Which level should one ask for ?

[maha anna]

Hi,
I am maha anna ( some of you may know me I think ). I am just wondering what is the best way to start a professional career in Java. I have nearly 4 years of professional programming experience with 'C' language, and for the last 1.5 years been associated with all Java related technologies. But not as a professional employee. I took a break from my career due to personal reasons and I used this time to become SCJP and learn Java ,servlets, jsps and JDBC. I can design , code and implement a servlet,jsp,jdbc based web application with MVC design pattern. I developed a medium sized web application and hosted in www.webappcabaret.com which is currenly running. The requrements of this web appln came from real world company and I got permission to host a demo version of it. Also know HTML,JavaScript to use for the needed validations etc. Also has a web site hosted here itself in JavaRanch. My sincere thanks to Paul for this. Just today ( Nov 11, 2000) I posted my resume.
You can see the other details of my resume in my web site at http://www.javaranch.com/maha/Java_Job_sites/Resume/resume.html
Currently I live in Raleigh, NC, USA and prefer to work in Raleigh itself. Also one more note. Need H4 visa sponsorship.
I need your valuable suggestions regarding what positions we should go for. What are the tips and traps when we apply for jobs.
What are the other good places we should post our resume. I haven't posted anywhere else apart from this site. I heard from Eric and others 'www.justjavajobs.com' is good. Is it so?
regds
maha anna

[This message has been edited by maha anna (edited November 11, 2000).]

[Eric Barnhill]

Hi Maha,
Try fiddling around with this page:
http://www.dice.com/jobsearch/metro/raleigh.html
This is the Dice search engine. I got 198 jobs doing a search for Raleigh with the term "Java". You might sort through these and send your resume to offers that look good. I think it's better to target your search, than to post your resume and see who comes to you.
Also Maha, the English on your resume could use some polishing, both spelling and grammar. Do you want a little help? If so email me - if you need my email it's in the Moderators Only forum right now.

[This message has been edited by Eric Barnhill (edited November 12, 2000).]

[John Coxey]

Maha:
With four years C experience, and the SCJP under your
belt (especially with all of your demo work), you should
be able to find a Java developer position rather easily. I
hope my story provides some inspiration.
Whatever you do, do not post your resume to all of the big
Internet sites at one time - you will be utterly swamped with
phone calls. I posted here (just as a response to someone's
question in the Job Discussion forum) as well as on Dice and
JavaJobs.com and was overwhelmed with over 75 recruiters and
about 15 actual companies. A lot were in Texas and Calif (where
I did not want to relocate).
I do not have the SCJP, but have been looking now for
2 months. I want to relocate to Colorado (you may have seen
this on other posts). Well, I finally have 2 different
companies flying me out for interviews this month. I actually
leave for Denver tomorrow at 6AM. So things look good.
I also looked around the Philladelphia area (just a little
bit - to see what the head hunters could dig up), and have had
four on-site interviews in the past two weeks. One of them
involves teaching 50% of the time and consulting 50% of the
time. The company has an in-house certification program that you have to pass in order to be an instructor - but they pay for
all this. So I am kind of curious - still waiting for an offer
(did 2 on-site interviews with them last week).
Will let you know how things go.
John Coxey
([e-mail])
[phone]

[John Coxey]

Maha:
I looked at your resume (the HTML version). You may
want to clean it up (formatting, spelling, basic English
in your job descriptions).
You definitely have the skills that are hot, plus you
have demonstrated experience.
With the holidays approaching, you will have to contend
with delays in people getting back to you, etc. Also, if
you don't have any offers in Raleigh, NC (say past the end
of January), you may want to expand your search and possibly
relocate.
Other Advice:
- I am on my 3rd major job search - here are some pointers.
- Sign your cover letters (if sending out hard copies of
resume) in blue ink. Blue makes the letter stand out.
Sounds corny/weird, but it works. Use a laser printer
for everything. Again, sounds too basic to mention, but I
have seen many dot-matrix or just plain typewriter style
resumes. Remember, the initial screening of your resume
by HR will last (if you are lucky, 15 to 30 seconds). So
the better the resume & cover letter look, the better your
chances. This is the reason the previous poster and myself
suggest cleaning up your resume.
- Print out copies of your references and take them with
you to interviews. Do not send them to the company unless
asked. A lot of companies require you to fill out an
application before the interview. The problem is that
the boxes for doing this are just too small. I start getting
major hand cramps when doing this.
You should fill out the application completely, but the trick
is to paper clip your resume and your references list inside
the application. Basically, the application makes it legal
for the employer to do background checks (contact employers,
references) on you. And your reference sheet makes it easier
on the secretary.
In 3 major job searches so far, I have only had my references
checkes one time. And that was for a minimum-wage job at a
local gas station.
- Take 10-15 copies of your resume with you. Use lighter colored
paper for your resume (I use a light grey). Remember, it's
going to be copied many times via a copy machine. If you have
dark paper - it makes for bad copies.
During the interview, it's perfectly fine to have a copy of
your resume in front of you as you go through the process.
- Always dress professionally for the first interview, even if
the company is casual. It shows respect for the employer, it
may seem corny, but it's one of the "rules".
- Make a standard ASCII text version of your resume. No bolds,
no underlined characters. You can cut and paste this into
various company web sites. HTML and MS-WORD do not usually
work when submitting resume's to company web sites.
Hope this helps,
John Coxey
([e-mail])

[maha anna]

Thanks Eric. It looks like I may be sending a mail to you. Thanks for the help.
John,
Thank you very much for your time. You really gave very valuable tips. Let us know how your interview goes. Maha's very best wishes to you.
regds
maha anna
[This message has been edited by maha anna (edited November 13, 2000).]