What should be my next career move?

[cathycathy]

I graduated from computer science major in 2002. Because the job market is so bad at that time, I took the offer from my current company after finished my co-op in the same company.

My job title is software engineer. My daily job is to design, implement and test software for embedded system. Most of them are in the application level. I used C a lot for new embedded system product and assembly language once in a while to maintain legacy prodcut. I also used html, CGIto design web UI for embedded products.

Because the low pay, poor benefit, non-flexible work hour, I plan to find another job, which has better pay, flexible hour, good benefit. I realized I need some more skill in order to find a better job, but there are so many of them, I don't know where to start.

Could you give me some suggestion about how to prepare for a better job? By the way, I am a femal, I know the salary for femal is usually little bit low, which is okay for me. My goal is either to find a job with less pay but allow me to put more time on the housework or find a job with good pay so that I could pay others to take care my housework.

Thanks in advance.

 

[mrdenny]

Are you looking to do software development in the Windows world, the unix world, the web? Are you looking to move into system administration, database administration, network administration (or engineering for these as well)?

What new skills you'll need to pick up will be dictated by where in the field you want to go.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

(Not quite so old any more.)

 

[Dollie]

Don't resign yourself to lower pay just because you're female!

Do not! Do not! Do not!

If you can do the job as well as or better than a man, then yes you CAN ask for as much as or more money than a man makes. I still believe that IT will be the equalizer that women are looking for to bring them up to the same pay level as men, even though there aren't many women in the field (yet).

Best way to prepare for a better job is to start doing a better job with the one you have now. Be sure projects are completed, your documentation perfect. Don't burn any bridges, try to leave your job on good terms. It's always easier to find a job if you have one, but in this litigious (sp?) society, don't do it on company time.

You may be able to find a job comparable to the one you have now, look in that area first. Research the company that is advertising the job. And be sure that the current owners of the company aren't under SEC investigation ;-)

I'm sure I can come up with a lot more, but this may be a good start.

Hope this helps, good luck with your search!!

 

[EBGreen]

While I agree with you 100% Dollie, If she doesn't live in the US, then it may or may not be practical to demand more money.

[red]"... isn't sanity really just a one trick pony anyway?! I mean, all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you are good and crazy, oooh, oooh, oooh, the sky is the limit!" - The Tick[/red]