The basic building blocks of job search
Green River alum Kandis Brighton offers practical career tips
Software is eating the job market but that doesn’t mean an internship or a full-time job will magically appear from thin air. As Green River alum Kandis Brighton reminds us, job searching is an intentional, time-intensive activity that extends beyond simply earning a college degree. Start early, apply often, and don’t get discouraged.
Recently, Kandis accepted a full-time job at Expeditors, a Fortune 500 global logistics company headquartered in Seattle, WA (check out her full story). As a tool for IT students at Green River, she distilled her job search experience into a user-friendly blueprint you can begin using today. Without further ado, here are the basic building blocks of job search, courtesy of Green River alum Kandis Brighton!
1. Design an effective resume — Many companies filter resumes and cover letters resulting in a short paragraph. If your resume passes this step, managers often reject resumes after looking at the first half of the first page. Creating a good resume and cover letter is critical in making a good first impression with a company. Getting help from career services and friends is a great start.
2. LinkedIn is a must — Many companies skip the resume and rely on LinkedIn to look at potential employees. Watch tutorial videos to create a nice profile. Make connections at least a year before graduation and ask friends and teachers for input and endorsements. Include information about group projects and volunteer work.
3. Create a portfolio — Create a nice portfolio notebook that includes degrees, certificates, a current resume, and examples of your work. Spend $15 on a leather looking notebook with nice tabs for added professionalism.
4. Practice the technical interview — A lot! Practice algorithms using a book like “Cracking the Coding Interview.” Join practice groups or meet-ups that prepare for the technical interview. Seattle Tech Interviews Meetup is a great place to start.
5. Practice the personal interview — Green River’s Public Speaking Center can help with this. This is critical. Talking about yourself and being able to deliver a nice elevator pitch are skills that require practice.
6. Find an internship — Preferably the summer between your junior and senior year. Internships can be competitive, so start applying in the fall of your junior year if possible. This is the safest way for a company to get to know you. It also gives you credentials and lets other companies know you are a good worker. Interviews for internships are much easier than interviews for full-time work.
7. Pay attention to proper attire and appearance — Usually dress-up for interviews. Look on-line for business attire ideas. If uncertain about the company dress code, ask someone from HR what you should wear before going to an interview. Clothes should be clean, pressed, and well-fitting. Personal appearance also matters. If a potential employee looks unkempt or unhealthy, they may be considered a risk.
8. Character matters — Companies care if you are able to communicate politely, get along with team members, have a sense of humor, and make eye contact. They will look at your social media and will avoid hiring questionable people. Companies would rather miss out on a few good potential employees then take a chance and hire someone with bad character.
9. Go deep — With all of the different software languages and systems available today it is tempting to stay shallow in many areas. Choose one or two languages and put in the extra time to know them very well.
10. Make connections — Tech job fairs happen throughout the year. These are great opportunities to ask questions and make connections. Follow-up as soon as possible with emails. Ask for tours. Research companies and find out where they will be. Join Meetups. Ask temp or recruiting agencies for advice. Ask friends, family, and teachers for connections. Verification from a friend goes a long way to assure a company of your good character.
11. Aim high, but be willing to look at everything — Sometimes great jobs are not obvious at first. Consider companies that are not as well known. Look at what recruiting agencies and contract companies have to offer.
12. Don’t panic — If you have already graduated and do not have a job, don’t panic, just get some help! While you search for your dream job, consider continuing your education or doing volunteer work in some way to avoid having a gap on your resume. Enrolling in an on-line certificate program for additional skills or offering a local non-profit to do a project for them for free are both ways to show that you are still moving forward.
Be like Kandis. Build your tech cred with a bachelor’s degree in Software Development or Network Administration & Security from Green River College. Learn more at: www.greenriver.edu/it.
