Becoming a Software Developer

When someone goes into the field of software development it is almost definite that a bachelor’s degree is the minimum level of education needed.

The great thing is that no matter what you major you choose in a bachelors program, whether it be Psychology, English, Art History, if you decide to make a life change the minimum requirement will be several certificates!

Essentially one should have the program? A+ which covers basic computer knowledge.

There are certifications for development as well. The Java certification, for example, is a great accomplishment to have under your belt.

Switching departments within a company once you are established is much easier.

Not to mention the fact that prior experience in IT can help you get into a software developer position.

My one concern for development is that it is more project based. That is something to keep in mind, so if you're someone who likes daily routine tasks then it might not be a good idea. You will be meetings with teams on a project regularly, so socializing will be pretty minimal as well.

FYI here is a list of certifications that will be helpful to develop a career in systems, as well as 2 links to free classes on programming for beginners to advanced students.

 http://www.mcmcse.com/othercerts.shtml

www.udacity.comhttp://code.google.com/edu/

- Raymond Tao

Food=Culinary Arts

I have worked in a Korean restaurant as a runner/busboy for almost 3 years now. Let me tell you that it is not a walk in a park. As a runner, there are many responsibilities I must execute in a days work. I complete daily routine cleaning of the restaurant, help the waiters bring food to the costumers table,occasionally prepare food and making drinks. In addition, I sometimes have to close the restaurant independently. Although it is hard work, I am one step closer to achieving my dreams to become a culinary master?. Occasionally, I go downstairs to the restaurant kitchen so I can watching the chef cook. At times, my chef will teach me how to make popular dishes and then I try to create it on my own. The more I practice the better I will become!

Chef Ramsay says "If a chef can make a good scramble egg then you know that person can cook"

Johnny Khem
 

Srping Job Fair Readiness

Job fairs bring together job seekers and employers with opportunities available within their organizations. Over the years, it has become one of the leading means for entry-level recruiting, giving employers the opportunity to meet job seekers, and to get firsthand knowledge about them through their appearance and first impressions. Job fairs are opportunities for job seekers to make a positive impression on employers that they might have selected.

When attending a job fair, the first impression you can make on the employers is by the way you present yourself. Appearance is a big deal! The way you dress, and the way you carry yourself at the job fair tells the employers more than your personal pitch. At a job fair, because of the different types of job opportunity available dressing to suit all of them is a plus. Dressing for the job fair in professional attire is best, suits and dress shoes are required and for men ties are a must! Some things to avoid are high heavy perfumes, lots of jewelry, overdone makeup and bulky purses or briefcases.

Preparation is the key to success; this truth applies to being successful at a job fair. When attending job fair you want to know which companies would be present; select the companies that are of interest to you and do some research about them (research what is happening within the company or organization). When you know what the company is about, create your resume that would represent your skills, qualification and experience that you can bring to this company. Print at least thirty (30) copies of your resume and have them available at the job fair to give to perspective employers.

Communicating with employers is key, because you want to show confidence and competence; so preparing what you will say about yourself will display these qualities. Your personal pitch should be a brief statement including your educational background, work, skills, desired position or area of interest, and reasons for your interest in that particular company or position. Arriving on time to the job fair gives you a calm feeling and you will have the opportunity to meet with as many employers as possible. You want to maintain a positive attitude and be polite, so turn off your cell phone, and remove hats and headphones. After meeting with employers that you might be interested in remembering, collect their business cards so you can send them a thank you note for taking the time to meet with you.

Attending a job fair is not a guarantee of getting a job. It is an opportunity for you to present yourself as the right person for the position. Being able to present yourself well takes preparation and positive attitude that would convince an employer to give you an interview.

 If you need your resume reviewed or help creating a resume please stop by The Office of Career Development in C102 and meet with someone who is there to help.

 by: Dennis Hamichand and Yasalenny Peralta

Resume and Cover letter

Tips on Writing a Successful Resume

          A resume is a summary of your experiences and skills relevant to the field of work you are entering. It highlights your accomplishments to show a potential employer that you are qualified for the work you want. ; it is not a biography of everything you have done. Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing a job. Here are some tips on writing a successful resume:

Font

Choose a common font. Times New Roman, Arial, and Verdana are some of the best fonts for a résumé. Use font size between 10 to12. Do not use a font size smaller than 10.  Use the same font size throughout the resume.

No fancy design

Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume. You might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document, but other people might just throw it away at first sight.

No full sentences

Do not use full sentences when writing a resume, no I’s and me’s or pronouns.  Use phrases instead.  Start each phrase with an action verb and include strong adjectives.

Use bullet points

No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and brief phrases to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives.

Avoid abbreviations

Do not use abbreviations.  You should be formal and professional in your resume. Write the full words.

Personal data

You should not mention your age, marital status or country of origin anywhere on your resume. Use a professional email. Do not use an email address that has your year of birth. If you don’t have a professional email, create a new email account.

Be consistent. Use the same style throughout.

Avoid negativity

Do not include information in the resume that might appear negative in the eyes of the employer, for example, if you were fired or laid off. 

One resume for each employer

One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Your resume should be relevant to the job description.

Proofread

Proofread your resume twice. Make sure you don’t have grammar or spelling mistakes. Get someone else to review your resume.

Print your resume on high quality paper and keep it in a folder until you are ready to submit it.

How to write a cover letter

Often, people assume that cover letters are not necessary when applying for a job. However, they are needed because it is a way of introducing yourself with words. A cover letter has different parts to it: a header, an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

The header has your contact information (your name, address, email and phone number). As for any business letter, you need to write the date. You also have to put some information about the person you are addressing the cover letter to. That includes the person’s name, their title if they have one, and the company name and address. Before you start writing the introduction, you should salute the person by saying dear whoever is hiring. The introduction of your cover letter should include why you are applying for the position. In the body section, you should include what you have to offer the job, such as any skills and/or experience. In addition, you should write how these skills match the job you are applying for. Remember not to repeat exactly what is on your resume (for example, bullet points of your skills). Use complete sentences. In the conclusion of your cover letter, thank the person who you are sending it to. You may also include your phone number so they can easily contact you, and then sign your name at the lower left side.

For more information on resume and cover letter writing, stop by room C-102

By: Sadaf Nasim and Yasalenny Peralta

The World of Speech Pathology

Speech And Language 

Ashley Sagiv

Binary Code

I, like most others believe the computer is one of the greatest phenomenon. It really is amazing how a processor can input and output a series of binary numbers of 0’s and 1’s in order to accomplish tasks from displaying simple text, to generating a video game.

Binary number is exactly what it sounds like. It is a set of 2 numbers (0,1) which the computer processor "understands",  through the different series of numbers and patterns it can output anything. Of course, as a user, we do not generally see these numbers, we get the end result which is program itself.

On the developer side, however, there is somewhat of a closer connection. We have programming languages; using Java, C++, Python etc. We write out code using the appropriate syntax for the computer to process, the computer reads our language as a source code, which converts it to binary numbers and produces an output.

Its amazing how technology has grown over the decades. Maybe in several thousand years things will be to the hit movie The Terminator, where computers take over the world. Who knows, binary code might be the new English. Luckily our generation won't see anything like that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apCLHmPsC68


Raymond Tao

Interest, Values, and Abilities packet response

This packet helped me get an idea of what interest and values I have for my career. My future career is in the FBI or as a professional baseball player. In the packet, I learned that the interest abilities and values I have for being a professional baseball player also apply to the FBI. For example, for baseball I played shortstop, centerfield and pitcher. In the infield, the shortstop is the captain. In the outfield, the centerfielder is the captain. Everyone knows the pitcher controls the game so that gives me leadership skills. As both an FBI agent and a baseball player I have speed, I can make good decisions, and I’m a quick thinker. In baseball, when you’re down to a close game there is no time for error. You can’t think twice about anything. For example, when its bases loaded, no outs and you have to decide, if the ball is hit to you, where to throw you can’t think twice you have to throw. Some of the values that I have for my future career are that it has to give me pressure because I’m good under pressure. Also, a physical challenge because I don’t like to sit back and file papers I like to be active. The career needs to give me a mental challenge. I like to think of how to do things and analyze things.

           I think it is important to match your interest, values and abilities with your job choice because you want to do this for the rest of your life and be happy about it. You don’t want to be miserable for the rest for your life getting up and working at a job that you hate. So before you try to get into a career I think it’s better if you write down your interest, abilities and values and compare them to each of the careers that you have in mind and which ever one stands out or is different from the other ones you either get rid of it if you don’t really like it or you keep it if you like it more than the other ones.

Samuel Castro