Are there any IT opportunities in LaSalle County? (Chicago, Aurora: 2013, loan)

[MongooseHugger]

I got an Associates of Arts and an Associates of Science from Illinois Valley Community College and a Bachelors of Science (Computer Science to be more exact) from Illinois State. That said, I'm one of those who lived with parents to keep costs low.

I had applied for a few jobs during college (didn't get any) but was more focused on college. Since internships are in the cities (at least an hour away) and I don't drive and my own family isn't sure if I can handle it due to ADHD and Aspergers. Anyway, didn't take an internship but I did do the alternative, which was a class that was one semester where we worked on an actual project. Problem was, it was an i-phone app, which required a Mac which took a month to get loaned to us at ISU. Also, took a long while to learn how to work stuff on Macs, which I'd barely used before and things like that. So I wasn't able to pick up too much on Objective-C and, since I don't have a Mac, am not able to continue learning that, though I do have the development of the Starved Rock Trail Map thing on my resume nonetheless.

However, after graduating, I was getting some calls, and I did volunteer at some places. However, even after applying for lower jobs like data entry (sorry, with being autistic, customer service might not be the best and the same would go for waiter and I've heard too many bad things about call centers and am also introverted anyway). Anyway, now it's near the end of January, 2016 and I graduated in mid May of 2013.

All I mainly see, at least on Indeed, are CDL drivers, customer service, and nurses. I have applied for places further away, of course, but only one got an interview in person and I didn't get it. (Also, it's hard to avoid them recruiters on Indeed, as even the filter doesn't work quite well as I still see Robert Half and some of them guys showing up even with it ON.)

I did try All Web Promotion in Oglesby, but it didn't pan out. Am trying for state jobs too.

Luckily, my parents DO understand my situation and won't turn me out if things keep going the way they are as they get it and also I'm on Medicaid right now so that covers my meds.

What I'm aiming for is something that will avoid the situation where I'd make enough not to get Medicaid but practically not enough to advance anywhere (i.e. jobs that would just basically be paycheck to paycheck, living in dead end jobs forever. Especially short term dead end jobs as long term jobs seem harder to find and I don't interview well due to being majorly introverted.)

Do you know any good Computer Science companies that will take entry level without tons of years of experience in the LaSalle or Bureau County areas?

(BTW, did check the Chamber of Commerce stuff and can't find anything at those places either.)

(BTW, there are hardware jobs around here, but I went into software, hence the computer fixing stuff is really out of my league.)

[MisterEd51]

I just wanted to say hello because I know what you are going through. I grew up just north of LaSalle in Dimmick Township.

In 1974 I received an Associate in Applied Science in Electronic Technology degree from IVCC. Over the next few years I worked at Electrical Utilities in LaSalle and Hobbs in Spring Valley. Electrical Utilities manufactured capacitors and Hobbs manufactured automotive electrical components. I finally realized there was no future working in a technology job in the LaSalle County area. I moved to the Aurora area and found a job at Eaton in Carol Stream. I was not happy there and followed a friend who moved to Huntsville, Alabama. My first job there was working for a NASA contractor as an Engineering Technician. Over the next several years I got a BS degree in Physics and worked as a Software Engineer for over twenty years.

I know people that have worked tech jobs at home but they hard to come by. For example a friend as a teenager from home wrote software for a gaming company in California. Apparently he demonstrated to them he was a skilled programmer.

Like you after graduation from IVCC I thought that even if I could not get a job that matched my education I could try for an entry level job and work my way up. Most employer I interviewed would say I would stay with their company only long enough to find a better job elsewhere. For example I applied for an entry level clerk job at Bell Labs in Naperville, IL hoping to work toward a tech job. I knew that would be good place to work but the person I interviewed with said I was overqualified.

Unfortunately you may not have any luck in LaSalle County finding a job in Software Engineering so like me may have to relocate. Maybe there is a friend or relative in a more populated area that you can live with that can help you out.

For now I suggest you contact Vocational Rehabilitation to see if they can help you. One of the service that the office in LaSalle can provide is:
Rehabilitation Services - assistance for people with disabilities looking for jobs or living independently

LaSalle DRS Office
Rehabilitation Services
905 2nd Street
LaSalle, IL 61301

Phone: (815) 224-1314

BTW, when I got out of high school I receive a grant to pay for college from the LaSalle DRS Office.

Vocational Rehabilitation
DHS: Vocational Rehabilitation

DHS Offices and Service Providers for LaSalle County
DHS: Office Locator

[MongooseHugger]

I have contacted DRS and have been working with them for at least a year. So far, no luck. If anything, it's my gap that's now over 2.5 years. (I had tried to apply for further away jobs in IT, but had no luck. Later, I aimed for lower level jobs, but still had no luck.)

[Tac-Sea]

Try Dice.com, search for jobs that are remote. Unfortunately it sounds like you have little experience but are on the right track with education. You are going to likely have to bite the bullet and take an entry level job and rise through the ranks, which you should do quickly with your education and attitude.

You may disagree, like some junior IT people here often do with me, just keep in mind, ^ is an IT Engineer who makes 153K a year salary at a job I never applied or interviewed for, I was solicited by people I knew. You do what you like. Oh, and don't get married to the IT thing. As you get older it will lose its luster.

[numberfive]

Originally Posted by Tac-Sea

Try Dice.com, search for jobs that are remote. Unfortunately it sounds like you have little experience but are on the right track with education. You are going to likely have to bite the bullet and take an entry level job and rise through the ranks, which you should do quickly with your education and attitude.

You may disagree, like some junior IT people here often do with me, just keep in mind, ^ is an IT Engineer who makes 153K a year salary at a job I never applied or interviewed for, I was solicited by people I knew. You do what you like. Oh, and don't get married to the IT thing. As you get older it will lose its luster.

You make $153k as an IT engineer? That's impressive! How many years of experience do you have, and where is your job?

[MisterEd51]

Originally Posted by Tac-Sea

Try Dice.com, search for jobs that are remote. Unfortunately it sounds like you have little experience but are on the right track with education. You are going to likely have to bite the bullet and take an entry level job and rise through the ranks, which you should do quickly with your education and attitude.

You may disagree, like some junior IT people here often do with me, just keep in mind, ^ is an IT Engineer who makes 153K a year salary at a job I never applied or interviewed for, I was solicited by people I knew. You do what you like. Oh, and don't get married to the IT thing. As you get older it will lose its luster.

In other words networking was how you found your job opportunities. For many years I have heard that is the best way to do it . Unfortunately some people have a hard time making this work. I think that people that socialize well with people and make friends easily probably have an easier time making networking work for them. In any event networking in LaSalle county is probably not an easy thing to do. A person probably needs to move to an area like the Chicago metro area to find networking opportunities. I am sure there are professional groups and networking support groups there a person could join to greatly help with networking.

[MongooseHugger]

Nothing really has gone far for other jobs, which I have been applying for in lieu of most IT jobs (which I saw were ignoring me due to my growing gap since graduation). I did get something with All Web Promotion in Oglesby, but that ran into a snag when management changed right in the middle of the interview process. Now, they are waiting till things stabilize (the change in management appeared to happen in July or so, if not later), so they put all hiring on hold till 2017.

If things pick up, I'm likely to be at the top as the they said I was a top candidate already and the other candidates likely backed away due to the hiring freeze.