Free Career and Job Search Advice

dyno_car · Newbie Joined: 03 Aug 2008 Posts: 2 Career Advice: +0/-0

I'm a minority female of mixed origin, graduated from an average college in a male dominated technology field SIX VERY LONG YEARS AGO. While all my other male peers, with less or equal education have moved on with their career with advanced positions, I'm still being offered Administrative clerical positions. Everytime I ask why by going to career counselors at local colleges, I'm pursuaded to sign up for some more classes, "to further my skills". I refuse to do any more college as my orginal college loan is in ECONOMIC deferral.

Does anyone have any advise how I can get to the next level of my career? I wish I pursued my degree in Business Administration, the IT degree is not getting me anywhere, it seems I can't get beyond being the office *** assistant. The next step would be IT certifications, which will be costly and I really can't afford to keep adding educational debt. All interviews I've been to have been male interviewers, one actually asked "why is a good looking woman like you want to work with dirty computers all day?" Are these guys laughing their arse off when I leave?
This is the ugly catch 22 situation, where it takes money to make more money. More money to buy some IT certifications, more money to hire a good headhunter, list goes on. I'm being steered I notice along the lines of Executive assistant, however it's not my passion, and the hard work I put in going to college for 4 years to do IT work. I did work for a total of 4 years with an ISP and then 2001 happened and all the tech jobs disappeared, and I got laid off twice. Currently being laid off AGAIN with a small IT firm which I worked as an assistant.
I also can't volunteer or do internship right now as I'm barely making ends meet as it is. Whats my next step to break free from this revolving door besides winning the lottery and starting my own female owned company?? Please advise!

PaulLubic

First let me say that I'm sorry you're so down right now, but you can turn this bad situation around. I'm not sure why you are being channeled into administrative assistant jobs, however you should ask your current or previous supervisor why that is, so you can change whatever gives them that impression of you. Next let me say that on you next job, even if its an assistant position, work very hard in that job and add value to your organization by being the best assistant that organization has ever had, volunteering for work and projects, and contributing well above the norm. Form working relationships with your supervisor, peers and internal customers. My experience (an executive with 40 years in IT) is that someone with an IT degree who is the best darn assistant my organization has had will get the next IT opening if she has expressed an interest. Good luck.
Paul

dyno_car · Newbie Joined: 03 Aug 2008 Posts: 2 Career Advice: +0/-0

Hi Paul,

Thank you for your encouraging words. My conclusions on my situation probably stem from several factors. Sometimes I belive we can excel in our jobs so much that it's just better to just keep that person where they are. I do believe that I have been steered in another direction because I am female. It does take working twice as hard, and I know as a female loving computers and working on them, I do have to prove myself harder, I had to do that at my first technical job, but then everyone was laid off right before my request and promotion to the web dev dept, so close and it slipped away. In my current position I have gone way beyond my position many times, and probably the reason I'm next to the last person standing!
You have a VERY good suggestion, that is to be assertive and ask why I did not get any new technical training. How can we change things when we're looking from the inside to the out? Constructive feedback is excellent in helping us discover our weaknesses that need strengthening. However some employers are resistant to relinquishing this information. Maybe I need to be relentless. I'm at the "fuzzy career purgatory" where I'm not qualified for many positions, yet really too qualified for clerical positions. So where can I find that stepping stone will be on my part a lot of soul searching, "job scoping", rejection letters, pushing myself, and believing that nothing can stop me. I've been reading many of the links in this website, and realize that maybe I'm doing a disfavor to me and my kids by short selling myself.
Thank you again for the advise, and here's hoping my next company will be this someone who holds your level of integrity.

Thanks,

-MP

Join our Newsletter
CopyRight © 1999-2008 cvtips.com This material cannot be published under any form or condition.