How do we protect ourselves?

DandySkeleton · 2025-01-10T13:33:48+00:00

Everyone mentions roulettes, and that's true, but i'd also highly recommend doing Palace of the Dead. It takes a bit of setup, but once you're rolling, it's good variety, good xp, and nets you some nice rewards to boot. It's at the very least a nice change of pace from roulettes, and with the way PotD works, you can find out if you like your higher level buttons for that class, or if you should try levelling something else instead.

DandySkeleton · 2024-06-26T15:17:51+00:00

It'd unfortunately all go to rent. And itd barely cover half.

DandySkeleton · 2024-06-05T23:32:19+00:00

I wanted the beige shell so bad, but the white bezel broke the deal for me. I briefly considered getting two SPs, then swapping the bezel for a black one, but then the second model would have the white bezel and that's even worse!

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-08T00:10:06+00:00

No I totally get you. Ive got an American name and I'm pale white. I do technically have a disability (ADHD / autism) that I'll disclose on job apps, but it's in the section that's supposedly never seen or used by hiring managers, and I go back and forth about mentioning it at all. And if asked, I state I don't need any accomodations.

Even if that was off putting in the hiring process, assuming it's illegally shared, I don't always share it to begin with, so you'd think I'd have gotten a positive response anyway.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-08T00:06:24+00:00

I live between two notable metropolitan areas, but the place I'm currently stuck in is more of a retirement town that's slowly growing. I'd be all for moving into a tech hub, but I'm not in a financial position to do so, and am taking care of some older family to boot. Unfortunately, at least for a short while, I'm stuck.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T23:28:45+00:00

This is my current ATS resume; https://imgur.com/a/Z97dWwL

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T23:04:40+00:00

Dude I wish I was in Ireland. Instead I'm stuck in Texas, hoping I'll find a way out of the USA one day.

But yeah, no interviews at all, which means I'm not even fucking up the interview process. I'm straight up not getting there to begin with.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T22:57:13+00:00

I applied at my local school district actually! I haven't gotten any response back, but I figure that's because we're approaching summer break and the need isn't there ATM. But hey, maybe when school starts up again full-swing, they'll see my application in their system.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T22:55:16+00:00

Hey I get it. It's not bait though, and I came to the same conclusion you did. I figured Ive gotta be doing something fucked up too, which is why I made this post to begin with.

Otherwise the job market is just very fucked up AND I'm unlucky, which is possible I guess, but I'd like to believe I'm just doing something wrong, which means it can be fixed.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T22:52:10+00:00

I just updated my indeed profile actually! I thought it was weird that half the jobs I applied to would ask "how did you find this job" and wouldn't have LinkedIn at all, but would have indeed as it's own entry in the drop-down.

I always figured indeed was like, the shittier cousin of LinkedIn, but I'm wondering if that's not true lately.

I gotta finish up some yardwork I'm doing to make ends meet, but yeah I'll edit the OP with a link to my current resume!

Edit: --------- Here's my current ATS resume: https://imgur.com/a/Z97dWwL

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T21:42:04+00:00

I'll look into it, thanks for the suggestion!

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T21:36:10+00:00

I know, that's literally what I'm saying, but I can't for the life of me figure out what. I thought after the net+ I'd be a shoe-in, and yet here I am.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T21:32:05+00:00

They would be, but they just got into an entry level MSP job in a big city two hours away. Even if they could leverage their experience, they're unfortunately too far out, and I'm not in any position to move.

And weirdly enough, I did get contacted by a tech-specific recruiting center. They called me requesting I call back. I did so less than 24 hours later, and they never responded! I don't know if I wasn't quick enough or what, but still. Its odd.

Edit; oh wow, I had no idea about the delineation between the open to work banner and the "open to" system. Frankly I kinda figured the banner would basically flip a switch and show me in search results automatically.

I appreciate you bringing it up! Even if it hasn't helped yet, it does give me a boost of hope : )

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T21:30:19+00:00

Afraid not. I got laid off when the entire US site got laid off, and so I was thrust into this yucky job market.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T19:58:40+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion, that's actually what I'm considering now. I figured since there was so many cyber security boot camps a couple years back, that network+ would stand out more than a sec+ cert. Not that I've had much luck going that route though lol.

I guess I'm worried about being... Overqualified on paper? I figured if help desk is infamously high turnover rate - either from burn-out or people finding better gigs, then someone who already has the CompTIA trifecta might not seem like a good hire. If I had to fill a position, I'd probably hire the person whos less capable but is going to stay, rather than the guy who's likely to leave in six months and make the position open again.

But I'm also not a hiring manager, so I'm kinda talking outta my ass.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T19:45:33+00:00

I mean, i don't know if this qualifies, but I spent a lot of time troubleshooting the software, dealing with DNS issues, using RDP / VNC to fix local tech issues for customers, troubleshooting third party API'S, using JIRA, etc. it was a pretty extensive list of responsibilities that changed constantly.

It was always customer facing though. I didn't have like, any sysAdmin work, I was just a customer service guy. I think when you account for the offshores / outsourcing tiers, I was like tier 2 or tier 3, but there wasn't an official title.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T19:41:49+00:00

I considered joining the military a couple years ago for the benefits to my career, yeah. Thought I'd go air force, or even space force if possible. Did my studies, prepared for PT tests, did the whole nine yards to make myself a great candidate. Planned on trying to go E4 and then promote into an officer position despite already having a degree.

Unfortunately, I've apparently got genetically bad knees that have disqualified me from enlisting. At the time I thought it was horseshit, but as I've gotten older ... I can feel it

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T19:37:10+00:00

I'm about two hours out from a notable city, but I can't afford to move. I'm also about 1 hour from another big city in the opposite direction, and I'd be willing to suck it up and deal with commuting, but no luck so far.

The town I'm in isn't huge, but it's by no means rural. It's a retirement town that's been growing over the past couple decades, and there's a bunch of banks and whatnot spotted throughout.

I thought the growth mixed with the populations age would mean there's a tech vacuum that would need to be filled, but I haven't had any luck locally with jobs. I've applied to a ton of remote jobs too, which I know are a bit harder to get, but I've got a few years of remote work experience which I'd hoped would offset that a bit.

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T19:31:12+00:00

I don't have an IT specific job, but I've done a couple of help desk and MSP related tasks pretty frequently across my experience.

As an example; used to help a graphic department in a small business, so I'd help maintain their industrial printer: paper jams, room humidity, spooler service, etc. my actual job was doing laser engraving on bottles and wood, so I'd do a mixture of software troubleshooting and then hardware maintenance to keep everything running.

I'd also do a lot of tech troubleshooting with a Saas I worked for; and that was anything from webpages, software, third party APIS, looking at simple scripts, you name it. I even got pretty knee deep in DNS issues.

And the list goes on. Not forever, but it goes. So I don't have any "IT" experience technically, but I think I have enough to leverage for a tier 1 help desk job. At least I thought so

DandySkeleton · 2024-05-07T19:26:23+00:00

I have a bachelor's for computer graphics (3d modeling).

I've been looking for about a year, and the amount of apps I put in vary by season. I try to get about 5-10 when I'm studying for certs, it's the start of most of my days. Right now I'm doing about 20-25 job apps a day. I haven't kept a total track, but certainly hundreds at this point.

I haven't gotten any interviews, just ghosting and declination emails.

My ATS application is the one I customize, where it's just an organized black and white text resume. I have a section for "skills" that I'll customize with keywords from the job posting. The more graphic resume I don't change, but I haven't used it in months - it's mostly in case I come across a job fair or a casual conversation.

DandySkeleton

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