Getting a Job...in 2 months

RobAnybody

So this is a bit complicated, but I'll try to break it down in parts.

I hate my job. I am an Assistant Manager at a G.H. Bass & Co. store. I got the job fresh out of college after receiving my degree in Computer Science. I am currently living on the Oregon Coast.

I have a lease at my apartment that will expire in June. As such, I can't really quit my job and move inland, say to Portland, until then.

I am looking to get out of the retail field. I have four years experience with technical support, and now I have a fairly solid background in management. I am currently free-lancing tech support, and it pays about four times what I make at my daytime job. Coupled with my degree, I am hoping to find something that will provide me better pay and be a bit more personally satisfying than selling shoes to people. I want this to be in Portland or the surrounding area, like Wilsonville or Beaverton.

So, I am curious, given that info, if I stand any chance while applying for jobs now, with a caveat on my app like "Will be available in July". I just get the feeling that employers won't want to wait 2+ months for me to finally get out of my lease. On the other hand, if I wait, jobs that might have been open to me will be less likely to remain that way as the summer hits. I have also been getting advice that with the state of the economy, I should be damn happy to have a job and quitting it now would be stupid.

I am still considering posting my resume on a website like Monster or CareerBuilder, or signing up with a temp agency later on if jobs fail to materialize. Any help/advice would be very much appreciated, cause I feel a bit tapped out. Thanks guys.

NateVader

You may be overestimating the speed of job hunting. From sending out your resume to interviewing to accepting a job offer, that can take at least a month and most companies won't expect you to start work right away, usually people need 2 weeks or more to finish up at their current job before moving on. And if they do move fast and they really want you, either they'll be willing to wait, or will pay for you to relocate and make it worth breaking the lease to move early.

Hlubocky

Do you not like programming? I'm trying to figure out why you worked retail out of college instead of getting a job that (probably) pays much more, has better benefits, potential for advancement, 401k, etc. I guess if CS isn't what you want to do, then maybe the helpdesk thing is a good idea, but generally that doesn't provide very much room for advancement.

Totally Boner

I think to answer you question simply, put your resume up on the intertron and apping. Can't hurt anything.

Nitsuj82

Start applying now. To give you an example of how long the interview process actually takes, I will provide my current example (note that most companies do not take this long).

I applied for insurance company X with a friend referral in the beginning of January. I got to speak with an actual live person at the end of that month. I took their personality test (a LOT of corporations are doing this now) in mid February. I got to do an in-person meeting last week. I will be doing a ride-along with two members of their current staff at the beginning of April. My next in-person meeting (part two of the first one) will be on April 28th. It is speculated that I will have at least two more interviews after that. When is the first available training class? June. When will I likely have a chance at getting into one (evidently, they fill up quick)? OCTOBER.

So yes, in summary...apply yesterday.

JNighthawk

What the hell job are you applying for, Nitsuj82? Rocket surgeon?

To answer the OP's question, 2 months is not a long time to find a career-type job. From what I know and what little I've experienced, you're looking at a minimum time of application to first day of 1 to 2 months. In other words, you're fine. Start applying.

Nitsuj82

Risk Consultant. It's a very autonomous position, so they want to make sure you'll do work instead of just screw off and do donuts in the company car all day.

RobAnybody

Wow, thanks for the awesome replies guys.
In response to Hlu, I was kinda burnt out on CS when I graduated, and so I didn't pursue any jobs in the field. The retail thing fell in my lap, and I figured it was something I had never tried before, so what the hell. Management experience is always good to have.

But yeah, the pay is sucky as hell, and I really have a hard time coming home at night and saying, "Yeah, I totally got twelve people to buy shoes today. I rock." Not so much with the satisfaction.

Thanks everyone for the great responses. God, I love these forums. Anyway, I dropped two apps off today, and I will be cruising the internet searching around for IT related jobs.

On a side tangent, do anyone know what the current title would be for support technician? I mean, I have a ton of hardware and software trouble-shooting experience, some server knowledge, plenty of programming background, and a few internet languages. I guess the real question here is, what job encompasses all that? Thanks again for the advice!