>Basically, it's time for me to get a real job, something that'll give me
>experience relevant to the comp. sci. degree I'm pursuing, and something
>that pays better than what I'm getting now. While scouring the many job
>listings at Dice.com, I noticed that quite a few of them were not from
>employers themselves but from other placement agencies. I'm curious to
>know peoples' opinions on dealing with these placement agencies. Would it
>be wise for me to send off a copy of my resume to a few of these agencies
>and let their fingers do the mousing for me? Or would it be a better idea
>for me to try and deal directly with the employers?
i read a bunch of resume's over the last year, and saw a fair number from
placement agencies. i have to admit i dreaded them, but that was only
because of the personnel at the agency, not a factor of the candidates
themselves. it was more a question of having a telemarketer who wants you
to give someone a job, and won't hang up until you've said 'no' about
thirty times. i concede that it's an effective way to get your name in
front of prospective employers, but be aware that the effect is like
finding a piece of spam in your inbox that vaguely relates to what you were
just looking for.
>My two toughest obstacles right now are A) the fact that I'm almost
>entirely self-taught, with no degree or certification (yet -- I'm getting
>there); and B) the fact that my job experience in a truly
>computer-intensive environment is pretty weak. It's tough to get
>experience when they won't hire you until you've got experience! It seems
>that most everyone went through that ordeal, though, so I'm hoping
>someone may have some thoughts to offer.
take a look at the prospect of a part-time gig with a larger company, or an
internship. half my staff fell in one of those categories, and the
managers above me were constantly pressing for more.
internships are a useful training ground.. they leave you with good
deniability. after all, you're only an intern, so as long as you did what
you were told, your head probably won't end up on the block. you also
tend to work on larger projects, with senior team members who have had more
experience in the field. you end up seeing a lot of action, and get the
benefit of seeing how other people go about solving problems. by the time
you're ready to leave, you'll have gotten enough real-world experience to
make you attractive to the next employer.
as far as formal certification goes, don't sweat it too badly. the demand
for technicians is high enough that being able to put your money where your
mouth is has more credibility in the workplace than a master's degree.
formal qualifications are one more thing that can help you get a foot in
the door, but after that they don't help you much. you can counterbalance
a missing degree by putting together a portfolio site and opening it up for
critique by the members of the list. by the time we give it a thumbs up,
it'll be head and shoulders above the smattering which are out there.
mike stone <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 'net geek..
been there, done that, have network, will travel.
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