Question about post-college employment

[Number Of The Priest]

I've got about 1.5 to 2 years left in university and I'm starting to look for job opportunities with the mindset that I want guaranteed employment upon graduation. How early did you start looking for a job?

Reason I ask is because I am gung-ho about getting a job right after school is done and I don't want to be unemployed for any period of time, which is sometimes the reality. Also, if I don't get a job, my parents wish me do post-graduate studies to get a Master's or PhD, and I am not keen on any more studies once I am finished by Bachelor's degree.

I have a crapload of government work experience from my recurring summer job and have built up a lot of specific skills related to my field of study. However, my school grades are average and I may lose a certain "edge" that some of my bookworm friends have, even though they don't have the training/skills/experience that I know I have. I really hope there's truth in the saying that grades do not determine who you become in life because I really started slipping academically since I graduated high school with honors.

Point is, I just badly, badly, badly want to get out there and do something with my life instead of cramming my brain with useless chemical formulae and the most minute anatomical details of the human body that I know will be forgotten the day after the final exams. Another way to put it is that I am basically getting sick of school and want to start applying myself.

[442w30]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Try to get a relationship with a 'for profit' company in your field.
I had summer jobs in retail, even management positions. When I got out of school with a computer information systems, none of that mattered. Only 'Web developers' and graphic artists got jobs based on their experience, and the ones that got the real good jobs had them lined up through internships. None of my school experience counted, so I spent time self studying things to wow interviewers and started way low on the totem pole, working for the guys that simply did internships from big companies.
I suggest you bug people at your university until you get an internship - unpaid or paid. If the gov't job is an internship, I suppose I'd stick with it - If there's a possibility they or another agency will take you after graduation. If it's just for the experience(and they won't take you in when you graduate) and you've learned what they have to offer, take that experience to a for profit company.


That would have put me three to five years ahead of where I am now.

BTW, grades may get you an interview out of school or an internship, but they really don't mean a thing after that, and even less once you have a year or two under your belt in the 'real world'.

Good Luck Bro

[etaeniura]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Internships are definitely a good way to get your foot in the door. Showing an employer that you are reliable and hard-working means so much more than your GPA. I have never had an employer ask about my grades in college-from what I understand, very few employers actually care what your grades were. Grad schools on the other hand, want to see a high GPA.

Also speak with professors in your chosen field, upper classmen who are looking for jobs in the same area, etc. Networking is the number one way to get a good job. The more people you know, the better off you are. Good luck!

[RR05xx]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Sounds like from your post that you already know that you need to start the search. It is never too early to line somehting up. The time will fly by faster than you think. Also, I agree with the networking concept, you never know when an opportunity may present itself, but you have to be looking for it and now is as good a time as any. Job fairs do not hurt and even scanning the classifieds in your chosen market to see what is out there.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: Question about post-college employment

<font color="yellow">NOTP...please don't kill me...but seriously, have you thought about becoming a officer in one of the Canadian Military branches??

Our officers make decent money, get fairly good jobs within the establishment, and have great retirement bennies w/other benefits.

Maybe something you could at least look into.... </font>

[Top Jimmy B]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Are you planning on staying in Canada or looking for an opportunity to go south of the border? If you're staying in the country I would advise you to continue to work all the government agencies and opportunities you can. You should be able to find a job that pays very well, offers excellent benefit programs and will give you a fantastic pension plan. Not to mention that when the CCRA auditors are looking for fresh meat to carve up they tend to leave fellow government employees alone. Any job that keeps Revenue Canada out of your rear view mirror is a huge plus.

[Zero Signal]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Somebody mentioned internships, and I think that is a good way to go. I work in an engineering field, and almost all of the interns that have come through our company get offered jobs when they get out.

Otherwise, getting a job can be as easy as how far you are willing to move.

[Emthrax]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Yeah. What Sam said. Or you could be a Mounty! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Emthrax]

Re: Question about post-college employment

P.S. Keith says that Canada has one of the best Air Forces in the world. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Lev]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Internships, as someone else mentioned, are a great way to find job opportunities. If you do a good job, there's a chance they may hire you, if not, they might refer you to another company. Worst case scenario, you don't get a job but atleast you'll have something on your resume. You can also try doing co-op.

Another thing, meet as many people as you can within the industry you are trying to get into. Get business cards, e-mail people, go to seminars, conferences, just go out and get to know as many people as you can in your field. Having good connections always increases your chance of getting a good job. That's actually the main reason why I was supposed to go to NAMM; to give out my resume, meet people, and to attend the music business seminars... unfortunately I couldn't make it, hopefully I'll attend the summer NAMM since I can use the ticket I was supposed to go california with [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Thanks for the replies everyone!!! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

Here's my situation so far. I participated in the cooperative education program at my high school when I was 16. The school found me a place of work (government biology lab) to earn credits toward my high school diploma. I completed my semester there, and I loved it. Every summer since then, I've been hired back to work for them, with a nice raise each year!

The thing is that my time as a student is running short. This upcoming summer will be my last summer working there as a student. But, I hope to still work in the same facility after graduation since I networked a real crapload while I am there and have connections coming out of my ears! I actually didn't even know what networking was until a few days ago when I attended a career fair and was given hints about how to land employment. Yet, I had done a lot of networking without knowing about it! Everybody knows me and loves me by now. Rock!!! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

And get this. I typed up this topic because I was at one of the school's computer labs and was a few minutes away from going to another science career fair to talk to potential employers and find out what they do. That's what got me thinking and so I made this topic while researching the guest companies' websites prior to going to the fair.

And at this career fair today, there actually was someone from the Canadian Forces and I wanted to go talk about civilian careers with, but he was part of Reserves and couldn't give me any information about civil work except pointing me to the website. Actually, most of the exhibits at the career fair today had the representatives pointing the students toward their websites for more information... is there anything the internet DOESN'T have? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Heh, apparently there's a slight problem in Canada where our best fighter pilots are becoming major airline pilots for the salary... I know I'd jump ship too. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

For everyone else who mentioned internships, I will have to look into that... I always knew volunteer work looks great on a resume but internship never crossed my mind. Forgive my ignorance when I used to believe it was "slave labor". [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] But it might start to look good as I go on my quest for securing a job by the time I graduate. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I plan on staying within Canada, within Ontario even. Apparently it's difficult to get a job anywhere else without a Master's unless I intend on staying in Ontario. A friend told me that... she might have just said it to make me jealous that she's planning on pursuing graduate work and knows I don't have the grades/brains to match her. Oh well, I'll be talking to my academic advisor tomorrow anyways. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[LRGman]

Re: Question about post-college employment

Are you a ChemE-

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Question about post-college employment

NOTP, You shuld get a job doing Camera man.
Like shooting video at Adult Movie scenes.
J/K [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: Question about post-college employment

[ QUOTE ]
Are you a ChemE-

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmmmm? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] I don't understand. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Sometimes the porno cameraman DOES get in on the action... mwahahahaha! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Question about post-college employment

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
The title of that video will be "Number Of The Beast".
or "Powerslave".
Cameraman is wearing Eddie's mask.

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]