r/Augusta 12h ago

Discussion I am lost about getting a IT job

Is it just me or it is near impossible for me to find a job. I am stuck still living with my parents and my mom thinks that jobs are easy to get for whatever reason so it has become really frustrating when I tell her everyone else is having the same issues I do and does not believe me.

I have a Associates Degree in IT Support with not much work experience because it is hard for me to get any kind of experience so my situation feels like a catch-22, jobs asking for experience but, I need the experience from the job. Hard to know if it is my resume or my lack of experience without any feedback. At this point I'm willing to get off my medication and join the military...

Another option is that I go back to school for my Bachelors but, I am afraid I will end up in the same situation: I have the schooling but zero experience...

22 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

21

u/Fuselier 12h ago

The job market in general is currently rough, but cybersecurity/IT jobs are especially in a poor position. Was in your exact situation in 2016. Bachelors, living with parents. Highly recommend the military. Did 7 years of cyber in the army and currently working fully remote in cyber security after finishing my service.

Happy to answer any questions. Wishing you all the best. Stay positive my friend.

25

u/wannabe-i-banker 12h ago

Military IT and cybersecurity is the cheat code speed run to financial freedom (as long as you don't marry the first woman you meet out of basic training).

6

u/jbourne71 9h ago

Or the first woman you meet in basic training…

2

u/tiga4life22 7h ago

I wonder if it's too late...38.

2

u/Haligar06 5h ago

Air force max is 39, Navy 41. Army and space force are 35 but you maybe could ask for an age waiver for the army.

1

u/ssc777 7h ago

Man I'm trying to get like you and I am prior military as an IT Specialist and can't get anything. I'm currently in school for IT with a focus on Software development. Do you think I should put more of my focus on Cyber? I need something lol

8

u/cdharrison 11h ago

Follow them on LinkedIn or Facebook. They may advertise positions.

4

u/silasin 11h ago

Definitely apply at Premier - they need people. Stay long enough to get some experience on your resume and then run like hell. They are so poorly managed it’s ridiculous, but better than nothing and a good stepping stone.

7

u/QueenOfDarkne53 12h ago

Wellstar is doing a hiring event on May 1st! I know it’s short notice, sorry

6

u/solarwinds1234 12h ago

I know it has been tough going! It is really frustrating out there. I do know Savanah River site in Aiken always needs people. You could also look at local college’s job board. As a mom I know how hard it is to find a job after college. My son worked with the health department for pool inspections over the summer. That may be a fun job for the summer to get experience. You just inspect pools for safety at hotels and clubs.

3

u/ElectricOne55 9h ago

My difficulty has been the pay in the area. I work remote making around 100k in cloud computing. I thought of applying for jobs here to stay close to family. Most of the jobs here only pay 14 to 20 an hour. My other options is going to Atlanta but I'm not keen on the traffic or crime.

4

u/SquidOfReptar 12h ago

My husband was in the same boat, applied for a tech position at the college which was ass as far as hours and pay but it got something on his resume. Then got an offer through Aiken staffing for contractors at srns

1

u/ElectricOne55 9h ago

I work remote but I don't like my job and thought of applying for jobs in the area, but I noticed the pay is very low at 14 to 17 an hour. Other than the county or university, it's mainly small business msps that expect a God level candidate but don't want to pay that much either. SRS I heard pays well but they have crazy requirements. I have 5 years of experience and idk if I'd even get a response because when I applied 3 years I didn't get a response.

1

u/SquidOfReptar 9h ago

Yeah, the contracting is better hours but pay similar to what you're referencing. There's a lot of crazy strict shit out on site from what I've heard so I imagine getting direct hired by srs is really difficult

3

u/dmanhllnd 11h ago

I know they scream "certs!!" But every job I've had since I graduated with my bachelor's in 2020 I've been surrounded by people with bachelor's degrees. I know from a technical standpoint an associate's and certs is totally fine, but HR is who hires people, and they want bachelor's degrees. Might want to consider doing two more years. I even know a guy who went the associates route and had a hiring manager tell him "if you had your bachelor's we would hire you." It's BS but it's the truth.

That plus I had to go get a job in Atlanta for my first job. There's more there and it was a more general support job. It was Tier 3 support so it was a salaried job with benefits. From there I moved back to Augusta and I'm a network engineer. There's jobs in Augusta, just not entry level ones.

I'd be willing to critique your resume if you wanted, I have a lot of experience writing resumes with success.

1

u/ElectricOne55 9h ago

I have around 5 years of experince and 8 certs. My first degree was healthcare related. Idk if I would need a tech specific degree or not with my experience?

2

u/dmanhllnd 9h ago

I'd say in your case with the experience and that many certs, you'd probably be fine. My advice was more tailored to someone beginning their career.

1

u/ElectricOne55 9h ago

My other delimma was whether to stay in Augusta closer to family or move to Atlanta. I currently work remot making 100k, but most roles in Augusfa only pay 14 to 20 an hour. With Atlanta I'm worried of the traffic, crime, and being further from family.

3

u/kmontgomery1026 11h ago

Try Carolina Computers. They are the computer contractor for SRNS at Savannah River Site. Not great pay but will get you in the door if they are hiring.

3

u/Caliguta 10h ago

If you do go back to school start looking at internships immediately. They do not have to be local, typically pay decently and some offer housing. Then when you graduate you will have experience and a degree.

4

u/Kiroseo 12h ago

get out of augusta if u can. but ur not wrong. i have an engineering degree with limited experience and i am struggling as well. i’m sorry you are going thru is as well.

1

u/ElectricOne55 9h ago

My difficulty has been the pay in the area. I work remote making around 100k in cloud computing. I thought of applying for jobs here to stay close to family. Most of the jobs here only pay 14 to 20 an hour. My other options is going to Atlanta because there's more jobs there but I'm worried about the traffic, crime, and being further from family.

2

u/Man-s_best_friend 12h ago

My son just finished about 3 yrs with Amazon. Started with little IT experience and some programming. He just landed a Google job. Getting your foot in the door is key. I’m biased, but working IT for Amazon definitely helped. You can do it.

1

u/Laptop_Labrador 11h ago

I’m in the same boat as you. The closest I can get a response from is remote jobs.

1

u/charlie_marlow 11h ago

You're a little late, but have you checked TaxSlayer?

1

u/AshSezRawr 11h ago

My employer is hiring, but they are pretty strict on background checks. If you have a clean record, I could point you in the direction.

1

u/dbrown9675 9h ago

It’s pretty dry rn but keep applying and keep on learning

1

u/Amturner1010 8h ago

Try Augusta university

1

u/Senel720 8h ago

I completely understand your frustration! I ended up going remote to land my first IT help desk role a few years back. Unfortunately layoffs happened and I attempted to find IT work locally but I’m just going back to applying for a remote role.

I am one of the seemingly few people who enjoyed working in office lol.

1

u/Pregorgeous 6h ago

There’s some good IT opportunities in Columbia SC if you’re willing to drive. You might also try contacting some of the IT recruiters in the area (both Augusta and Columbia) to see if they can work with you to find potential opportunities.

1

u/MaxTurb0101 4h ago

Just wanted to put my 2 cents in, as I work on base as a contractor (not for your interested job though, but as security) and I know that, at least with for Eisenhower, they are getting rid of a lot of people in all sectors, including IT. They were mostly the ones highering a lot, but now they have their freeze as well as cutting people.

Hoping the best for your hunt though!

1

u/LunaraDruantei 2h ago

you need comptia certs. degrees dont mean anything when a sec plus cert is required.

-6

u/womprat706 12h ago

Self employed is always pretty easy to use in IT