Hints on Getting Hired
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These hints are intended mostly to help seniors to land that first position after graduation.
Be aware that it often takes a lot of effort. It has been said that it is a full-time job
to find a job!
- Resumes and Job Search Advice
- Your resume should make a good impression on potential employers within the first few lines.
If not, it may never be looked at again. Sometimes people place a few "highlighted skills"
or "highlights" section
near the top of the resume in order to catch the eye of an employer. Another method is to
write the "objective" section at the top of the resume so that it clearly shows that you
have a strong interest in the type of position that the employer is trying to fill.
- Your resume is your "product brochure". You are advertising yourself to potential employers.
- In mailing a resume to a potential employer it is typical to include a cover letter which
spells out how you fit the company's needs and that shows your interest. If possible, follow
up with a phone call in a few weeks to see that your resume was received and to check on
their interest in you.
- Employers like to see practical experience that fits what they need. If you had an internship,
project, part-time job, etc. that fits, be sure that this is evident on your resume. This
could go in your "highlights" section. In general, this "highlights" section should show several
key pieces of evidence that you are qualified for the type of job listed in your objective, which
of course is the type of job that the employer is looking to fill.
- Your resume should be well-written. Fix all grammar and spelling errors. Use a clear, easy-to-read
layout. Make sure that you have all of those computer acronyms right.
(For example, it is SQL, not Sql.) Don't give some
human resources person an excuse to throw out your resume.
- There is no need to put personal information such as hobbies on a resume. Employers want to see
your accomplishments, your education, your technical skills, your people skills,
and your experience -- especially if these
fit their needs. If you worked on any significant team projects or had any leadership responsibilities
be sure that this is on your resume.
- Check newspaper want ads. Note that you can find many newspapers online.
- Post your resume online on reputable job boards. Many of these can be found
at the CIS department's Computing Careers page.
- Do not limit yourself simply to sending out resumes. Also investigate the unpublished
job market by talking with people that you know who work in the field. Try to get 10 minutes
of time with some manager that a friend knows at a high-tech company. Ask for career advice,
names of other managers that you might talk with (perhaps at other companies), and leads
on where you might find a job, whether with this manager's company or elsewhere. Ask what
the needs are. If you think that you can fit some of those needs, a letter and resume to the
appropriate manager or technical person might do more than sending a resume to the human
resources department. After all, if some manager sends your resume to the human resources
department with a note that you are of interest, it is much more likely that your resume will
be considered. Even better is if you can arrange a meeting with the person who might
hire you. By "networking" with professionals in the field you may find you way into
an unpublished job, a job that a company needs to have done but hasn't even formulated
yet into a job ad. Your initial goal, however, is simply to get someone to introduce
you or refer you to some good potential employers.
- Another way to get at the unpublished job market is to find an employee at your target
company that is willing to recommend you and let you use his/her name when you phone
the appropriate manager. Say that this person suggested that you call and ask if you could
have a few minutes of time to see how you might fill the needs of the company. (Of course,
you should have a good idea that you do fit some of the needs of the company, published or
unpublished, before making such a call.)
- One last technique to get at the unpublished job market is to send a letter without
a resume attached to a likely boss (head of software development, etc.)
at the target company. This letter should clearly spell
out your interest in the company and how you fit their needs. The letter must address the
needs of this particular person at this particular company. Without a resume attached, your
letter is more likely to get to the potential boss instead of being diverted to human
resources by a secretary. Follow up later with a phone call to see if your letter was
received and if there is enough interest to schedule a meeting.
- Employers are looking for skills. One of our alumni recently wrote that a
graduate's best bet is to not only have the coursework down, but also to have experience in industry
(co-ops, internships) as well as to have a portfolio of past accomplishments to bring to the interview.
Certifications are also helpful in this regard.
- Another option is to try consulting agencies, search agencies, temporary employment
agencies, etc. Here are a few:
- As of this writing, government job openings may be more plentiful than industry openings.
The pay might not be as high as in the private sector, but the stability may be greater. Be sure
to check into jobs at the federal, state, and local levels. Note that it is typically more difficult
to investigate this job market since the government has more red tape, tests to take, etc.
- A few places to look for jobs with the federal government are:
- For the state of Pennsylvania, look at:
- Although employment has been down for a couple of years, the job market seems to be improving.
In fact, some areas are said to have a shortage
of employees with the needed skills. Security, wireless, legacy systems (COBOL and mainframes),
and IT for health care have been reported to be a few of these areas.
- Graduate school is a good option to consider.
Taking time out for a Masters degree (or beyond) is likely to increase your employability.
- Interviewing
- To prepare for an interview, practice giving concise, 2-minute answers to typical interview
questions such as:
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are your key technical skills?
- Where would you like to be in 5 years?
- How well do you work on a team?
- Have you had any leadership roles?
- What are you biggest strengths and weaknesses?
- What interests you about a job with our company?
- Before an interview make sure to research the company so that you know what they do and
can talk intelligently about how you might fit.
- One major purpose of the interview is to gauge your interpersonal skills. Doing
practice, mock interviews will help you to prepare. If nothing else, interview yourself
in front of a mirror. Are you ready to make a good impression?
- Try to end the interview by briefly summarizing your interest in the company and
why you are a good fit. Mention that you are interested in returning for a follow-up
interview.
- Bring your portfolio of accomplishments and projects to the interview, especially if you
have done something that shows that you have the skills which the company desires.
- Resources
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