What does an interviewer expect from a fresher.

[Abhilasha Sharma]

Hi all,
I am a 2008 august post gradute in computer science. I am a physics post graduate also and also worked in some field related to physics only( writing stuff mainly)for three years.In Mtech,campus did not happen in our university for some reason or the other.Syllabus of Mtech, I must agree was basically of the level of a graduate in engineering.It was designed for people from other fields like physics or mathematics.But I really studied hard and made the most of it.Got 80%( does not matter, i know )
Well,after not getting interview calls for sometime I did SCJP6 in February 2009(I took four months for it as i was completely new to java).And after trying for some more time i did not get any calls from anywhere.I don't have any personal contact in IT industry.Most of my classmates started teaching in some colleges.Moreover I belong to a remote place where there are no job opportunities in IT.I applied to many through mails, trust me. I saw walkins adds also, but could not attend them(Possible only if i change place).I am also taking SCWCD5 next week .But again i am at the same state.Where to go after that?What to do?
I am moving to some city like Delhi or Bangalore for job hunt.
But i have a few points to ask:
1)How to get Interview calls.
2)As a fresher what does an employer(interviewer) expect from me.I enjoyed studying OS,DataStructures,Computer Networks etc while at the course,but for last 1 year i was just studying mostly java.So do i have to study all these again.I know their basics but have forgotten the details.
3)After getting knowledge of jsp and servlets,which took almost 3 and half months for me, where do i stand.
4)Where in India there are more jobs for freshers in java.
5)In present state of IT market,is it good to move to a city and search or just stay at home and look for some experience through open source and meanwhile apply online. (Can being SCWCD5 fetch me some interview call).
6)How good is it to attend Walkins.I have no idea.But i heard that these are waste of time and energy.I don't know.Please guide.
7) Is my idea of going to a city is good or just lofty.I don't know anyone in city also.
I just want to add that i worked really hard for getting these certifiations knowing all the time that its only the process of learning which matters and not the piece of paper.
Anyway, i have no guidance from anywhere in this world.So i came here for some advice.

I hope i did not sound frustated.I am not frustated at all.But i am just trying to find job opportunities and i want to be a good Java Developer in 2 years.But its not possible without any experience.

[Manish Hatwalne]

You try to get a job in one of the smaller but growing organizations, you will have a lot to learn in those organizations. For a fresher, interviewers are primarily looking for 2 things -

(1) Good grasp of basics of technology.
(2) Willingness to learn and implement new technologies quickly.

Show these two points and you'll have a good chance! Good luck!

- Manish

[Sandeep Awasthi]

My suggestions are

1) Prepare a nice resume and put it on job site. Highlight your skills, highlight your achievements in your education and hope for best. If you can move to cities where IT industry is located, you will get more opportunities for interviews.
2) Employer expect you to know java, jsp, servlets, jdbc, and basic database queries. Apart from it if you know some frameworks, it is added advantage.
3) Do not study OS and computer networks again, but it is good to know data structures, algorithms.
4) As I said as a fresher, you should know Java, jsp, servlets, jdbc, some basic database queries, anything you know apart from this is added advantage.
5) I can not tell you where in India more jobs for freshers, but Bangalore always had more IT jobs in India. But it does not mean you can not make career in other cities like Mumbai, Pune,Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad etc.
6) IT job market is slowly picking up, but I do not know about freshers. But I would suggest if it is possible for you to move to one of the cities where IT companies are located, it will give you more opportunities to attend interviews. But before moving to any such city, get information if companies have started recruiting freshers. Otherwise you can join teaching job for time being at your place and wait till market picks up completely then move.
7) Attending interview when you do not have job is not waste of time if you are positive.

Whenever you need any guidance, you have this forum. Many people here help. So don't worry about that.

[Joe San]

Try participating in some open source projects.

[Abhilasha Sharma]

Thanks Manish Hatwalne ,Sandeep Awasthi and Jothi Shankar Kumar for your kind suggestions.
I know core java, jsp, servlets, jdbc, and basic database queries as good as someone who has not used them in real project.
Well, open source sounds nice but i really have no idea about them.I will check about them once i get my scwcd5 on 7th october.
But staying at home does not feel nice now even if you are studying or doing open source.Going out to a city for job hunt is not so fun
especially when you are from a peaceful and quite corner of country.
Anyway,thank you all once again.Knowing that what is expected from a fresher i feel encouraged and confident that its not tough for me to get
a decent job and i have more than what an interviewer expects from me. .

[Sammy Bill]

What can be the answer to that question when talking about the US market?
How are openings now for freshers in the USA?



Oussama

[K. Tsang]

I personally think a fresher is a fresher - little or no experience. To get in IT in India or US or anywhere you need to experience - meaning you need to demonstrate you can apply what you know to the company's projects. Since this is a Java forum, say you got SCJP.

Now during you studying time, how many programs did you write? Can any of these, if any, be further develop or enhance to something more prominent into an app (possibly useful app)?

Say you plan to go for more java certs. SCWCD or SCBCD or SCJD... it depends on where and what you want to go or do. Do you want to do Java EE or focus on Java SE? How about Java ME or Android or iPhone or .NET or whatever?

Also don't expect if you have say SCJP you could get a job more easier. Or can ask for higher starting salary. Cos employers in general primary concern is your experience, certs are secondary.

In fact, open source contribution is another story. It can demonstrate your skills hence can lead to more job opportunities, possible higher salary. If you don't want to participate in open source projects, start your own portfolio to show to employers.

[Abhilasha Sharma]

K. Tsang wrote:Also don't expect if you have say SCJP you could get a job more easier. Or can ask for higher starting salary. Cos employers in general primary concern is your experience, certs are secondary.

I feel in today's market when so many experienced people are out of job and people getting certifications through easy(read illegal) means,no one dares to think that its easy for a fresher to get a job as a Java developer( programmer?).Certifications are not for getting jobs!Are they?Even if someone does get certification by making a lot of programs,she is aware that its still not enough.
Even getting a interview call is so rare these days for an average fresher that i don't feel an average fresher like me expects to get a job easier whatever she does leave aside getting higher salary.Most freshers today are dying to get good experience.

K. Tsang wrote:In fact, open source contribution is another story. It can demonstrate your skills hence can lead to more job opportunities, possible higher salary. If you don't want to participate in open source projects, start your own portfolio to show to employers.

About contributing to open source.I don't know what amount of input,persistence,patience and brilliance it demands. I feel you are right.Its a good way to demonstrate your sklls.
I think,by making own portfolio you mean making lot of applications using the technology one knows and demonstrating that to interviewer.Thats a good idea.In fact i have already made some applications but never thoght about adding them to my resume.Should I list those in my resume.

[arulk pillai]

K. Tsang wrote:I personally think a fresher is a fresher - little or no experience. To get in IT in India or US or anywhere you need to experience - meaning you need to demonstrate you can apply what you know to the company's projects. Since this is a Java forum, say you got SCJP.

Now during you studying time, how many programs did you write? Can any of these, if any, be further develop or enhance to something more prominent into an app (possibly useful app)?

Say you plan to go for more java certs. SCWCD or SCBCD or SCJD... it depends on where and what you want to go or do. Do you want to do Java EE or focus on Java SE? How about Java ME or Android or iPhone or .NET or whatever?

Also don't expect if you have say SCJP you could get a job more easier. Or can ask for higher starting salary. Cos employers in general primary concern is your experience, certs are secondary.

In fact, open source contribution is another story. It can demonstrate your skills hence can lead to more job opportunities, possible higher salary. If you don't want to participate in open source projects, start your own portfolio to show to employers.

Great advice. In addition to technical skills, demonstrate your soft skills and personality from your extra curricular activities, sports, charity work, organizing cultural events, etc. Demonstrate that you can communicate, you are a team player, you take initiatives, you are a quick learner, your positive mental attitude, etc. Find instances when you demonstrated these qualities. Employers are looking for well balanced professionals not just techies.

[Abhilasha Sharma]

arulk pillai wrote:Great advice. In addition to technical skills, demonstrate your soft skills and personality from your extra curricular activities, sports, charity work, organizing cultural events, etc. Demonstrate that you can communicate, you are a team player, you take initiatives, you are a quick learner, your positive mental attitude, etc. Find instances when you demonstrated these qualities. Employers are looking for well balanced professionals not just techies

.

ok.Good advice.
Thanks.