IT Jobs in Winnipeg
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DsS-WaR tm...@mb.sympatico.ca
Hey, I am currently attending the U of M and plan on getting a CS degree (3 years more) I have a couple of certs, Comptia A+/N+, MCP, CCNA.
And I wanted to know where in Winnipeg can I get a good decent IT job?
(doesn't this sound like a oxymoron? :) I am working at Co-Op at the moment making min wage, and that is not enough to pay for school. And I don't want a loan (if I cant find a good job, then I have no other choice other then getting a loan) Any help and guidance will be greatly appreciated, Thank you.
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
well..it sounds like you are off to a great start already with the certs.
Personally...I'd say this.
Its hard to say what the demand for Computer people will be in 3 more years along with all the rest.....
You have enough certs even without experience....already to get a decent job in Calgary....
1. I would suggest that you consider moving there now to work for 2 years with your certs as junior programmer or IT support for a gas company while the certs are still fresh and the demand is still high and then resume university either there or back here.
or 2. consider taking something as a backup instead of Computer science... or some robotics/genetics or even a trade at Red River.
I don't think that a Comp science degree will get you much in Winnipeg anyhow. What will get you more here is experience working.
You have enough certs..so if you had some experience you would get near the top of the it support jobs in winnipeg or programmer jobs.
Comp Sci is needed for a job at a Bell labs type place...but we don't really have that here anyway.
In terms of the jobs you could get now 1. the university often has jobs for students out there, sometimes computer related 2. in winnipeg you could of course work the call centers, some of the large companies hire with your certs, you could go for some of the computer education places to become a trainer or ***istant with those certs 3. if you have specialized skills in visual basic, sql ..then there have been a handful of jobs for that for the last few weeks in the paper ...
DsS-WaR tm...@mb.sympatico.ca
Thanks for all the info man, appreciate it.
I will talk to the University and see if they have any decent jobs available.
Thanks again.
Zaphod smi...@NOSPAMautobahn.mb.ca
Getting a degree will be very hard work.
Consider having to go out to work as well as attend school full-time, ***uming that you can find a job that's compatible with your school hours. All while carrying a student loan to make ends meet.
Tough times for four or five years.
Then consider the alternative.
Working at Co-op for minimum wage for the next 40 years.
Now there's a scary thought.
werewolf h...@the.moon.lickanthropes
you can't...good luck!
--
The Lurkers Creed 'Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool...
Than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
"Paul Beaudry" paul.beau...@jri.ca
There are plenty of places in Winnipeg to look for good IT jobs. Just get out there and start p***ing that resume out.
Great West family of companies Can-West MB Hydro/Centra Gas City/Province/Feds IBM/LGS EDS Nexxinovations Cargill Canadian Wheat Board Agricore JRI Workers Comp MTS Online Business Systems Encore Momentum Healthware Manageworx plus hundreds of others....
Your certifications certainly look good, you need to couple that with real life experiance and you should have no problem in Winnipeg taking your career where you want it to go.
Joining an organization such as CIPS as a student (reduced rate) would provide a wealth on networking oppurtunities as well.
Paul Beaudry, B.Sc.
Manager, Technical Services and System Architecture James Richardson International ...
tbad ...@escape.ca (Ted Badiuk)
I got a Compsci Honours Co-Op degree about 5-6 years ago (geez I'm getting old ;-) ) from the UofM. Here is what I'd do, plus what a lot of people did when I got my degree: 1) Get the student loan and move into residence or get roomates to save on money if you're not living at home for free. The idea is to get your expenses down as much as possible. 2) Quit the job. Trust me, you'll need all the time you can get and working for min. wage just does not make sense. The loan should be enough to cover food/shelter/tuition/books and that's all you need for the next 3 years. If you go the rez route there are many advantages like food being included in the total price, living on campus so you can talk home after those 16 hour coding marathons in McCray hall,etc.
3) Get into the Co-Op program in Compsci so that you start working 4 months then cl***es 4 months repeat x 3 starting in term 2 of year 3 I believe. This way, you'll start making about $12-15+/hour between school terms, so you can start paying back that student loan WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL. Also, you'll view the work as not only excellent experience but also as a vaction from your cl***es. Email me at tbad...@escape.ca if you'd like any more info.
Ted On Sun, 07 Jul 2002 00:43:38 -0500, DsS-WaR <tm...@mb.sympatico.ca> wrote:
"JustLor" just_me%nospam%...@hotmail.com
There are many places that you can and will find some Co-Op work and IT jobs here in Winnipeg as long as you have the right schooling, experience, can sell yourself (networking), and being in the right place at the right time.
(one person mentioned quite a few places in a previous post) It really does not matter these days how many Certs you have. Some are asking for certs, some are asking for CAP from Red River or Comp SCi from U of M. Yes certs are a way of getting a foot in the door, but whether or not you have retained what you learned and if it will be useful for the type of work you are looking for. Perfect example, one of the IT people that I work with has an MCSE, A+, CCNA and does not know what Disk Mirroring is, let alone RAID, nope the solution all the time is to 'reimage'.
I have worked in IT related positions for at least 8 years now, have my MCSE (NT 4.0), and some extra programming and networking courses from Red River, and many software/OS courses and training. I have built machines, configured servers, m*** rollouts, web pages, databases, helpdesk and user support for over 5 years, networking, and now building, coding, maintain databases. It is a refresher from solving peoples problems all the time. I am fortunate to have a job right now, as I know of many others who are out of work, and who have to go back to school time and time again for new courses (programming, OS, etc.) But I have moved from job to job as alot have been contracts.
Some things that you are not told in your courses that you will find out is that you will very likely not be working in the same place, that job hopping, layoffs and terms are very common. Your starting wage may be less than $25K. There are 100's of people out there like you who are trying to apply for the same positions some employed and some who have been on EI for almost a year. You have to develop a niche for yourself, specialize in something that makes you stand out. Be prepared (depending again on the angle which you apply for work) that people will not be working with Servers, Cisco Routers, networking, etc. There have been many people pumped out of them fast track courses who are looking for work. Oh and above all, most businesses will likely not send you for upgrade courses or training as so many people tend to believe, especially if you are in your first 1-4 years in a job.
If anyone out there is ever in the situation that you will be working a Helpdesk/User support position, please people, take some time and learn some software apps. like MS Word, Excel, Access, Adobe, WordPerfect, Outlook, etc. if you can. Lately it seems like no one is taking the time to learn these everyday products, they are all focused with OS, A+, and Cisco courses. If you are to support these products, make an effort and try at least to learn something about them as 1/2 your job will be to answer "how do you do this" questions. (sorry just a little rant there) The year 2000 hit alot of people in the IT sector here pretty hard. Alot of people have gone back to their old professions, or have moved to greener pastures. Some and have lucked out and have grown with their companies.
I notice a post from earlier.. Just as a suggestion to who may be reading this post, I and many other new IT people over the years have taken the advantage of the CIPS program and their discounted pricing for membership and have left. I was a member for way too long till I realized that the $30 dinners and the suggestive topic meetings were not for me, let alone alot of people were not receptive to being schmoozed for job opportunities at their companies while they are in a social setting. I found there was nothing for my needs with this program (to find work in the IT sector at the time), and made a decision not to renew. If you believe that this may be a stepping stone for you to get your foot in the door, then you may want to try a cheaper more effective route.
p.s. This is what I have to offer to the conversation, and my not be the views of others. But keep this in mind, not all IT jobs will you end up in a call centre anyone who makes that comment may not have worked in the industry or have any idea what is happening in the industry. If you have the opportunity to finish your schooling stay with it, as you will be taking courses and upgrading for the rest of your IT career. Moving to Calgary is not the answer for all as I know many people who took that advise and have moved back or have moved else where as yes there are jobs, but rent and cost of living was way too high. Working and taking the course at the same time may be way to much for you to handle, you may want to ask others who have taken the course. Hopefully you have your age as an advantage to accomplish these goals, and good luck to you.
:) ...
locomach ...@hotmail.com (Ricardo)
These are some great ideas from Ted and others.
Another thing worth mentioning - unless your in the Honours program at the U of M, why not go part time? The VAST majority of computer science students are just majors - so they do not have to go on a full time basis.
I know lots of people who are in a major program part/time and working part-time..
Too bad I flunked out Ricardo..
rdmo ...@yahoo.ca (rmonin)
None of the places mentioned are worth working at if you have a Comp Sci. degree.
My advice, leave winnipeg once you graduate, this place is a wasteland for Degreed programmers.
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
I agree....pretty well anyone with a Red River Cap degree and some experience could get on at those places.
If a person is a Comp Sci star or someone with some real long term visions... do like rmonin says and GET THE HELL out of Winnipeg and go to the US, Alberta, Ottawa or maybe Europe if you can.
See the world...be part of a large organization that doesn't revolve around wheat, water or farmers pensions.
...
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"JustLor" just_me%nospam%...@hotmail.com
Wow DonE, I never realized that you held a Red River Cap diploma or a Comp Science degree! You never mentioned when you got these.
I regret that I must have not been following your posts very well over the years. I thought that you were a self employed Video Producer now unemployed? My mistake, must have been confused with someone else. Never realized that you worked directly in the IT community and with many IT businesses for so many years prior to your self employment. You must have a great advantage in finding a great Analyst or IT Manager position with your vast schooling and experience here in Winnipeg.
I am taking my Information Systems Analyst Programmer Continuing Ed. from RRC on and off for the last 4 years as I have a full time IT job that requires me to take cl***es at night and weekends, not to mention a casual job that requires me to work an extra hours on weekends. It is alot of extra work, trying also to upkeep my MCSE certification, Mac and web development skills. I have been on and off approx. 8 years working in IT here in Winnipeg. Always had 2 jobs, so really was not a problem when there was shortness in hours.
I did consider teaching (vendor cert) but realized I knew more than some of the instructors knew. Some knew how to teach an IT course, doesn't mean they knew anything about the real world or IT. Alot of the instructors just changed professions and claimed to have "just received" their certifications. For paying $2500 for a 5 day cl***, you may luck out and get someone who knows something. I figure I will not risk that adventure no more.
Did you ever get vendor certification? If you did, what do you have and did it ever help you get a job? Was wondering if you thought with your vast inside industry knowledge and experience if I should continue on with the MCSE after 4.0, or go on the Cisco bandwagon and get my CCNA? I may never actually touch a router, but why not learn about them in great detail!
Um, not sure where the robotics comes in?
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" <taylorc...@shaw.ca> wrote in message ... blithered
rdmo ...@yahoo.ca (rmonin)
But no one listens to me,Taylorchuk.
When I left in 1990, all my co-workers told me I would be back; they were not interested in leaving.
Within 2 years they had all been laid off and were calling me for a job.
So I think in winnipeg, there is this big resistence to moving elsewhere even when the writing is on the wall. People are reluctant to leave because they have deep roots here ( family, frineds, etc.) .
Whereas I notice in other cities people are very open to leaving and starting up anew somewhere else.
There is a reluctance to leave the sinking ship. Don't know why. Guess the lure of wheat water and farmers pensions is too strong.
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
Hi Justlor.
No problem, always eager to offer some of my inside knowledge and information.
I was a regular attendee at cips meetings in the past, various computer user groups in town, had one, been there..done that.
university of manitoba, bachelor of commerce honors degree (4 yr) rrc cap university of manitoba data processing management certificate iccp cdp certified data processing certificate worked at a few of the biggest it shops in town and didn't like cubicles, on mvs390, jcl, rdbms, nt,office software, digital vid soft, etcshareviewstv.com So yes...I know a fair bit about whats available in this town..and again..if you had a new Comp Sci degree you should leave Winnipeg on the first donkey out of town to Ottawa, Toronto, Minneapolis and get top end experience.
Almost 90% of the other jobs in Winnipeg could be had with less than a RRC degree and some experience.
So why waste time here if you want to start out working on the latest technologies.
Anyhow thanks for asking.
...
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
Yes, you nailed that one.
There are about 3 kinds of people in town.
1. those who graduated and left Winnipeg right away to get a good job and haven't looked back 2. those who graduated and stayed here and settled for much less and have always looked back 3. those who graduated and were lucky enough to get on with the government or a good union and have been blind since birth so they don't look anywhere but towards their solid pension So yeah...Winnipeggers are homebodies and mammas boys and girls.
Many say "we would leave...but the family..the parents..grandparents..the friends..hey'...." Many of us looked at those who left in the 70s, 80s as golddiggers and heartless ones who would leave their family and friends behind.
But the smart ones realiized early on that to be able to come back you had to leave and get the good experience.
I have talked to and heard many younger (20s) people talking about how they have wanted to leave Winnipeg but the family roots keep them here and the fact that they can't afford to leave keeps them here.
Its almost like the frog in the warm water.
They slowly get cooked....but because the termperature only rises gradually and not all at once, they stay until its too late.
I know many people with enough University degrees to paper a small house and still don't dont' have a job or don't have a job that requires more than highschool.
Yes...there must be something in the Winnipeg water.
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<>...
"Lorne Vandersteen" lvan...@shaw.NOSPAM.ca
4. Those who don't have a Univeristy Degree, started out 15 years ago and actually took an entry level job and worked their way up.
And stay here because they honestly like the city/province with all it has to offer.
As for being a mamma's boy, well you could get bitch slapped by saying that to someone, but then again this is a non violent group right. It's just typing so you can pick/pick/pick/pester/jab and actually be surprised when someone says they'd like to smack your teeth down your throat. Good thing for progress.
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" <taylorc...@shaw.ca> wrote in message ...
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
Oh you are partly right.
Many who went to RRC and stayed here by starting at the bottom are MUCH better off than those who went to university and stayed.
But the University ones....in fact...I would suggest that many who went to University and DIDN'T leave Winnipeg were/are nuts!
Yes..the smart ones went to RRC and started at the bottom and worked their ways up..
I have a few friends who took the RRC thing 20 years ago and have been on with some of the strongest unions since and quite happily am***ed a small fortune in t bills and mutual funds etc by 40 Part of the problem is image.
Many who went to or are still going to University somehow think that they deserve better and wait, and wait, and wait for that dream job to pop up in Winnipeg....eventually realizing that it never will.
They don't leave because of...you guessed it ...family.
Thats the crutch.
Somehow..they were raised to be home bodies..and mammas boys.
So sure...the advice is to either 1. get a quick RRC certificate if you even need that and start at the bottom 2. get your university degree and LEAVE WINNIPEG IMMEDIATELY!
Some are fortunate enough to know how to run a business (restaurants are Winnipegs forte') then you can stay here and carve out a reasonable living.
Of course we have the very rare Asper and Katz and Graves and Cohens and Kives super stories of entrepreneurial uber success....but so many others who just beat their heads against the wall for years.
I'm looking at this bar called Crowbar which opened again about 2 months ago on Portage/Maryland after doing some really nice rennovations.
The sign on the door (closed) already says..."sorry no blues jam tonite..due to lack of interest".
Its such a typical story in Winnipeg.
The story is usually along the lines of ...a couple has one of the spouses get laid off and get a buyout.
They've always dreamed of opening a bar, or a garage or a restaurant.
They convince a few friends (like the Mother tuckers story) to throw in a few grand as seed money and they open up.
Within a month or two its pretty obvious that they were way over their heads..and it just ain't working.
Emotion goes beyond reason..and they chuck more money at it....in hopes to save the corpse.
Eventually reality hits with a few more unpaid $5,000 rent and heat bills......
Auction time.
Spouse now figures....damn'... now where to go work.
Its all very textbook in Winnipeg.
Although I did skim one of Zig Ziglars most recent books at the library..and sure.. one could prop oneself up again with the ol' College try rah' rah'...and try again in a business...but its a crap shoot all right.
The big sellers now seem to be mattress and bed companies.... who knew?
but you don't have to go too far to find working cl*** Winnipeggers really wondering if this is the place to stay and raise the kids...
If you can spend all your time in Whiteridge or Farm road then you could quite nicely ignore the look of the downtown and the bad vibe on the street.
...
parents..grandparents..the
theclyde thecl...@happy-gods.com
On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 21:39:28 GMT, "Lorne Vandersteen" I would fit closely into that category.
locomach ...@hotmail.com (Ricardo)
Man.. I'm glad I'm outta U of M (suspended). Sounds like I'll be a lot better off going to Red River (on waiting list now.. may go to equivelent school like CDI, etc.).
No offense taylorchuck.. but man.. your a little jaded. You may have a lot of qualifications (don't ALL commerce grads graduate with 'honors'?) - but you show no "progression". They are all standalone qualifications - and thats likely why you're having so many problems.
If your that smart.. why didn't you go for a comp sci degree and then an MBA?
Rick..
"w4spi ...@wpg.flame" <w4spi
I would think most people do mind you there are a few that simply can't find work because they are qualified for nothing. I believe the original poster is one of these.
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
Yeah'...the jaded part started with the net and like so many other cynics got worse with time.
Never said that I was that smart...and as we all know its not just being smart that builds a career.
Its the choosing the right path..having the goals...focus...working hard....
making the breaks happen...keeping up with tech change.
Sure...one would or should be upgrading and getting the certs etc.
Too darn many kids who know more about computers than most adults ever would..so i say that there is very little point taking a Comp Sci degree unless you are a god.
This dot com crash has left thousands of super brains job less around North America.
There are just too many comp sci people around ...and what companies want now is people with a few years of actual experience ..not more book knowledge.
MBAs are only worth while if you are prepared to go work outside of Manitoba. Go to Toronto...van... Ottawa...USA.
I would tell young people now to take a trade..so that if your career sputters..then you can jump in and make $25 an hour right away with things like
- welder
- heavy equipment operator
- trailer mechanic
- plumber But with some computer background and not too much experience..you will wind up in a call center or a tech support job for $10 an hour.
If you plod along...or were lucky enough to get on 5 years ago..then you'll do okay..but it won't be a superstar career.
You just never know who will be laying off next.
So have that backup trade..and give thought to self employment.
If you can make a career serving the poverty industry in this town..then you can do okay.
Lawyer- defending the criminals and suck the teat of legal aid to add to your regular corporate clients to make total income of $500k yr.
Accountant- helping people to file bankcruptices Nurse/doctor- help heal the stabbing victims and the drunks social worker- take care of all these people popping out kids with FAS (fetal alchol syndrome) ...
locomach ...@hotmail.com (Ricardo)
I may disagree with your tone.. but I have to agree with a lot of what you're saying..
A guy I know left for the U.S. a couple of years ago.. got layed off in the dot-com bust and committed suicide all within the last year.
And there are a billion of us around.. I've got some experience and a little educuation (1.5 years of comp sci) but am having problems finding work..
Guess we'll see..
Rick..
"??-???¬ taylorchuk ???®|I" taylorc...@shaw.ca
Sorry to hear about your friend and his suicide but I am sure that is going on like crazy in the Silicon valley area and even up here where people with families have blown the wad on a dream.
If you have 1.5 yr of comp sci..then I would quickly bang off some certs because many local jobs are asking for them as simply a way to screen the hundreds of applications.
Bang off the a+..then network +.
then use those two credits towards the Microsoft low end network admin cert.
Then...get the hell out of Winnipeg before it dries you and your career options up like a prune.
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<>...
IBU ibu@u...@none.com
I know of a few MBA's in Winnipeg that are doing quite well w/o having to leave. VP at the age of 33 for a fair size company is quite the accomplishment...and salary isn't the end-all,be-all, sometimes the 'perks' are more rewarding.
rober ...@ibd.nrc.ca (Walter Roberson)
:1. those who graduated and left Winnipeg right away to get a good job and :haven't looked back :2. those who graduated and stayed here and settled for much less and have :always looked back :3. those who graduated and were lucky enough to get on with the government :or a good union and have been blind since birth so they don't look anywhere :but towards their solid pension Your analysis is by no means exhaustive.
I'm a university grad (BSc. in Computer Mathematics) from a different province, after having studied in a couple of different Canadian cities. I worked in my (large-ish) "home town" for several years, and then lived and worked in various places in Europe for most of a year, and then in another large-ish Canadian city before heading back to my home town. I worked at a government job there for a few months, after which they opened a new facility in Winnipeg, which I was asked to ***ist with. I left my family and friends behind and moved here, a decade ago now.
I could have gone to work in "Silicon Valley", but even though the raw pay rate would have been substantially higher, my "standard of living" would have been much lower than here in Winnipeg. Housing prices are *insane* in that area; to be able to afford anything, I would have had to have lived 1+ hour away from my job, meaning I would have had to have taken up the Great American Freeway Lifestyle. There's a lot to be said for living in a nice neighbourhood less than 15 minutes by bicycle from work, with easy access to year-round cultural events such as the Fringe.
I look beyond my gross salary, beyond my pension, and ask "What would it be like to live from day to day in those proverbial American "Lands Of Opportunity?" -- and the answer is pretty much that unless you are on the "top of the heap", a decent job in Winnipeg is a good place to be at.
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