The technology being utilized by companies around the world is changing at an incredibly fast rate. Unfortunately, the employees of said companies are aging at a pretty quick rate themselves. While Silicon Valley is full of CEOs in their early 20s, your average office is still full of people who have been working there since before computers.
That’s why the IT department is more important than ever. While this field is competitive, you can follow these tips to give yourself a leg up.
Start with an Internships
The reality of just about every field around is that you have to work for free before you can get paid. Even if you do an internship while still in school, you’ll likely need to take on a full-time one before you can get a paid position.
Apply Everywhere
Everywhere needs someone who knows how to fix their technology when it all goes off the rails. There are a lot of IT positions available, so you should apply to every last one. While some of them may be less appealing than others, you may need to wade through some murky waters before you can get to the promise land.
Be Prepared
New college graduates armed with prestigious degrees often fall into the trap of arrogance. They’ve gone through all the steps one is supposed to go through to prepare themselves to get paid, so they think they can walk right into a job. Make sure to remind yourself just how competitive your field is, and know everything you can about a job before you try to get it.
Make Connections
Anybody with a job can tell you the name of the person who got them hired. Even if you’re the best possible candidate, nothing beats having a connection with the people looking to hire you. Make sure to exhaust every relationship you formed in college — whether it be friends or professors — and take every opportunity to make new connections in your field.
Maximize your Education
While it would be great to live in a universe where one degree was all you needed, it simply isn’t the lay of the land anymore. Take a little while to enjoy the accomplishments you’ve already achieved; then consider how you can achieve more. Your resume will always look better with the word masters on it.
Work Hard and get Lucky
It pains me to say it just as much as it likely pains you to read it; but ultimately, this is what every job search comes down to.No matter how much work you have already done, you will need to keep it up. And no matter how hard you work, you will need to be in the right place at the right time. It may sound discouraging, but it should be encouraging as well. Whether you went to Wake Forest University, or Wake Technical Community College, hard work and luck can land you your dream job. You just need to keep giving it your best shot.