first it job

how can a college graduate who graduated with a bs in computer info systems get his first job in the information technology field?
any suggestions/advice?

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gbdavidx

1 word: intern

programmer24

but there is no way a college graduate can really interned since he graduate

gbdavidx

why not? how long has it been?

programmer24

i graduated in decemeber 2012 and i did couple of internship i did only one internship with school where i learn pc imaging crimping wires learning protocols networking etc

W Stewart

Start applying to entry level jobs and consider getting your A+ as well. The pay for entry level jobs is crap but it's all about experience in the IT field so if you take the crap pay for maybe 6 months you can use the experience,your degree and maybe a few certifications to land a much better job and keep climbing the IT ladder. It was possible for me without a college degree so you can basically do what I did without the added burden of going to school while working. Now if you're looking for a decent salary right out of school, then you would have to consider a programming career. For the rest of us who work on systems and networks, we have to have enough experience to show that we know how not to bring down the whole network before getting a decent paying job.

Edit: Also where are you located? Location is everything in the job market. craigslist is also a great place to find entry level jobs.

coreyb80

W Stewart has provided the best advice in this thread especially about getting your A+ and looking on Craigslist. I'm presently in school and working on my A+. I would have to say that no having my A+ has been my biggest hindrance. I'm taking it next month and I'll start back looking then. Blessings on the journey OP.

Bokeh

Craigslist.com, Indeed.com are two good ones. See if you can do volunteer work as well for experience. Check out volunteermatch.com and search for IT, computers, etc. A lot of cities need folks to help run computer labs on weekends for those learning to use computers - ie getting back to their job hunt, creating resumes, etc. I know several folks who have taken their volunteer work to paid positions with certain agencies or have been able to utilize the contacts they made while volunteering to land a full time position.

rsutton

Network, network, network. Look for local groups where technologists meet. The best way to get a job, any job, is to know someone.

kgb

I'm going to come across as a jerk, but it's a pet peeve of mine.

If you are going to ask for other people to take their time and give you advice you should at least take the extra 1 minute it takes to structure your sentences with capital letters, correct tense, etc. It's not hard. To me, it comes across as lazy.

lsud00d

kgb wrote: »

I'm going to come across as a jerk, but it's a pet peeve of mine.

If you are going to ask for other people to take their time and give you advice you should at least take the extra 1 minute it takes to structure your sentences with capital letters, correct tense, etc. It's not hard. To me, it comes across as lazy.

Ditto. I thought as I read that it reflects back on the person and could be an indicator of why he/she is having issues finding a job.

programmer24, there is some good advice in this thread. Check local listings, network yourself, and keep momentum going. You can post your resume and the community will help improve it to increase your odds of getting into an interview.

coreyb80

Thanks @Bokeh for posting that volunteer website. That's exactly what I need and I located a position on there as well. Hopefully I'll get it for the experience.

sigsoldier

It's not for everyone, but get a tech position in the military. You won't have too much trouble finding a job after that.

olaHalo

3 months of an unpaid internship and then 3 months doing help desk landed me a decent midlevel job.

programmer24

I live in Northern New Jersey area and its closer to NYC
Also, I am trying to look for a good salary to start with it since i already graduated from college

programmer24

I almost did want to consider a career in programming but every time when i did the phone interview with companies for a entry level software development position i always get rejected due to lack of inexperience

W Stewart

rsutton wrote: »

Network, network, network. Look for local groups where technologists meet. The best way to get a job, any job, is to know someone.

I'd have to say this is probably the best way to get your foot in the door. A lot of people at my current job knew somebody who worked here to get the job. One particular guy who has very little technical knowledge got hired on as a Jr Systems Admin because he was the managers drinking buddy. Knowing the right person can help you get to where you want to be in IT. Unfortunately I'm not really the social type so I had to get somewhere by just being awesome.

W Stewart

programmer24 wrote: »

I almost did want to consider a career in programming but every time when i did the phone interview with companies for a entry level software development position i always get rejected due to lack of inexperience

Where are you located? I would still check craigslist even for entry level programming jobs. I've seen programming jobs specifically looking for recent college grads on craigslist down here in Tampa and they usually offer somewhere around 40-50k a year. Some of them require a masters but You could definitely get something with a bachelors so long as you can show that you really know your stuff.

programmer24

i am located in new jersey my speciality is with vb, sql(databases) java, php, c#

CodeBlox

Man, I'm so glad I put off finishing my degree and took the chance with full time work, it's got me ahead of where I would be if I had put all my time into finishing my CS degree... Seems like folks getting degrees can't even find work and if they do, it seems to be helpdesk as a start.

programmer24

by the way i am stuck doing non it related job which is mailroom clerk

programmer24

what kind of work do you do

paul78

Since you are seeking an entry-level job as a programmer, can you describe your portfolio? Perhaps you are not adequately describing your experience. What type of programming projects are you working on?

programmer24

i did a couple of projects while i was in school and i am trying to come up with my own project out of school

paul78

You will probably have a lot more traction at interviews if you can describe some of the programming projects that you have worked on. Also, if you are actively working on programming projects on your own and building a portfolio of work that you can describe and share with prospective employers at interviews, you are more likely to stand-out.

You mentioned that you were not being considered for entry-level jobs during the interview because of lack of experience. A lot of programmers that I know (and I used to be one) tend to work on programming projects on the side as a form of continuing education. You are likely interviewing for jobs where other candidates may be able to sell themselves better with some of their own experience with their own projects.

programmer24

but certain people tell me to focusing on networking because according to them i cant focus on creating programs

programmer24

paul are you still a programmer

paul78

@programmer24 - your username suggest that you would like to consider yourself a programmer. Why would "certain people" suggest networking over programming? Your career choice and goals do need to be realistic and somewhat attainable but are there really some constraint that keeps you from being a programmer?

No, I no longer write software as a core part of my job. I do on rare occasions review software designs and architecture if I feel the need at my current job but I don't do any hands-on software development. I only dabble from time to time at a personal level.

programmer24

i went to school for programming and i learned the stuff on my own by researching on google like no teachers didnt really take the time to teach me stuff. Also people was telling me like do helpdesk and that programming is about writing software for 8 hours of day and its outsourced more than networking. I dont know if its true or not. Plus i did research on programming and networking careers to see which would fit my personality when picking a career. By the way i do have some programming ideas but its hard to implementing them because i actually creating programs by myself

paul78

Writing software doesn't require a team of people; it depends on what you are trying to build.

But that said - it sounds like you believe that networking may be a better fit to your personality. It does largely depend on what you like. Did you explore system administration?

As for your comment about out-sourcing - I assume you live in the US and you believe that programming jobs are going over-seas. We do live in a global economy and any job will always be labor-arbitraged if there is a commercially viable opportunity. And networking jobs are not any different.

Finding that first job isn't always easy - don't give up and hit those job boards. It could take a while in this economy. And depending on where you live, your options will vary.

Perhaps you ought to just cast a wide net in all ares of IT and apply for different entry-level jobs.

programmer24

i was thinking about system administration also like what do they do and is it posible for a person to get hired to entry level it job with no experience
I live in new jersey