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I finally had to go over my job coach's head recently, to my primary caseworker to get money for training (job coach had been trying to get me into an on-the-job evaluation, my main caseworker had said that if that falls through to come back to her so we could discuss funding for needed training). Which it did (I still don't know what happened, I suspect the job coach's need to be the go-between for everything stalled it out in the home stretch), so I did.
So I meet with her, discuss my "career plan" and desire to change/branch out, and we find a computer forensics certificate program that they will pay for. This is schooling/training that I need for any jobs in that field.
Not long after I met with her, the job coach calls. "Why are you changing your career plan?" (um, because it wasn't working out and I was starting to get in a rut about it). "Well I just placed someone in computer repair at the unemployment division." (ok, that job didn't exist when you were helping me). I mention to her that I have an informational interview with the Secret Service (arranged by an agent who knew my grandfather) "Oh you're looking in the government? We can write a letter that can fast-track the process." (-headdesk- Why didn't you tell me this a year ago?)
Somehow I manage to convince her that computer forensics/investigations is the way to go...it doesn't seem like she grasps the IT field at all too well, but I think my primary caseworker explained it to her. So I send her a few postings for government IT that are what I'm looking for. The agency is gathering resumes right now; the hope is that by the time they get to looking at them I will have beefed up my resume and skillset. No harm in applying right now. I need to do something to get my name out there.
She's done this before; focused on the skills that (she thinks) I don't have. "Do you have a year of experience installing firewalls?" Yes. Not huge multi-user environments, but I've done it for the past...oh say ten years so I'd think I know my way around the process.
"Are you willing to face challenges head-on?" (been doing that my whole life just fine)
"Have you dealt with viruses?" Yes (ok, now you're just parroting the job description).
So I meet with her, discuss my "career plan" and desire to change/branch out, and we find a computer forensics certificate program that they will pay for. This is schooling/training that I need for any jobs in that field.
Not long after I met with her, the job coach calls. "Why are you changing your career plan?" (um, because it wasn't working out and I was starting to get in a rut about it). "Well I just placed someone in computer repair at the unemployment division." (ok, that job didn't exist when you were helping me). I mention to her that I have an informational interview with the Secret Service (arranged by an agent who knew my grandfather) "Oh you're looking in the government? We can write a letter that can fast-track the process." (-headdesk- Why didn't you tell me this a year ago?)
Somehow I manage to convince her that computer forensics/investigations is the way to go...it doesn't seem like she grasps the IT field at all too well, but I think my primary caseworker explained it to her. So I send her a few postings for government IT that are what I'm looking for. The agency is gathering resumes right now; the hope is that by the time they get to looking at them I will have beefed up my resume and skillset. No harm in applying right now. I need to do something to get my name out there.
She's done this before; focused on the skills that (she thinks) I don't have. "Do you have a year of experience installing firewalls?" Yes. Not huge multi-user environments, but I've done it for the past...oh say ten years so I'd think I know my way around the process.
"Are you willing to face challenges head-on?" (been doing that my whole life just fine)
"Have you dealt with viruses?" Yes (ok, now you're just parroting the job description).