I am seeking an entry to mid level Linux System Administration position or any related opening. Actually I'll take any unrelated opening at this point. I have been unemployed since last May and my family is food bank poor. Unemployment insurance has run out and we are barely scraping by on my wifes paycheck. I'm not looking for crowd funding or donations. I need a job. If you are in a hiring position or someone that could bring this to the attention of someone that is you can help a family of 4 in a big way.
I have many years experience as a System Administrator but only in smaller environments with around 10 - 20 Linux / UNIX systems. I am trying to find a position in a larger Linux environment and expand my skill set. I am trapped in an awkward place where people think I have too much experience for entry level positions and unsuitable for a senior level position because of skills that I lack. My primary job killers are no experience with virtualization, clustering and web site administration. I have no Mac experience. I am also in my late 50's. Computer years are like doggie years so I am about 1000 years old in computer years.
My core skills in Linux/UNIX System Administration are solid and should be immediately useful to your team. I'm experienced in installing, configuring and troubleshooting software and file servers using Red Hat & Fedora Linux, HPUX UNIX, Windows and their associated networks. I have experience scripting repetitive Linux tasks. Working via shell is not a problem. I'm experienced with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook). I have a strong background in customer tech support over the phone and training end users in person. I have a very strong desire to learn new skills (I desperately need to learn new skills.) while applying my current skills to any tasks at hand. I have been the primary IT support person for the engineering groups at the companies I've worked for so I am skilled at helping when the printer wont print, copier is jammed, email doesnt work, computer won't boot, etc. etc. etc.
I am available immediately and flexible on my wage. Please make me an offer. My wage expectations have been destroyed and I will accept just about anything. Full time, part time, temporary, anything. Any shift. Send me a private message and I'll send a link to my LinkedIn profile that contains detail on my employment history and should give you more insight into who I am and where I've been. If you think there is a possibility I'll email my resume with full contact info. I'm trying to stay a little hidden because this whole experience is humiliating and I'm embarrassed if past coworkers see me.
This could be you some day. Here is what happened to me. Over the years I've become very specialized in electronics manufacturing and engineering environments. LA county has become increasingly hostile to PCB manufacturers due to chemistry used in their processes. Most of these companies have closed or moved to Orange County. This is why I need to find employment in a different type of company. My wife has a very good job with insurance benefits and we live in her family home that she was born in and are extremely reluctant to sell it. This is why we dont move to Orange County. I have 2 boys, 10 and 12 years old. They don't really understand how broke we are and are relentless in their requests for tennis shoes, video games, movie rentals and countless other mundane things that were always taken for granted in our home. Nothing can make you feel more like a failure than having to chant no, we dont have any money to your kids constantly. A surprising number of people I thought were casual friends like my kids friends parents and such treat me like I have the plaque. I think they're afraid we will ask them for something. I should have seen the writing on the wall for my industry and sought work in data centers of some kind years ago. If you see your industry fading or your skills are to specialized make moves to correct it or life can get very hard very fast.
If you think there's a possibility you can help me find a job, please take the time to try.