Join This GroupApril 3, 2008
Money & Work »
Professions & Workplace Issues
Public
Offline
Print
Networking in later years
|
thekev said:
on March 29, 2009 10:47 PM ET
Greetings everyone, While I can certainly sympathize with those looking for work and unable to find a job, I find myself in the next-most uneviable position of being in a dead-end job and unable to even get a foot in the door anywhere else. There was a time and place for me when just working harder and being better than everybody else was enough to get and keep a good job. Not now. While I might argue the wisdom or inherent unfairness behind my current situation, I don't hold it against the boss for wanting to surround himself with his cronies at my expense. It's his department and he has been given the authority to run it as he sees fit. My problem is I should be equally free to leave but I can't seem to even come close to penetrating the insider networks that dominate my field. Part of the reason is that I have a son with autism. Instead of doing the normal social networking thing like my peers, I made a conscious decision to spend as much of my free time as possible, since his diagnosis, to teach him how to talk, read, and take care of himself. 8 years ago, I moved from a big city, left some very lucrative consulting work and my friends, to a small town, taking a huge cut in pay, to provide him the best atmosphere I could. I stayed, despite the job, so the family could have a stable home. He is going to graduate from high school and maybe even go to college, which brings me great joy. However, I suddenly find myself free to leave but also completely out of touch with anyone who might know anyone who could help me find another job. A few years ago I first thought a little more effort on my part could improve my current situation. For two years I worked harder and put in more hours than anyone in my department by a sizable margin. When that didn't work I went back to school. While maintaining my full-time job, I completed a Masters degree in Computer Science, maintained a 4.0 GPA, and published a half-dozen research papers. Still nothing. Now, I am working on a PhD at one university and an MBA at another. I have also published another paper, published a small book chapter and so far still maintaining a 4.0 GPA at both universities. I have also passed several technical certification exams which means I am officially Microsoft certified in several technologies with more to come. Yet, 4 years later, I continue to labor in the most junior programming position in my company. It wasn't that way at first, but my old boss left and the new one has a much different idea about how to do things. I am already the most educated, experienced and probably successful developer on staff but the new boss has made it clear that no amount of effort, overtime, PhD, MBA or a hundred certifications or publications will ever make a difference. He would rather I just leave so they can hire somebody younger and cheaper to do my job. To which I say fine, but how? I can't buy an interview around here or anywhere. What prompted this is another co-worker in a much better sitation than I decided he wanted out of his job. So he phoned a friend at a local government laboratory and they are going to "create" a position for him as soon as he is ready to leave my company; the same laboratory I have been trying to get into without success for the past 2 years. While my credentials, work ethic and track record far surpass his, he gets the red carpet treatment while I just get older. It's tough not to get really discouraged, particularly since having a disabled child is bad enough but I feel like society is punishing me further for taking the time to try to help him instead of "networking". Most of what I read makes it sound like you just have to pick up the phone and call "Uncle Al" or your old high buddy to get a job. But my uncle has been retired for 30 years and the only high school buddies I have found are on Facebook talking about their cats. Not a corporate soul among them. The bottom line - is there anyone out there who can help me somehow get on the networking "inside" or point me to a resource that can? At least get people to answer my emails? Maybe you have some experiences and ideas you would like to share. As for me, I would be willing to move just about anywhere outside of California, which looks about to implode. I can offer a proven track record, good communication skills, stability, education, a lot of experience, plenty of smarts and a great work ethic. It hasn't amounted to much lately but I hope that somewhere it will be enough. Thanks in advance |
|
Well, this story has a potentially happy ending. I was finally fired from that job (the reason - by using the word "frivolous" to describe a (quite frivolous) act by one of the bosses at a 1-1 meeting I was deemed quilty of not showing "due respect". I was given a month's severance but managed to find a job a couple of days later. In the meantime I ran across what looks like a golden opportunity to do some online teaching, which is something I have always wanted to do and still have time enough to work on my doctorate.
So far so good, although I am always interested in financial services so I'll shoot you an email.
Regards,
Kevin
Reply to Post
Good luck! Maybe hard as it is now getting away from that company is better. Networking requires effort to contact as many people as you can, anybody you went to school with,relatives, clubs,churches,etc. It's not always easy and now is particularly bad.
Karl
I sympathize. What a miserable situation. I retired three years ago only to lose most of my investments (and income) in the market debacle last fall. Unlike you, I only have a BS, but in this job market it seems that all those fancy, expensive initials following one's last name don't hold much weight. Go figure. I did some research on jobs that i could do from my home office and found a dynamite company that markets top-tier, three level financial education, and growing. The executive team is great and the support and training they offer is like nothing I've ever seen.
I worked like crazy in the beginning - learning a new business, becoming familiar with the online system and the back office, generating leads, etc. Now, however, I am at the point where the business is solid, I have leads coming in every day and I have built a good residual income. I'm making more now than I ever did working for a corporation and I own my own business. No one can fire me or lay me off. No office politics. No back-biting. No one to control my financial future but ME.
The icing on this cake, though, is that I market a product that really, really helps people. I bought it myself and use it for everything from basic financial management to investing. If I'd had this kind of information before last fall, I wouldn't have watched 2.5 million dollars worth of investments disappear almost overnight. If I'd had this information when I left college, my whole financial life would have been drastically different -- and better!
Best of luck to you. If you have any questions about what I did, please feel free to contact me here or at carol@palmettobizpro.com.
Wow! How about that! I was just lost my bonus, tuition reimbursement, profit-sharing and got suspended from my job for using the word "punished" inappropriately at a meeting a few days ago. What a great job! Funny, a lot more inappropriate things come to mind now.
Yeah, but here's the thing. I am, by pretty much every measure, more capable, smarter, harder working, more technically saavy, and more experienced than my younger peers. The degrees, publications and certifications are just more affirmation of the same. They can replace me with somebody cheaper because I am so underutilized that what I get to do any new college graduate could figure out. It's not specialization or pay that is the problem for me, it's recognition. These peers, some of whom make more than I do, are insiders. They spend weekends with the boss. So despite the fact that these guys, many of whom are frankly morons and spend hours talking about their latest online adventures instead of working, would never make it if they had to solely rely upon their own credentials, do just fine right here.
I have this huge background because I have spent my life trying to work harder and better than the other guy. My problem is being the best is not good enough if you can't get in the door. I believe my current job is somewhat of an anomaly in that the nepotism and cronyism is so rampant that it renders any relevant qualifications moot. The problem is I can't seem to find a way out of this mess. It's one thing when an employer thinks you don't deserve a job more than his nephew or his brother's garderner's friend or the guy he smokes crack with on the weekends. It's a whole other thing though when society seems to agree.
Enough of the rant. I'm more than happy to pit my skills against anybody and let the chips fall, but I have to be given the chance first. I keep reading how important networking is, but no viable strategy on how to accomplish it. There must be somebody willing to at least talk to me. I just got to find that guy or gal.
No words of wisdom for you. I was an IT guy (application programmer and consultant) for almonst 30 years in a former life.
In my experience (and of course, I empasize mine) showed me that very few jobs in IT require advanced degrees and certifications. Experience in the specific area one would work (hardware, software, and application itself) are what counted. If you've been in the business for awhile, I would think you've seen that. If the company brings in some software as SAP, they want SAP people. All the advanced degrees and other certifications are meaningless.
I was partially able to move around because I did not have an IT degree. I had a business background, especailly accounting (in addition to a Sociology degree) which 'bought' me more interview time than tech skills. Being in applications, they wanted programmers who could talk accounting, and to business people. They didn't want 'tech speak' people. Could get plenty of cheap, young, candidates for that right out of college recruiting.
As you stated yourself, your place is looking for cheaper help --- so was everyplace I saw.
IT has become more-and-more specialized. It just doesn't count to have this huge background. They want you cheap and they want you schooled, if not experienced, in a specific software, hardware, or application area.
At least, that's what I saw around here..........
