December 9, 2019 at 4:01 pm
As long as you're all going for "jobs like mine" and not my job. I'm not done with it yet.
As to pay cuts. A long time ago (and let's hope it remains that way), I was laid off when the company I was at failed (not my fault). It happened the week before 9/11. I was out of work for three months. Showing up at head hunters and seeing the same people over and over, all of us about the same age, all of us about the same skill set. It was horrifying. I finally got an offer that was considerably lower than my previous job. I jumped on it. When I accepted, there was some question from the company about why I'd take such a huge pay cut. Then I explained, it wasn't a pay cut. I've been out of work for three months. It was an enormous raise. Took five years to get back to where I was in terms of pay. No fun.
Same situation, same time frame. My position as IT director was eliminated, they basically started dismantling the division by starting at the top salaries and letting them go week after week.
I was off six months, and spent hours each day trying to find a new position doing darn near anything. Finally took a position that was basically the first real offer I had received in that 6 months.
It took a while, but I got back and surpassed where I was.
Michael L John
If you assassinate a DBA, would you pull a trigger?
To properly post on a forum:
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/61537/
December 9, 2019 at 4:11 pm
I am lucky that I have a good job (Dev/DBA) that I enjoy with a good wage, but no upward career path other than management, although 36 years ago when I took this job I took a pay cut. Since I am close to retirement (if I retire :-/) I will not be looking to change anytime soon.
Far away is close at hand in the images of elsewhere.
Anon.
December 9, 2019 at 4:14 pm
Lynn Pettis wrote:I am starting to ramp up my job search at this time, initially looking to see what may be available in house first.
This is something I'm going to be doing in the new year, but for different reasons. I've very much hit a glass ceiling here, and so it's time to move on (plus I became a property owner a couple of years ago, and cost of living going up and wages no, something has to give there too).
Honestly, I've no idea how to prepare right now or how to start in the new year with searching. My current employer is where I started working with SQL Server and I haven't written a CV in well over a decade (and that was a Retail based CV, certainly not IT or a specific product). This is going to be something that is very new to me. Hopefully things go well, and I can find somewhere nice to fit in and also dig my teeth into (I miss having challenges at the office to problem solve).
Hope no one minds if I probably ask for some pointers into the New Year. Think first step is likely finding a recruiter that understands the industry, and then getting a few CV templates done?
Key thing, don't make the CV look like a series of job descriptions. Focus on accomplishments and if you have hard numbers such as: improved system performance by 30%, or managed an annual IT budget of up to 250,000 annually, etc. If there was a significant problem or issue that you resolved include that. Those are the things that will get you noticed. There is, of course a lot more but those are just a few of the things I have tried and seems to work (other than managing an IT budget, haven't done that).
December 9, 2019 at 4:16 pm
Key thing, don't make the CV look like a series of job descriptions. Focus on accomplishments and if you have hard numbers such as: improved system performance by 30%, or managed an annual IT budget of up to 250,000 annually, etc. If there was a significant problem or issue that you resolved include that. Those are the things that will get you noticed. There is, of course a lot more but those are just a few of the things I have tried and seems to work (other than managing an IT budget, haven't done that).
Thanks Lynn, those are things I likely wouldn't have thought to put on there in honesty. Does make me have a few ideas of things I can put on there.
Thom~
Excuse my typos and sometimes awful grammar. My fingers work faster than my brain does.
Larnu.uk
December 9, 2019 at 4:20 pm
one of the things i'm constantly told,... keep it to 2 pages
MVDBA
December 9, 2019 at 4:29 pm
one of the things i'm constantly told,... keep it to 2 pages
That is a good idea. Sometimes, however, that can be difficult.
For those just starting out, trying to keep it to one page is the goal. That is what the career people at my daughters college keep pushing to the students. I keep telling my daughter that can be an issue if you have relevant experience you want prospective employers to see. She has had several internships and squeezing some of her accomplishments at those has been trying at times.
Another thing I have heard is forget grammar, leave things out like I. Concise bullet points.
December 9, 2019 at 4:32 pm
Thom A wrote:Lynn Pettis wrote:I am starting to ramp up my job search at this time, initially looking to see what may be available in house first.
This is something I'm going to be doing in the new year, but for different reasons. I've very much hit a glass ceiling here, and so it's time to move on (plus I became a property owner a couple of years ago, and cost of living going up and wages no, something has to give there too).
Honestly, I've no idea how to prepare right now or how to start in the new year with searching. My current employer is where I started working with SQL Server and I haven't written a CV in well over a decade (and that was a Retail based CV, certainly not IT or a specific product). This is going to be something that is very new to me. Hopefully things go well, and I can find somewhere nice to fit in and also dig my teeth into (I miss having challenges at the office to problem solve).
Hope no one minds if I probably ask for some pointers into the New Year. Think first step is likely finding a recruiter that understands the industry, and then getting a few CV templates done?
wherever you go , as a dba there will always be a glass ceiling. especially if you are the only DBA.
Shortly after Parsons bought Polaris Alpha my VP was taking a Parsons executive around. He introduced me as the only MS SQL Server DBA in the company. I have also been told that I am a specialist in a company of generalists.
December 9, 2019 at 6:54 pm
I agree with Lynn. What I'd add is you want your resume to stand out a bit. I try to make mine focus on (top to bottom)
Most people look for < 1 minute at your resume, so make sure they see important stuff first. Keep it at 1-2 pages, preferably 1, but link off to somewhere with more details. Complete CV history, more details, sample code/projects,e tc. Link to your profile here or questions you've answered, your blog, etc. Make it easy for someone to follow the path you want them to follow.
December 9, 2019 at 6:55 pm
As to pay cuts, I took a pay cut to work for SQLServerCentral. At the time, Andy, Brian and I were thinking to sell or do something because the site was burdening us as a part time gig. My wife worked, so we had insurance, and I could afford a pay cut (like 15%) from what I was making.
The rest is history.
December 9, 2019 at 7:04 pm
Lynn Pettis wrote:Key thing, don't make the CV look like a series of job descriptions. Focus on accomplishments and if you have hard numbers such as: improved system performance by 30%, or managed an annual IT budget of up to 250,000 annually, etc. If there was a significant problem or issue that you resolved include that. Those are the things that will get you noticed. There is, of course a lot more but those are just a few of the things I have tried and seems to work (other than managing an IT budget, haven't done that).
Thanks Lynn, those are things I likely wouldn't have thought to put on there in honesty. Does make me have a few ideas of things I can put on there.
It might be hard to get it right initially, but try using the STAR method to write your resume. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Results. There are multiple explanations on the internet.
To keep your resume short (aim for 2 pages, but it's OK if you go over) just have relevant experience or the most recent. Then add a more complete version to your LinkedIn profile and have a personalized URL that you can easily add to your resume.
Sometimes getting a job fast is just about being lucky to start searching just when the position opened.
December 9, 2019 at 8:04 pm
As to pay cuts, I took a pay cut to work for SQLServerCentral. At the time, Andy, Brian and I were thinking to sell or do something because the site was burdening us as a part time gig. My wife worked, so we had insurance, and I could afford a pay cut (like 15%) from what I was making.
The rest is history.
That is about what I am thinking I will end up taking leaving the company.
December 10, 2019 at 12:44 am
one of the things i'm constantly told,... keep it to 2 pages
I was always told to do the same... until they saw the format and the content. Lynn has exactly the right idea below.
Thom A wrote:Lynn Pettis wrote:I am starting to ramp up my job search at this time, initially looking to see what may be available in house first.
This is something I'm going to be doing in the new year, but for different reasons. I've very much hit a glass ceiling here, and so it's time to move on (plus I became a property owner a couple of years ago, and cost of living going up and wages no, something has to give there too).
Honestly, I've no idea how to prepare right now or how to start in the new year with searching. My current employer is where I started working with SQL Server and I haven't written a CV in well over a decade (and that was a Retail based CV, certainly not IT or a specific product). This is going to be something that is very new to me. Hopefully things go well, and I can find somewhere nice to fit in and also dig my teeth into (I miss having challenges at the office to problem solve).
Hope no one minds if I probably ask for some pointers into the New Year. Think first step is likely finding a recruiter that understands the industry, and then getting a few CV templates done?
Key thing, don't make the CV look like a series of job descriptions. Focus on accomplishments and if you have hard numbers such as: improved system performance by 30%, or managed an annual IT budget of up to 250,000 annually, etc. If there was a significant problem or issue that you resolved include that. Those are the things that will get you noticed. There is, of course a lot more but those are just a few of the things I have tried and seems to work (other than managing an IT budget, haven't done that).
One of the most important things is the OBJECTIVE. Most people can't write one to save their souls. It should be a summary of what you can do for the company... not what you want and none of that touchy-feely crap that most people include. That and the first title that comes after it are where people make that infamous decision on the first pass as to which of the first two piles your resume/CV goes into.
Like I said, "It Depends" a whole lot on the format.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
December 10, 2019 at 10:31 am
Because we are always looking and Allstate does let tech employees work from home (subject to certain caveats, depending on the division)… Careers @ Allstate.
December 10, 2019 at 3:41 pm
Because we are always looking and Allstate does let tech employees work from home (subject to certain caveats, depending on the division)… Careers @ Allstate.
Parsons also encourages remote work where possible, that is why I recently started working from home even though I am only 7 minutes from the office. Plus, I have a much better setup at home than I had at work.
I will take a look at what Allstate has for career options. Thank you.
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