Any fellow I.T. Professional out there... (Billings, Missoula: car insurance, credit card)

[I_Want_Snow]

I was wondering if there were any Networking, Telecomm, or Network Security Professional out there I could ask some questions to...

My Experience breaks down like this:

1.) 9 1/2 years of Networking experience with many advanced Cisco Certifications. I have my CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional).

2.) I have 2 years of Telecomm experience working with VoIP working at Cox Communications. I will have my CCVP (Cisco Certified Voice Professional) by the end of January.

3.) I have also began to study Network Security. I have my CCNA-Security and once my CCVP is done, I am going to pursue my CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional).

4.) I have also have extensive experience with MS Windows, email servers and backup servers.

My question is this, would any of my skills allow me to get a job in MT. I know there are Cable, Satellite, and Telephone companies around and a I was just wondering how hard would it be to land a job at one of those places? I know I won't make nearly as much as I do here in Atlanta, GA but I need to get out of this fast paced city life.

By the way I was born and raised in a small town in S.E. MI with a population of less than 1100, and I want to get back to that type of lifestyle. I miss the outdoors, snow, fishing, and stopping by the local pub after a hard days work where you can walk in and everyone knows your name.

I also miss the whole love your neighbors thing... Southern Hospitality does not seem to exist here in ATL. Where I lived in MI, you could be gone all day long with your garage door open, house unlocked, and windows open. You were able to do this cause it was a small town and because your neighbors were truly your friends, not just acquaintances. Everyone looked after each other and helped each other as much as possible. Our neighbors in MI really became our family.

Thanks in advance for taking time to ready my post and offer any insight. My dream is to one day move to MT and take a step back and reclaim my life.

P.S. I am a single guy with no kids who plans to stay single, so I don't care how much money I make, as long I can provide a roof over my head and put some food on the table.

[ElkHunter]

Just a thought but you might do a search for jobs with the VA (Veterans Administration). I know the VA here in Sheridan Wyoming has listed an IT job several times in the last few years. Either the VA or one of the satelite stations in Montana might be looking.

That would be a GS position which means a fairly decent rate of pay and being GS would mean excellent benefits. In todays economy the benefits is more important then the actual pay.

[I_Want_Snow]

Thanks ElkHunter I will look into that!!

[Fodderman]

Your experience is enough to get you an interview. That's the good news. The bad news is that there just aren't a lot of places hiring. Of those that are hiring, they will most likely start looking locally first. If they can't find anyone suitable locally, only then would they be likely to advertise nationally. That doesn't mean that they wouldn't be willing to interview you, just that it would be more difficult for you to find out who's hiring at all.

One thing in your favor is that you don't mention a particular part of Montana you're interested in. This makes searches on places like Monster.com easy. Just enter Montana for the location. Don't bother entering any keywords as there won't be a lot of jobs to sort through and your keywords might miss something you'd be interested in.

Other than that, try looking at the classifieds in the online section of major city newspapers: Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls, Kalispell. You don't have to go too far outside of these "major cities" to get to a small town feel.

[I_Want_Snow]

Thanks Fodderman. I will Google the cities you mentioned and get the names of the local newspapers. I am currently saving up all my money so that I can move. I would prefer to find a place in MT that is close to the mountains, gets lots of snow, and has places around for me to fish. But I am willing to go where ever I have to just to get settled in and get some good references in MT. Then I can worry about living where I want to.

As of now I have zero bills, my car is paid off, I have zero loans, zero credit cards, and I pay my car insurance 12 months in advance. So the only reoccurring bill I have is my cell phone.

Once I have about about $30,000 saved up, which should be around this June, I am moving out of GA. The heat and humidity just drives me crazy!! It's only me, so I am hoping that $30 G's will be enough for me to live on till I find something.

I am spending my time researching places in Montana, Colorado, and the Western side of Michigan.