Tag: job search

The Challenge of Finding a Tech Job Right Now

Carl Setzer3 Comments
man in white shirt using macbook pro

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was laid off (yet again). Growing weary of being the first let go when a company’s finances get tight, I started looking for a new direction. As I’ve long loved technology, I explored options to finally move into tech roles professionally. I discovered that Washington State’s Worksource program would let me collect unemployment while I pursued a Associates Degree in Technical Arts. So, a few weeks before the world locked down, I found myself enrolled at Edmonds College to pursue Computer Information Systems.

I finished that program last summer, and I found myself looking to land that first tech role. Right around the time that hundreds of thousands of unemployed tech workers were starting their searches. A few days ago, I came across this article in Wired that validated my perceptions: “Finding a Tech Job Is Still a Nightmare“. My favorite part? “The tech job market “doesn’t show any signs of turning around just yet,” says Julia Pollak, chief economist with online employment marketplace ZipRecruiter.” Man, I opted for this career path because of the significant career growth! I have been feeling frustrated and disheartened.

Reading the article, I see I’m not the only one. Actually, I’m in good company. When the Grace Hopper Celebration, a career fair targeting women and nonbinary tech workers, got slammed with huge lines and, well, men, it’s easy to see the desperation in many a tech worker’s life.

I’m lucky. Currently, I work roughly half-time with two different organizations. So, I’m pretty much full-time. I’m pulling in money, enough to pay the bills. And one of those half-time roles is in IT. So, really, I’ve met the goal of transitioning to IT.

I am not done, though. I still want to land a full-time role. And I still want to grow, to learn. I am in a place to keep growing, even if I’m not in a place to take more classes. Coursera offers some good options. Currently, I’m pursuing their Google Technical Support Fundamentals Certificate. It’s mostly review, but my son is pursuing the same certificate. It’s fun to do this together. I think I’ll go after their Data Analytics certificate next, to finish out 2023. I’m still exploring options for 2024. Perhaps I’ll go after my A+ and Network+ certificates. I also want to get AWS and Azure certified. And I want to continue to grow my coding skills. In particular, Python.

Are any of you finding the current tech job market challenging? What are doing to navigate these new situations? I hope you’re not feeling too frustrated or frightened.

Updated 10/24/2023: Karina Chow, who I follow over on Twitter, shared this Tech Crunch article which I think is quite germane: A comprehensive list of 2023 tech layoffs. Makes me think that the job hunt toughness will continue for a while.

Spam Job “Opportunity” of the Day

Carl Setzer1 Comment
young woman in front of the entrance to the building

Fandango, a fellow WordPress blogger I follow, regularly posts “Spam Comments of the Week” (his most recent as of this post is here). I was reminded of that by this job “offer”:

My first thought was “do people STILL do this”? Does any company want the liability considering how people have been shot going to the wrong house? I mean, look at this list (3 of 495,000,000 results from Google).

So, no…NO I’m not going door-knocking…even here in Seattle. Even forgoing the tales of violence, I’m an introvert. The thought of knocking on stranger’s doors is pretty close to my vision of the deepest pits of hell.

Stepping back a bit, I also wonder about the efficacy of this as a marketing strategy. What sort of conversion rate do you see with this work? I doubt it’s out of the single digits. Perhaps it’s not actually “sales” but political doorbelling (tis the season, after all). But that should be clearly disclosed.

Anyway, I’m lucky that all I need to do in this situation is spend a few minutes puzzling, then move along. I’m OPEN to new opportunities, but do not NEED a new job at the moment. And, with that, it’s time for me to move along.

Job Hunting In 2023 Update

Carl Setzer
man in white shirt using macbook pro

As many of you know, I’m in the process of looking for an FTE role. Part of that is being registered on many job boards. One result of that: troubling amount spam/scam messages. This morning this one popped into my inbox (names, etc, redacted to protect the guilty…or probably just those being spoofed):

Now, I don’t discount the (very unlikely) possibility this is legitimate. However, this is laden with red-flags. First, the generic gmail account. And “click on this link” to apply”? One of the key rules of modern basic security: don’t click on links in random emails. Additionally, there are nearly zero details, other than the role title and the pay. Heck, I don’t know what city this is supposed to be located in. Which leads me to another email from this morning. Not spammy per se, but just problematic:

So, I’m pretty sure this one is legitimate, but woefully bad. First and foremost, I live just north of Seattle, about 2,700 miles from Alpharetta, GA. Secondly, is this role in Alpharetta, or Providence, RI? They’re 1,000 miles apart. My address is in all of my job posts. I’m sure the algorithms allow you to filter your recruitment searches. Please, please utilize the tools at your disposal. It’s not just my time you’re wasting.

There’s a lot of scammy behavior out there right now in the “recruiting” space. I’ve received so many “opportunities” to sell financial or pre-paid legal services. It’s frustrating and annoying. But it is the way of things, I guess.

“This is the Way” Mandalorian

Some thoughts on the job search

Carl Setzer
female candidate doing hand shakes

I’ve spent most of the past year working part-time and doing some freelancing. It’s been fun! But I’m also seeking a permanent FTE role. This has been fascinating.

I have my resume out on LinkedIn, as well as a few other job boards. I was pretty selective, as I’m not even close to desperate. I’m looking for perfect, with a small delta. Results? I’ve had a few interviews with great teams and great companies. Few. Mostly, though, I’ve received spam, scams, and just misdirected communications. I’ve lost track of how many opportunities to sell insurance or pre-paid legal services. A few crypto scams. And then there are all the opportunities in New Jersey, California, Florida, and, today, Dallas. And these aren’t hybrid roles. They’re onsite (required). I’m in Seattle. Perhaps the recruiters need better search functionality. I don’t know.

It is somewhat frustrating, but, you know, first world problems.