What the hell do I do with this information?

[BigV]

Good, good question, my friend.

My philosopher/elocutionist suit is at the cleaners just now, so I'll have to beg you to try to hang on through some unfiltered free association--- [launch]

30% is helpdesk and 70% is programming ?? you're not reading between the lines or enough papers/job websites/etc. You're working one of those beyond the 100% jobs you pigeonholed. Not all IT racket jobs are helpdesk or programmer period.

A better question is, and I'm stone cold serious here, what the heck do you want to do? I'm guessing get paid, enjoy the people the mission and the technology you're working with, not have to travel too far (or maybe a lot of travel... whatever). But my point is find, define the what you want, *then* and only then, go looking for jobs being advertised (not to derail myself here, but that's the thinnest weakest f*ckin pool there is to fish in.. seriously, but that's another thread), now that you've outlined what you dig doing, go find some lead that has good potential to deliver those quality of life aspects. Here's where you have to trust me.. the technology, the pay, will follow. Honest.

The whole job posting job searching dance is more like a mating ritual than anything else. The employer has needs and the employer has wants. Some of each of those categories are known and advertised, but almost by definition, some are unknown and if they're listed, they're done so with a less than complete knowledge of what is behind what they've asked for or why it's important or how to evaluate it.

SD, you have chops, I know, I am in much the same position, and my skillz, wide and shallow though they may be, represent an intimidating ocean of knowledge of unknown depth and breadth to many of the people involved in making the hiring decision. You're like the elephant to those blind men--some see your programming words on the resume and call you a programmer. Some see the titles and call you a manager. Some see the hardware words and call you a technician. Good grief.

Undertoad has nailed it (natch) again. The requirements are often insane. "Throw that in there, I read it on the news the other day." You're valuable *because* your knowledge is hard won and not common. **YOU** use it every day and that familiarity can (and perhaps has bred) breed contempt. Don't buy into that, please.

I'm a generalist, you sound kind of like that too. If I'm mischaracterizing you and your experience, please accept my apology, I intend no offense. But that's still very valuable. To somebody. That's the kicker, of course.

And most valuable to the organization that whose understanding of what the heck they need is the thinnest. How can you count on them to accurately portray those needs in an ad? If they could freakin understand it enough to advertise for it, they'd already have somebody that could be doing the job!

Now, employers are not all idiots, we both know that. But please please please don't get hung up on the job descriptions. God, if ever there was a real world example of the proverb "Don't judge a book by its cover", job hunting (and job filling) based on the advertisment and the resume would be it.

That ad? It's like that come hither eye batting look them womenfolk break out (sometimes ). It's just a start, an opening gambit. Look at your own resume. Is that you? If it is, then it's too long by 100 pages for its intended purpose. You're not your resume any more than the job is the ad. It is just a worm on a hook.

But it can be a tasty looking worm, for both sides. All I'm saying is don't for one second believe that the only two types of jobs are helpdesk and programmer. Not the case, f'realz. And I get the sense you're not even interested in either one of those. Which, mercifully, brings me and you back to my first question.

What do you want to do? Tell us about it.