Tell me how you got your first job after college

zephyrprime

Diamond Member
Feb 18, 2001
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There was a job fair at my school today and it was really packed. It got me thinking that maybe I should start planning for my future (yikes). Please tell me how you got your first job after college (if applicable) so I can leech ideas from the generous folks here at atot :)

FYI: I'm graduating in the spring with a CSCI degree.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
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Originally posted by: yakko
I never went to college so I had an extra 4 years to look.

i think its 6, on average, now.
 

Adrian Tung

Golden Member
Oct 10, 1999
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I followed my friend to a company which he was having his second interview with. I brought my resume and a CD with all my good stuff in it. Got into the interview, they liked my stuff, asked me to come again the next day when the big boss was around, who also liked my stuff that next day and hired me.


:)atwl
 

Mr N8

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2001
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I worked as a teller at a bank. Got promoted to Net Tech 1/2 way through my college. Promoted to admin aftr I graduated.
 

BigJohnKC

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2001
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I went to a job fair 30 miles from my college where my current company had a rep. I gave her my resume, they gave me a call and invited me here for an interview. There were 75 applicants for 12 jobs, interviews were big group interviews. We had a logic/programming test, 6 questions, not too easy, but not hard at all. Then there was a technical interview. I got a call a few weeks later after their final round of interviews offering me the job. This was 2001, when there still were programming jobs for college graduates with no experience. Not anymore....
 

sohcrates

Diamond Member
Sep 19, 2000
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went to job fair as a junior in college, got an interview.

interviewed again the following year, and got an offer my last semester of school

worked out pretty good
 

RaySun2Be

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
16,565
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Got out, started pounding the pavement, sending in resumes, filling out applications, searching the want ads. Went to an interview with the City, had to take some tests, went back for a second interview, never heard anything.

After a few weeks of rejection letters and no calls, one of my friends that graduated with me called and let me know the company they just started with was looking for more entry level programmers. Set up an interview, which was cancelled 4 times because the person I was to interview with was having some serious dental work, and everytime we had set an appointment, he had to cancel because he'd had to see the dentist, or else he was in a lot of pain. I had to cancel the 5 time because I had gone to a KC Royals game and screamed myself hoarse (great game ;)

Finally we connected on the 6th try, interview went well, hired me on the spot. :)

Several weeks later I got a letter from the city stating I had passed the interview process and they were interested in offering me a job. And another company called with an offer about 4 weeks after starting work. :)

Persistance, spend time everyday job hunting, and definitely spend time "networking". Talk to friends, neighbors, etc. and let them know you are looking, they may know of companies that are hiring. Same goes to the people you graduated with, and people you meet.

I even went on an interviews with people just to practice interviewing. They weren't looking, but were willing to help me hone my skills. (again, a friend of a friend).

If it's not panning out in your area, be ready to expand the search to other parts of the country, if possible.

Best of luck! :D
 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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My brother was working for a company and convinced them to interview me for an internship my freshman year.
I passed their interview and technical test and started working there.
I came back during winter break for extra money.
The following summer I asked to be moved from software development to IT to expand my breadth of knowledge.
I worked in IT that summer and the next.
I now work for the same place in the IT department having graduated.

 

wyvrn

Lifer
Feb 15, 2000
10,074
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I looked for a job in the newspaper, of all places. Applied, had one interview and a test, and was hired on the spot. Took me all of 1 day to find my first full-time job :) Though it was an entry level job and didnt pay that much. I increased my salary 50% over the next 4 years before hitting a wall and deciding to go back to college. I never finished my degree the first time around.
 

QTPie

Golden Member
Dec 30, 2001
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registered myself at the school career center so that I could post my resume on Jobtrack.com where companies hired new grads.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
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Walked into the McDonalds with a 4 page resume and got a blank stare. They told me I started that afternoon. ;)
 

Maverick

Diamond Member
Jun 14, 2000
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During my junior year I registered with my school's online resume submission program. Submitted my resume to lots of companies and got a few interviews for internships that summer. One in particular went really well and I got asked to do an office visit. The office visit had 3 interviews. The first and the last went fine...the middle one was horrible. I was surprised when I got a call with an offer a few weeks later. I took the job and did a 10 week internship last summer. The following December they gave me an offer. It was pretty weak, but I took it since nothing else came my way. Then 3 weeks before my start date, they tell me my position is changed and I'm going to get a $3,000 salary increase. This all happened in the middle of June and I've been here since then.

Moral of the story: get an internship or two during your college years. Without having at least one internship I'm sure I wouldn't have even gotten some of the interviews that I did. It makes a big difference to come to the table with some real world experience related to the job.
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
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i got an internship through my university job fair, and when i applied for fulltime i interviewed and got hired. The college jobfair is a great place to go, be prepared.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,885
2,125
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I took a chance and left a sure thing mid paying job to work for a temp agency where I could get my foot in the door of a high paying job. It worked....worked 3 months as a temp and they hired me.
 

tcsenter

Lifer
Sep 7, 2001
18,350
259
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Tell me how you got your first job after college
I applied...and what do you know? It worked! You REALLY must try it sometime. :confused:

Actually, I made a resume and snappy cover letter, sent it to the HR departments of some 80 companies, then I sat on my duff waiting for responses. I got a lot of non-responses, like "thank you for your interest but we're not hiring for your position, your info will be kept on file for xx days". I don't know how many, those went into the trash.

But I got about 5 real offers so all I had to do was figure out where I wanted to work. I have always been offered every job I interviewed for, I interview extremely well.
 

amdskip

Lifer
Jan 6, 2001
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Thanks for the info everyone in this thread. When would be a good time too look for an internship and where do you begin to look for them?
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
23,686
0
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Originally posted by: amdskip
Thanks for the info everyone in this thread. When would be a good time too look for an internship and where do you begin to look for them?

sophmore year in college