Ok, sorry for the lack of content lately. Ten days of vacation and the following dig-out has put me WAY behind. Regardless...I’m back, I’m rested and ready to write. This week's post comes at the request of Alexey Tokarev and I really appreciate it as I think writing posts via request is my favorite thing kind of blog.
Anyway, Alexey asked me to give a few thoughts on networking for a for a job in a foreign country. Here we go:
1) Understand the visa or work requirements - This might seem like overkill but honestly, this has to be step one. You need to be an expert in how things work and what you need to do to legally work in the country. Why you ask? Because you’ll want to be able to articulate how easy or difficult it will be to get there. Some places it’s easy to work....some it’s impossible and you need to know that before you start.
2) Go local - You’re going to need to do some hardcore networking to find a gig in another country. Start be networking with local offices and use those relationships to to leverage connections in your target location.
3) Know your, um stuff - Take time to really understand the country/location you are targeting. Having a solid understanding of the language, culture, traditions and job market will show potential employers that you’re serious and interested in trying something new.
4) Visit - This one is tough because it costs money...potentially a ton of money but if you really want to show people you are serious about going to another country...take a trip. Set up a ton of networking meetings, cups of coffee and hopefully interviews...and do them in person with a little luck.
Ok, hope that makes sense. Getting a job or internship in another country is TOUGH stuff...but people do it all the time you just have a to be diligent, have a plan and execute. Good luck and if anyone has other tips I’d love to hear them.
Showing posts with label programming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label programming. Show all posts
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
How to navigate a job fair
Ok, so this post is via special request....it is awesome to have ideas coming in from people so if you have one...let me know.
The idea of going to a job fair can be pretty intimidating. Honestly, they are like huge speed dating events for people and companies looking for work. Scary stuff. You know me, I'm a believer that your job search should be about 90% networking and 10% applying online...however, a job fair can be an important tool in your search. With that, here are a few tips on how to be successful:
Don’t be “that guy” - What does that mean you ask? Well, “that guy” is the dude in a 3 piece suit, the guy who looks like he just rolled out of bed and also the dude who kinda smells like peppermint schnapps. Don’t be that guy. Show up dressed professionally (not in a suit unless you are TOLD to wear one), well rested and ready to speak with people.
Have a plan - So, these things can be huge right? I’ve seen job fairs with over 200 companies....if you have no plan, you have no hope. Figure out your “must” companies and be sure to stop by their booths. Have another list of “yeah, maybe” companies that you want to hit but if you miss a few you’ll survive. Finally, have a list of “no way” companies so yo know that you don’t want to stop by and be sucked in by their cool schwag.
Elevator pitch - You absolutely, positively need to have your little pitch down. What you want to do is walk up to the booth, and boom, drop your elevator pitch on people to explain clearly and succinctly what you are looking for in a role. Show up with a rambling answer and the recruiters in the booth will immediately tune you out, they have 100 other people to talk to and you just horrified them.
Follow up - It’s unlikely that you will just get a job or an interview on the spot at a job fair...so, your follow up is critical to your success. Get the card of the person you spoke with and if you haven’t heard back from them in a few days...send an email to follow up and express your interest in the role.
That’s about it, the speed dating reference is actually a good one. You’re looking for work and the companies at this event are looking for workers...so you need to be networking and building relationships with people. Keep at it, and eventually you’ll score a new job.
Good luck!
The idea of going to a job fair can be pretty intimidating. Honestly, they are like huge speed dating events for people and companies looking for work. Scary stuff. You know me, I'm a believer that your job search should be about 90% networking and 10% applying online...however, a job fair can be an important tool in your search. With that, here are a few tips on how to be successful:
Don’t be “that guy” - What does that mean you ask? Well, “that guy” is the dude in a 3 piece suit, the guy who looks like he just rolled out of bed and also the dude who kinda smells like peppermint schnapps. Don’t be that guy. Show up dressed professionally (not in a suit unless you are TOLD to wear one), well rested and ready to speak with people.
Have a plan - So, these things can be huge right? I’ve seen job fairs with over 200 companies....if you have no plan, you have no hope. Figure out your “must” companies and be sure to stop by their booths. Have another list of “yeah, maybe” companies that you want to hit but if you miss a few you’ll survive. Finally, have a list of “no way” companies so yo know that you don’t want to stop by and be sucked in by their cool schwag.
Elevator pitch - You absolutely, positively need to have your little pitch down. What you want to do is walk up to the booth, and boom, drop your elevator pitch on people to explain clearly and succinctly what you are looking for in a role. Show up with a rambling answer and the recruiters in the booth will immediately tune you out, they have 100 other people to talk to and you just horrified them.
Follow up - It’s unlikely that you will just get a job or an interview on the spot at a job fair...so, your follow up is critical to your success. Get the card of the person you spoke with and if you haven’t heard back from them in a few days...send an email to follow up and express your interest in the role.
That’s about it, the speed dating reference is actually a good one. You’re looking for work and the companies at this event are looking for workers...so you need to be networking and building relationships with people. Keep at it, and eventually you’ll score a new job.
Good luck!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Lessons from the Scott Thompson story
Usually I avoid talking too much about “current events” in recruiting but I think I’ll start doing more blogs that give my views on such things. So, here we go...first try.
By now you should all know the story of Scott Thompson, the former CEO of Yahoo who resigned because of a discrepancy on his resume. If not, you can read about it here. Crazy story, but honestly I think there are a lot of lessons for anyone either looking for a job or involved in hiring. In no particular order:
Don’t lie on your resume - OBVIOUSLY!!! Come on man, don’t like on your resume!!! This is like being a decent human 101. And while I’m at it...lying about the kind of degree you have? Really? I mean, come on people this stuff isn’t hard....
Blaming the recruiter is for jerks - Apparently Thompson blamed the recruiting agency who placed him for the discrepancy...please! This whole part of the story makes me sick. Seriously, this kind of thing gives recruiters a bad name and it shouldn’t. If you get busted doing something shady, suck it up and admit it.
Background checks matter - I’m pretty horrified that neither Yahoo nor Heidrick & Struggles did a background check to confirm degrees on Thompson. Frankly, what was Ebay doing too? Now, some of my Exec Search friends might chime in with a “finding a CEO is different” response but I’m sorry...if you’re going to do a background check on a $35K a year entry level hire you’d better be doing it for C-level hires too.
Know your candidates - If you’re a recruiter out there reading this, you have to know your candidates. Spend the time to check references from when they were in school and get to know them. Companies are going to pay you big bucks for the service, do them right and take the time to know your candidates.
Admit it - Thompson was outed by AllthingsD.com and then proptly went all Watergate and tried to blame everyone involved....rather than take the blame. The moral as always here, the coverup is frequently worse than the crime. When busted, suck it up and admit you were wrong. People love a comeback and are likely to forgive you. No one like a lying jerk who digs a deeper hole.
That’s it, sitting here I feel like this could be a REALLY long blog so I’ll cut it short. Now, I don’t know all the facts (clearly) but from what I’ve read (see the link to the WSJ story) we can all learn a ton from this story about recruiting, HR, a job search and working with an external agency.
By now you should all know the story of Scott Thompson, the former CEO of Yahoo who resigned because of a discrepancy on his resume. If not, you can read about it here. Crazy story, but honestly I think there are a lot of lessons for anyone either looking for a job or involved in hiring. In no particular order:
Don’t lie on your resume - OBVIOUSLY!!! Come on man, don’t like on your resume!!! This is like being a decent human 101. And while I’m at it...lying about the kind of degree you have? Really? I mean, come on people this stuff isn’t hard....
Blaming the recruiter is for jerks - Apparently Thompson blamed the recruiting agency who placed him for the discrepancy...please! This whole part of the story makes me sick. Seriously, this kind of thing gives recruiters a bad name and it shouldn’t. If you get busted doing something shady, suck it up and admit it.
Background checks matter - I’m pretty horrified that neither Yahoo nor Heidrick & Struggles did a background check to confirm degrees on Thompson. Frankly, what was Ebay doing too? Now, some of my Exec Search friends might chime in with a “finding a CEO is different” response but I’m sorry...if you’re going to do a background check on a $35K a year entry level hire you’d better be doing it for C-level hires too.
Know your candidates - If you’re a recruiter out there reading this, you have to know your candidates. Spend the time to check references from when they were in school and get to know them. Companies are going to pay you big bucks for the service, do them right and take the time to know your candidates.
Admit it - Thompson was outed by AllthingsD.com and then proptly went all Watergate and tried to blame everyone involved....rather than take the blame. The moral as always here, the coverup is frequently worse than the crime. When busted, suck it up and admit you were wrong. People love a comeback and are likely to forgive you. No one like a lying jerk who digs a deeper hole.
That’s it, sitting here I feel like this could be a REALLY long blog so I’ll cut it short. Now, I don’t know all the facts (clearly) but from what I’ve read (see the link to the WSJ story) we can all learn a ton from this story about recruiting, HR, a job search and working with an external agency.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Take a Class...for free
I’ve spoken a lot on the past about ways to prepare for an interview or build up your skillset....but I’ve been following something that hopefully a lot of you have seen but I wanted to make SURE you see it because I honestly think it has a chance to change the way you think about education.
It’s called Udacity and it’s trying to dramatically alter the education system in the US. I could go on and on about how cool this idea is...but um, you’ll get more info reading this article. There are a lot of amazing people in the program but more importantly for those of you looking for a job or trying to break into the software industry...there are a TON of resources to get you started.
These are online, video courses taught by some of the biggest names in Computer Science. So, if you are thinking interview prep....these are great. I’d recommend starting with “Building a Search Engine” and “Design of Computer Programs” and assuming you have more time....digging deeper into the curriculum.
Remember, your job search and career are a journey....meaning, they never end. Leveraging resources like Udacity, or the MIT Open Courseware help you keep building your skills and becoming a better engineer. The better you are, the more jobs and opportunities you’ll find....or even better, will find you.
Good luck out there, let me know if you take one of these classes I’d love to hear from direct feedback on them!
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