I should give some insight into how I got where I am. I left high school in 2009. I spent a year studying computer science because I had taken an interest in computing in junior year. I hated every second of it, programming was just not for me. Networking and infrastructure were me. I spent 2 years getting an associates degree in information systems and transferred into a 4 year school. I’m finishing in 6 weeks with a bachelors in information systems.

And I have a job. That’s right, 6 weeks before I graduate I am already employed at one of the best rated businesses in New Jersey for employee satisfaction. I am lucky, but how did I do it?

That’s where I’m going to start. The idea behind this blog is to talk about what I learned, where I’m going, and how I’m faring as a new college graduate in the IT industry. I would consider my company atypical. We are small, ~60 full time employees. We have a very small IT department. I am their second full time IT employee, so this information may not pertain to every IT employee or new graduate. Keep that in mind.

My job search started relatively late. This past spring semester is where I really started thinking about it. If you’re reading this prepping for your own job search the best advice I can give you is to network with people. The only solid leads I got through the whole process were through people recommending me. I may have been handicapped because my resume had a grand total of one bit of IT experience outside of my degree when I was applying.

That bit of IT experience brought my first lead. I competed in the Cyberaces Cybersecurty Competition the fall of my final year at school. I joined it because my now girlfriend was interested and I wanted to try and meet her. ;) I placed 7th in the state when the dust settled. I’m still going through some interviews to find out if I get the grand prize of several SAN Institute courses but we’re focused on the job prospect this brought about.

I was contacted by the liaison of the SAN Institute who worked with the cybersecurity competition. He said there was a job prospect in NYC for a security position with CBS and that he wanted to recommend people who performed well in the competition. I jumped on this opportunity and went through several phone interviews and an eventual in person interview in NYC. Unfortunately this job fell through because I am still finishing my degree this summer but it helps to prove the point I’m trying to make. People get you opportunities.

Now onto how I got my current position. It starts similarly to the other prospect, I joined the Cyberaces group at my school. During the rounds of interviews with CBS another student who was in the club emailed me. He had been approached for the position but could not take it because he had accepted a job elsewhere. They asked him if there were any other graduates he could recommend, and he recommended me. I had met this guy maybe 5 months prior to that but we got to know each other pretty well but I never in a million year expected him to think of me when asked of other quality graduates. I ran through the interviews relatively easily and secured the position. Full time, and I’m not even finished my degree yet.

So this is all well and good but how does it influence you? As we all know, IT people tend not to be very sociable but that is the key to getting a job. It’s something I never knew and something no one ever taught me, so buck up IT nerds and network.