I remember seeing a posting a few months back about IT jobs in the Metro... I searched and searched.... but cannot find it... can someone point me to the topic... or if I am dreaming about the thread it does not actually exist.... please start it here....


Anyone have or know of any IT job openings in the metro area? or the best companies to work for in the metro which have IT departments.....

Slim pickins right now (for decent paying ones).

I've been looking for a change of scenery for awhile now.

Slim pickins right now (for decent paying ones).

I've been looking for a change of scenery for awhile now.
:yeahthat:

Same here.

I'm sure you've seen all of these but just in case.....

Oklahoma Information Technology jobs - government jobs (http://www.federaljobsearch.com/cat/OK_computer_systems_job_1.asp?cid=0&tid=52638580)

it Jobs at JobsOK.com (http://jobs.newsok.com/careers/jobsearch/results?view=1;clientid=oklahoman;kAndEntire=it;Se arch_x=34;Search_y=14)

Jobs in Oklahoma City, OK with Local Employers (http://www.jobopenings.net/city-employment.php?state=OK&city=Oklahoma%20City)

Technology jobs in OK - Yahoo! Hotjobs (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/job-search?actualkw=it&kwchanged=1&kw=&locations=OK&industry=MIS&query=locations%3DOK%26kw%3Dit%26ui_kw%3Dit%26&is_loggedin=0&crumb=8F0gedb6P3Q&ui_kw=it)

http://www.okctalk.com/tech-talk/12574-okc-tech-communities.html

hi... thanks.... please define...."change of screnary".... as in what type???

hi... thanks.... please define...."change of screnary".... as in what type???

Change of scenery = I have a decent IT job but I am ready for something else or a new company. Too much B.S. - the list goes on. But I am not going to complain too much... I still have a job.

bretthexum.... PM and please tell me where you work?? what area of IT??

What would you say to someone contemplating moving here from Nevada in relation to IT Jobs... he did networking, computer repair, some web design, has some MS certification and some other certs ( not sure what) when he did his own thing, he was making about $60 an hour in CA.... what are the chances of finding something like that here in OK or even remotely close to that sort of hourly rate?

Do you know of any companies that he might consider in the next few months?

And is Dell strictly a call center? He is asking me what I know of the IT field here in OK and since I know next to nothing, I thought I'd ask our experts here.

What should I tell him about IT here in OK? Salary? Chance of getting and keeping a job? etc?

This guy is in a bad place and feeling pretty desperate about now .. help me please to know what to tell him.

so.... are there any jobs available or not????

No clue on local IT setting .. the folks I rely upon are centralized within the company and they are stationed a wee bit north of Dallas. I can reach them when i need to, and they can resolve matters for me long distance so thus far I'm happy.

IMO, unless he has some serious high-level credentials in a specialized/severely under-served field, or is looking for director-level or above positions, there's no way he going to get $60/hour in a corporate setting in Oklahoma. He might get close by doing consulting/contracting, assuming his skills are in high demand.

Dell is pretty-much all call center. They have positions for high-level / 3rd tier support available (I checked into it), but it's call center work all the same.

I've just started in a new job myself, but it took me a little over a year of looking to find something that was a good fit and had the money I needed. Luckily, I was never unemployed during my search or it would have been a much more stressful process. Good luck to your friend.

Yeah, that's what I thought too... thanks for the input.

At this point, I don't think he is set on getting that sort of salary here.. I personally think it's all relative... home prices, cost of living etc etc ... his wife's family is here so they are considering trying to relocate, but then again, they are concerned about the IT prospects here.

Any other opinions on this field here in OK?

I forgot to add, he had his own company for awhile too..I wonder how that might go here in OK... things are slowing everywhere but everyone still needs computer repair and networking right?

Does anyone know what the going rate for in house Computer Repair/Maintenance is?

Karrie, there are many spectrums of IT that compensate on different levels. And many large scale companies and facilities have in-house IT as opposed to those who do not. An any given IT department, you will have a helpdesk group, security group, software development and NT engineering (I am building my credentials to be an NT Engineer).

At this point, software support and NT Administrator positions are highest in demand, followed by network administrators and database security.

There is no going rate for in-house computer repair. The market rate in Oklahoma is roughly $45/hour, and higher if you run your own business. But pick your employer carefully. A glass company in Houston believed that $32,000 a year was a good rate for an NT Administrator. Boy were they wrong!

I cannot disclose my salary on here other than to say I am compensated well for my position here in Houston, and several major Oklahoma City companies pay the same as here in Houston for my position. I am an NT Administrator and software security analyst, if you are curious. And here's a tip for your friend in Nevada. If you want damn good job security in IT, apply at any major hospital for IT. They will always need you. Trust me.

Thanks Chris for the input... I appreciate it.

I would strongly suggest applying for employment with the State. In all honesty, it almost never pays on par with the private sector, but it's one of the last jobs you can get with a pension. It also has good healthcare. Plus, once you get your foot in the door, if you don't like the agency you work at, you can apply for jobs at other agencies, and it makes the application/interview process easier if you are already a state worker. Here's the list of openings for state jobs; it's updated weekly, and there are IT jobs: OPM - Unclassified Postings (http://www.ok.gov/opm/opm_html/unclassified_jobs.htm)

Plus it's almost impossible to get fired. Gravy train! :Smiley259

Federal pays better.

:tiphat:

There seems to be alot of high level jobs... and entry level jobs.... in the middle... not much open at the moment...

Thanks all for the suggestions!

Plus it's almost impossible to get fired. Gravy train! :Smiley259

Sort of. There are two types of job positions in our State government; classified and un-classified. Classified is the old-school positions. They are the ones that are difficult to get fired from (the amount of documentation needed to fire someone is insane). These positions also typically pay less.

Un-classified is what the State is attempting to move to. It's a more traditional job type, and it falls under the "at-will" status, meaning they can fire you for pretty much any reason, as compared to the classified jobs. But the un-classified positions typically pay better as well.

And yes, Federal jobs almost always pay better :)

Anyone know of any network or System Admin jobs out there in the OKC metro area for someone who has 3-5 years of experience in the industry?

Anything from any internal openings listed within your company?

noone???

Unfortunately, it isn't a good time to look for IT jobs with the state at the moment. State budget cuts, along with the pending reorganization of IT functions (House Bill 1170) have more than a few keeping an eye out for a new gig.

Check out usajobs.gov. I see quite a few openings from time to time at Tinker. Also, L3 and some of the other tech placement agencies have contracts with FAA and other local government offices. I have had a few friends start out as a contractor, which opened the door for a full time position with the Federal agency.

Good luck!

I would strongly suggest applying for employment with the State. In all honesty, it almost never pays on par with the private sector, but it's one of the last jobs you can get with a pension. It also has good healthcare. Plus, once you get your foot in the door, if you don't like the agency you work at, you can apply for jobs at other agencies, and it makes the application/interview process easier if you are already a state worker. Here's the list of openings for state jobs; it's updated weekly, and there are IT jobs: OPM - Unclassified Postings (http://www.ok.gov/opm/opm_html/unclassified_jobs.htm)

Yeah, pensions are a dying breed. I'm fortunate (at least for now?) to have put in nearly a quarter-century at a company that still does a traditional pension, but they've discontinued it for new hires.

Late getting to this thread but I think the market is pretty decent here. You've got large energy companies all with their own IT departments (Devon, Chesapeake, Sand Ridge, etc) you've got large hospitals with the same, you've got the State and Federal jobs and you've got loads of government contractors like L3 and others that are always hiring. And don't forget about LexisNexus, EDS, HobbyLobby, Sonic and other larger companies also.

With the cost of living here, low unemployment rate and climate, I think OKC is a great place to work and live. I would like to see more options for developers however. It would be great if we could get some game development companies to open studios here and perhaps even some large development companies.

Can someone earn $60/hour, most definitely. That works out to about $120k a year for a 40 hour work week and that's certainly possible but it's not going to happen by accident. Right now there is fierce competition between some of the larger companies because jobs in other cities are just paying better so people are moving.

I think 2010 is going to be an excellent year for tech jobs in OKC.

Late getting to this thread but I think the market is pretty decent here. You've got large energy companies all with their own IT departments (Devon, Chesapeake, Sand Ridge, etc) you've got large hospitals with the same, you've got the State and Federal jobs and you've got loads of government contractors like L3 and others that are always hiring. And don't forget about LexisNexus, EDS, HobbyLobby, Sonic and other larger companies also.

I would loooooove to know where you're getting your information from concerning these companies.

I've been job hunting for a month here and I've tried all those companies. The pay they offer is substandard, not that they're offering any jobs, unless you're an H1-B employee who will work for barely minimum wage.

I refuse to use a "staffing" employer, like TEKsystems; I'm not going to hand over part of my salary after working so hard for my degree.

The state of IS/IT jobs in this city is horrible.



With the cost of living here, low unemployment rate and climate, I think OKC is a great place to work and live. I would like to see more options for developers however. It would be great if we could get some game development companies to open studios here and perhaps even some large development companies.


The lower cost of living is only applicable if the salaries here are comparable to other states. They aren't.

On top of that is a push to build more and more "young professional"-style housing in the downtown area that is priced the same as other large cities, if not higher in some cases. This will never work if the jobs don't exist.

As for game development studios here? No thanks. My last boyfriend worked for EA. It was the worst 6 months of his life, and mine.

I would loooooove to know where you're getting your information from concerning these companies.

I've been job hunting for a month here and I've tried all those companies. The pay they offer is substandard, not that they're offering any jobs, unless you're an H1-B employee who will work for barely minimum wage.

I refuse to use a "staffing" employer, like TEKsystems; I'm not going to hand over part of my salary after working so hard for my degree.

The state of IS/IT jobs in this city is horrible.



The lower cost of living is only applicable if the salaries here are comparable to other states. They aren't.

On top of that is a push to build more and more "young professional"-style housing in the downtown area that is priced the same as other large cities, if not higher in some cases. This will never work if the jobs don't exist.

As for game development studios here? No thanks. My last boyfriend worked for EA. It was the worst 6 months of his life, and mine.

Yeah I've been kind of half looking myself and there isn't much at all for IT jobs that pay well. And I completly agree about the recruiting places... thanks but no thanks. It's all about who you know... which isn't good for people like us.

I work in Dallas and live in OKC. That is how awesome the OKC job market is.

I work in Dallas and live in OKC. That is how awesome the OKC job market is.

Bleh, how bad is the commute?

I know I'm going to have to deal with some sort of commute to find a decent job, but I don't think I could handle that far of one. Not for very long.

Its frustrating me to no end that in a "major" city, I'm having to look so far for a decent job.

I can't imagine that... You'd have to stay in Dallas during the week and come home on weekends wouldn't you?

Its frustrating me to no end that in a "major" city, I'm having to look so far for a decent job.

Well that is where people in this city need to get over themselves. This "Big League" and "Major" city BS is just PR junk from City Hall to try to boost the image of a town. Unfortunately, its going to take more than an NBA team to get us to that level. Could OKC become a major city? Sure, over time. We still have a long way to go in diversification of our economy and truly offering a wide variety of great paying jobs. However, we are young whereas Dallas and such are much more mature cities that have been established for awhile.

While I love it here, OKC is only a medium-sized or mid-major city that provides a little of everything but doesn't have the benefits (or drawbacks) of a city like Chicago, Dallas, or Denver. Some day, but not yet. One last point I will say, for us to get there though, requires less brain drain and a higher retention of the talent here to start up new businesses. Since this is about IT...look at programming firms. You are doing to see a roughly 4 to 1 margin in favor of a city like Dallas or Austin compared to OKC. That's mainly because people who grew up/went to school in OKC transplant down to Dallas or Austin doing a better job retaining kids after they are done at UT.

I can't imagine that... You'd have to stay in Dallas during the week and come home on weekends wouldn't you?

Yep, that is what I do from time to time. I have an employer who let's me work at home mostly. Then for certain meetings I make a day trip down there... and when certain vendors are in town, I need to stay for the week.

For instance, I drove down this morning from my house in OKC at 6am and rolled into the offive at 9. I will leave Dallas ~6 and get home around 9:30. It isn't toooo bad. Just takes some getting used to.

I would loooooove to know where you're getting your information from concerning these companies.
I work for one of them. My pay is high considering my title. I'm usually on the high side of most of the salary survey's I've seen and if not above the highest, I'm very close to it. When you add in cash bonuses and other benefits, I'm paid more than every single survey I've seen. But then again, I have years of experience in the industry I'm in.


I've been job hunting for a month here and I've tried all those companies. The pay they offer is substandard, not that they're offering any jobs, unless you're an H1-B employee who will work for barely minimum wage.
I'm sorry you're struggling but I've found work even in other industries that wasn't substandard pay....something which is subject to interpretation. While the pay that I have may not be normal, it's still possible and it may take a bit of negotiating skill. I would say that govt contract work is the worst paying of all but I was still able to pull down $46k with one of the contractors and I only had a new CS degree to my credit for this industry....my previous industry experience (mentioned above) was not applicable.



I refuse to use a "staffing" employer, like TEKsystems; I'm not going to hand over part of my salary after working so hard for my degree.
Ok but I found all my jobs without these services. I wish you all the best in your job search. It sucks to have to look for a job but try to stay positive.


The state of IS/IT jobs in this city is horrible.
I disagree. My experience has been pretty good and everyone I know that works in IS/IT is employed and most are very happy with their positions. I'm sorry you're struggling.




As for game development studios here? No thanks. My last boyfriend worked for EA. It was the worst 6 months of his life, and mine.
Well EA is just one game company and I would much rather see a whole slew of game companies than just one but if EA decided to open a game studio here, they would not have any trouble staffing it.

Oklahoma is simply losing too many high tech jobs to other states.

I've been in IT for 7 years working with Peoplesoft. I ended up leaving OKC for Denver. The IT job market here in Colorado is substantially better than it was back in Oklahoma. Didn't want to leave but sadly had to. When you get an offer that basically doubles your salary, you go wherever that takes you :)

I'm looking to relocate to the OKC area from Fort Worth, TX. I have no certifications, and my degree is in the humanities! But, I have six years of experience working for a local college, where I am progressively getting involved in databases and the programming logic of our student information system. One of my major tasks is setting up and testing the trade of electronic transcripts between institutions, something I have now had success with in six states and over a hundred schools in all.

I would like to find a job at an OKC-area college or university designing and running queries and working with programmers to ease access to student records, but most of what I see requires a degree, certification, or many more years of experience than what I have.

I'd like to find a job that pays at least double minimum wage per hour. Any advice?

Robert

Shouldn't have much of a problem finding a job that pays that low... I think you could get better for your experience

Shouldn't have much of a problem finding a job that pays that low... I think you could get better for your experience

Well as you said in an earlier post, it is all about who you know. And I know nobody...!

Robert

Well as you said in an earlier post, it is all about who you know. And I know nobody...!

Robert
I think you might find success in job hopping for a bit. Work at one place while looking for the next move to better pay and more responsibility. I think after a few hops you'll find a much nicer paying job. I don't think doubling minimum wage would be difficult...hell Geek Squad pays like $10 or $11 an hour.

In the meantime it might be helpful to start studying for some certs. I know that certs are often over rated and/or don't impart true mastery or even knowledge of a subject but they do help to lend credibility to your name and that matters a lot to HR personnel who are very often chicken when it comes to hiring someone without a degree.

However, you have over 5 years xp so perhaps you should look for some govt work. Post your resume out on the big websites like monster, dice, careerbuilder, etc and see what happens. You might be surprised to find companies come calling.

I have a co-worker that is regularly contacted for jobs by headhunters because he's worked with them for many years and they have a relationship which he's been able to milk for more and more interviews/job offers. They know that when they place him, he will work his ass off and in another 2-5 years, he'll get restless again and want to jump so they're constantly forwarding leads to him.

Anyways, good luck.

Yep, that is what I do from time to time. I have an employer who let's me work at home mostly. Then for certain meetings I make a day trip down there... and when certain vendors are in town, I need to stay for the week.

For instance, I drove down this morning from my house in OKC at 6am and rolled into the offive at 9. I will leave Dallas ~6 and get home around 9:30. It isn't toooo bad. Just takes some getting used to.

That actually doesn't sound too bad.

I had plenty of offers in Dallas, but chose to move here and be near my family.

The job hunt here is looking bleaker than ever. Maybe I'll give it a few more weeks then start thinking about a good commuter vehicle. Even with paying for an apartment in Dallas, and a house here, I'd still be banking more than double what I would with a job here.