Job HuntingIndependent Living

If you have ever applied for a job,

how did you find out about the opening?

Job Hunting Resources• Family & Friends

– They know of your interests and abilities– They have contacts in the community

• Networking– Make use of personal connections when searching for job

opportunities (teachers, coaches, family friends, etc.)

• Employers– Contact business employers to learn of available jobs– Even if there are no openings, they may contact you in

the future

Job Hunting Resources• Employment Agencies

– Help people find jobs by matching applicants’ qualifications with job openings

– Public agencies are free; Private agencies charge fees

• Career Counselors & Advisors– At schools and at colleges(Mcgill,Concordia)

• Employment Websites– Post your resume so employers can search for you– Monster.ca, linkedin.ca, indeed.ca

Is That Job Right For You?1. Evaluate yourself.

2. Evaluate the job.

Evaluate Yourself• What skills do you have to offer?– Are they transferable skills?– Are they job-specific skills?Be ready before you start!

Evaluate Yourself• Transferable Skills: the skills that can be

used in many different situations– Also known as soft skills– Examples:

• Writing• Working well with others• Time management• Making decisions

• Job-Specific Skills: the skills necessary to do a specific job(c/c++/java/python)

Evaluate The Job

• Compensation – What is the wage/salary? Is there potential for

raises?1-3 years: 50k,3-5years 60-70k, 5-10 years 80-100k

• Employer benefits– Fringe Benefit: Something you receive at little or

no cost (paid vacation, sick leave, child care, health insurance, etc.)

– Contract and permanent

Evaluate The Job• Nature of the work

– What is your job description? What will you be doing?

• Working conditions– The work environment. – Inside or outside? Independently or with others?– Location (commute)? Work schedule? Travel

requirements?

• Job outlook– Are there jobs available? Are there future opportunities

in this occupation?

Why Not Try Out A Career?

• Work with a mentor

• Job shadow

• Internship

Completing A Job Application1. Read all the way through before completing

2. Write clearly and spell correctly

3. Complete all questions or label “NA” (not applicable) if the question doesn’t pertain to you

4. Give factual and positive answers to questions about education, work history, and past experience

5. Keep an updated list of previous employers, addresses, and phone numbers

Beyond The Application• Create a portfolio

• Prepare a cover letter & resume

Cover letterDear Sir or Madam:

The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe that my strong technical experience and soft skills will make me a very competitive candidate for this position. The key strengths that I possess for success in this position include:

• 5 years software development experiences.• 1 years in JSP.• 2 years in Struts• 1 year in Spring• 3 years in Tomcat• Strong hand-on experience of development. • Excellent communication and presentation skills My broad experience and range of skills make me a superior candidate for this position. Please find my resume

attached for additional information on my experience.I can be reached anytime via email at xxx or my cell phone, xxThank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to speaking with you about this employment opportunity.

Resume

• Not necessary to be one page.• Please list all the skills you have.• Please provide the details about the project

you did , e.g. Features, languages using ,tools• Be honest. Don’t expect that they won’t ask

you.• Easiest way: copy the job description as your

resume

Summary• • Master degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering

• 2 years of experience in automation test. • 2 years of technical experience in full life cycle Java development.• Excellent working knowledge of QA test automation methodologies, tools and approaches• Strong skills in Core Java and usage of well-known Java IDE like Eclipse, Netweaver• Experience in creating GUI screens using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.• Self-organized and self-motivated, with ability to work as a team, good at multitasking

Languages: Java, Python, C, C++, JSP, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Shell, SQL, XML, XpathAPI/lib: Servlets, Hibernate , JDBC, Selenium, Apache commons, Log4j, JUnit,JavaMail,Platforms: Linux: CentOS, Redhat, Ubuntu, Windows 2008Framework: TestNG,Struts, Spring, MVC,Protocols: Https, TCP/IP, UDP, SIP, SMTP, SSL, SSH, VPNOthers: Tomcat, MySQL,Eclipse, Netweaver, Ant, SVN，CVS, JIRA, Clearquest, TestNG, Agile, Scrum, Amazon Cloud

Experience

• Software Developer• Xxx Company February 2011 – October 2012 (1 year 9 months) Montreal, Canada Area• • Performed all types of testing in complex Windows/Linux, Java environment

• Built the QA system based on windows 2008. The system integrated auto deployment, web based testing, user case testing, report generation and email sending together. • Designed an automation testing system for the application using Selenium TestNG framework. Wrote more than 100 Selenium/Junit test cases; improved the automation test architecture. Improved the performance by 15%; reduce the execution time by 10%.• Created and maintained test documentation, and managed defects using Redmine. . • Created test cases for mobile devices browser testing using WURFL framework.• Migrated the production server to Amazon Cloud EC2 platform. Configured and maintained the Apache Tomcat server. Setup SMTP server (sendmail) for email sending. Created strict IP, user group and key pair rules to security reason. Anti-hacked action successfully twice in one year.• Created webpage modules using JSP/HTML, JavaScript/JQuery, including date picker, files uploading, tool tips, image preview, data validation, site navigation and item pagination. • Designed and implemented a email reporting application. Outgoing SMTPS properties were completely configurable including TLS/SSL and HTML format template support.

• Technical Environment: J2EE, Selenium, TestNG, Servlets, JSP, XML, JDBC, Mysql JQuery, JavaScript, HTML, CVS, Ant, Apache Tomcat, Eclipse, Linux, VMware

Interview

Preparing for an Interview

• Schedule a mock interview at the Career Center

• Dress in professional attire • Bring cover letter, resume• Arrive early • Be aware of nonverbal communication during

the interview • Ask questions

Informational Interviewing

• Be prepared with questions, you are the interviewer

• Gather as much information as possible about the interviewee’s job and career path

• Conduct company research prior to the interview

• Be confident.• Take control of the conversation

Questions

• Why your are leaving your current company?• What is your strength? • What is your weakness?• What will you do if you have conflicts with

your colleagues?• What should you do when you don’t know a

skill at all?

Tech questions

• Java: create a hash map, interface• Web: what is AOP? Three tiers design• Linux : tracking sys errors, monitoring service• Shell: regex, find all the files with .exe

extentions• c/c++: memory management, virtual class

Follow-Up After an Interview

• Send a thank-you note• If you were interviewed by more than one

person, send each interviewer a thank-you note

• Follow-up with the employer• Be persistent, but always remain professional

Analyze Your Job Search Progress

• Remember: – Stay positive! – The job search process takes time – Be persistent! Get something done each day– Please enhance your tech skills if you failed many

times in the interviews!

GOOD LUCK!