Need some advice guyz . . . .

kaynaan

Hi guys.

i need some advice, i moved to edmonton Canada, about 10 days ago. the first thing i did was begin job hunting, i literary sent my resumes to any company i could think of that was hiring.

my situation is that, i did my Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Systems from pakistan, im a recent graduate with no experience whatsoever, i've done my ccna about a year ago. im also planning to begin my graduate studies from University of Alberta, MINT (Masters in Internetworking).

i got a reply from 1 of the companies i applied for, i have an interview in about 3 days, so here's my question (I really have no idea how things work here),

1. would mentioning my plans to begin my graduate studies during the interview hurt/help my chances of getting the job.

2. a friend mentioned to me, that some companies would even offer to cover the cost of tuition, (something about them having to pay less tax), if this is true, how would i even suggest they pay my tuition. (do i just ask them, do i do it in another way)


my 2nd question seems hard for me to believe, so if u can also explain how it is, that a company would even consider paying for my education i would appreciate it.

EdTheLad

For number 1 it depends if it will interfere with your job, if this is done outside working hours i don't think you should mention it.If i was an employer i would see it as a distraction.Number 2, this is left until you have the job, if you ask during the interview they may think you only want the job to pay for your tuition.You got the interview according to what is on your resume, stick to that and what you can offer the company rather than your future academic goals.
I'm just looking at it in the point of view if i were interviewing you.

sprkymrk

I agree with Ed for the most part, especially #2 - don't even ask!

As for mentioning about your graduate studies, I would possibly bring it up in the interview if the conversation rolled around towards self improvement or future goals. But again, don't even hint about them paying for it.

plettner

I agree with the lads.

It may come across that your interests/pursuits out-weigh that of the company's. Not a good look. It may also come that once you're trained/certified you'll **** the company like a hot potato and move onto better things.

bighornsheep

MINT can be done in one of two ways, the traditional full-time studies, or the more popular method of weekend classes. MINT at U of A is known to be a big help for people who want to work with Telus or Cisco upon graduation because of the close tie they have with the school.

With regards to tuition, my understanding of MINT is that it is full-recovery, I dont know any company that will pay for that kind of money, especially not for a technical degree, which in this case is a M.Sc. I hear about companies that will send their head IT people to law school, or to get MBA because these are sterotypically seen as "useful", but whereas technical/research masters are not immediately helpful for companies unless if it's R&D.

It's worth looking into, and Edmonton is a great city (yes it is big enough to be a city), but Toronto is better, :P