Developer Career Tip #0032---Finding a high-tech job---Part 3

Developer Career Tips #0032

Finding a high-tech job---Part 3

In my last tip, I listed some popular job-finding Web Sites, and I promised to discuss how to write a resume to post online--and the pros and cons of doing so.

There are probably as many resume-writing Web Sites as there are job-finding Web Sites, and they're all loaded with good advice---just search for resume+online in any search engine and you'll get dozens of sites. I can summarize, in one word, the advice that these sites will give you when writing your resume---keywords.

In the past, those writing resumes were advised to include lots of action verbs. Resume search engines aren't looking for verbs--they're looking for keywords to help match candidates with positions, and Keywords are generally nouns. You should load up your online resume with as many nouns as you reasonably can---but don't go to extremes as some of my students have. Remember, if the resume search engine matches you with a job position, a human being will ultimately read your resume--and it better make sense..

The pros of posting a resume online? They are countless. More and more companies are searching for, and finding their candidates, online. Any more, if you don't have a resume posted online with one of the major job-finding Web Sites, it's a tremendous opportunity lost.

The cons of posting a resume online? There are several.

First, if you currently have a job, and you post your resume on-line, there's nothing to prevent your resume from being seen by your current employer--and this can make things very uncomfortable for you to say the least. Always date your resume. If two years from now your current employer sees your resume online, you can always explain you posted it when you were at your former job.

Secondly, there have been stories about headhunters finding attractive resumes on-line, and marketing them to potential employers, hoping to cash in on a lucrative finder's fee. This practice can set up a big conflict of interest (through no fault of your own) if the resume search engine matches you up with an employer to whom your resume has been sent via a head hunter. It could even cost you a job. For that reason, include with your resume some wording that forbids unauthorized transmission of your resume by headhunters.

Developer Career Tip #0031---Finding a high-tech job---Part 2

Developer Career Tips #0031

Finding a high-tech job---Part 2

There are literally hundreds of job-finding Web Sites, and in this tip, I thought I would highlight several nationally known Web Sites that have good reputations. All of these sites allow you to post a resume and be notified when a job matching one you looking for is posted.

Monster.com (www.monster.com) may be the most recognized name on my list, and it's worth a look. The site is nicely organized, and boasts a list of nearly half a million posted jobs. Moster.com permits you to post your resume on their site, and much more. The site has a bunch of job seeking material, ranging from articles on how find one, online chats with job seeking experts, tips on creating your resume, and something I think is extremely worthwhile, a virtual interview that allows you to practice 'interviewing' for a job, and even provides feedback on how well you did.

Headerhunter.net (www.headhunter.net), like the more well-known Monster.com, also has a large number of posted jobs, about a quarter of a million as of the writing of this tip. Its site is not as full featured as Monster.com, although it does provide some job searching tips, and does permit you to post a resume. An interesting sister site you may wish to check out is sologig.com, which is aimed at marketing those interested in finding freelance and contract work.

America's Job Bank (http://www.ajb.dni.us/) claims to have 1.2 million jobs posted, with about half a million resumes available for viewing by prospective employers. Although this site has the most posted jobs of the sites I've reviewed, it's easily the most 'bare bones'. The U.S. Department of Labor developed this site in partnership with the states and private sector organizations. Anyone can search for jobs, but you'll need to register in order to get into the 'meatier' portions of the site, such as posting a resume.

Dice.com (www.dice.com) unlike the other sites I've reviewed concentrates solely on IT jobs, and currently lists over 100,000 high tech jobs. If you are looking for a job in IT, I would start with this full-featured site that has great links, and a bunch of worthwhile information.

In Part 3, I'll discuss how to write and post a resume online---and the pros and cons of doing so.

Developer Career Tip #0030---Finding a high-tech job---Part 1

Developer Career Tips #0030

Finding a high-tech job---Part 1

With the New Year upon us, I thought I would do some research on Job Searching strategies. I wasn't planning on starting with Internet-based Job Searching strategies, but then I came upon an article on ZDNet which cited a higher than expected success rate for job seekers who used the Internet to find a job. According to the article

http://cma.zdnet.com/texis/cma/cma/+kr9e362rxzmwwwhqFq372+XXXW+WvNjbXW8mzmwwwwnzmwwwwpFqrp1xmwBnLFqnhw5B/display.html

just over 40% of job seekers who used the Internet to post their resume or retrieve job listings received interviews as a result. I think that's an outstanding rate of success, and one that surprises me a bit. The article went on to say that it's not only IT workers finding jobs via the Internet, but others job seekers as well. Surprisingly, the highest percentage of job seekers getting interviews is in the Human Resources area---most likely because they know best where to look and post their information on the web.

I'm always skeptical about claims such as this---as the particulars about the job seeker's situations are not noted in the survey. For instance, what were the respondent's years of experience? I've known beginner programmers with no work experience who have posted their resumes on the various search sites who haven't gotten a nibble.

Still, there's no doubt in my mind that finding a job via the Internet is a viable alternative to the more traditional methods of job searching such as scanning classified ads in newspapers or using an employment agency. Companies seeking qualified candidates find it a useful alternative as well.

In Part 2 of this article, I'll list and discuss the popular Job Search Web Sites, along with the pros and cons of posting your resume on a Job Search Site.

Developer Career Tip #0029---New kid on the block---Tip #1

Developer Career Tips #0029

New kid on the block---Tip #1

I've written extensively about pursuing and obtaining your first programming job---now let's assume that you've gotten it--what should you do in your first day or days on the job?

I recently received an email from someone who tries to take newly hired programmers under her wing, and she mentioned several important points that new programmers should bear in mind in their first days, weeks and months on the job.

First, come to grips with the fact that even if you're the world's greatest programmer, you just started with the company, and there's a lot about the company's business to learn. For instance, if you've just started with an insurance company, take the time to learn as much as possible about insurance--just getting up to speed on your company's business rules could take you a year or more. Your first day on the job is the time to start learning. The same applies to nearly every industry for which you will work--remember, you don't program Visual Basic, or C or Java--you program applications, and those applications have a business behind them.

Second, try to stretch your horizons, and be willing to take challenges. You may have been hired as a programmer, but in many companies, you're expected to be much more. For instance, if a user calls or visits about a problem logging into the company's network, roll up your sleeves and try to resolve the problem. It's OK to ask someone else for advice, but passing the user off because it's a 'Systems problem" makes you look bad in the eyes of the user and, even works, in the eyes of those you're working with.

Third, obtain a knowledge of the IT environment in which you are working as soon as possible---it will avoid problems down the road. For instance, if you can't understand why it's taking hours to build a Recordset from the company's Oracle Database down the hall, instead of complaining that the tech school from which you graduated had T1 connections, take some time to understand why the network is slow, and see if you can program around it. It could turn out that the problem is that there are a limited number of licenses, or that your program is running while the database is being backed up or maintenance is running.

Developer Career Tip #0028---Job search woes

Developer Career Tips #0028

Job search woes

I received my latest issue of Philly Tech magazine the other day (http://www.philly-tech.com)/. Philly Tech magazine, as the name implies, is a Philadelphia area high tech magazine, and it's a good one. I always start with the letters to the editors section, and for the third consecutive issue, more than half of the letters dealt with graduates of computer schools complaining about their lack of success in finding their first job--despite the promises of a hot job market by their respective computer school.

It's always difficult to determine if the letter writer is representative of the group as a whole, or just a single individual who for whatever reason can't find work.

I teach and mentor quite a few students who wish to break into the programming field---I asked myself---could I be wrong when I tell my students that it is possible for a beginner to obtain a programming position?

I maintain a large mailing list/group on egroups.com, and last week I sent out a request to my members to take a survey I had put together. I asked that only members of my group who had recently obtained employment in the IT field complete the survey. I've posted the results of the survey at:

http://www.johnsmiley.com/yesyoucan.htm

if you'd like to read them---I think you'll find them interesting.

There are several themes conveyed in the survey results, but perhaps none is more important than the respondent's belief that enthusiasm for their work in many cases got them a job. I tend to agree. Right after experience, I think employers are looking for evidence of a real zeal for work.

I remember interviewing a potentially great programmer several years ago. She obviously knew her stuff. Then I asked her to copy her Visual Basic program to a PC in my office so that I could see it run. She told me her 'copy' skills weren't very good--at the computer school she attended, one of the computer technicians did that for the students. That remark--and what it spoke of in regards to her zeal--cost her a job with me. In my small company, I expect programmers to be able to do a little bit of everything, and I don't think this attitude is found only in small companies. Personally, I wondered why someone who professed to desire a career in the IT world wouldn't bother to learn something about the computers for which they wanted to write programs.

As one hiring manager told me recently, she looks for candidates who eat, sleep, and dream IT. Make your prospective employer believe that of you, and you can land your first job.

Developer Career Tip #0027---Starting out in Consulting---Professional Liability Insurance

Developer Career Tips #0027

Starting out in Consulting---Professional Liability Insurance

I've written a few tips on starting out in the consulting field, and in my last tip on the subject I dealt with an issue that can be crucial in determining your success or failure as a consultant---setting your billing rate. Today I'd like to discuss something else that can be just as important if not more so---Professional Liability Insurance.

Think of Professional Liability Insurance as Malpractice Insurance for software developers and consultants. This insurance can provide you coverage in the event that one of your clients brings a claim against you and your work (it can happen.) Professionals such as architects and accountants have used Liability Insurance for years. Recently, software developers and consultants have embraced the protection that Professional Liability Insurance can offer (there's also a subset of Processional Liability Insurance designed specifically for software developers called Errors and Omissions coverage.)

Professional Liability Insurance coverage is not cheap, but the peace of mine it gives you may be well worth it.

I spoke with one associate of mine who told me she picked up a one million dollar Professional Liability policy for about $1,500---and is extremely pleased to know she's insured not only against mistakes she might make, but mistakes her clients believe she's made (obviously, there's a difference, but in a court of law that may not be so clear.)

Another associate of mine, Bob Lautenbach, president of Bayside Technology (http://www.baysidetech.com) points out that not only does Professional Liability Insurance provide you with protection, but in many instances, on prospective jobs he's been asked to bid on as a subcontractor, Professional Liability Insurance was a requirement in order to win the contract. Bob points out that coverage is available through most insurance brokers---but be sure to read the fine print. Like all insurance policies, Professional Liability policies have exceptions and exclusions--make sure you know what they are before committing.

The bottom line is that Professional Liability insurance is a cost of doing business--and you should seriously consider it in your consultant practice.

Developer Career Tip #0026---Getting that first job--use some common sense techniques

Developer Career Tips #0026

Getting that first job--use some common sense techniques

I just finished reading my latest copy of Computer User, and the first letter to the editor is another one of the many I've been seeing lately--a disgruntled student of a fast paced, high tech computer school complaining about their inability to get a job. This individual paid more than $8,000 for tuition, passed all six exams of the MCSE on the first try, and hasn't received a single job offer---and is justifiably disgruntled.

I've got to wonder why someone from an accredited school with obvious technical credentials (although no experience) can't at least get an offer for an entry level position somewhere--but I do have some ideas.

As you probably know, I teach and mentor quite a few students. I've written extensively about the need for a job candidate to have not only good technical skills, but good communication skills as well. And let's add some common sense to the equation also.

Just placing your resume on one of the IT job Web Sites isn't likely to get a beginner with no job experience an offer. There are just too many candidates out there with more experience. You've got to add the personal touch to your package.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a job selection process, and you'd be amazed at the little things that can tip the scales in your favor--frequently it's the candidate who shows enthusiasm and initiative during the job hiring process that gets the job.

We interviewed ten candidates for an entry level Visual Basic job. All ten had good resumes. At interview time, however, five appeared to be head and shoulders above the others. Why?

Those five brought samples of programs they had written to the interview. Of the remaining group of five, two made great impressions during the interview. The other three, while great coders, had virtually no communication skills whatsoever. Two of them appeared to be painfully shy---making no eye contact, and mumbling their responses. The other one wasn't shy--just the opposite. He chatted incessantly---making us believe that it would be difficult for him (or his team members) to get any meaningful work done in a team environment.

That left us with two excellent candidates to choose from. The selection ultimately went to the candidate who took some time to learn about the company. It probably hadn't taken her long at all (maybe just a quick glance at the company's Web Site), but she came to the interview having read the company's last major press release announcing a new product -and she found a way to make us aware of that knowledge when she asked a question about it. That question--and her enthusiasm---got her the job!