Network Network Network!!! Meat your resume!! and keep on trying....Keep searching/ if you have to join a temp agency for experience.

I am in a similar position as you I really had a difficult time finding a tech job.

You've "looked", but have you taken any action? Like posting your resume (professionally reviewed, of course), taking temp/telecommuting jobs to grow your network, looking on local BBS/forums (like Craigslist in your area), etc....lots of work out there, online or in person.

So you got an AAS, and you're going to ITT, but you can't afford to get an A+? I think the A+ test is what $90?

Are you working FULL TIME? If so man you're getting owned at your current job, and the only thing you can do about it is to get more skills to get a better job.

$90 is a small price to pay if that's all it takes to get you into a job making at least double what you make now.

Good luck.

Get a book from the library that tells you about making CV's and resumes.

Bash out your resume/cv, get your family and friends to read it.
Take the feedback and polish polish polish.

With a bunch of Cv's in hand go to every single recruitment agency you can find (particularly those specialising in IT) and register.

I have done this twice and it got me a job both times. I don't think I ever landed a job from a newspaper advert. The first time initially the agency got me a bum job, but I took it and stayed at the top of their pile, in only a few months a better job came up and they contacted me.

The other job I got was from networking, an old friend's company was recruiting he told me and put in good word so I was ahead of the competition. Only half the jobs are advertised and for most of those the candidate has been chosen already, the company is just going through the motions, the other half never get advertised. ALWAYS stay in touch with your aquaintences.

Look up tech companies and cold call them, even if nothing comes of it, after the first couple of calls you will start to get brave, it will make you more confident and you never know! You will find out stuff how different companies are organised with their HR, some will pass you around hundreds of numbers some will take your details. You got nothing to lose everything to gain and you will always learn something. When you do land a job your employer will notice your confident and excellent phone manner, and will be scratching his head how the hell you know so much about all his competing companies!

Volunteer. Find a community group that means something to you (model railroad club, environmental group, etc), and offer to provide them with the computer expertise that you have to offer. Do they need a web site? Need help putting together the newsletter? Whatever. Come up with a project that will help the organization and uses the skills you want to develop.

First of all, this gives you a wonderful project to list on your resume. Nobody who reads about it will care whether you were paid; they're only looking for "can this person do this work?"

Plus, since you're a volunteer, you can grow your skills. That is, if you haven't done a web site before, nobody will be bothering you about deadlines because they aren't paying you to get it done by a particular date. That gives you the freedom to do it _right_, a freedom you don't ordinarily have in a job. (And since this is aimed at improving your marketability, for darn sure you do want to do it right.) Another advantage to the volunteer gig is that you can get a grateful reference -- someone who's thrilled that you did the work.

And a side effect is... it's networking. While you spend time working with and helping an organization you care about, you'll be meeting other people. And you'll be saying, "I sure want to find a better tech job than the one I have." Don't be surprised if someone asks for your resume and brings it to work, saying, "I know this person from my railroad club, and he's really cool, and I know you have an opening for...."

Because that is *exactly* how I got my first programming job. I'd finished school with a 4.0 average but was having a terrible time finding that first position. My local Mensa chapter needed someone to fill in on the board for a few months (while someone was on maternity leave), and without any particular agenda I said yes. It turned out that the chairman worked at a big company nearby, and he gave my resume to a buddy. Two weeks later I had an interview. Three weeks later I had the job of my (then) dreams.