KEEPING YOUR OPTIONS OPEN!

My fiancee' is now co-habitating with me and our wedding is two weeks away. But guess what? She still doesn't have a steady job. But I'm not worried, even though her moving in is another financial burden her temporary income isn't even a consideration. Why? Because she is currently working at an amazing company part time while three different women are out on medical leave for babies. At this point it looks like she will be out some time in May but we are holding onto the hope that one of the ladies will fall in love with their newborn and stay home to raise their new bundle of joy and abandon their position to my beloved.

With that being said I never would have encouraged Molly to have taken that job unless we knew that there was a chance for something to open up. Which is why I am saying that any job lead is a positive one this early in the game. After all, she had only been looking for a month and came across this position and with each passing day her options for getting a job within the company increase.

So when it comes to a temporary or part time position with a company don't write it off because it isn't guaranteed to turn into something full-time. At the very least you are guaranteed a short stream of income and a chance to beef up your resume' and with just coming out of school that is a very decent start to what will hopefully open up the doors for your dream job later on down the line.

Throughout the course of my fiancee'/wife's job hunt I'll detail the tips that worked to take her from a temp worker to a full time employee in one of America's largest corporations. Hopefully her experience will give others a leg up in the job hunt.

Welcome to the Jungle

...Job jungle that is. That's right, it's recruiting season. It's time for resume revamps, career cluttered calendars, and professional primping. I know that a lot of students have this deep fear or uneasiness about job fairs. It can be pretty intimidating, especially if it's your first one. Job fairs, at least for engineers, seem like they just get bigger and bigger. More companies, more people, more give-aways, more resumes, more jobs! It really is an exciting thing. The best piece of advice I can give you before you go into the jungle is - know what you're looking for and do your research. Companies want you to know about their business. Make sure you've looked at their website to see what they make or possibly what positions they are hiring for. If you approach them knowing more about their company than the last person they talked to, then you already look like a better candidate to them. Also, it wouldn't hurt to get your resume looked over by one of your career center counselors - but you are so on top of things that you've already done that, right? One last tip, don't be shy. Job fairs are noisy - you've got to speak up and make eye-contact. I would say that it's important for you to dress professionally: pressed shirt and pants, etc. However, the trend in the technology industry over the past few years has been going more and more casual. Many companies I know of, mine included, allow jeans every day of the week (even for management). So, I would say that khakis and a polo are good choices, as well as any button-up shirt and slacks. (A suit is probably over doing it.)

That's it! Those are the basics of a job fair. As long as you're prepared, there is nothing to be afraid of. Have fun at your next job fair - oh, and pick me up one of those mini-staplers while you're at it!

Getting LinkedIn

I'll admit that I am a creature of habit. I get up at 5:00am every morning and roll through my routine: run, study, meditate, fix lunch, and then go to work. This proclivity for predictability has extended to my internet usage as well. There is a roll call of about 16 sites that I go through after work and then I'll move on from there. This routine has precluded me from actually getting into new social networks and testing them out, except for one.

LinkedIn caught my eye while I was doing my job search in April and while I picked it up and played with it there never really was any part of it that truly caught my fancy. But recently I read a book by Jason Alba at JibberJobber.com and I am on fire for this site! Most sites aren't as good as say, Experience.com, about telling you what to do once you have signed up, and Alba has written the missing owner's manual one of the hottest career sites.

I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? is written in a very direct and to the point style that you need for guiding a user through a dense site like LinkedIn. Alba's step by step instructions paired with chapter analysis and diagrams render the challenge of finding friends and connections mere child's play. In fact, I guarantee after you read this book you won't be able to live with yourself if you leave your profile alone.

As for myself I've read I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? on a literary level and I need to open it back up with my own LinkedIn profile open and totally revamp my entire account. I never actually thought that taking the free account would... wait, I'm not about to give his tips away. If you'd like a copy of I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? you can find it wherever fine books are sold or you can go here. Best of luck to you all and happy blogging!

D.B.A.T.A.Q.

You might be thinking DBATAQ?
Don't Be Afraid To Ask Questions.
Industry LOVES to use acronyms, especially when you start talking tech.
When you're the rookie, you can miss an entire business meeting if you don't know the lingo. I'm just going to be honest here...
I was sitting in my first facilities management meeting and when someone mentioned "UPS", I thought of good ol' brown and not Uniterruptible Power Supply.
I actually started a list of acronyms in an excel file. I can now use it to help train the newest addition to our department.

Acronyms are hard to get around. Industry will always use them. I must recommend a couple of support groups for those of you that simply can't cope with this fact.

P.A.A.A.P. - People Against Acronyms And Palindromes
or
P.C.M.C.I.A - People Can't Memorize Computer Industrial Acronyms

Christening Post

Ah it’s that time of year again. In Stillwater, OK there is a slight tinge of fall in the air as freshman pledges walk back and forth from classes. Football season is in full swing with a home game set for next week and a buzz is still circulating amongst the entire body of students because of the newness of the semester. And if the middle of all of this here I am… in Wichita, KS, behind a desk.

My name is Clint James and I am a 2007 graduate of Oklahoma State University with degrees in Agricultural Economics and Political Science. During high school and college I worked for three of the most prestigious lawyers in the great state of Oklahoma. I was an overachiever on campus and I’m continuing that tradition by blogging, working full time, starting my own company, learning a foreign language, training to play minor league football, and working towards getting my hot air balloon pilot’s license all while getting married. Yet despite all of the responsibilities and goals if you asked me outright what it is that I “do” for a living I’ll tell you that I’m a student and that I’m never going to graduate.

While this blog is targeted towards technology, and rightfully so since you found it by clicking on the glorious little computer icon on the front page, I’m going to be focusing on how to survive in your first job, how to land your first job, and how to make technology increase your personal productivity as a student and as a young professional. If you are a senior most of my posts will contain a clear picture of what you can expect in the corporate world. If you are a Freshman to Junior I’m going to do as much as I can to help you find your first job and show you how to stand out in an interview.

As always I’m happy to take your feedback in the comments or contact me via Facebook or at clint (dot) james [at] gmail (dot) com.

New Tech Blogger

Hello!

I'm Amy and I'll be working along side Clint, writing for the Technology Blog.

I'm excited and ready to go, but first, I want to tell you a little bit about myself.

I graduated last May from Texas Tech University with a Bachelors of Science in Industrial Engineering. Currently, I am an Environmental, Health and Safety Engineer at X-Fab Texas Semiconductor Foundry. We make wafers (and not the kind you eat). Our silicon wafers get put into all kinds of electronic devices. But one of the most unique things about where I work is the attire.

Silicon wafers are produced in cleanrooms. The air inside the room contains less than ten particles per cubic foot of air. Hey, if you've got bad allergies, that's the place to be! In order to go into the cleanroom, you have to put on the "Bunny Suit".