Why should you consider working a job in IT?

The field holds many transferrable skills.

You can learn a lot working in the field. Most of these skills can be transferrable to other jobs or to eventually start our own business. There are many freelance consultants in IT out there that started off by working in the field. They slowly ventured off on their own and built their own business from the skills that they learned on the job.

It’s challenging work.

The work itself is fairly challenging and rewarding. There are always new systems and improvements being implemented. This provides a challenge for those of you that want to be constantly evolving in a field. If you’re afraid of challenging work, then this isn’t the field for you. If you love to push yourself, then consider IT.

You get to help people.

You get to work with people and help them out. This is a job that allows you to help others solve their technological issues. Do you love to help people?

High demand.

The demand isn’t the highest right now, but the demand is always fairly high. While many fields are laying off employees, you can always find some sort of work in IT. The reason that the demand is fairly high is because the industry is always changing. Things are always on the go. Innovative individuals are always in demand in this field.

You can be location independent.

Have you want to travel the world while making money? Many jobs in IT allow you to be location independent and work on your own. This is because most of the work is can be done from a laptop in a remote location. You don’t have to be in the same stationery office every single day. You can move around and be on the go while you continue to earn an income.

Those are the many reasons that you should think about working in IT. What do you think about this field?

Good Morning Green Panda Friends.  I hope that you all had a lovely weekend and a Happy Thanksgiving.  Today is the next post in our “Me, My College Education, and My Money” series. So far we have discussed how to use your time in college wisely, how to choose which college is the best for you, as well as the importance of learning from good professors.

Today we are discussing how to get a job after college graduation. To help you out Green Panda has teamed up with Sandra, she is an experienced Human Resources Manager who specializes in Recruitment.  Sandra is here to give you resume, job search and interview tips. She knows what employers are looking for and Green Panda wants to help College Grads get a job.

Resume Tips for College Grads

Your resume should be limited to one page, and it should not include photos or pictures of yourself.  College Graduates should always start with a mission statement that includes what type of job they are looking for and what skills they have that will be beneficial to their potential employer.

An important resume tip for College Grads is to list your education first since this is your most notable recent achievement. Include your program details, dates, as well as any awards and special achievements; it is not necessary to include your GPA.

Your resume should include both on and off campus work experience.  It is also important to include volunteer work experience and any internships or co-op work experience.  Even if you worked part time at your parent’s office for the summer you should include it on your resume. Each work experience should include your job title and your specific duties.

Do not include references directly on your resume. You can call/email the employer two weeks later to check on the process of your application and provide them with your work related references.

Where College Grads can Look for a Job

Before College Grads apply for any job we should always visit the company’s website to make sure that we really want to work for that employer.  There is no point in applying for a job with a local company if you are looking for international opportunities. When you are looking for a job keep in mind that College Grads usually don’t start at the top.  Make sure that there is room for you to grow within the company and ultimately find your dream job.

Check with your College for Career Days when employers come onto campus to recruit recent College Graduates.  Employers at these types of events usually have several job openings available, and they are usually entry level positions; but at least it gets your foot in the door with the employer.

When College Grads are looking for a job they should check the local bulletin boards at their school as well as ask professors if they know of any available positions in their field.  Website searches on job posting websites such as Monster and Workopolis are also a great idea.  You can even create a profile and let employers find you.  If you know which company you want to work for you can create a candidate profile directly on their website.

Interview Tips for College Grads

The number one interview tip for College Grads is to be confident, but not cocky.  Don’t be shy because we don’t want the employer to think that you are timid and unprepared for a real world job. Remember that you may have the education for the job, but you don’t yet have the experience.  Focus on your positive qualities and let the employer know that you really want the job.

Check Out the previous posts in the “Me, My College Education and My Money” series:

You Will Get Out What You Put In

The Best College Professors

Attending an Ivy League School

The Best College For You

Choices in College that We have to Make

Use Your Time in College Wisely

Trade School or College Diploma

Graduate From College Debt Free

Photo by BPSUSF

Good Morning Everyone.  It’s Tuesday and it’s time for another post in our “Me, My College Education, and My Money” series.  So far we have talked about how to chose the best college for us, how important it is to chose the right program of study, how to use our time wisely while in College, as well as how to graduate from College (nearly) debt free.

Today we are discussing how we can succeed in college.  Today Green Panda is going to provide you with a base plan and the necessary tools to help you get the most out of your time in college and how to succeed while in college as well as after graduation.

Stay Focused in College

Our primary focus in college is of course getting a great education.  But the truth is that there are so many other important aspects that we have to learn about in college.  As a college graduate trust me when I say that if you only keep your nose in the books for four years and you don’t make any friends or experience the college social life then you will be very sorry after graduation.

I know that we will get out of our college education what we put into our time in college, and I am thankful that I have a great job to show for my hard work during my college years.  However, I spent so much time working and studying in college that I really didn’t get to have a real college experience. I wish that I could have made more great friends and that I could have more free time and time to socialize.  I wish that I wasn’t always running from class to work then back to class during my four years of college, but I know that working during college is a reality for a lot of college students.

Make The Most out of Your College Years

We have to make the most out of our short four years in college, this includes getting a great education but it also includes making great professional and personal connections.  We all go to college to get a good job.  But nowadays being a college graduate is not enough to guarantee that we will automatically get a job right after graduation.  Employers are looking for intelligence, relevant work experience, as well as someone with a great personality.  In my experience our resume with our education, work experience, personal skills, and volunteer activities can only get us an interview.  Our personality and our ability to communicate with others are the qualities that will get us the job.

In order to get a great job we have to make the right connections in college; in order to do this we have to make the most out of our college years by meeting people.  The best way to meet people in college is to join student associations.  We can also join a mentoring program in our program of study which will allow us to meet and get guidance from older students who have lived through our experiences.

One of the most valuable assets in college is our relationship with our professors. Although I already had a job in my field while studying in college, I still benefited greatly from the relationships that I formed with a few of my college professors.  As I performed well in their classes they asked me to assist them with various administrative tasks in my final years of college, this allowed me to gain work experience as well as spend time in my professor’s office to build a relationship with them and their colleagues.  I definitely built up a nice network of contacts from the relationships with my college professors.

Check Out the previous posts in the “Me, My College Education and My Money” series:

The Best College Professors

Attending an Ivy League School

The Best College For You

Choices in College that We have to Make

Use Your Time in College Wisely

Trade School or College Diploma

Graduate From College Debt Free

Photo by BeneathB1ue

Good Morning Green Panda Friends.  I hope that you all had a nice weekend.  Today we are continuing on with the next post in our “Me, My College Education, and My Money” series.  Today we are discussing what you are really paying for in college; we are discussing the valuable information that we learn during our four years at college, and we are discussing the people who provide us with our higher education.  Today we are discussing everything about our College Professors from their great teaching tactics and their passion to help students to their boring lectures and lack of interest in student’s lives.

Throughout my four years at college I had a few really great Professors, but I also had a lot of really bad Professors.  I also had some average Professors who were not great and not bad but I don’t really remember any of them.  During our four years in College we want to get a great education from experienced Professors who work or who have worked in our field of study.  What good are book smarts if we don’t have any real life experience? My favourite College Professors taught real life case studies and shared their real life work experiences with their students.

My Favourite College Professors

My all time favourite College Professor was Mr. Sook, he was a tall dark and handsome man who only taught part time at my University because he also had a 9 to 5 full time career.  Teaching at the University was Mr. Sook’s part time job; he worked full time as a Business Development Consultant for a major Financial Institution.  This is actually a funny story because after graduation I ended up working in the Investment Division of that same Financial Institution.

At the University Mr. Sook taught a class on the economic effects of Urban Sprawl and the choice of married couples not to have children.  During his 9-5 career Mr. Sook advised the Financial Institution where to place ATMs to maximize their profitability and visibility.

I loved my semester with Mr. Sook because he brought his everyday career experience into the classroom.  It is important for Professors to be educated, but it is also important for them to be personable so they can relate their career knowledge to students in the classroom.

Dr. Singh was my second favourite professor during my four years of College.  He spoke to students as if they were actual people and not as specimens below him, which I greatly appreciated.  He also offered extended office hours for students to come and talk with him about our course load, our internships, as well as our career paths.  Dr. Singh has a PhD but he is one of the most down to earth people I have ever met.  Even though I graduated in 2005 I still say hello to him every single time that I see him on the street.

The Worst College Professor

The Professor that I avoided all throughout College was a very young “know-it-all” man who had a very high IQ but no real work experience.  He gave lectures without emotion and he spoke like a robot.  Due to his lack of social interaction he was unable to relate to students because he always put himself on a pedestal.  It is very hard to learn from someone who cannot communicate and who puts himself at an intelligence and social level above all others.

Check Out the previous posts in the “Me, My College Education and My Money” series:

Attending an Ivy League School

The Best College For You

Choices in College that We have to Make

Use Your Time in College Wisely

Trade School or College Diploma

Graduate From College Debt Free

Photo by UC Davis College

Forces you to look to the future. If you and your partner have been looking at men’s rings, then you know the importance of looking to the future. Forward thinking helps you to contextualize what you’re doing in the present. Getting your bachelor’s degree will by proxy force you to compartmentalize tasks and responsibilities that will nurture you in planning for the future.

Still looks good on a resume. It might not hold the clout it once did, as a higher percentage of the unemployed tout it on their resume, but it still signifies the makings of an educated professional to most employers, or, at the very least, someone who wants to be an educated professional. It also signifies the makings of someone who needs money in order to pay off their loans and will be willing to stay at the job for more than a month. Jobs are assets these days, the houses of yester-year.

Helps to clarify career paths. One of the major benefits of acquiring a bachelor’s degree is narrowing in on what you want to do with your life. Through trial and error, a lot of hand-wringing, and some all-night paper writing, pursuing a degree will help you eliminate what you don’t want to focus on and what you can see yourself fully immersing yourself in. Remember, you need to love what you do, otherwise you risk being miserable. The journey of getting your bachelor’s degree can help you figure out what you love.

Builds connections. Never underestimate the power of academic connections. A TA or professor you charmed in college could end up recommending you for your dream job. A professor you developed a close, respectful relationship with may write the letter of recommendation that gets you into a top-notch trade school or master’s program. Don’t burn your bridges—any one of them could lead you to higher ground.

Times are tough, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon all hope of finding your dream job and living the life of your choosing. Getting a bachelor’s degree may be more costly and dubious than it was in previous decades, but still has a lot of value and can help you to structure your life and build for a career.