Help on breaking into industry

wootwoot

I recently graduated with a BS in computer science. For the past year I have been working full time in a help desk like enviroment on campus. I have a Network+ cert and am working on getting my CCNA. I am trying to get my first job out of college here pretty soon. I am moving in about 1 1/2 weeks to Phoenix and will be looking for a job there. Can you guys give me some advice on the type of job I should be looking for. Or a good company that hires people right out of college? I am not too sure who I should be looking at, I am trying to get a job related to networking but will take any computer job that will give me experience and the possibility for advancement, thx.

int80h

I graduated college with a degree in computer engineering with no experience. After I graduated, I contacted employment agencies, and got a contract job writing database software for a medical IT company. It was low paying with no health insurance, but it payed the bills while I looked for a better position.

I stayed their for 7 months until I found a job writing assembly language software for 16 bit microcontrollers that payed very well with good benefits. Don't be afraid to take contract work when you just start out, as your free to look for a better full time position while working.

wootwoot

int80h do you have any advice on what to look for in an employment agency? I have no problem with going to one for a job but there are a ton of them out there and a lot of them don't seem to credible. How did you go about finding a good one?

+CNENT+

I would post your resume on

http://www.monster.com
http://www.computerjobs.com
http://www.careerbuilder.com
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/
http://www.dice.com

Employment agencies use those sites to search for people. I've had the best luck with careerbuilder. I'd also check out

http://phoenix.gov/PHXWIN/onestopcr.html

evanderburg

I got my current job through Monster. I was expecting my job hunt to take quite some time but I found a job quickly. I still use Monster to know what is out there and recently I started using Dice as well. Their search engine was good and they are more closely targeted at IT jobs.

From what I hear, Phoenix is a good area for IT right now. You have a CS degree so that would usually imply that you want to be a programmer. Programmers are in demand right now too. Still, with a computer background and some certs, you can get into networking as well. Good luck with the job hunt.

nknk417

This is not an assumption on you but an observation that I have noticed while attending a two year tech school. Half the class I would say are career oriented, I would include myself as one of them. Who like the IT industry and want to make a career out of it.

The other half are these young obsessive tech geeks, who definitely know a lot, but probably would not cut it in a corporate environment. The career oriented group have made huge progress in getting employed in the IT field. While attending school and getting certified I was able to get my current job to pay for my schooling and have been moved up to be the assistant to the network administrator.

Now the tech geeks, don't mean to denegrate them, just don't know what else to call them. While they probably know more than the Career oriented group, are mostly unemployed, still living with there parents, and really don't seriously look like their seeking any sort of employment.

One of the guys got fired because he wanted to show off how easily he can hack into the companies network. And others I guess are too busy with there online video gaming, and writting the next super virus.

My point is if you have the right priorities anybody with some effort can get employed in the IT field. You have to remember you are dealing with a corporate structure and they still want you to behave in that manner. You don't have to be a genius, but you do have to learn how to play ball.

wootwoot

nknk417: Well how did you get your IN at a tech company? I would love to work in a corporate environment if I can get my foot in the door. I guess the hardest thing for me is that since I am moving I will not know anyone or have an easy way to get an in. If I were to stay where I live now I could easily get a tech job that pays well and all that but staying here is not an option. Thanks for the sites +CNENT+ and the advice evanderburg. I wouldn't mind programming but I have no on the job experience and I dont want to end up doing contract work without health insurance like int80h. To me is seems as though the easiest in for someone in my situation would be working at a small company as a jr network admin or something like that to build up experience so that I have more options on my next job opportunity. I will know better after I check out the job offerings out there it just seems like after college you are in an odd position: you have the education but lack the experience a lot of employers ask for.

nknk417

Okay...so you have to move. Most of the people who have a hard time getting a job in IT are usually the ones moving to a new location. Which is understandable, it is hard moving even if you already have a job waiting for you. Well, since you just got out of school, then go back and ask your teachers for some letter of recommedations.

And to find any kind of job when you move into a new location can be hard. I suggest to do some research on the area that you will be moving into. See what kind of job opportunities are out their, and some of the other post have already suggested where to go to find some job openings in your related field.

For me it was quite easy, I just spread the gospel of what I was doing and the certificates that I have achieved, and showed interest in moving up in position. It is easy to be cynical especially of what the IT industry has gone through, but try not go be, the only people who like to be with people who are cynical are others who are cynical as well, and that will not get you far.

Just remeber that every industry has its ups and down. Right now I work for an Insurance Company that had to lay off workers because profits have been hit because the industry has been hit by insurance fraud allegations. Elliot Spitzer is definitely doing a job on the insurance industry.

Anyway, my point is there is no easy or magic bullet...you go out and take the advice these post have given you, and do you darnest to find a job. If you are desparate then find a job that is not IT related, you have to live....I am married, have a child, work full time, and attend school four hours a day four days a week monday thru thursday, at nights. You do what you have to to better yourself and I am sure you will do the same.

Good Luck!