Hello everyone,

I've had a lot on my mind recently and wanted to make a post to see if I could get some feedback/advice.

I live in Justin (NW FTW) and have been looking for a good job for quite a while. I currently have a job but it was definitely over promised and is under delivering. Plus, they're asking us to start working back in the office in Richardson within the next few weeks. The pay isn't great and I really haven't had a good feeling about the gig since I've been there (2.5 months). I can go into that if necessary but long story short there were numerous issues with onboarding and payroll, my position has changed four times now, and I'm seeing lots of turnover.

Currently what I'm doing is GIS, Geographic Information Systems. Which if you're not familiar with it basically GIS is what you get when you use Google Maps. It's mapping tied to databases. At my current job we are using non-industry standard software to do this and the type of work we're doing is barely what I would consider to be a GIS job. I used to do GIS at an Oil & Gas company and it was a fantastic job where we used the industry standard software (ESRI ArcGIS), we used drones to survey our oil fields and I stitched the photos/lidar information into our GIS system, as well as travelled to the oil fields and GPS'd all of our hardware in the fields (compressor stations/flowlines/headers/risers/well heads/etc.) That job was a riot but being O&G we went through some rough times and eventually had a layoff of about 80% of the workforce, myself included because at the time I was the newest member on our team.

Before that I did IT for 11 years, working my way up from entry level helpdesk support to network administration. I managed all of our cellular account contracting, mobile device security (MDM or Mobile Device Management), deployed a campus wide Wireless network with security, moved data centers from one campus to another, assisted with daily network troubleshooting, etc. Those were good jobs for a long time and I seemed to move up pretty quickly doing that mostly because I strive to deliver excellent customer service, am very technical (grew up around computers because of my dad's job in Telecom), I have very good attention to detail, and communicate/document well. The only reason I moved out of the IT realm was because I became interested in GIS at the oil company and after they gave me some projects for self-training they decided to move me into that role/team.

Unfortunately when I was laid off from the O&G company it was basically the last blow that knocked me off my feet for a few months, due to other things going on in my life. It's no excuse but I was very depressed as this happened within a six months of me breaking up with my long time girlfriend (and losing all of my pets in doing so), and I also had a dream car at the time that was very collectable get wrecked which I got shafted on with insurance and could not replace. So in a relatively short amount of time I lost my job, my girlfriend, my pets (two dogs two cats), and a car that was just a material thing but a huge part of my life. I worked for my father's company doing remodeling/home repair in this time which was great experience and I got to spend a lot of time with my dad but it wasn't a long term job and offered no benefits.

Eventually I got back on my feet and landed a job doing Logistics in FTW as a coordinator for O&G accounts. I worked at this job for 2.5 years and in this time was promoted twice eventually becoming a Master Data Analyst. It was technically a good job but I was basically just staring at data all day, creating reports, doing some automation, and working in an extremely high-stress environment. It was a great learning experience though and I met some very talented people so I don't regret it.

Earlier this year I took this GIS job expecting it to be an actual GIS job but to my unfortunately it just isn't panning out to be what was promised. Plus, now I'm looking at a 2-2.5 hour commute every day pretty soon.

The job search is extremely timely and exhausting, I use Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, as well as other resources that I find online. I honestly think part of my problem is that my resume might be unbelievable, or people think I'm a job hopper. I have a lot of experience because early on I decided I wanted to be like a swiss army knife- multi-functional and multi purpose. Looking back on it now, while I still think my experience will all make sense some day, I wonder if I had just focused on one career path and stuck with it if I would be more successful today. Like I said, I don't regret it though.

Honestly at this point in my life I'm just looking for a job that pays decent, has benefits, focuses on teamwork, and appreciates hard work and customer service. It doesn't have to be GIS or even IT, just a good place to work. I' have experience working in manufacturing (mostly woodworking but some light machine work), remodeling, logistics, order processing/customer follow-up, you name it. No matter what I've done I've always found a way to provide excellent customer service and I believe to my core this is what drove a lot of my success in the past. I'm also very passionate about guns (my dad was a dealer when I was born) and I love cars as well.

One possible knock against me is I did not go to college, I started out doing graphic/web design full time before I even graduated high school and after that I worked 2-3 jobs simultaneously which was rewarding for a long time for me. I have had many job specific and customer service training though through the years though. I'm interested in going to school now as I see how important it is, I think it would help me greatly and teach me a lot about the world. A lot of my siblings/relatives/close friends are all very well educated.

Anyway, this turned out to be a lot more long winded than I was expecting. I'm just looking for advice and if you've made it this far I definitely appreciate your time! Also, if anyone has experience with resume/career advisement I would surely be interested in paying for some help.

IT market is hot. Automation and cloud computing are upfront and center, next would be a data speciality and development

Tough run of luck, for sure. Get some help with the resume. The presentation is really important. Back in the day, if the resume didn’t catch my eye quick, it didn’t get read. My point being is that you have to get in the door to present your case. All the charm in the world is wasted if you never got in front of my desk.

And think about other type companies that may not have been considered by you. One of my granddaughters was having a real problem getting a job with a big corporation. I suggested that she look for a job with a trucking company. Sounded odd, but she quickly got a job, got promotions, and when she moved to Hawaii with her Army husband, the Dallas area trucking company let her work from home on Oahu, working Dallas hours. Try a couple of big trucking companies. They are pretty busy these days and might need someone like you. It isn’t as classy sounding as a big Fortune 500 company, but a good paycheck is a good paycheck. They need good IT people too.

If it works out you owe me a beer. Just remember…somebody needs your skills. They just don’t know it yet.

So you are experienced IT/Data management...and you haven’t gone to Google....and typed in Search Firm/Executive Search Firm? For real?????

.....and good luck on your search. Let’s us know how it turns out.

Yep don’t forget Cyber Security. With all the cloud computing and working from home cyber security professionals are at a premium right now. If I weren’t really comfortable right now I’d be looking. Cyber security professionals in DFW are are going for around 150k/year.

Whatever you do don’t give up. I was in O&G and got laid off at the same time my family and I moved to where we live now. Nothing but refineries and chemical plants. I worked construction during the summers in college. so I transitioned into that but it took about 1.5 years to land an entry level job. They thought either something was really wrong with me for not pursuing something in engineering, I was going to bolt in a heartbeat, or it was a joke that I applied to helper positions. Finally, landed a job for $14/hr. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but I wasn’t going to pass up the first opportunity someone gave me. Fast forward to today and I make a very comfortable living as a capital construction project manager at one of the best chemical companies in the world.

My points are:

a.) don’t ever think starting over is a bad idea. Some times you have to retool and evolve to make it happen i.e. take a step back to make a leap forward. If you’re good you’ll make money. My dad always told me “I don’t care what you do in life, lawyer, burger flipper, or school teacher if you become the best at your trade/craft/profession you’ll get paid!”
b.) continue your education not advocating college but get certifications at minimum. Diplomas, degrees, certs are nothing more than keys to doors. After you’re allowed to walk through the door it’s on you.
c.) as hard as it may be at times realize what you’re going through is not permanent and it’s up to you to change the circumstances.
d.) if it was easy everyone would make bank. you got to want it more than the 100 guys and gals behind you and in front of you.

Best of luck, and if you’re interested in construction feel free to PM me.

Alls you gotta do is identify the firm where you can either maintain or increase their profitability.

I wouldn't bother with job boards like Indeed or Monster. The big companies that have excellent benefits rarely use them except for low level positions. Make a short list of companies you'd like to work for and then go directly to their careers site. Example... Oracle - https://www.oracle.com/corporate/careers/

Having GIS experience, I think I'd start looking into some companies in your area such as engineering firms, or surveying firms.

It's not that big of a leap, once you understand computers and land development/ GPS/GIS.

Probably more steady work. Room for advancement.

I'd look at a company that does O&G surveying/engineering.

Look at local Utilities as well. We have a full GIS team and I have a direct report that does this. Definitely a needed skill in the industry. FT Worth just hired a new GIS manager and I've met really great people in that field with Trinity River Authority.

I agree. One of my daughters does this for Davey Resource Group. Check them out, they are always looking for people with ArcGIS experience.

Thank you all for the great advice so far, I’ve definitely read evening top to bottom and will come up with a game plan. I’m currently having my resume reviewed for revisions/suggestions as well.

Walkabout- I will look into using a search firm as well. I’m reluctant to use an “executive search firm” as I feel I’m under qualified for that type of position being that I don’t have a degree. Maybe it’s still worth a shot though?

Also, I’m not just looking for GIS/IT jobs even though I can do them. As I’ve gotten older I’ve found that I like jobs where I move about and interact with people directly. I loved this type of work when I was doing GPS in the oil fields. A surveying job might be a great fit but if anyone has any other suggestions I’m all ears.

I’ve never worked a retail job but would consider selling or working with guns/ammo somewhere.

I spent 20+ years in IT and got out after being head of system development of a large company. Got a bellyful of that and did some IT headhunting. Started my own firm there. Shut it down when I retired.

The resume is what gets you in the door to try to sell yourself. Before a human gets to review your resume, a program looks at it and ranks you re their needs. It looks for the right buzz words that meet their needs. That program is extremely sophisticated but has a one track mind. For instance, if they are looking for the keyword cat and you try to impress them with the word feline it doesn’t match you up. You get passed over. But, you might say, everyone knows that a feline is a cat. Software doesn’t. SOL!

You also have to have an address along with your name and credentials. It looks for candidates that are within X miles from their location. Outside by a mile? SOL again.

Assuming you get by those criteria, the software counts(scores) your resume on how many times certain key words are used.

Bottom line? You could be a square peg for a square hole but don’t know how to sell yourself.


Send me a copy of your resume.
Ddavidson1942@att.net

Depending on how much money you want to make I could probably get you on at a good company that is VERY close to you. If interested PM me and I’ll explain

Thank you very much for the offer and advice, Dave! I will send you my resume as soon as I get it back!

Biscuit- PM sent!

Pm sent

Don’t give up. Life has been especially frustrating for many the last couple of years, but the job market seems to be coming back. I wouldn’t ignore the job boards either. Many companies still use them to post jobs and/or search for candidates. You will probably have to wade through a lot of junk emails, as the boards have become flooded by low-rent recruitment companies, but it’s still worth the time to post your resume, and set up automated searches that notify you of new matches. Also, identify the companies/jobs that you want to target the most, and find a way to network with people connected there. You’re welcome to send me a copy of your resume (pm for address) and I can circulate it to some recruiters that I know. Make the best of your situation until you secure another one, but it sounds like your current job is NOT the place for you. Just don’t give it up before you find the right fit. Good luck, chin up!