Recruiters and employers
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server.
Hi Sam, I've worked in I.T off and on since 2002. I did it with no degree and went back and got the same degree you have and graduated in 2017. I will say that it is going to be an up hill battle sadly unless you know someone that knows your capabilities and understands you. The jobs I've had were mostly due to me knowing folks that were there already. I am currently in the market again since the last company I worked for was sold in August of this past year. I've even applied throughout the country in other states to see if I would have luck at places that deal with the blind with no success. I wish you much success and if you find such a good place, please let me know... I am in South Carolina. Best Regards, Billy -----Original Message----- From: Samuel Barnes <samuellbarnes@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 7, 2019 6:07 PM To: Blind sysadmins list <blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org> Subject: [Blind-sysadmins] Recruiters and employers I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
Absolutely check out your local college and university HR department web sites. They will probably be affirmative action employers. This means they will hire a disabled person all else being equal. Well, that's the idea. People being people, it does not always work out that way. But your odds are better than anywhere else. For one thing, there is no profit motive. They can take a chance on a disabled person. Plus, people at colleges and universities may be a bit more open minded than a typical HR director. Also, your skills are highly sought at universities. Linux is dominant in scientific research circles, not as much in business. On 5/7/19 5:07 PM, Samuel Barnes wrote:
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- John G. Heim, jheim@math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189
I'd add federal/state/local government to this list. Also I believe some federal contractors have disability hiring quotas, which may be an advantage if you can figure out who to contact to get your resume in the right queue. More information at https://adata.org/factsheet/section-503 Chris On Wed, May 08, 2019 at 02:07:57AM +0000, JOHN G HEIM wrote:
Absolutely check out your local college and university HR department web sites. They will probably be affirmative action employers. This means they will hire a disabled person all else being equal. Well, that's the idea. People being people, it does not always work out that way. But your odds are better than anywhere else. For one thing, there is no profit motive. They can take a chance on a disabled person. Plus, people at colleges and universities may be a bit more open minded than a typical HR director. Also, your skills are highly sought at universities. Linux is dominant in scientific research circles, not as much in business.
On 5/7/19 5:07 PM, Samuel Barnes wrote:
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- John G. Heim, jheim@math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
Unfortunately, an associate's degree doesn't carry much, if any, weight these days. If you're just submitting an application where you're not known, almost always a Bachellor's degree is required. Not that it's necessary for the job, you understand, but that requirement just weeds a lot of folks out & reduces the number of applications to sift through. You would be wise, I think, to try to cultivate friendships in your field. That might mean joining associations, going to meetups, etc. Conducting what's known as "informational interviews" is 1 way to do this. It rather takes the pressure off both parties, ie, you're not applying for a job & they're not being asked to give you 1. Try to find out what the person you're interviewing does, what s/he does/doesn't like about the job, salary range, & those who might be hiring for the kind of job you want. If you can find a blind person in your field, so much the better, but don't confine yourself to that. On 5/8/19, Chris Nestrud <ccn@chrisnestrud.com> wrote:
I'd add federal/state/local government to this list.
Also I believe some federal contractors have disability hiring quotas, which may be an advantage if you can figure out who to contact to get your resume in the right queue. More information at https://adata.org/factsheet/section-503
Chris
On Wed, May 08, 2019 at 02:07:57AM +0000, JOHN G HEIM wrote:
Absolutely check out your local college and university HR department web sites. They will probably be affirmative action employers. This means they will hire a disabled person all else being equal. Well, that's the idea. People being people, it does not always work out that way. But your odds are better than anywhere else. For one thing, there is no profit motive. They can take a chance on a disabled person. Plus, people at colleges and universities may be a bit more open minded than a typical HR director. Also, your skills are highly sought at universities. Linux is dominant in scientific research circles, not as much in business.
On 5/7/19 5:07 PM, Samuel Barnes wrote:
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- John G. Heim, jheim@math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
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I actually already have an undergrad degree, but not in a relevant field. This is a career change for me. On Wed, May 8, 2019 at 3:16 PM Jackie McBride <abletec@gmail.com> wrote:
Unfortunately, an associate's degree doesn't carry much, if any, weight these days. If you're just submitting an application where you're not known, almost always a Bachellor's degree is required. Not that it's necessary for the job, you understand, but that requirement just weeds a lot of folks out & reduces the number of applications to sift through.
You would be wise, I think, to try to cultivate friendships in your field. That might mean joining associations, going to meetups, etc. Conducting what's known as "informational interviews" is 1 way to do this. It rather takes the pressure off both parties, ie, you're not applying for a job & they're not being asked to give you 1. Try to find out what the person you're interviewing does, what s/he does/doesn't like about the job, salary range, & those who might be hiring for the kind of job you want. If you can find a blind person in your field, so much the better, but don't confine yourself to that.
On 5/8/19, Chris Nestrud <ccn@chrisnestrud.com> wrote:
I'd add federal/state/local government to this list.
Also I believe some federal contractors have disability hiring quotas, which may be an advantage if you can figure out who to contact to get your resume in the right queue. More information at https://adata.org/factsheet/section-503
Chris
On Wed, May 08, 2019 at 02:07:57AM +0000, JOHN G HEIM wrote:
Absolutely check out your local college and university HR department web sites. They will probably be affirmative action employers. This means they will hire a disabled person all else being equal. Well, that's the idea. People being people, it does not always work out that way. But your odds are better than anywhere else. For one thing, there is no profit motive. They can take a chance on a disabled person. Plus, people at colleges and universities may be a bit more open minded than a typical HR director. Also, your skills are highly sought at universities. Linux is dominant in scientific research circles, not as much in business.
On 5/7/19 5:07 PM, Samuel Barnes wrote:
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- John G. Heim, jheim@math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- Subscribe to a WordPress for Newbies Mailing List by sending a message to: wp4newbs-request@freelists.org with 'subscribe' in the Subject field OR by visiting the list page at http://www.freelists.org/list/wp4newbs & check out my sites at www.brighter-vision.com & www.mysitesbeenhacked.com _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
Having an undergrad degree in any field will be helpful if you can only get some experience. Most universities have a lot of jobs that you absolutely must have at least a BS to even be eligible for. Having a BS in an appropriate field helps but if you are impressive enough, they'll take you even if your degree is in philosophy. I manage the high performance computing cluster for the Math department at the University Of Wisconsin. I have a co-worker who is absolutely awesome. I call him Hardware Hank, he's great. But he doesn't have a degree and he simply is not eligible for my job when I retire. My department would have to reclassify the job. And they are not likely to want to do that because it would come with all kinds of issues with respect to future hires. If he had a BS in Russian History, it wouldn't matter. With all his experience in our department, he would not qualify for the job. But you would. On 5/11/19 9:42 AM, Samuel Barnes wrote:
I actually already have an undergrad degree, but not in a relevant field. This is a career change for me.
On Wed, May 8, 2019 at 3:16 PM Jackie McBride <abletec@gmail.com> wrote:
Unfortunately, an associate's degree doesn't carry much, if any, weight these days. If you're just submitting an application where you're not known, almost always a Bachellor's degree is required. Not that it's necessary for the job, you understand, but that requirement just weeds a lot of folks out & reduces the number of applications to sift through.
You would be wise, I think, to try to cultivate friendships in your field. That might mean joining associations, going to meetups, etc. Conducting what's known as "informational interviews" is 1 way to do this. It rather takes the pressure off both parties, ie, you're not applying for a job & they're not being asked to give you 1. Try to find out what the person you're interviewing does, what s/he does/doesn't like about the job, salary range, & those who might be hiring for the kind of job you want. If you can find a blind person in your field, so much the better, but don't confine yourself to that.
On 5/8/19, Chris Nestrud <ccn@chrisnestrud.com> wrote:
I'd add federal/state/local government to this list.
Also I believe some federal contractors have disability hiring quotas, which may be an advantage if you can figure out who to contact to get your resume in the right queue. More information at https://adata.org/factsheet/section-503
Chris
On Wed, May 08, 2019 at 02:07:57AM +0000, JOHN G HEIM wrote:
Absolutely check out your local college and university HR department web sites. They will probably be affirmative action employers. This means they will hire a disabled person all else being equal. Well, that's the idea. People being people, it does not always work out that way. But your odds are better than anywhere else. For one thing, there is no profit motive. They can take a chance on a disabled person. Plus, people at colleges and universities may be a bit more open minded than a typical HR director. Also, your skills are highly sought at universities. Linux is dominant in scientific research circles, not as much in business.
On 5/7/19 5:07 PM, Samuel Barnes wrote:
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org -- John G. Heim, jheim@math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- Subscribe to a WordPress for Newbies Mailing List by sending a message to: wp4newbs-request@freelists.org with 'subscribe' in the Subject field OR by visiting the list page at http://www.freelists.org/list/wp4newbs & check out my sites at www.brighter-vision.com & www.mysitesbeenhacked.com _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
_______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
-- John G. Heim, jheim@math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189
What networking certifications do you have an real life network admin support? This is what the employees will look for before you even get to the interview. If you only have a cc and a or something equivalent, then you might not get past bass one. If you had volunteered for some organisation in networking and got real hands on networking administration work then that will help you in the experience department. Having a CCMP which is a Cisco certified network professional or other vendor type certification, this will go a lot further in getting past bass one. I am only talking about entry style work here by the way. Happy for you to send me your CV and I can put it into my organisation. My experience is the part
On 8 May 2019, at 8:07 am, Samuel Barnes <samuellbarnes@gmail.com> wrote:
I'm about to graduate with an associates degree in network and computer admin. I do have a job working at in the datacenter/lab at a community college which is giving me tons of experience with little stress, but it doesn't pay the bills. Do any of you know of reciters, staffing agencies, or employers in the US that aren't afraid to work with blind people? I've got some certs and experience with mostly Linux and Cisco, as well as some Windows server. _______________________________________________ Blind-sysadmins mailing list -- blind-sysadmins@lists.hodgsonfamily.org To unsubscribe send an email to blind-sysadmins-leave@lists.hodgsonfamily.org
participants (6)
-
Billy Irwin -
Chris Nestrud -
Jackie McBride -
JOHN G HEIM -
Samuel Barnes -
Sean Murphy