Struggling to get the first job in the industry

[Sher Khan]

Hello everyone, I know it's a bit personal to share. But lately my spirits have gone down and I've become a bit depressed. I've been looking for a graduate job in the IT sector for 2 and a half years now without success.

It seems that everywhere I find an entry level IT job ad, alongside it says 2-3 years of experience in .... This disheartens me as I don't have experience and only have a degree and a couple of certificates to show.

The other thing is if somehow I do manage to get interviews they seem to ask very generic questions that could be answered in very different ways. Or ask questions that are too personal and a bit awkward.

Are their any tips you guys have for a young man looking to enter the IT industry and put my foot in the door.

I believe I am very skilled and definitely an very passionate. I spend my time doing virtual machine exercises at home.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Brother, it’s normal to face rejection during the job search process. Don’t be discouraged and keep trying. Your determination will pay off one day. Don't lose hope.

 

[Sher Khan]

I'd also like to ask a question here. A common interview question they've come up with these days is "what's something you did not like about your previous manager".

I struggle to answer this question because I know secretly the interviewer will judge the answer and form an opinion on my work ethic.

 

[BouncerGuy]

There is no definite answer to this question but in my opinion, it is always good to focus on the learning aspect rather than just pointing out the negatives. It shows your positive attitude and willingness to learn from every situation. Pointing out too much negatives will make you look bad to some extent.

 

[Sher Khan]

There is no definite answer to this question but in my opinion, it is always good to focus on the learning aspect rather than just pointing out the negatives. It shows your positive attitude and willingness to learn from every situation. Pointing out too much negatives will make you look bad to some extent.

Oh okay that makes more sense. Thank you!

 

[BouncerGuy]

Oh okay that makes more sense. Thank you!

A "Never Give Up" attitude is required when you are looking for a job in Pakistan because it is very hard here.

 

[Saanji]

I'd also like to ask a question here. A common interview question they've come up with these days is "what's something you did not like about your previous manager".

I struggle to answer this question because I know secretly the interviewer will judge the answer and form an opinion on my work ethic.

This is a question to gage you and not your manager.
Simple rule, never bad mouth your previous organisation. Frame your answer in a way that your ambition and needs were different from what the previous manager could provide. And quickly shift it to what you think the interviewers organization can provide you.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

It all depends on your skill set and the technology you have chosen to pursue a job. I'm not sure what you're aiming for. Advanced technologies with programming skills are always in demand.

 

[Stewie]

what is your location and qualification? and what IT field do you want to get into? its a very vast area. You want to be a programmer, database admin, network admin, business analyst, network engineer, data engineer or data scientists.. the list is just very very long. The hottest skills are in data science, UX design, cybersecurity. Get a certification in your chosen area and have a github page to showcase some of your work/projects you have done and put your github on your CV.

 

[bala977]

Hello everyone, I know it's a bit personal to share. But lately my spirits have gone down and I've become a bit depressed. I've been looking for a graduate job in the IT sector for 2 and a half years now without success.

It seems that everywhere I find an entry level IT job ad, alongside it says 2-3 years of experience in .... This disheartens me as I don't have experience and only have a degree and a couple of certificates to show.

The other thing is if somehow I do manage to get interviews they seem to ask very generic questions that could be answered in very different ways. Or ask questions that are too personal and a bit awkward.

Are their any tips you guys have for a young man looking to enter the IT industry and put my foot in the door.

I believe I am very skilled and definitely an very passionate. I spend my time doing virtual machine exercises at home.

The good news is your CV appears to be ok, as you wouldn't be called to interview if you had a bad CV.

Coming to the interview process, practice makes it perfect. Everyone thinks they are great talkers until they hear themselves talk ... most people ramble and end up pissing the interviewer off!! So my $.02 below

• Write down the questions you almost always get asked
  • What is your background / Why are you here / Tell me about yourself
  • What are your strengths / What are your skills that are relevant for this job
  • Why do you want this role / What is your motivation
  • What is your weakness / Tell me about a time you were challenged
  • ...
• Write a scripted response for each of the above - have examples (for example, if asked about your strengths, you shouldn't say "integrity, honesty, hardworker, team player" etc. because that is a given. You should talk about something relevant for the role - something like I thrive in a high pressure environment as my comfort & experience with Python/C# enables me to meet deadlines whilst ensuring i meet the required code quality thresholds ...)
• Memorise the response
• Now, this is IMPORTANT. Use your phone - take a video of you answering the usual questions
• Review the video ... fix ... repeat until you get the messaging / tone etc. right

The above is hard work, but there is no substitute or short cuts imo