Get out of Columbus ASAP. Go to Portland, San Francisco, Raleigh, New York, or leave the USA - we're headed into worse economic times than the early '70s, things may get very grim here. Also if you're into Linux, spring for RedHat or Novell certification. You can hang out in the sysadmin world for a bit while you save up to continue your education, build a track record, and gain valuable practical experience. Learn to present a good resume and keep applying for jobs - the worst that can happen is that you don't get a phone call.