The software, IT and technology markets are highly competitive and all companies are looking for the best talent. Summer jobs, internships, lab work, certifications and additional training are all avenues to make yourself stand out. Our experts have outlined some tips for students that will ultimately help you find the right job.
Take Advantage
Create a Profile and take the Certifications. Do not worry if you think you are too young to take them – if that’s true, you will always have the opportunity to take it again, later. By taking it early, though, you can quickly get a sense of where you stand and your results can help guide your studies and supplementary training.
Focus on Your Studies
Stay focused on doing as well as you can in school. Take classes that interest you whenever possible, but especially classes from which you will learn the skills the technology industry demands.
Keep Current
Read as much as you can about the technology industry and the companies in it. It will help you to be a better-prepared candidate and assist you in determining what you want to do and in what industry area you will want to work.
Start Early
It is never too early to make first contact with a company. Many companies will not hire first or second year students. That does not matter – start building relationships now. You never know how they will help you down the line. If you know what is out there by your third year, you can spend your fourth year refining your search. Career and Job Fairs are an excellent place to start.
Find a Career Path
Before you begin searching for a job, focus on determining what career and industry is right for you by reviewing How to Pick a Career Path.
Assess Your Skills Early
If you know exactly what you want to do, assess your current skills and see what specific skills jobs in that field require. If there are some job- or field-specific skills, make sure select classes in school which will help you to develop the skills required by the job. Taking the Certifications is a great way to understand your aptitude and how well you will be able to apply your technical skills.
Go to Campus Job Fairs and Career Days
These are a great resource for you to utilize. Ensure you are prepared by reviewing How to Prepare for a Job Fair. Job fairs and written assessments are ways of finding a match for your skills.
Go to Informational Interviews
Informational interviewing is an effective early step in your career/job search. Call a company in a field that interests you and ask for an informal informational interview. Talk to as many representatives at the company as possible as you are learning about the company and building your network of contacts. Prepare for any informational interview as would for a real interview by reviewing Interview Tips From The Pros.
Start Networking
Whom you know is often as important as what you know. Do not limit your networking to the people you already know well or those in your field of interest. Tell virtually everyone you meet about the skills you have and the type of job you want. Ask if they know anybody who would be a good contact, and take notes. People want to help, but you have to ask them.
Use Your Career Center Early and Often
Virtually every college or university and many individual degree programs have offices whose only job is to help you find a job. These centers usually search for and are notified of many job openings, schedule campus interviews and can help you to make connections.
Many students wait to visit their institution’s career center until they’re poised to graduate, when the centers are flooded with panicked job seekers. Visit as a freshman, and talk to the counselors and let them know your interests. Stop in occasionally and, as a senior, make the placement center your second home.
Get an Internship
Nothing looks better on a résumé than work experience and many of your classmates will not have any. First and second-year students should pursue internship possibilities with the same aggressiveness as seniors pursuing employment. Apply just as you would for a paying job, with a résumé and cover letter tailored to the company’s needs.
Get as Many Interviews as Possible
Your ability to communicate and perform in an interview is crucial. The best way to do develop those skills and to become comfortable with the experience is to practice. Very few people are born possessing such skills. Most everyone needs to learn them. When recruiters come to campus, sign up for every possible interview session you can.
Practice Interviewing
The career-placement center usually offers practice sessions. Take advantage of these whenever possible; the more comfortable you are in a practice interview, the more confident you will be when it comes time for the real thing. With practice comes familiarity and with familiarity comes confidence – one of the most important asset in getting a great job.
Apply
Do not agonize over the strategy of a job search, résumés and cover letters when you could be searching. It is a uniquely unpleasant form of procrastination. Start applying and do your best to get and stay organized.
Do Not Let the Pressure Get to You
As graduation approaches, you will be surrounded by classmates trying to get jobs—some of whom have already succeeded. Those who have completed the process will become instant experts on how to get a job; the job they accepted will become the best job in the world. See past this illusion and do not get caught up in competition or pressure. The day before your classmate got a job, he was your lab partner. He did not become a career expert overnight. Remember, your job search is your own, so follow your own strategy and don’t worry too much about your classmates’ experiences.
Aim High But Land Close
If you do not land your perfect job, aim for something close. Not every college student can land the job they want. Rather than take a fallback job even though it may pay more in the short term, you do better in the long term by accepting a position closer to your ideal job for a little less pay. If you can afford to, do it. Do not lose sight of why you chose the course of study you did and where you want to be in your career one, five and ten years from now.
0 comments:
Post a Comment