Simply Frustrated but Hopeful! (Phoenix: insurance, how much, employment)

[ShanMan72]

Hello all. I need to vent! I've been living in the metro Phoenix area since September of last year. I love Phoenix and never regret the decision made to move here. I'm getting frustrated though because I can't seem to find work. I'm currently working with 5 recruiters and keep updated every single day with about 15 - 20 employment sites. I've had recruiters say my resume is excellent but no matter how much I inquire with them or apply to companies through the employment sites I never get calls...I never get responses. Here it seems like you have to constantly nag someone just to get any kind of feedback. I turned down a job offer late last year due to my wife needing life threatening surgery (we needed to retain my old company's insurance to avoid the pre-existing condition) but since then it's been flat. Anyone need a great technical support guru with 12+ years of experience or know someone that's hiring?? What's the trick to finding a job in the Phoenix environment? I know there are plenty of jobs out there in my field but no responses. It makes me sick since my wife's in the medical field and was able to find work in less than two weeks.

UGH!

[shiphead]

Shanman, do you have any degrees,certifications, or is this experience only?

[piratepilot]

You could try attending networking events:

NetworkingPhoenix.com | Arizona's best professional networking events calendar

[musicforme]

Are you a member of LinkedIn.com?

Get on there and get many of your former co-workers linked as possible. If you have a decent sized network, you can get in contact with a good number of people through that site if you properly use it.

[ShanMan72]

My experience is learned only. I know that could be read as good or bad but unfortunately some companies only want someone with that piece of paper, which can mean very little. I know from personal experience that a person that has several Microsoft certifications can really not know anything when it comes to support. Experience speaks more in situations where it's needed. I myself do wish to be certified but the issue's with the cost associated in getting to that point. I just don't have it right now and haven't in a while since the priority is taking care of my family first. I am a person that wears many hats and every position I've been in I've been a true asset. I've applied to jobs that ask and don't ask for certifications and no luck. The other issue too is the fact that most companies don't ask for certifications because they want to pay someone a lower wage, which is an insult to those who truely know this profession well and how demanding it is. I've had to pass on several opportunities because the wage is just absolutely insulting not to mention the fact that it wouldn't support a family of 5. And still the search goes on. I'm to the point now where I'm trying to find alternate professions that I can do that pay about the same even though I may not have experience.

[lola8822]

Originally Posted by ShanMan72

My experience is learned only. I know that could be read as good or bad but unfortunately some companies only want someone with that piece of paper, which can mean very little. I know from personal experience that a person that has several Microsoft certifications can really not know anything when it comes to support. Experience speaks more in situations where it's needed. I myself do wish to be certified but the issue's with the cost associated in getting to that point. I just don't have it right now and haven't in a while since the priority is taking care of my family first. I am a person that wears many hats and every position I've been in I've been a true asset. I've applied to jobs that ask and don't ask for certifications and no luck. The other issue too is the fact that most companies don't ask for certifications because they want to pay someone a lower wage, which is an insult to those who truely know this profession well and how demanding it is. I've had to pass on several opportunities because the wage is just absolutely insulting not to mention the fact that it wouldn't support a family of 5. And still the search goes on. I'm to the point now where I'm trying to find alternate professions that I can do that pay about the same even though I may not have experience.

Heyy....there are a couple jobs open within my School District.....they are both IT (Itnernet/computer technician jobs) you do have to pass a test however, a simple cisco certification (a few weeks of class) could prepare you for that. You do not need a certification or a degree but as I said, cisco helps.

[jd433]

Originally Posted by ShanMan72

My experience is learned only. I know that could be read as good or bad but unfortunately some companies only want someone with that piece of paper, which can mean very little. I know from personal experience that a person that has several Microsoft certifications can really not know anything when it comes to support. Experience speaks more in situations where it's needed. I myself do wish to be certified but the issue's with the cost associated in getting to that point. I just don't have it right now and haven't in a while since the priority is taking care of my family first. I am a person that wears many hats and every position I've been in I've been a true asset. I've applied to jobs that ask and don't ask for certifications and no luck. The other issue too is the fact that most companies don't ask for certifications because they want to pay someone a lower wage, which is an insult to those who truely know this profession well and how demanding it is. I've had to pass on several opportunities because the wage is just absolutely insulting not to mention the fact that it wouldn't support a family of 5. And still the search goes on. I'm to the point now where I'm trying to find alternate professions that I can do that pay about the same even though I may not have experience.

You just walked into one of the worst job situations in the Country!! Phoenix is almost dead last in Job losses right now for the whole country. Phoenix lost almost 60,000 jobs last year and may lose another 50,000 this year.

Did you do any research before you moved??? Phoenix is in a horrible slump.

Just go down to Madison Avenue between 15th avenue and 11th Avenue making sure to go up and down a block on 11th, 12th and 13th avenues from Madison. Do it!! I dare you to take a look. Look at the HUNDREDS!!! and HUNDREDS!! of people in line to get free soup and other food. It is a deplorable and very desperate situation. A lot of those people came to Phoenix to look for work a year or two ago and have now have ended up on the streets. Hey go tell them you are lookin for a job. They will tell you the truth.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by jd433

Just go down to Madison Avenue between 15th avenue and 11th Avenue making sure to go up and down a block on 11th, 12th and 13th avenues from Madison. Do it!! I dare you to take a look. Look at the HUNDREDS!!! and HUNDREDS!! of people in line to get free soup

So what do they serve you and "Jose" in Houston?

[shaneariz]

Someone posted some pictures of Phoenix on another thread. Looks so nice to someone not here in AZ. But once here you will see how it really is. I know SO MANY people unemployed right now. I own a company and had a single opening. Over 500 applied! And this was before I stopped counting. I had to set up an automatic response in my Outlook to anyone writing me telling them that the position is filled.

People moved here because of the boom in many cases. Once the bubble burst, there goes the jobs. When I came to Phoenix area in the very early 90s it was a completely different place. People had jobs (many at Motorola or Allied Signal, etc). The jobs supported the population then. Now that construction and its related industries have gone away...what are people to do? I would suggest people really come here and research the area before moving here. And I do not mean coming for a few weeks in January or March and playing golf and seeing cactus league games. The view of Arizona tourists and residents that have been here for at least five years are like black and white in a lot of instances.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by shaneariz

Someone posted some pictures of Phoenix on another thread. Looks so nice to someone not here in AZ. But once here you will see how it really is. I know SO MANY people unemployed right now. I own a company and had a single opening. Over 500 applied! And this was before I stopped counting. I had to set up an automatic response in my Outlook to anyone writing me telling them that the position is filled.

People moved here because of the boom in many cases. Once the bubble burst, there goes the jobs. When I came to Phoenix area in the very early 90s it was a completely different place. People had jobs (many at Motorola or Allied Signal, etc). The jobs supported the population then. Now that construction and its related industries have gone away...what are people to do? I would suggest people really come here and research the area before moving here. And I do not mean coming for a few weeks in January or March and playing golf and seeing cactus league games. The view of Arizona tourists and residents that have been here for at least five years are like black and white in a lot of instances.

When you came in the early 90s, unemployment rate was HIGHER than it is now. Yesterday's announcement of December rate was 6.9% - miserable yes, but still below the national average. It was far, far worse in the early 80s. Things are cyclical. Like I said earlier, if I had a good job somewhere else, I'd stay put for a while. I would certainly not come out right now without a job lined up. But if you are going to be unemployed anyway, might as well be where the weather is nice and rents are low.