Am I too unfortunate or my approach is wrong

[samsydney]

Hello Friends

I do not want to waste your time but your comments might show me a correct direction. So please read on...

I have total 17 years experience i.e.
7 years in IT Development, Sales & Marketing and Support in Australia & 10 years in technical Industry (i.e.CNC, Component drawings and designing, Dies and Moulds, Sheet metal and Industrial Products, Manufacturing etc.) I am a First class machininst by Trade Qualifications, have worked on various CNC machines like Wirecut, Lasercut, routers etc.
I have good experience on CAD-CAM and other programming softwares.

I have excellent computer skills and experience. {From hardware to software applications, program development, troubleshooting, Networking}
I have been involved in computer Networking and can maintain and troubleshoot computer problems within an organization including web management. I have practical experience and good knowledge of Client/Server technology i.e. LAN/WAN,TCP/IP and other relevant protocols and have performed Server Administrator role for almost seven years, responsible to setup Operating Systems i.e. Win 98, WinMe,WinNT4, Win2000, WinXP, Workstations, Internet connections, Modem - Router and Network, Domain and DNS, Mail server, Web server, FTP server, IMAP server, SMTP server, POP3 server, Print server, Printers setting and troubleshooting, Filtering, Backups, Web mail system, Security settings, SSL, Spam filtering, Users, Groups, Policies, Remote access and management etc with in an organization. I enjoy and can troubleshoot computer and networking problems without supervision.

I have technical experience so can interact with customers to understand, discuss, troubleshoot their problems and can provide satisfactory support.
My work history is stable. In 17 years I have worked only at two places.
I can work unsupervised and take my work as a responsibility.
I am reliable and have a flexible / solid and professional attitude.
I have a Driving Licence.
I am very comfortable with flexible working hours and have a positive attitude to always learn any new technologies.
I am good in Photoediting and other packages like CorelDraw, PhotoShop, Adobe etc and can also design websites.
----------------------------------
BUT I do not have any job for last 18 months. My Age is 40.

Am I only unfortunate or have any problem in my career and approach ?

I am going in to depression day by day so thought to have other's comments.

Many thanks for your time to read it.

I will appreciate any comments.

Sam

[echnidna]

I don't know the answers to your problem but I'll make 2 comments

Maybe your down mood shows through when you go for an interview

Get a hobby (like woodwork) so you can learn to relax

Good Luck

[Bob38S]

Certainly sounds impressive, I can't really help you except to suggest [ if you have not already done so] - send out the above - all of down to the dotted line - then insert your contact details etc and send it out to all of the places you feel you are qualified for.
Are you prepared to travel from Sydney to the bush or interstate? Sell yourself postiively to the prospective employer - after this length of time I can sense the desperation creeping in but this would not be a good side to present to a prospective employer.
All the best and I hope you find your niche soon.
Bob

[Sturdee]

Many thanks for your time to read it.

I will appreciate any comments.

Sam

Sam,

I read through your post and if it was on another subject I would have stopped after the first 8 lines but I continued as it was a sincere request for help.

Please accept this the right way but I felt that your post was too detailed and not enough punctuation to make it readable. I wondered if your application for jobs and your resume are written the same way. If so that may be the reason why you are finding it difficult, for you appear to have excellent qualities.

Maybe a course in resume writing would be useful.

Peter.

[HJ0]

Hi Sam

My guess is most employers who have 10% of your skills/talent, would be more worried about you stealing their job/s.

HJ0

[Harry72]

With that kind of skills base why are you trying to get a job under someone else... start your own computer/CNC consulting biz... be the boss from the start!

[ptc]

Sam.
Dont give up,

My guess is most employers who have 10% of your skills/talent, would be more worried about you stealing their job/s.

Been there Done That. it's soul destroying
Ended up Working for my self (manufacturer's Agent )

Sturdee. may be right a bout the Resume.

[doug1]

Sam it is part of being 40 and out of work, Not good for you but still very real:mad:

A number of years ago I was helped by some people at Western Sydne ITEC:D

they may be able to help you, your resume probably says too much including your age. These people then had a specialist person at Parramatta to help a group who met once a month for people of that age

PM me if you want to know more

Doug

[savage]

Sam,
This is from personel experience, if you feel depressed you are, speak to your doctor ASAP, it is important that you get it sorted out and back on track. I have been there and the best thing I ever did was to get professional help, remember it is a NORMAL response to your situation and nothing to fear.

Then, and only then will you see things in a different light and be able to take things back in control, as the guy's have already said you are now so desperate to secure a job it is showing through. You get another rejection and you slip a little further, talking about it is good, talk to your Dr/GP.

[dazzler]

Sam,

I read through your post and if it was on another subject I would have stopped after the first 8 lines but I continued as it was a sincere request for help.

Please accept this the right way but I felt that your post was too detailed and not enough punctuation to make it readable. I wondered if your application for jobs and your resume are written the same way. If so that may be the reason why you are finding it difficult, for you appear to have excellent qualities.

Maybe a course in resume writing would be useful.

Peter.

Or even get a resume writing company to put it together. The resume is really important in todays world and there is a definite art to getting it right.

Definately see a gp or a counsellor. They work In my experience as they tend to look at the issues from a different viewpoint than family or friends or whats going on in our own noggins:rolleyes: .

Good luck mate

You could always move to gods country, dress like a hippy and drive an old kombi:D

[arose62]

Sam,

your resume looked fine to me.

One question: are you looking for IT work only, or are you just looking for a job?

I'm 42, and spent about 18 months out of IT.

I quit one job because it was 3+ hours each way, and with a new baby that just did not work. I took a couple of months for myself, then started looking for work. I hoped for IT, but was happy to just get a job. I ended up working in a fishing tackle/boat hire shop, and then in a small engineering place (I have no trade background, so I was just grunt labour, albeit with a brain, so I got to drive most of their cool gear:D ).

I'm back in IT now, but it can take a while...

The advice about a hobby is good - rather than just getting too focused on "I don't have a job", remember that there's more to life than just a job.

Volunteering can also be worthwhile - you get to feel you're contributing to society, you make contacts, keep recent entries in your resume, keep your skills honed, etc.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Andrew

[JDarvall]

You'll be right I reakon....... We're all different, so I can't relate to your situation entirely. but, you may have trouble finding the job 'you want'.....but I doubt you'll never find a job.......Go sit in a cab a couple nights a weeks to get by.....have a few drinks. Put your feet up. That sort of thing....

I've never had a job I've particular wanted. I work at a sweaty factory right now. Pays bad. It could be worse, but it involves dashing about noisey machinery all night, trying to keep temperatures right, and valves in the right position whilst filling bottles, and moving crates.....Come home with sore shoulders etc.... don't like it at all, until I sit down have a cuppa and a meal, and feel quite healthy. I feel healther when I have a physical job.

Point is, there's always a positive side...... goodluck :)

[CameronPotter]

Sam,

I'm with Sturdee. I couldn't bring myself to read your resume.

As someone who works in a very similar industry (Electrical/Software Engineering), I would look at that and say - very good skills, but can he communicate it?

Can I also suggest (as someone young who has been brought up in the 'compete for a job' environment), when you send a resume in you need:

1. Covering letter - say why you want this job, why you thinking you are appropriate and why you want to work for this firm. It should all be in paragraphs and in good English.

2. Resume which is well laid out, but not over the top (you should be fine at doing that with a computer background). This should have headings to make everything more readable.

If you want I can send you a copy of my resume - I have applied for four jobs in my life and got three of them. Well actually it is five, but I was grossly underqualified for the fifth and I wasn't applying for it, but my CV got shifted from the job I was applying for to that one for some reason... :confused:

Anyway, I hope that this helps - and as Savage said, see a doctor.

Cam

[silentC]

Have you registered with a recruitment agency? A good one will write your CV for you and tell you how to behave in the interview. If you can do all the stuff you say you can, you should be able to at least get a contract somewhere.

[woodbe]

Sam,

It looks like you have a wealth of experience in the IT field. If you are applying for jobs in that area, I suspect you are coming up with qualification problems. These days, rightly or wrongly, organisations expect to see a piece of paper. So, my recomendation to you is to go and get one :)

You seem to be well versed in Microsoft Operating systems, so that should be your first stop, a MSCE would be a good start if you don't already have one. An added bonus of this approach is that future employees see you taking an interest in updating your skills. Another approach would be to complete some relevant TAFE courses and pick up the piece of paper to support your experience. My understanding is that there could be some funding available from the Government to help defray costs, worth checking that angle out.

woodbe.

[CameronPotter]

All good advice from Woodbe and SilentC too. :)

[CameronPotter]

I just re-read my post and thought, "Gee, I sound like a conceited pr!ck..." Sorry about that. I just wanted to express that I have a bit of knowledge in the area and I have been successful in the past.

:o