Job hunting (split topic)

[flying_postman 6]

Degrees in the UK are definitely more specific than those in the USA. The degrees in the USA seem to let you pick and mix all kinds of unrelated subjects, so long as you have enough in any main subject to make up the "major" element. Degrees in the UK only study topics that are relevant (I have a comp sci degree from the UK).

I work now in my field (being in SF makes this very easy), and I've never had to even talk about my degree - but then I do also have a decade of work experience at this point, which is mostly all they're interested in for what I do. I realise this is different for health-care related work, but experience is always going to be just as much of a factor as your background and education.

You haven't mentioned much about your experience? Have you just recently graduated? If you've already been working in the field, it'll probably be easier and you will likely need to look into getting correctly certified in your state, but if you're thinking of moving into HR/Marketing, you should probably check out what sort of requirements these jobs are asking for and see how you stack up - you may need to look into taking some classes before, or taking something more entry-level and working your way up.

Hi, Sorry to derail this thread but I have a couple of questions, I'm a DV winner (with my interview being May 2015) and I'll be migrating probably mid 2016. I also work in IT but on the networking side,over 10 years experience,CCNA,ITIL,CCNP,MSCE, VCP etc and currently studying part time for my MSc at a UK institution to be completed in September 2015.

What was your experience in job hunting in the US?, how long did it take you to find employment in your field?

Did you focus only on the SF/bay area or did you apply nationwide?

Although I religiously follow hiring tends on Dice, Indeed etc but as someone on the ground in SF is there really that high a demand for IT staff in my field in SF/bay area?

Thanks in advance...

[Ontarkie 13,915]

~~Split thread, it is better to start your own topic as your question can be missed or lost in other members threads. ~~

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

It can be a tricky issue depending on where you will be living. At lot of IT has been shipped overseas. This means that the market is tight and much of what is left is posted only for USC's. This is especially true near Washington DC. Where are you planning on living ?

[flying_postman 6]

^ Basically I'm willing to go anywhere in the US since I'm single but I really have my heart set on Texas (especially Austin, Houston/woodland, San Antonio) because of the weather,low cost of living,no state income tax etc. But I've been researching other cities with a tech presence that looks favorable like Durham/RTP, Charlotte and San Diego. NY & SF/Bay Area I'm considering though the cost of living is insane they do have a lot of corporate network engineering/support jobs.

I agree that some jobs are being outsourced but it's mostly software development/programming jobs (which is not my background) but most corporations prefer to keep their main data centers and networking infrastructure in the US for security, political stability purposes etc.

[Wooderz 314]

Hey there. I live and work in The Woodlands. Your best bet for a well paying, great benefits job in the Houston area is in oil. Good thing you're not moving this year since oil has tanked. Companies won't be hiring this year like they did the last few years. The Austin job industry is more techy, with Dell and more startups there. Austin is a cool place to live. Of course, I like The Woodlands a lot. That's why I choose to live and work here.

I agree, there are a lot of options for you at any corporate office. Networking, security, support, etc. I work for the legal dept of a corporate HQ and we even have a dedicated IT team in our dept. When oil prices come back up some, I wouldn't think you'd have too much trouble finding a job in the Houston area. If you want to live in a more urban area, there are a lot of great places in town in Houston.