Need advice for a job hunt for a new graduate!!!

[insaneElf]

I recently graduated from University with Computer Science degree. Unfortunately, I didn't have either co-op or internship. Therefore, I don't have any professional experience. I cannot find any employment in IT field because of that. Eventually, I want to do business systems design and project management. Could you advise me on my future career steps and development as a professional.

Thank you!

 

[sostek]

You answered your own question.

Try to seek out an internship somewhere. You school probably has a placement officer or some such that can help you locate organizations bringing in interns.

 

[insaneElf]

Thank you sostek for the advice,

but my school's placement office wasn't that helpful. On my third year when I looked into possibility to have internship through school they said that they don't have anybody who would be responsible for finding internships for students from CoSc department. So, I was left all by myself in finding a job afterwards. And to get an internship, you have to do it through school.

But thank you for the advice)))

 

[mrdenny]

You are going to need to start in an entry level position and work your way up from there. You'll probably end up starting in a help desk or tech support possition and move up from there.

With no experience and only a degree your going to have to start at the bottom of the ladder, pay your dues and get the experience. Once you are in the door of a company it's much easier to move around from the inside.

Personally I started working for the tech support department of an ISP. From there I moved into a DBA role. I ended up spending about 5 years working for the company overall.

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.)

 

[dennisbbb]

New guns always think their degree is worth something. That's not the case at all. Start as the dishwasher, then, the veggie chopper, then the cook assistant, then the main chef.

In the IT support world, that's how it work. All seats are taken on the the top.

 

[mrdenny]

I was trying to be a little less blunt.

I've got no idea why. I'm just in a be less blunt mood today.

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.)

 

[dennisbbb]

One thing is for sure, if you are talented and a real guru, you will move up the latter really fast. If not in title, at least in pay, and responsibilities.

As for being blunt, if you are an idiot, even if you get your foot into the MIS department, you will find out you cannot touch anything. Your team will thank you if you simply resign.

No.... do not format c: on the boss'es notebook. hehehe

 

[oh2bemagic]

Regarding HR or initial interviewers......
"There are 10 kinds of people, those who understand binary, and those who do not."

The company has no focus if they have no technical breadth in the HR, or the hiring manager. You don't want to work for them anyway, I think these others guys have been giving you sound advise all along. ---Magic

 

[oh2bemagic]

I meant to add, qualify the interviewer and company.... you are interviewing them as much as they are you, when you find the right chance to jump in and get your experience you'll know it.

BUT, one way or the other you do need to pay some dues, or no-one, manager or subordinate, will ever respect you.

 

[sostek]

InsaneElf - It's too bad your schools placement office isn't better equipped to help you.

Here's another tip to find internships. Find out who the hr people are at the various companies and organizations you'd like to work for. Also find out who the company officers are, etc.

Then start sending resumes and cover letters that clearly state you're looking for a paid or even non-paid internship.

In addition, look at non-profits and offer to help. Lots of them have IT systems that are in dire need of support and the piecemeal approach hasn't helped them at all.

Oh, and government, including local and state can always use interns. Look into that.

 

[Zilflic]

To add to sostek's prev post I would recommend checking out some local professional organizations in the fields you are interested. Talk to them and network. Many may know if their company is looking for interns or of other companies that need interns. When I first graduated I had a guy I met at one of those types of meetings pass on my resume to three different companies.

 

[arevaloj]

InsaneElf - are you looking for an internship or a job?? If you're a recent graduate, then I guess you probably want the latter.

The previous posts are definitely valid but Zilflic brings up a very good point. Sometimes, its not what you know, its who you know. Networking, social terms not IT, is very valuable in job hunting. Employers tend to hire those referred by good working employees and sometimes even offer incentives to them. So its a win/win for you and your contact.

 

[blutekhnd]

Definitely talk to the people around you, that you are looking for a job in <enter field here>. You don't know who might have the connection you are looking for. When I graduated in Dec '03, I was pushing resumes all over the internet, checking newspapers everyday, and so on. Got my first job in the field, because my brother-in-law told his neighbor that I had recently graduated and was looking for an IT job. That neighbor happened to be the executive assistant to the CEO of a small company. They happened to be in the market for an entry level IT person, but had no intentions of advertising it. She took my resume into work and VOILA, I was interviewed and hired.

The moral of this story is... don't just network IT pros, anyone might have the connection to a job. Most companies advertise jobs only as a last resort, they'd rather have an internal connection no matter how tenuous. In my case, my contact to the company was a stranger.

Been here a year now.

 

[insaneElf]

Thank you guys for your replays. I'll keep you posted on my job hunt)

 

[mmorancbt]

You can go back and read my replies in this forum to get the full scoop but I am a big believer in starting your IT career almost any place but in an IT department.

IT departments are notoriously myopic. Job function is typically metered out in well-defined blocks, limiting lateral movement and exposure to new technologies.

I point people to smaller organizations - those who may not have a full-time IT department and take a job in administrative assistance. Could be in Finance, HR, Sales, Marketing, etc.

Then, help them use their existing technology in useful ways. Offer to take on projects that are not being done and let them know your aspirations.

Develop MS Office productivity apps, help them work with their current IT vendors, and provide great value. You will have an open meal ticket.

You may not have an IT title but it is very likely you will have an IT career long before like educated peers who work help desk for 2,3,4,5 years.

Just a thought.

Matthew Moran
Read my career blog at:

http://www.cbtoolkit.com

Career Blog:

http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/pm/career/

Todo esta bien.. Todo esta divertido (it's all good, it's all fun)

 

[rliebsch]

small companies are a good way to go.

Also, if you become dedicated IT at a small company, you get to learn all of what IT is and find innovative ways to implement technology...

Users, Applications, workstations, servers, networks, all the gadgets in between.



Robert Liebsch
Stone Yamashita Partners

http://www.stoneyamashita.com/

 

[arthurliz]

I would agree that you are more valuable anywhere but the IT Gulag.

Users and key user advocates (read as marketing managers or procduction managers) LOVE individuals who work for them and who understand what the users do and then just happen to LOVE IT.

This is how I detooured out of the IT Kamps almost three decades ago and kept on running until I got to be president of a Stock Exchange Member Firm.

Does not mean I still can't be technical or still can't be close to what IT does, as after all this financial instution uses runs on IT and uses IT to get ahead.

But the reality is that you will always be pegged by some idiot in the IT Kamps and you will never be able to shake it.

The best analagy of IT cultures is that it is the same as the culture of the very blue collar world of places like steel mills and auto assembly plants.

Go rent the movie "Rudy" about the son of a steel worker who wanted to run against type and go to college.

Substitute steel mill with IT and you will get the message real fast as to the cultural environment of IT and why, even though you know it, you want to be as far from it as possible.

 

[johnpoole]

tough room, but honest. starting at the bottom is a given, bad news is most post recogmend starting at the bottom of a different field.. but they are right, we see it wanta-be's in every company, 5 year old degree and still stuck at a lower level job because of who they know or didn't know. find an it dept and ask for the job no one else wants and then do it perfect, take pride in your work and you will get bumped up the chain

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[PennyH]

Working for a small company is GREAT advice. Yes, you still have to start at the bottom, but working for a company with < 5 in the IT department means everyone has to get involved sooner or later, and you end up learning and getting experience. If they don't then pay you commiserate with your ability to learn and cover other people's jobs, then take your experience with you and move on to the larger companies with experience behind your belt.

Penny