One more semester....

[Agent 333]

I just found out that I passed all my classes this semester (the first time there was any question), and that means I only have to get through one more semester to get my Bachelors of Science in Computer Science.

Half of me is as excited as hell. I'll be the only person in my high-school friend group to graduate from college on time. I'll be moving out of my parents house for the first time (I commute to school), and getting a real job in the next 6 months or so.

The other half of me is scared as hell. I'm practically leaving my friends behind, maybe actually if I get a job far enough away. I'll be moving for the first time ever, and I'm not sure how well I'll do on my own. I'm afraid that I'll take the first job offer that comes my way, instead of holding out for something better. I'm also afraid that I'll pass up the best offer while I wait for something better that never comes.


Anyone else in the same boat? Anybody recently go through the same thing?

[Bill Whitmore]

I went through that about 7 years ago.  The main thing I can advise is this: Find out what programs your college offers for Resume' writing, Interviewing, Networking (social, not computer), and job placement and sign up and attend them all.

While the degree will give you the knowledge to perform a job, it will do next to nothing to actually get the job.  Bachelor Degrees grow on trees anymore, so you will really need the knowledge and experience from these other job hunting programs.

Otherwise, make an effort to keep your friends, even if it ends up only being through e-mails and phones.  They are the ones best suited to help you emotionally through something like this.

Lastly, any good job worth landing requires that you start working BEFORE you start getting paid (ie.  researching companies, writing resume's, networking, etc).

Good luck in your last semester!

[Crafty_Alex]

I just found out that I passed all my classes this semester (the first time there was any question), and that means I only have to get through one more semester to get my Bachelors of Science in Computer Science.

Half of me is as excited as hell. I'll be the only person in my high-school friend group to graduate from college on time. I'll be moving out of my parents house for the first time (I commute to school), and getting a real job in the next 6 months or so.

The other half of me is scared as hell. I'm practically leaving my friends behind, maybe actually if I get a job far enough away. I'll be moving for the first time ever, and I'm not sure how well I'll do on my own. I'm afraid that I'll take the first job offer that comes my way, instead of holding out for something better. I'm also afraid that I'll pass up the best offer while I wait for something better that never comes.


Anyone else in the same boat? Anybody recently go through the same thing?

I went through this exact same thing. I was first (and 8 years later, one of just a few) of my friends to graduate college. Compounding the fact was the fact I went to school 2000 miles from home, so I had no networking opportunities when I returned, either. Bill's advice is definately sound - you should be sure to put some work into your search before time, research, network, and all that other stuff. If you're going to be staying in the same state as you currently reside in, I advise you use your school's career services office for all its worth.

When I got out I could have gone to work at the local steel plant where I worked in the summers, but I chose to wait to get a job where I could write. It took over 5 months of me being stranded at my folks' house, with no money and increasingly angry parents, before I got my first gig. However, I have NEVER regretted that choice to find something that a) paid me what I deserved and b) put me on my career track. IMO "working your way up" rarely works nowadays - better to find something where you can start working in your field, and ideally in the right department, so you can capitalize on job openings and chances to prove your skillset while laying down a solid employment history.

In the end, it's about the basics. If you are serious about your work, show good competence and professionalism, and build good relationships in the workplace, it will take you far Build networks but don't be shameless about it (there is such a thing as too much networking). Be aware of what you should be earning but don't bitch about your salary. And dress properly - don't wear pajamas and/or flip flops to work...EVER. This is actually an issue with some alumni from the school I work at *roll*

[TheTSKoala]

Internships.  Internships.  Internships.  Oh.. let me throw that up there one more time.  Internships.  Espically with a Computer Science degree.  Now adays, everyone and their monkey went to school for computers.  So now you have a flooded field with some people who actually LIKE computers.. and some people who only like the paycheck computers might bring.

Also, if you're going programming... life is a little easier.  Huge demand and the burn out ratio is so high in programmers, the demand stays high.  If you're going Systems Analyst / Hardware Engineer / Network guy... get ready to slit some throats.  It's a tight business for new comers. 

For reference?  C.S. is one of my degrees.  And I've seen what people go through, friends in fact, in that field.  *holds a degree in Criminology, Computer Sciences and Criminal Justice*  ...don't even try to ask how I bounced between all those majors.  It's a long story...

[Agent 333]

I had an internship over the last summer doing software QA. Not quite what I want to do, but it is a foot in the door.

[TheTSKoala]

The trick is it's something to put on your resume besides your degree.  It's the advantage to separate you from all the other people who just have their degrees.  Experience is key.

[Nepenthe]

Yarp. I'm at a somewhat different phase, having just completed a post-Master's degree earlier this year. I seriously want to get a doctorate in the near future, but I'm currently taking a 12-month break working as a trainee district judge so I don't completely play myself off the private/non-academic sector.

TSKoala's pretty much right in that experience tends to be THE factor in making decisions (when HR professionals make the  choices sometimes it seems like it's the only one), but sometimes just any positive way of standing out from the other applicants will suffice. In my case, when I applied for my current position, I got it based on having a more advanced degree than the other applicants. Since several of us were chosen at the same time, they could "experiment" a bit by taking risks with guys like me, instead of just going all-out with the junior associates of the top 3-4 law firms in the area (like they tend to do for these positions).

[TheTSKoala]

*looks above him*  Great.. Nep... if you ever throw out any of my collars on "constitutional issues", I know who to harass on the boards. 

[Krensky]

If you're going into IT you need to get used to dealing with unsavory sorts. Namely headhunters and slave traders. Unless you're insanely lucky and manage to get an internal position, contracting will make up a large portion of your early career, if not all of it. Programming jobs tend more towards in house then support, system administration or hardware, but even there there's far more temp and contract work for those fresh from the college. Always remember that no matter how nice, helpful and friendly they seem they see you as a warm body waiting to be collected and sold. Their agendas and yours only intersect in that they and you both want you employed somewhere. In general you can assume they're making two or three times off you what you're getting paid and that most of what they say is at the very least spin.

Be prepared to spend a lot of time studying and learning your craft and trade since by and large your degree will mean little to the people who you really need to impress in an interview, the IT managers. This is less true for a BS but remember that what you learned in school will generally be little more then foundation for the skills you need and will use day in and day out. Many times it won't even be that, and in five years anything other then theory, basic electrical engineering and math will be useless in all likelihood.

Also, not to scare you off, all the dark jokes and mutterings at management and user's expense, while hyperbole at times, is largely true. Users are all but guaranteed to find a way to mess even the most idiot proof and secured system up whether you're a programmer or a technician. Project will have insane and impossible deadlines and very often your boss will seem either clueless and capricious, if not down right malicious. Get used to it and learn how to compartmentalize the insanity and stress at work from your home and personal life.

If you do program either as a vocation or avocation, do your utmost to ensure that your employment contract or agreement makes a clear distinction between work you do for the company on their time and their equipment, and work you do on yours. They will own everything you do for them and with their kit, but many will intentionally or unintentionally try and claim ownership over everything you do. This is important as a general principle, and doubly so if you do or plan to contribute to an open source project.

Under no circumstance other then complete and total desperation (and maybe not even then) take a job as a help desk analyst. They're soul crushing dead end positions and more or less all on their way to places somewhere between the second and third world. If you do have to take one, spend every minute you're not actually doing your best to get the caller off the phone - which is what the jobs about, not fixing their problems - studying and looking for better positions. Similarly, do your best to avoid working outside the IT field. You can leave it off the resume, but very often it winds up carrying a stigma and your skills will go rusty from disuse. Even a truly horrible position is better. It's experience on a resume and will give you war stories to trade.

Disclosure: I am a desk side support tech and system administrator working in the Philadelphia area. My experience and comments may not hold true in other segments of the field and other areas of the country. However, from what I've seen, heard, and read they most likely do.

Oh, congratulations and good luck. If you happen to be in or are looking to relocate to my area, let me know and I'll be glad to share some advice, recommendations and scuttlebutt specific to this market.

[Agent 333]

Thanks everybody for the support... except Krensky: you're scaring me, man. Right now I just need to be told it will all work out because the lie is easier to take than the bald faced truth.

So.... am I seriously the only college senior here?

[TheTSKoala]

I'll be a college senior again.. once I figure out what I want to do post-shield career.  If that comforts...

[Krensky]

Sorry, but from what I've seen it's better to walk into things with your eyes open. Everyone tells you it will be ok, and you should always believe it will, but knowing the dark side and the worst and preparing for that makes it more likely.

Sorry.

[Nepenthe]

In general you can assume they're making two or three times off you what you're getting paid and that most of what they say is at the very least spin.

That applies in the legal field as well. Except I remember being offered a position where the firm would have billed 15 times what they were paying me (+ taxes). 

*looks above him*  Great.. Nep... if you ever throw out any of my collars on "constitutional issues", I know who to harass on the boards. 

It's a bit different over here. I mean, if one of your customers becomes my customer, there is definitely going to be a constitutional issue on one side or the other. 

[TheTSKoala]

It's a bit different over here. I mean, if one of your customers becomes my customer, there is definitely going to be a constitutional issue on one side or the other. 

LOL!  Well, you never know.  That pesky Interpol could make us cross.  Like I have a habit of calling it.  "Finland:  Sweden's little Brother".  Then there's the fact you border Russia..  

[TheTSKoala]

Thanks everybody for the support... except Krensky: you're scaring me, man. Right now I just need to be told it will all work out because the lie is easier to take than the bald faced truth.

So.... am I seriously the only college senior here?

The truth is.. it'll work out if you do the following:

1.  Don't give up after your first interview.  Many of us here have had more interviews than we've had birthdays.  Just because one doesn't work, doesn't mean they're all destined to fail.
2.  Believe in yourself.  If you wouldn't buy you, why would you expect an employer to?
3.  Don't be too eager.  This is problem with ALOT of my greenies.  They come on, and spiral out of control with spending & personal relationships.  Now, you probably won't need a security clearance, however, alot of companies do credit and background checks... ..and your credit does show up there.
4.  Learn to tell a joke.  If you're too serious, it makes the whole process so much more agitating. 

Oh.. and if you live near a Naval Base.. see if the NMCI is hiring.  From the squids I work with, I always hear the NMCI needs sub-contractors for their desktop support.  (My IT exposure is limited, so on the tip I may not have the most recent of advice.  I work primarily with the Defense Network.)