried about finding housing, getting settled, etc., all while I need them focused on work. Not to mention that there are those who come down here and decide they don't like it or get homesick and leave shortly after arriving. That costs me money and a lot of lost resources.

Lots of risk to hiring someone from outside the area....

Since you have some networking training (CCNA?) you might try and get in that way and work your way up. If you don't have certifications, you should be working on them. CISSP is a must in the security business if you're going anywhere, but you'll have to get some experience to qualify for it first. Best to take Security+ and have that on your resume, as it's a start and it doesn't require time served, so to speak. Also, look at the low hanging fruit where younger, more motivated people are less likely to look, such as the school system and local governments. While it's not for everyone, there is a lot to be said for government work, especially when it comes to nice pensions and job security....

RM

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by MortonR

I would definitely try a recruiter, while I don't like them in your case trying to find a job from outside the area you're going to need a presence here. As I have suggested to other out of area job seekers in the past, see if you can find a friend or family member in the area who's address you can use as a mail drop, and get a Google Voice phone number with an 813 (Tampa) area code. Employers around here (and elsewhere) will often ignore resumes from outside the area, especially if the position does not provide relocation. With a local address and phone number you'll have a far better chance of at least being seen.

As a former manager who did their own hiring, I can tell you that I don't want to be bringing on a new employee who is worried about finding housing, getting settled, etc., all while I need them focused on work. Not to mention that there are those who come down here and decide they don't like it or get homesick and leave shortly after arriving. That costs me money and a lot of lost resources.

Great advice and insight RM. Thanks. We plan on the move from here in Chicago this year. My cousin lives in Palm Harbor and I'll probably use her address in the weeks leading up to our move and get myself a 727 or 813 phone number (probably change it permanently through T-Mobile). But I won't start sending resumés out until I know we're moving for sure. I don't want to waste anyone's time if I'm not serious about the move.

I had a question. Say I do use her address and then find a place to rent with a different address. The employer sees my cousin's address but when it comes time to get hired, we'll be living elsewhere. Eventually they'll know it's not where I live. How do you suggest the work-around for this?

I'm in the graphics field and an ex co-worker friend of mine made the move down there some years ago and used Aquent. Just wanted to know if you heard of them and have any opinion. Or an opinion of any other good reputable recruiters or headhunters you can recommend.

Thanks

[stpeteguy]

Originally Posted by MortonR

As a former manager who did their own hiring, I can tell you that I don't want to be bringing on a new employee who is worried about finding housing, getting settled, etc., all while I need them focused on work. Not to mention that there are those who come down here and decide they don't like it or get homesick and leave shortly after arriving. That costs me money and a lot of lost resources.

Lots of risk to hiring someone from outside the area....


RM

Yep, I totally agree. I didn't even try to find a job before moving, because I knew I couldn't really focus on a job while I was trying to get settled in.

So I moved down with no job and I didn't know a soul here either. Didn't matter though. I wanted to be here and I made it work. Anybody can if they are determined.

[moviefan]

Originally Posted by stpeteguy

Yep, I totally agree. I didn't even try to find a job before moving, because I knew I couldn't really focus on a job while I was trying to get settled in.

So I moved down with no job and I didn't know a soul here either. Didn't matter though. I wanted to be here and I made it work. Anybody can if they are determined.

Thanks stpeteguy---that's exactly what we'll be doing. Thanks for the inspirational words!