Getting a Job in IT: Tips for College Students & Graduates

If you’re going to graduate in Information Technology and Computer Science, you should be proactive and get relevant experience while you’re still in school. It will help you be prepared to find a good position. Follow our tips to do this successfully!

Get Work Experience

While you’re still studying, you might think about getting a part-time job in your field. If you study any subject in the IT department, you may take anything from tech support or computer lab work to junior IT position. You can work as a backup operator, system operator, PC technician, etc, in your campus, or anywhere else. Another good idea for you is to take a closer look at possible summer placements or internships. A part-time job won’t only give you some extra cash, but also provide you with priceless experience, skills in finding a job, and the improved ability to understand what you really want.

Start Seeking for Job a Year Out

Commonly, organizations and companies start recruiting graduates when they are on their fall semester prior to graduation. It allows the students to think about their opportunities, understand their salary range, and learn more about the positions they can take and the companies they can work for. It is also a good chance for you to start thinking what you want, what interests you and what job will be easier for you to find. It is a good idea to take on several interviews to understand how the recruiting game works and what the interview includes. In the meantime, you can begin working on your job network. That means contacting your family members, friends, fellow students, teachers, previous and current employers, etc, to get the recommendations and job leads you might need. All these steps and experiences will be extremely valuable and make the job seeking process easy and natural.

Don’t Wait for Your Graduation

Start engaging into the job seeking process and job network creation right now. Don’t wait for your graduation, even if it’s only a few weeks away. Put together your resume, create or update your LinkedIn account, clean up your other social media accounts, and start considering yourself a serious job seeker. Then think about the jobs that might be interesting to you. Reflect on the subjects and courses you liked the most in college and think what kinds of IT positions you could handle the best. Afterwards, do research on the job market, answering such questions as:

• Who’s hiring in the field?
• What jobs offer the best opportunities for graduates?
• Is there anything your family, friends and teachers can recommend?

Look at your job seeking process as if it were on of your exams, and take the preparation process seriously. There will be a lot you will have to do when you begin looking for a job, so don’t put it all off. Start making some steps right now.