Help for a one year fresher to enter the software industry

[mrnagrajan]

Dear Freinds,

I am hoping a postive answer from this group. I have done my
graduation currently and looking for a break in programming in C# or
VB.NET with SQL Server. After graduation i joined a computer institute
and did a one year course there. For first six months i was nearly
taught nothing. But later some how i started to read things on my own.
After one year i have started attending interviews. But the questions
asked are so much out of topic sometimes. I can completed sample
projects. What should i do because after one year i have come to know
that questions in interviews are so different from actual projects.

For instance i was asked about SOA , damn it i have no idea about that
stuff. I am also reading interview questions and answers from
http://www.questpond.com but i am still not able to cope up.

Please help what approach should i take now. 1 year is a big time
freinds.

 

[Ralph]

Dear Freinds,

I am hoping a postive answer from this group. I have done my
graduation currently and looking for a break in programming in C# or
VB.NET with SQL Server. After graduation i joined a computer institute
and did a one year course there. For first six months i was nearly
taught nothing. But later some how i started to read things on my own.
After one year i have started attending interviews. But the questions
asked are so much out of topic sometimes. I can completed sample
projects. What should i do because after one year i have come to know
that questions in interviews are so different from actual projects.

For instance i was asked about SOA , damn it i have no idea about that
stuff. I am also reading interview questions and answers from
http://www.questpond.com but i am still not able to cope up.

Please help what approach should i take now. 1 year is a big time
freinds.

Welcome to the real world. (You didn't mention what part of it. That might
help. You may have to leave.)

Landing a first job with no employment experience is tough. Beyond the
obvious -take a shower, clean your nails, and look interested - there is no
simple answer.

You will be hired eventually because an employer thinks you can be a benefit
for him and he likes you. Sometimes all you need is to be likeable. Do
whatever you can to be likeable and appear useful.

For how to be likeable, getting some books, attending some emploment
seminars, etc. may help. Researching as much as you can about the employer
and the job will help you to appear useful.

Beyond that it is all BS, and gaming with a slightly irrational opponent in
charge of the rules. But if you keep plugging it will happen. That's the
positive.

-ralph

 

[asadikhan]

Dear Freinds,

I am hoping a postive answer from this group. I have done my
graduation currently and looking for a break in programming in C# or
VB.NET with SQL Server. After graduation i joined a computer institute
and did a one year course there. For first six months i was nearly
taught nothing. But later some how i started to read things on my own.
After one year i have started attending interviews. But the questions
asked are so much out of topic sometimes. I can completed sample
projects. What should i do because after one year i have come to know
that questions in interviews are so different from actual projects.

For instance i was asked about SOA , damn it i have no idea about that
stuff. I am also reading interview questions and answers fromhttp://www.questpond.combut i am still not able to cope up.

Please help what approach should i take now. 1 year is a big time
freinds.

Two Things.

Firstly, try to go through as many interviews as possible. Usually for
every 15-20 resumes that you send out, you should expect a response of
1. And that is assuming your resume is in line with the job you are
applying for. Keep a track of the jobs you are applying to, what
skills are required, do you show case them in your interview, etc.

You don't have to have experience. But you have to know your stuff. So
e.g. for SOA, try spending a few hours every day learning new
technology. Read an article on WIKI about what SOA is. Then read about
web services. Maybe try building, and consuming a web service in C#.
Learn something new that you see on job listings, but you are not too
sure or confident about.

Stop wasting your money and time going to institutes. At the end of
the day, you will learn the most from your own practice.

Secondly, it is generally easier to get into a entry level QA or
Application Support role than is to get into development. You need to
have good communication skills though, so if you need, work on that as
well. Again, go through as many interviews as possible. The more you
get turned down, the harder you will become, and the better you will
be at the next interview.

I got a job at Bell Canada (Customer Service) working as a Sales Rep
selling TV channels to subscribers. I was making $10 an hour. I kept
giving interviews and stayed sharp with my tech skills. I ended up
getting a job as a Support Analyst with a Bank's IT firm next. I was
making $16 an hour. I still kept updating my skills. I am now an
Intermediate .Net developer with a multi national, making a lot more
than that

Keep at it, you will find your way.

 

[Pop`]

Welcome to the real world. (You didn't mention what part of it. That
might help. You may have to leave.)

Landing a first job with no employment experience is tough. Beyond the
obvious -take a shower, clean your nails, and look interested - there
is no simple answer.

You will be hired eventually because an employer thinks you can be a
benefit for him and he likes you. Sometimes all you need is to be
likeable. Do whatever you can to be likeable and appear useful.

For how to be likeable, getting some books, attending some emploment
seminars, etc. may help. Researching as much as you can about the
employer and the job will help you to appear useful.

Beyond that it is all BS, and gaming with a slightly irrational
opponent in charge of the rules. But if you keep plugging it will
happen. That's the positive.

-ralph

Lots of good advice in the two response so far. I second most everything
they said.

That said, I'd like to add:

English apparently isn't your native language, so you should get used to
using spell checks whenever you even come close to anything/anyone related
to the job market.

To more fully grab interest of the readers, you should add such things as
what degrees you have, in what, and where you earned them, along with any
work blocks and/or part time jobs relevant to your goals that you had while
you were in school.

It's tough to gain experience without a job, and tough to get a job without
experience, but it's a catch-22 you can overcome with patience and
perseverance. The comments so far about taking all the interviews you can
get were good ones. The more interview experience the better you'll be
prepared as you work you way through them all. Besides, you might just come
across an entry level job you weren't expecting to find and if it has any
advancement possibilities at all, it can be a good starting point for a
first job.
One thing I don't think was directly mentioned about sending out resumes
is, try to write a cover letter specific for each industry you apply to.
That gives you a chance to expose your goals and your work ethics, things
that aren't part of the resume as a rule. Ideally a cover letter should
only be one page long and do as good a job selling yourself as you can.
Unless you're strapped for cash, don't instantly grab the first offer you
receive. Most places will understand that you need to "think about it" for
a week or so, giving you time to do more research and think about the
overall prospects. But at the same time, don't overlook one that's just
exactly what you want.
A log book or notebook and some samples of your work are often handy at
interviews too, even if they don't look at them. Just having them is an
indicator of your preparedness.

And lastly, try to appear level-headed as possible, even when something
seriously surprises you or excites you to no end<g>. Those who can see
surprises and unexpected events as challenges are usually at the head of the
line. And then, after all that, "Be Yourself" and show a strong work
ethic.

Best of luck,

Pop`

 

[PeterD]

Dear Freinds,

I am hoping a postive answer from this group. I have done my
graduation currently and looking for a break in programming in C# or
VB.NET with SQL Server. After graduation i joined a computer institute
and did a one year course there. For first six months i was nearly
taught nothing. But later some how i started to read things on my own.
After one year i have started attending interviews. But the questions
asked are so much out of topic sometimes. I can completed sample
projects. What should i do because after one year i have come to know
that questions in interviews are so different from actual projects.

For instance i was asked about SOA , damn it i have no idea about that
stuff. I am also reading interview questions and answers from
http://www.questpond.com but i am still not able to cope up.

Please help what approach should i take now. 1 year is a big time
freinds.

I think I see your problem...

Where did you graduate from?

 

[Alan T]

Hi,

So are you new a team leader? Do you write documentation?
Do you sit any MCIT or other MS cert?

 

[Michael C]

Please help what approach should i take now. 1 year is a big time
freinds.

1 year is not a long time especially seeing you say you didn't learn
anything for the first 6 months. Did you do any programming before this
year? If not I wouldn't hire you with your current level of training. If
this is your only experience then go back and do some more schooling. There
are a lot of people trying to get into the IT industry with minimal
expericence or training.

Michael

 

[Steve Dassin]

.
There are a lot of people trying to get into the IT industry with minimal
expericence or training.

And they have succeeded.

www.beyondsql.blogspot.com

 

[Michael C]

And they have succeeded.

www.beyondsql.blogspot.com

You've been involved in IT for some time, right? The IT industry used to be
so desperate for people they'd hire anyone. Now it requires a little more
knowledge

Michael

 

[Michael C]

You've been involved in IT for some time, right? The IT industry used to
be so desperate for people they'd hire anyone. Now it requires a little
more knowledge

Oops, I din't mean that to sound like it did I started the same way and
suspect I might have trouble getting in now if I tried with my initial
experience.

 

[asadikhan]

Oops, I din't mean that to sound like it did I started the same way and
suspect I might have trouble getting in now if I tried with my initial
experience.






- Show quoted text -

I won't suggest going back to school to this individual. The guy has
already spent some hefty amounts I am sure. He needs to practice and
hone his skills. I also won't say that I would not hire him given his
current technical skills. Maybe he just needs to showcase what he
knows better. I remember when I was starting out, I knew a lot, but I
just didn't have enough interview experience, and I would get sweaty
hands and be nervous.

You need to take all of this advice, see what you think are potential
roadblocks for you, and work them out. Stick it out, take it easy, and
have a strategy.

Asad

 

[Steve Dassin]

Oops, I din't mean that to sound like it did I started the same way and
suspect I might have trouble getting in now if I tried with my initial
experience.

Nah, I bet most people would be comfortable with the inference from
the first response

Sure, just look into this forum for proof that you need a higher
level of knowledge and understanding today than 10 years ago.
It used to be when the smoke clears you could see what's really
going on. But the ability to blow smoke exceeds the patience
of waiting. So now the industry demands a higher level of knowledge
for what is really nothing more than a blow job. Are you kidding me?
Like Elvis, common sense seems to have left the building .

www.beyondsql.blogspot.com

 

[Michael C]

Nah, I bet most people would be comfortable with the inference from
the first response

Sure, just look into this forum for proof that you need a higher
level of knowledge and understanding today than 10 years ago.
It used to be when the smoke clears you could see what's really
going on. But the ability to blow smoke exceeds the patience
of waiting. So now the industry demands a higher level of knowledge
for what is really nothing more than a blow job. Are you kidding me?
Like Elvis, common sense seems to have left the building .

Dunno, common sense seems to have settled in a little bit. Some of the
people I used see get hired.....

Michael

 

[Jan Hyde (VB MVP)]

(e-mail address removed)'s wild thoughts were released on Sun,
14 Oct 2007 10:58:47 -0700 bearing the following fruit:

Dear Freinds,

I am hoping a postive answer from this group. I have done my
graduation currently and looking for a break in programming in C# or
VB.NET with SQL Server. After graduation i joined a computer institute
and did a one year course there. For first six months i was nearly
taught nothing. But later some how i started to read things on my own.
After one year i have started attending interviews. But the questions
asked are so much out of topic sometimes. I can completed sample
projects. What should i do because after one year i have come to know
that questions in interviews are so different from actual projects.

For instance i was asked about SOA , damn it i have no idea about that
stuff. I am also reading interview questions and answers from
http://www.questpond.com but i am still not able to cope up.

Please help what approach should i take now. 1 year is a big time
freinds.

Be prepared to take a low paid trainee position. Getting
some experience is more importany initially than the wage.

 

[Jack Vamvas]

Some helpful tips

http://www.itjobfeed.com/secrets-of-getting-an-IT-job.asp

 

[MikeB]

s'pose no one thinks the cadence of the vernacular of the OP is pretty close to
the opening Paragraph of the link.....

 

[Michael C]

s'pose no one thinks the cadence of the vernacular of the OP is pretty
close to the opening Paragraph of the link.....

Dunno, I didn't click any links.

Michael

 

[Guest]

I hire people.
The first thing I look for is practical experience.
Fresh out of school is not what I need.
I know people who graduated Cum Laude that could not design anything; all
talk and no creativity. Their brains can spit stuff back, but they cannot
think.
So how do you get experience?
Legitimately, create your own as I did when I started out.
Pick a specific profession where you want to excel.
Then buy whatever is needed and create at home.
e.g. want to be a website developer? Then develop websites at home and put
them on the net for all to see.
A potential employer will see that you really can do it.
Make a portfolio of things you have developed showing practical experience.
In my case, I designed and built electronics.
I had a folder with my designs that I showed around.
It worked for me.
Now I pump out software apps.

Demonstrate your creative capabilities.

P.S. Not hiring right now.