Feel stuck with no way out
Hey guys, I've been an "IT manager" for a small agency for a couple years now and cannot find a better position to get out. It's more of a solo IT person job now, where I report to the CIO alongside another manager who handles infrastructure. I used to manage junior contractors but with cuts it’s just me. Aside from that, every 3-6 months we have a scare we are going to be shut down and lose our jobs.
I've tried using AI to help rewrite my resume to try and find a better opportunity but doesn't seem to have helped in getting more interviews. The interviews I feel I do well in, I don't hear back. The ones I feel I did badly, I get low balled so even though I want to take the position I cannot due to financial responsibilities. The positions I've been applying to are IT Manager, IT Lead, and some cybersecurity positions but no luck.
I know the market is bad for IT in general but wanted to see if anyone has had any luck with another strategy. The longer I stay here the less technical I feel I become. I am trying to do some home labs to learn just because at work we don't have access to a lot of tools. I don’t have my bachelor’s degree yet, was hoping to go back for it next year but have heard that might not help get a better job but is good to have completed. I know it’s worse for others, thankfully I am still employed for now. Any help or guidance is appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Update: Hey all thank you for the advice. Got lots of useful info I will try to implement and get it updated this week. If I can post an updated resume after I will with the results. Appreciate you kind folks.