Reddit mentions of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0: 1,001 Unconventional Tips, Tricks and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job

> If I get this cert, can it alone get me a job in the IT field, or do I need something more?

We see this question pop up over and over again. "I want to get into networking, will the CCNA get me a job?"

No, it won't.

Everyone and their dog has a CCNA who wants to get into networking. As of 2005 there are over 700,000 in the world, probably with a good majority of that in the United States. 2005 was almost 7 years ago, I'm sure those numbers have grown quite a bit too.

You want to get a good job? You have to people network.

1. Get on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) and start people networking. I'm not going to explain LinkedIn to you, there is plenty of information out there.
   
   
2. Go to your local Cisco Users Group. If there isn't one in your town, ask your local Cisco office or a Cisco VAR (value added reseller) if they can help you start a group.
   
   
3. Make your own business cards and become your own consultant. Be an "IT Consultant" for "helldvr Computer Services" or something more ingenious than what I can think of off hand. VistaPrint is your friend, and don't get the free ones, they make you look cheap when you want to look professional. Hand them out at the Cisco Users Group.
   
   
4. Read books on how to find a job and how to sell. Read this book - Guerilla Marketing - http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Marketing-Job-Hunters-Unconventional/dp/0470455845
   
   
5. Read this other book - Little Red Book of Sales Answers: 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money - http://www.amazon.com/Little-Red-Book-Sales-Answers/dp/0131735365/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323129165&sr=8-1
   
   
6. Check your local chamber of commerce web site and start researching companies in your area. Once you find a few that you would like to work for, contact the CIO / CTO of the company and ask to do an informational interview because you want to know what it's like to work in IT for a company. If you don't know what an informational interview is, Google it.
   
   You do all this and more, chances are you won't be a help desk grunt hating life and not moving up.

Read a book. You're most likely not getting your resume in front of the right people, or, if you are getting it in front of the right people then you're not wowing them enough for them to call you back.

Write your resume in a way that makes everything sound amazing, but still be completely honest. DO NOT LIE. If you lie on your resume, you're probably going to get called in for a technical interview and it's going to be fairly obvious that you don't know what's on your resume.

Remove any unnecessary information though. It's kind of a balancing act. After that, contact any contracting company in the area. Most positions that cater to people who have little to no experience are filled by contracting companies.

Network. No I don't mean computer networking. I mean go out and meet people. Most jobs are filled because someone knew someone who had some pull somewhere. Get on LinkedIn (I actually have no idea if LinkedIn is even popular in India, use whatever professional social network is popular) and join user groups. Add people that you know and have them introduce you to people who you would like to know.

Go to any local user groups (like Cisco Users Group). They usually meet once a month and it's filled with people who have connections. Toastmasters here in the US is also a great place to go to meet people. I don't know if there is anything similar in India but I would look around.

Bottom line is this: without experience you're not going to find a job super easily. Putting together a fantastic (notice I didn't just say good or even great. Fantastic) resume and meeting people is your best bet.