Work more jobs. IT work can be done from home. You can bid on IT contracts and line up the projects. Google to find listings of IT contracts. That's what I used to do between times of travel and living on the beach.
Have you been looking at job listings every day? Get over the depressing part of not having that particular skill or knowing that particular language. Ask for more money coming in. If you will take less, the boss knows you don't value yourself as much. It's a matter of self-confidence. If you take a less-paying job, you haven't figured out what you are really worth.
The more you look and the more resumes you send out, the more people know who you are and what you can offer them. Kinda like getting dates with women. Do this once a week even after you've gotten the best job. You don't need to prove your loyalty to a company that doesn't pay you what you're worth.
Be ready to travel. The companies will pay for your flight if they think you'll solve some problem for them.
Do you have an up to date resume? Are you using all of your skills in your present job? Are you listed with any job shops/head hunters? (like Robert Half out here) I haven't been looking for work for quite a while. So, the process might have changed.
There would always be work in electronics in the paper. That would be the last place I'd look and the worst money. But, they always are looking for techs and engineers. I'm sure programming is similar.
Contact your old school professors. They are often called by their previous students who are now looking to fill jobs in their company. The professors can usually suggest a bright student who has the skills and will soon be graduating.
In these times of a shrinking job market and a shrinking middle class, it doesn't matter what you think you are worth. The reality of today is what a company is willing to pay you, if they even have a job offering. The only way to really satisfy yourself is to start your own business.
I think he had some family help to get into the movies. As one joins the Screen Actors Guild and becomes a known quantity as far as acting ability, the money becomes much less a problem. But, it appears that drugs and ego tripping have given him quite a ride - not so pleasant, it seems.
So, there is a bit more to life than news, weather, and sports. You think, "If only I could get that fixed, the rest will be alright." Getting enough money at the job is only one difficulty. As you make more, you spend more, because you can afford to spend more. The story never ends.
We want what we can't have. Even if we get it, we then just want something else we cant get. Stuff just doesn't do it. It's a bad addiction.
Those guys seem cheap... If I were in your shoes I will start looking for a better employer. For full-time employment in IT, the best would be, in my order of preference: a job in a start-up; work for one of the big tech companies like RIM, Google, Microsoft; one of the big banks, the government. The start-up can mean big rewards in the future. The big tech companies offer excellent pay and benefits. Big banks offer excellent benefits, opportunity for skills development, stability, and relatively good but not great pay. If you work for a government IT department, you're almost guaranteed a job for life though it could get boring.
Contracting/running a one man business can be financially rewarding but it also means more stress.
It's comfortable to find work near your house. But, it's not the way to make more money. If you only consider staying local, you can walk, or bike, to work and save money on wear and tear on the car along with parking fees. These things do make life easier. So is eating lunch at home. But, taking a risk and finding work in the closest big city will get you into the job-hopping stream. You'll still start at a low wage. But, you'll be talking to many more people during lunch and thru work contacts. Once you establish yourself in that community by going to the conventions and computer shows, you'll get noticed and be offered better money and more interesting work. It's WHOM you know that gets you the good job. You won't have to fill out the job application once they all know what you've been doing. If you stay in the outskirts, you won't be visible. There is Facebook and monster.com that can help you get into the mainstream. But, making friends on the job lets them know how you think and what you're really good at. When I was hiring at UCBerkeley, I'd always ask around and get referrals from my co-workers. (You try all the easy ways first.) If I couldn't find anyone suitable, I'd call the job-shops/head-hunters. They'd put out the word by calling people that they had placed earlier. It's a relatively small community and you gotta be in it to get good work.
1. Cost of living is high. If you are single with car payments, potential student loans, and apartment rental to pay, you probably might just be breaking even at 50k per annum. Of course you can cut down expenses by finding an apartment/place to live in the downtown core and riding a bike to commute. Many people do this.
2. As Iggy8n has mentioned, the upside especially if you hop around, or if you can hack it being a free lancer/contractor, is that you will get to extend your network considerably and jobs might not be as hard to come by the more contacts and years of experience you have under your belt. Contract work is tough but if you are good at your game you will find employment... rates are much better than full-time plus you get to expense stuff out (car, computers, meals, etc.) for tax purposes.
3. Once you get the requisite experience, you will find it easier to find jobs if you decide to look for them, say, in the Waterloo or London area which might be nearer your place. There are many insurance and tech companies in Waterloo, TD bank has a big operation going on in London.
4. If you are able to demonstrate that you are excellent in what you do, you will/should get autonomy. If not it is time to look for a better manager. Unfortunately, getting the pay so it becomes a non-issue is a little more difficult to achieve unless you balance your "wants with the needs".
5. Opportunities in IT are characterized by peaks and valleys. The key is to survive during the lean years (by getting extensions if you are contracting) and take advantage of the peak years (by negotiating better rates).
Comments
That's what I used to do between times of travel and living on the beach.
Have you been looking at job listings every day? Get over the depressing part of not having that particular skill or knowing that particular language. Ask for more money coming in.
If you will take less, the boss knows you don't value yourself as much. It's a matter of self-confidence. If you take a less-paying job, you haven't figured out what you are really worth.
The more you look and the more resumes you send out, the more people know who you are and what you can offer them. Kinda like getting dates with women.
Do this once a week even after you've gotten the best job.
You don't need to prove your loyalty to a company that doesn't pay you what you're worth.
Be ready to travel. The companies will pay for your flight if they think you'll solve some problem for them.
Do you have an up to date resume? Are you using all of your skills in your present job? Are you listed with any job shops/head hunters? (like Robert Half out here)
I haven't been looking for work for quite a while. So, the process might have changed.
There would always be work in electronics in the paper. That would be the last place I'd look and the worst money.
But, they always are looking for techs and engineers. I'm sure programming is similar.
Contact your old school professors. They are often called by their previous students who are now looking to fill jobs in their company.
The professors can usually suggest a bright student who has the skills and will soon be graduating.
the money becomes much less a problem. But, it appears that drugs and ego tripping have given him quite a ride - not so pleasant, it seems.
So, there is a bit more to life than news, weather, and sports. You think, "If only I could get that fixed, the rest will be alright."
Getting enough money at the job is only one difficulty. As you make more, you spend more, because you can afford to spend more. The story never ends.
We want what we can't have. Even if we get it, we then just want something else we cant get. Stuff just doesn't do it. It's a bad addiction.
Contracting/running a one man business can be financially rewarding but it also means more stress.
There is Facebook and monster.com that can help you get into the mainstream. But, making friends on the job lets them know how you think and what you're really good at. When I was hiring at UCBerkeley, I'd always ask around and get referrals from my co-workers. (You try all the easy ways first.) If I couldn't find anyone suitable, I'd call the job-shops/head-hunters. They'd put out the word by calling people that they had placed earlier. It's a relatively small community and you gotta be in it to get good work.
1. Cost of living is high. If you are single with car payments, potential student loans, and apartment rental to pay, you probably might just be breaking even at 50k per annum. Of course you can cut down expenses by finding an apartment/place to live in the downtown core and riding a bike to commute. Many people do this.
2. As Iggy8n has mentioned, the upside especially if you hop around, or if you can hack it being a free lancer/contractor, is that you will get to extend your network considerably and jobs might not be as hard to come by the more contacts and years of experience you have under your belt. Contract work is tough but if you are good at your game you will find employment... rates are much better than full-time plus you get to expense stuff out (car, computers, meals, etc.) for tax purposes.
3. Once you get the requisite experience, you will find it easier to find jobs if you decide to look for them, say, in the Waterloo or London area which might be nearer your place. There are many insurance and tech companies in Waterloo, TD bank has a big operation going on in London.
4. If you are able to demonstrate that you are excellent in what you do, you will/should get autonomy. If not it is time to look for a better manager. Unfortunately, getting the pay so it becomes a non-issue is a little more difficult to achieve unless you balance your "wants with the needs".
5. Opportunities in IT are characterized by peaks and valleys. The key is to survive during the lean years (by getting extensions if you are contracting) and take advantage of the peak years (by negotiating better rates).