Improving your job prospects
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What do you guys recommend to increase your job prospects? Some companies look at certs, or a magic number of years of experience, etc.
Send out a lot of resumes...
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001 -
Send out a lot of resumes...
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001What I was really getting at was skills, or that sort of things.
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What do you guys recommend to increase your job prospects? Some companies look at certs, or a magic number of years of experience, etc.
I used to think being awesome was enough but it isn't :( The bottom line is that you just have to be the right person at the right time in the right place. Too much experience is a burden, too little experience is a burden. Certs are good, certs are bad. People with 15 years of experience are old, people with 15 years of experience are veterans. If you want a job, constantly hone your skills and shoot straight and you will get a placement. Also, be willing to say no. The wrong opportunity can be a lot worse than eating soup for two extra weeks. Also, the U.S. government estimates that it takes 16 weeks to find a new job so keep that in mind as your success point.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
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In addition: 1) Good quality paper rather than the cheap stuff, and a first class stamp or hand delivered. Both show that you care about the presentation to the company, rather than looking like a bulk mail shot. 2) NO SPELLING MISTAKES! 3) Get someone else to read it before you submit. You will read what you meant to write, they will read what you wrote. You don't have to take the advice, but it can elimiate the "sentance that ended in mid 4) Don't include "weird" hobbies - if you are a lay preacher, keep it to yourself. Remember that they will have to work with you - because they will remember. 5) Make sure your MySpace / FaceBook etc. pages are not incriminating!
All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
OriginalGriff wrote:
- NO SPELLING MISTAKES!
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
I hope you realise that hamsters are very creative when it comes to revenge. - Elaine
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In addition: 1) Good quality paper rather than the cheap stuff, and a first class stamp or hand delivered. Both show that you care about the presentation to the company, rather than looking like a bulk mail shot. 2) NO SPELLING MISTAKES! 3) Get someone else to read it before you submit. You will read what you meant to write, they will read what you wrote. You don't have to take the advice, but it can elimiate the "sentance that ended in mid 4) Don't include "weird" hobbies - if you are a lay preacher, keep it to yourself. Remember that they will have to work with you - because they will remember. 5) Make sure your MySpace / FaceBook etc. pages are not incriminating!
All those who believe in psycho kinesis, raise my hand.
OriginalGriff wrote:
if you are a lay preacher, keep it to yourself
But if you are a preacher's lay, tell an authority figure!
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OriginalGriff wrote:
MySpace / FaceBook etc. pages are not incriminating
Is it a good idea to mention one's Facebook / MySpace account in a CV at all?
There are only 10 types of people in this world — those who understand binary, and those who don't.
modified on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 12:28 PM
I can think only of a very few jobs where this would make sense. Normally, no.
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server -
OriginalGriff wrote:
MySpace / FaceBook etc. pages are not incriminating
Is it a good idea to mention one's Facebook / MySpace account in a CV at all?
There are only 10 types of people in this world — those who understand binary, and those who don't.
modified on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 12:28 PM
Abhinav S wrote:
Is it a good idea to mention one's Facebook / MySpace in a CV at all?
No, but they may find it as part of a background check.
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I recommend highlighting relevant experience when submitting a resume/cv to an employer. It is a bit of extra work modifying your resume per submission but it has help me in the past. Also, I've found some employers like to see a cover letter along with a resume; I've also found some hate them :).
And above all things, never think that you're not good enough yourself. A man should never think that. My belief is that in life people will take you at your own reckoning. --Isaac Asimov Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece. --Ralph Charell
Chris Austin wrote:
I recommend highlighting relevant experience
Yes! Yes! Yes! Also, indicate what you excel at.
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server -
I can think only of a very few jobs where this would make sense. Normally, no.
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server -
What I was really getting at was skills, or that sort of things.
Beyond the fact that I was being sarcastic... Your question really is kinda pointless. You have to have a demonstrable ability to adapt, think outside the box, and work hard. It doesn't really matter what job you might be looking for. Beyond that, you need as many different related skills as you can accumulate.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001 -
What do you guys recommend to increase your job prospects? Some companies look at certs, or a magic number of years of experience, etc.
[For a software Engineering position] Writing code, be it for someone or for yourself. When looking at resumes, I don't give a damn about their education and certifications. If you don't have actual hands on experience in the key areas for which I am hiring, I won't hire you, no matter how many books you've read. BTW, I really do mean "writing code". If you can't write good, solid [yet simple] code you're worthless as an Engineer. It has been my experience that the best designers, software architects and so forth all write great code and tend to do it using the most basic methods possible.
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What do you guys recommend to increase your job prospects? Some companies look at certs, or a magic number of years of experience, etc.
You'll get a lot of good nuts and bolts advice from people here much like those who have already responded. I'd like to add a slightly different angle in addition to (not in place of) the basics of a good job search: be memorable and desirable. No matter how highly focussed or relevant, after the first 10 resumes they all look pretty much the same and the hiring manager's eyes are glazing over. Not to mention the fact that the person reviewing the resumes may well be a programmer who would certainly rather be coding than looking at all these resumes. While you certianly have to back it up with credible indications that you're competent for the job at hand, that does little good if you just blend in with the background noise. Like most any endeavor in life, if you want to succeed you have to be noticed, and you also have to show up on the radar as someone they want. Let's take the second one first. Yeah, yeah. Lots of guys know have N years in the XYZ technology. And everybody's skills look impressive on paper (unless they're completely clueless). Yawn. Assuming you can do the job, let's get down to the more important stuff. Are you someone I could actually stand for more than an hour if I was working with you? Would I be tempted to buy you a beer or beat you over the head with a chair at the end of the obligatory deadline all-nighters? Do you share common interests or perspectives with the guys on the team? In other words, are you "one of us?" If I don't see some positive indications of this, your resume is never going to make it off of my desk, except to hit the trash can. After all, I have 573 others underneath yours, and I'm pretty sure most of them can code, too. The memorable part fits in nicely with the above. The problem with most resumes, and an excellent advantage to you if you know how to exploit it, is that everyone churns out the same dull, conservative, cookie cutter resumes that the job sites all tell you to prepare. That may seem professional, but to a certain degree from a career enhancement perspective it's just plain dumb. If you want to stand out in a crowd (and that's the goal - to stand out enough to get the interview), you're not going to succeed by looking exactly like everyone else. In fact, following that advice ensures that you won't stand out in a crowd. Let me give you a few examples from personal experience. For many years, I had a cartoon at the bottom of my resume. Oh, but how the recruiters freaked out! Nonetheless, I stuck to my guns. The cartoon was of two caveme
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What I was really getting at was skills, or that sort of things.
Well then you're really going to find my post below pointless. :)
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Copywriting Services
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You'll get a lot of good nuts and bolts advice from people here much like those who have already responded. I'd like to add a slightly different angle in addition to (not in place of) the basics of a good job search: be memorable and desirable. No matter how highly focussed or relevant, after the first 10 resumes they all look pretty much the same and the hiring manager's eyes are glazing over. Not to mention the fact that the person reviewing the resumes may well be a programmer who would certainly rather be coding than looking at all these resumes. While you certianly have to back it up with credible indications that you're competent for the job at hand, that does little good if you just blend in with the background noise. Like most any endeavor in life, if you want to succeed you have to be noticed, and you also have to show up on the radar as someone they want. Let's take the second one first. Yeah, yeah. Lots of guys know have N years in the XYZ technology. And everybody's skills look impressive on paper (unless they're completely clueless). Yawn. Assuming you can do the job, let's get down to the more important stuff. Are you someone I could actually stand for more than an hour if I was working with you? Would I be tempted to buy you a beer or beat you over the head with a chair at the end of the obligatory deadline all-nighters? Do you share common interests or perspectives with the guys on the team? In other words, are you "one of us?" If I don't see some positive indications of this, your resume is never going to make it off of my desk, except to hit the trash can. After all, I have 573 others underneath yours, and I'm pretty sure most of them can code, too. The memorable part fits in nicely with the above. The problem with most resumes, and an excellent advantage to you if you know how to exploit it, is that everyone churns out the same dull, conservative, cookie cutter resumes that the job sites all tell you to prepare. That may seem professional, but to a certain degree from a career enhancement perspective it's just plain dumb. If you want to stand out in a crowd (and that's the goal - to stand out enough to get the interview), you're not going to succeed by looking exactly like everyone else. In fact, following that advice ensures that you won't stand out in a crowd. Let me give you a few examples from personal experience. For many years, I had a cartoon at the bottom of my resume. Oh, but how the recruiters freaked out! Nonetheless, I stuck to my guns. The cartoon was of two caveme
Christopher Duncan wrote:
TLDR?
The length of your post made you stand out from the rest, so I'm gonna have to say "no". :)
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Yeah, I know, but still... what's next - a link to my cat's blog? Doesn't belong on a resume.
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server -
Yeah, I know, but still... what's next - a link to my cat's blog? Doesn't belong on a resume.
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v serverpeterchen wrote:
what's next - a link to my cat's blog?
:laugh: Depends on what you cat is blogging about. Does your cat blog good things about you?
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
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Yeah, I know, but still... what's next - a link to my cat's blog? Doesn't belong on a resume.
Personally, I love the idea that Raymond spends his nights posting bad regexs to mailing lists under the pseudonym of Jane Smith. He'd be like a super hero, only more nerdy and less useful. [Trevel]
| FoldWithUs! | sighist | µLaunch - program launcher for server core and hyper-v server -
Christopher Duncan wrote:
TLDR?
The length of your post made you stand out from the rest, so I'm gonna have to say "no". :)
:laugh:
Christopher Duncan www.PracticalUSA.com Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes Copywriting Services
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You'll get a lot of good nuts and bolts advice from people here much like those who have already responded. I'd like to add a slightly different angle in addition to (not in place of) the basics of a good job search: be memorable and desirable. No matter how highly focussed or relevant, after the first 10 resumes they all look pretty much the same and the hiring manager's eyes are glazing over. Not to mention the fact that the person reviewing the resumes may well be a programmer who would certainly rather be coding than looking at all these resumes. While you certianly have to back it up with credible indications that you're competent for the job at hand, that does little good if you just blend in with the background noise. Like most any endeavor in life, if you want to succeed you have to be noticed, and you also have to show up on the radar as someone they want. Let's take the second one first. Yeah, yeah. Lots of guys know have N years in the XYZ technology. And everybody's skills look impressive on paper (unless they're completely clueless). Yawn. Assuming you can do the job, let's get down to the more important stuff. Are you someone I could actually stand for more than an hour if I was working with you? Would I be tempted to buy you a beer or beat you over the head with a chair at the end of the obligatory deadline all-nighters? Do you share common interests or perspectives with the guys on the team? In other words, are you "one of us?" If I don't see some positive indications of this, your resume is never going to make it off of my desk, except to hit the trash can. After all, I have 573 others underneath yours, and I'm pretty sure most of them can code, too. The memorable part fits in nicely with the above. The problem with most resumes, and an excellent advantage to you if you know how to exploit it, is that everyone churns out the same dull, conservative, cookie cutter resumes that the job sites all tell you to prepare. That may seem professional, but to a certain degree from a career enhancement perspective it's just plain dumb. If you want to stand out in a crowd (and that's the goal - to stand out enough to get the interview), you're not going to succeed by looking exactly like everyone else. In fact, following that advice ensures that you won't stand out in a crowd. Let me give you a few examples from personal experience. For many years, I had a cartoon at the bottom of my resume. Oh, but how the recruiters freaked out! Nonetheless, I stuck to my guns. The cartoon was of two caveme
Absolutely awesome response! I will unashamedly borrow (steal?) some of your ideas! Marc
I'm not overthinking the problem, I just felt like I needed a small, unimportant, uninteresting rant! - Martin Hart Turner
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You'll get a lot of good nuts and bolts advice from people here much like those who have already responded. I'd like to add a slightly different angle in addition to (not in place of) the basics of a good job search: be memorable and desirable. No matter how highly focussed or relevant, after the first 10 resumes they all look pretty much the same and the hiring manager's eyes are glazing over. Not to mention the fact that the person reviewing the resumes may well be a programmer who would certainly rather be coding than looking at all these resumes. While you certianly have to back it up with credible indications that you're competent for the job at hand, that does little good if you just blend in with the background noise. Like most any endeavor in life, if you want to succeed you have to be noticed, and you also have to show up on the radar as someone they want. Let's take the second one first. Yeah, yeah. Lots of guys know have N years in the XYZ technology. And everybody's skills look impressive on paper (unless they're completely clueless). Yawn. Assuming you can do the job, let's get down to the more important stuff. Are you someone I could actually stand for more than an hour if I was working with you? Would I be tempted to buy you a beer or beat you over the head with a chair at the end of the obligatory deadline all-nighters? Do you share common interests or perspectives with the guys on the team? In other words, are you "one of us?" If I don't see some positive indications of this, your resume is never going to make it off of my desk, except to hit the trash can. After all, I have 573 others underneath yours, and I'm pretty sure most of them can code, too. The memorable part fits in nicely with the above. The problem with most resumes, and an excellent advantage to you if you know how to exploit it, is that everyone churns out the same dull, conservative, cookie cutter resumes that the job sites all tell you to prepare. That may seem professional, but to a certain degree from a career enhancement perspective it's just plain dumb. If you want to stand out in a crowd (and that's the goal - to stand out enough to get the interview), you're not going to succeed by looking exactly like everyone else. In fact, following that advice ensures that you won't stand out in a crowd. Let me give you a few examples from personal experience. For many years, I had a cartoon at the bottom of my resume. Oh, but how the recruiters freaked out! Nonetheless, I stuck to my guns. The cartoon was of two caveme
Christopher Duncan wrote:
Assuming you can do the job, let's get down to the more important stuff. Are you someone I could actually stand for more than an hour if I was working with you? Would I be tempted to buy you a beer or beat you over the head with a chair at the end of the obligatory deadline all-nighters? Do you share common interests or perspectives with the guys on the team? In other words, are you "one of us?"
Funny, I was involved in interviewing a lot at my previous job (believe it or not I interviewed someone on my very last day with the company - after I sent the report, I submitted my card and we left for the good-buy beer) and actually only one person in our team cared about that stuff. The rest of us just looked for people who perform well on the job and don't introduce too many bugs.
