CSC151 2010S, Class 03: Anna Carey '03 Overview: * [None] Admin: * Reminder: We have no class next week. * With the permission of the presenters, I'm going to try to get recordings of this class online (on-campus access only). * The schedule is almost complete. Anna will share some tips and give her experiences. "Advice to myself from ten years ago" * I realize that things have changed since I was at Grinnell ten years ago * "Do what I say, not as I do" * Didn't make her job search a priority, and regrets that now. * Too excited by her classes her last semester * Would hav taken a ligher load * Stayed in Grinnell after graduation * Should have done an internship. And, if she couldn't find an internship, she should have created one. * Nonprofits etc. need volunteers. If you say "I'd like to make something for you. Just give me requirements." * "If you're planning on coding outside of Grinnell, you need more experience" * Find a professionalish=thing * Didn't let herself get fired from sales - quit instead. She thinks it's better to get unemployment and then tell people "Yeah, I'm clearly not good at sales." * Moved to Indiana. Got interview because she updated her account on Monster.com with the new address. + Development in ColdFusion * It was a challenge to find a job where someone would take her with no experience. * Similar now - lots of people with a little experience. You need to find a way to present yourself in comparison. * Learned from her boss that they didn't pay her enough (were billing her time at $N per week, they paid her slightly more than $N per year) * Making contacts - user group meetings are good. The people who go there are passionate about the topic (or recruiter) and often socialize afterwards. * Socialization gives you a chance to talk more casually about thing. *** If you can talk casually about expectations for a job, you can better *** think about how to sell yourself. * Importance of selling herself: "I programmed in ColdFusion which has a Java backend and which relies on an Oracle relational database." * Saying things like "I'm aware of what the market rate is and I'm undervalud" can be helpful. * Get a sense of what the value is in the area or at the company. glassdoor.com. * Job was an excellent stepping stone but a pure disaster. (The company crashed and burned about two weeks after she left.) * Too big growth; many people in the project didn't have a background in programming * Stingy - E.g., wouldn't buy her a $25 book on an underdocumented technology. * Selling yourself again: "I worked on this. I worked on that." (But the things never got done.) * Her coworker interviewed for a job and didn't get it, but told her about it. So she was more prepared when she interviews *** Talk to each other about your interviews! * Things like free snacks and free sodas at a job should be a warning flag. Programmers should be making enough money to get snacks and sodas. * Catered meals mean "We'd like you not to leave work, ever." * Mowing your lawn. "I'd rather have time to do chores and such, rather than be at work so much that they have to hire people to mow my law." * Of course, these aren't red flags everywhere * Make sure to pay attention to other benefits when looking at salary. * Contributions to retirement plan * Short term disability (added to maternity) * Medical * E.g., her benefits this year have been close to $30K. * Be careful about answering the question of "How much do you make now?" *** Try to get them to be the first person to say a salary number. *** * Silence is okay. Sometimes it's a case of chicken. Question: How do you prepare for an interview? * Do your research. (Someone who knows someone is a great strategy.) * If you buy someone lunch, you can get a good idea of a culture of an organization. (That person can be in a different department; it will still get you sense of the institution.) * And feel free to rely on alumni (e.g. for practice interviews or info about a company's culture)! * Talk about things with a colleague. * Easier for the second job - you know that you can stay with the first job. * It's okay if your first job is just "let's take some time to get to know each other" * But still be insightful about the job * "I'm interested in what you do." is better than "Whatever it is, I'll take it." * And folks know that programmers tend not to stay in jobs for a long time. SOME THINGS TO ASK AT A JOB INTERVIEW! * Get your interviewer to talk about something that they like. The more information you can get from them, the more it feels like a smart conversation. Get them to tell you positive things about their organization. * "What are some challenges you face in your organization?" * "What are your limiting resources - time, money, etc.?" * "Why are you hiring for this position?" * Don't bash your previous job. Say positive things "It was a chance to use a wide variety of technologies." Perhaps "It was a bit ambitious of a project." * Finding out gender issues can be important. But hard to ask directly. "Can I see the work area?" is a great question and tells you many more things. * Expressing interest in career history is useful. * Her current job is pretty good in terms of longevity * If you can find out the dress culture at the company, dress slightly above it - it's a move of respect. * But women can wear slacks in IT. * Don't take too much stuff into your job interview. You'll be shaking a lot of hands. RESUMES * She files resumes into piles: Dump Immediately, Maybe, Look at again * Often enough resumes that it's often a snap decision to remove somone - Programmers don't need to say that they know Powerpoint * HR sometimes does the first filter. Pay attention to the job posting. * Ad: Five years sysadmin ; Resume: Five years Ubuntum administration * For Monster.com, take time to describe class projects * Be careful about stupid mistakes on the resume * Something oddball that makes people curious - e.g., study abroad. * Resumes get boring. * Need something that sets you apart * But be careful. Volunteer for planned parenthood. * Make sure that they look great printed in black and white. * Most of the people who are hiring are hiring because they're busy; hence, they won't be quick. *** Always take the time to write a thank you note after an interview. [Email is fine. Physical mail takes too long.] * Technical recruiters are okay. But you should shop around to find the right one. * Cover letter should show that you've thought about the job and the company. Question: If you haven't heard back about a resume, is it okay to do a followup? * Minimal. Wait a few weeks. Then something short. * Sometims the process is long - it can take six weeks or more once background checks are done. * Don't be afraid to use alumni. * They know how hard it's been. * Resume review - content, format * Informational interview - tell me about your job * Don't underestimate * Alums have been there * User group meetings! * A hobby project is a good plus. Her example was playing with Ubuntu to set up a Tivo clone (even if it didn't work). You should be someone who enjoys tinkering and figuring things out. *** Don't forget to Google yourself. * Anna will compare resume and LinkedIn - job title * Drunken pictures - won't judge drunkenness, but that you can't clean up after yourself. * Have some experience * Setting up a new Linux installation with a new server etc. * Dabbling is good * Knowing enough to say "I've played around with that a bit" is good. * Read some Websites like HackerNews * Programming doesn't have to be your passion. * Another talk for the future - starting a small business * Note: You can apply for a job if you have 60% of the qualifications. * "Five years minimum" can mean "two or three is good enough" * You list everything you would like to have and accept that you won't get all of it. (People who meet all of the requirements probably have a better job anyway.) Question: What was your experience learning things on the job? * StackOverflow is your best friend * She's had some mentors * Helpful for "Do we have a standard way of doing this?" * Current job has some training options (which include travel for trainings) * Better programmers are better at reading source * At some places, colleagues can be helpful Question: How do you find out what the market's looking for? * Monster (or something equivalent) * Make sure that your technologies get listed in your resumes (often through the descriptings) *** Treat your job search as a full-time class. * Do hobby projects - make something (anything) in languages and technologies * Pick somewhere you're interested in being. Go there during spring break. Do informational interviews and that sort of thing. Visit user groups.