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Unread 20-10-2008, 17:15
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Re: Using Chief Delphi as a Networking Tool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Kressly View Post
For those just starting out, remember two things:
1. You will get turned down many, many more times for jobs/internships than you will be successful. Over the years I estimate that the ratio for me is something like 60:1 (rejection:acceptance). I used to keep a drawer filled with rejection letters for motivation to keep going, but discarded them all two moves ago. If you haven't seen Randy Pausch's Last Lecture and his discussion of "brick walls" and why they exist, I suggest that you do so - now.
2. For a first job - take one - any one. Start making money and building relationships and a reputation as a "can-do" team player. It doesn't matter if the pay stinks (at first) and it's an unrelated field. Initiative and perseverance are two skills that you need to be able to sharpen and demonstrate in today's world. Once you have something, then you search from there a little more selectively.
I've really got to disagree with point #2 there. The first job you take after graduation (I'm meaning college graduation here) will have a very strong influence on the remainder of your career. It can be very difficult to "hop" from one industry to another once you take that first job. Many of us get married soon after graduation, followed by starting families, etc. Your geographic mobility will drop sharply at that point, which can drastically narrow your options.

Unless you are literally facing starvation, make the most of the flexibility you have early on. Don't just take the first job that lands in your lap unless it somehow fits into your Master Plan for Dominating the Universe.

Also, the 60:1 ratio seems a bit high, at least compared to my own experience and that of my immediate peers. Maybe I just "pre-screened" myself and only sought positions which I knew were a good fit. YMMV...
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