It's me, Mark.
I need a new job.
Seriously.
But I guess I that's not going to happen if I don't spell out exactly what I want now, will it?
While I had complaints about my last job in Phoenix, the mere fact that I stayed there nearly eight years (and would probably still be there in some form if we hadn't relocated) says a lot about what works for me. Unforunately, my work situation since we moved to Denver has been—how shall I say this? Unacceptable.
I'm looking for a smallish-firm, maybe 250-500 employees or so. But not so small that I'm the only I.T. guy. I don't mind being the only desktop guy, but I don't want to handle servers, connectivity beyond basic troubleshooting, dealing with telecommunications vendors, purchasing, receiving, or anything that is—as my former boss used to call it—"behind the wall."
My first job in Denver was pretty much like this, but upper management maintained a continual adversarial stance toward I.T. in general, which meant that during the two years I was there we went through three I.T. directors with an average gap of six months between each one, during which time I was expected to handle everything, and given copious amounts of attitude when I failed to meet their unrealistic expectations.
As I said, while I had complaints about the Phoenix job, the basic mechanics of it were nearly ideal. We were a large firm, but since each desktop guy had their own facility to support with anywhere from 250-400 users, it seemed much smaller. The workload wasn't horrific, but it was enough to keep boredom at bay and allowed for occasional goof-off down time. The entire I.T. department was very close-knit, and while I rarely socialized with any of my colleagues after hours, I still came to view them as friends and not just co-workers.
And while I didn't mind driving between facilities to help out my peers in Phoenix, a single location is a must in Denver—simply because of the winter weather.
Pay? $50K a year would be nice. I'm worth more than that and was making more in Phoenix, but I'm trying to be realistic considering the depressing pay scale here. As it stands now, I'm making significantly less than that; pretty much what I was bringing home in 2006. Considering the cost of living in Denver is actually higher than Phoenix, it hasn't been easy.
I'd also like receive a modicum of respect from whatever company I work for and not be treated like an I.T. Janitor (or required to wear a requisite uniform) as I am at my current place of employment. And while I enjoy a fun work environment as much as anyone, there's a fine line between fun and frat house.
As far as the industry? I miss Healthcare, but getting back into it isn't an absolute.
And lastly, I need relatively easy commute via public transit on snow days.
I don't think I'm asking that much, but if I don't put it out there it's gonna be kind of hard for it to come my way.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I know that's not an easy thing to find.
I wish I could give you a job.
In my last two IT jobs (including my current position), I started as a contract employee. In both cases, I was hired on full-time by the first company with whom I contracted. Don't know if it helps but it was my avenue of getting in the door.
I'll light a few candles, burn some sage and offer up a fundie on the altar of science if it helps get you the job you want/need.
Hang in there!
Here in the LA area, contract jobs are really all the rage in IT.
Finding steady, regular full-time employment is somewhat more difficult, especially in the healthcare field.
But with so many healthcare providers of every description based locally, they do need and probably already have desktop kinds of staffing.
Might start to contact some of these folks, get to know them (at least on-line), and network them, and they probably already know of opportunities here in LA as well as in Denver or wherever their contact network takes them.
Networking the network seems to get a better job down the line.
Having used the current job as security for payment for the new lease on the new place, now it is time to move on to the next new place!!!