How did you GET your job(s)?

[KathieK]

They not only googled me and knew that I was involved in K9 Search and Rescue (I was volunteering for my husband's organization and was their webmaster at the time), they knew lots of other things about me as well which they mentioned at the interview. Of course, to be fair, I googled them, too, before the interview. As I've pointed out before, if someone were applying for a job and was googled, their postings here on CD might come up. A quick look could see that many of the CD members have personal accounts elsewhere, because they mention it in their signature files or in their profile. I can see what they look like because they post photos. In some cases, within minutes I can get a fair amount of information on a person. Just something to be aware of, that's all.

[Chris Fultz]

I was a co-op student and working a Spring and Fall session. There were not enough classes avialable for a full summer session schedule of classes, so I was looking for summer work (summer 1982).

There was a job posting in the career office at IUPUI, for a contract position as an engineering assistant. I applied and got the job and worked the summer at Allison Gas Turbine (GM Division) working with computer models of turbine airflow. I returned to my co-op company in the fall, and then graduated about 15 months later (December 1983).

When I graduated, I was not happy with the offer from my co-op company, so I called the contract engineering firm to see what they had. They had another position at Allison, I interviewed, and got the job. Working as a contact employee was not ideal (no benefits, no committments), but that was not a good time for technical jobs in Indy - many of my friends were having to relocate to get decent jobs - so I said yes.

The contract position I had was converted to a full time job and offered to me in March 1984, about three months after I had started. I became a Reliability Engineer for Allison Gas Turbine. Allison was later sold twice and is now part of Rolls-Royce. 21 years later, I am still with Rolls-Royce and have been able to move around through several very exciting, interesting and challenging positions.

**

Something important to pass on to high school and college students. My contract positions were not ideal jobs, but they helped me establish a reputation. When other, better positions opened up, I was a good candidate partly because I was known by some of the managers and because they knew I would do what I was assigned to. Soem experience in a good company, even if it is an unpaid internship, is a great way to establish yourself.

Remember, you are always being watched and evaluated, and if you cannot complete relatively simple tasks, why would anyone assign you something more challenging??

[Erin Rapacki]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

Believe it or not Ms. Erin Rapacki plays a role in getting me a job.

Awww, thanks for giving me some credit Dubes! I'm happy to hear that I had a little positive impact on somebody's life.

I haven't obtained a full-time position yet, but next year I'll be working as a manufacturing engineer at Gillette (no, I cannot get you a free razor). Co-op has allowed me to pad my resume with four 6-month experiences in:

- Project Engineering (Military Engines/NASA)
- Test Technician (DEKA iBot)
- Supply Chain & Supplier Capacity (Pratt & Whitney)
- Manufacturing (Gillette)

Therefore, I'd highly recommend any school that offers an internship/co-op program. However, the project engineering jobs were obtained through my FIRST network.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Erin Rapacki

I haven't obtained a full-time position yet, but next year I'll be working as a manufacturing engineer at Gillette (no, I cannot get you a free razor).

Gee, I thought the idea was to give away the razors and make money on the blades.

My most recent employer was Bethel Camp for the Arts, which is a bit of a misnomer, as it's got a pretty wide spread of programs (everything from culinary arts to golf to tennis to robotics). I found out about the camp (which is in the tiny little ski town of Bethel, Maine) here on ChiefDelphi, actually.

Much of my remaining job experience has paid little or nothing, actually. I spent all four years of high school working with AFJROTC, where I progressed up to deputy group commander (#2 in the corps). Every position I gained in the corps was pretty much a direct result of experience and working with the instructors.

It really does come down to who knows what you know.

[Erin Rapacki]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I found out about the camp (which is in the tiny little ski town of Bethel, Maine) here on ChiefDelphi, actually.

Funny, I drive up to Bethel Maine almost every other weekend (NU has a cabin on the Rt. 2 Maine/NH state line, and I go often). Small World!

[Not2B]

Sea World of Ohio - Filled out Application

Geauga Lake Park - Filled out Application

CNC Programmer for PCC Airfoils - Father knew a guy and got my name in the door. Learned alot, great job.

Contact Unigraphics Designer, at GM - in 97 I graduated undergrad at UofM, and used the on campus interviews. I had 3 offers, and selected the lowest paying offer. I thought it would be the most fun. Money isn't everything.

Direct hire at GM, doing the same - They just asked so I said yes.

Got bored, when back to school for my masters at U of Mich (in mechanical engineering.)

Odd jobs on campus for the collage. Helped out with CNC and CAD classes, giving campus tours.

Wanted a summer job away from campus, interviewed on campus with many, Ford/Visteon asked me to join. Worked in Climate.

Graduated. Visteon asked me to come back, so I did. Put me in a rotation program allowing me to rotate. Been rotating around Visteon for 6 years.

Worked in Climate Controls making pretty plastics.
Worked in Advance Engineering having alot of fun, working on crazy / cool projects.
Worked as a process engineer for injection molding
Working in Climate Controls making pretty plastics, again (but with more skills.)

Get in early, do a good job... they might ask you back. PCC Airfoils asked for me to come back, as did Visteon.

[JVN]

Someone pointed out I haven't bothered to reply to my own thread yet.

I got my current job because a buddy of mine helped me out.
Basically, IFI was recruiting a good friend of mine to move to Texas and take a full-time job. He was unable to accept the job, but told them: "If you're willing to try out a young guy, I've got someone perfect for you."

From there, they began asking people in the FIRST community about me. Enough people told them: "He's not a complete idiot" that they recruited me for a summer-coop (IFI uses this as a gruelling 3-month interview).

At the end of that coop, they made me a full-time offer, and I accepted (it was a good fit). Been here 7 months, and still having fun.

A combination of who I knew, what I knew, who knew what I knew, and dumb luck. I happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right skills, and knew the right people. Woo.

So yeah, a little luck helps sometimes too.
-JV

I definitely owe that good friend.

[rachakate]

At my first interview for my first post-college job, it came out that I was really good friends with the interviewers college roommate!

I'm currently teaching at RIT, which fell in my lap when the department needed an adjunct to fill in a maternity leave and a former professor knew I was looking for a job and recommended me. Since starting last year as adjunct, I've now morphed into a grad student with the morph into full time faculty on the horizon.

My school posts jobs that are hiring. or i got to random places and apply. hats what good about Chicago because they have a million place for everyone to work at

-Court-

[dubious elise]

Well, mine is no permanent job or lifelong career by any means, but I got my job just by doing waaaay too much of what I love - playing tennis. Since I've played at this club for about 8 years, they figured that I had plenty of experience to pass on to the up and coming students.

It's really not a bad deal to be a tennis instructor and, since the racquet club is part of an athletic club, the club gives me full membership privileges with a good number of discounts to boot.

[dhitchco]

As an old man, let me chime in with lessons in life:

1) Job networking is a CONSTANT thing. You can't just network when you're looking for your "first" job (no pun intended) and you can't just do networking when you're in-between jobs (e.g. laid-off). It's a constant part of life, and it's not bragging, just sharing info on what you do. Be sure to ask the other person what he/she does as well....

2) You will indeed have more than one job in your career life. So, plan for it. There's not much left in the realm of a 30-40 year one-job career path. Therefore, be prepared to be booted-out of a job/company (fired, laid-off, bankrupt yourself, etc). It may not actually happen, but you have to have a game plan if it does ever happen. Grab your 401K savings, and move on to the next job.

3) The game of careers and job-hopping won't happen instantly. So, be sure to take time in-between jobs to "smell the roses". If you're young, go travel the world! If you've got family, enjoy time with them....

Most importantly, make sure that your paper resume really tells HOW you did a job, not WHAT you did. be sure EVERY line-item has quantifiable results and is written clearly.

And, throughout life, be gracious.......

[Heuerproduction]

Nice to see you young folks working!
Experience is what you need to land a perfect career when you graduate from college. To answer the original posters question, it's who you know, and what you know. I started my career basically on my own, with three teenagers, I needed to make a fast career decision. Art runs in my blood, so this is where I began putting my career together.
But what I do confuses most people, they expect to see canvases of my work displayed in an open arena. I've seen to many artists hang on for years without getting noticed, so i did it a better way. I found a way of printing my work on popular products in order to recieve the appreciation I deserve. Instaead of waiting years for it. Plus I work for myself, I don't have a boss looking over me.
I wish you success in your career finding adventures, but may I make a suggestion? do what you love or you'll regret it.

[Madison]

I was referred to someone here at the office by 488's lead mentor after my, uh, dedication to finishing our robot last year made me lose the crappy, interim job I'd taken over the holidays. It was in every way a blessing. I've moved around a bit in the company since, all as a result of making a good impression on the people I meet and work with here. Even when I was among many hundreds of people laid off last fall, my supervisors and their directors were looking out for me and found me another position in the company.

Developing process for new products is interesting and I've had to learn a lot about the different parts of our company and how they function (or don't function, as it were) which only makes me more valuable as a rare resource that knows what both the left and right hands are doing -- sometimes even at the same time.

[Freak999]

We got to pick what jobs we wanted and if there was too many on one particular team they got dispersed among the other teams. If you were particularly skilled in one area you got to stay. As a 3 yr veteran I know were my spot is.

[Ethulin]

Originally Posted by Freak999

We got to pick what jobs we wanted and if there was too many on one particular team they got dispersed among the other teams. If you were particularly skilled in one area you got to stay. As a 3 yr veteran I know were my spot is.

Wow. I think this person did not ever read any of the thread...