A sunny hiring season for job seekers

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Google's intense recruitment efforts only fuel the shortage of qualified workers. The search giant last year hired 5,000 employees, "a significant chunk" of whom were just beginning their careers, said Google Staffing Programs Director Judy Gilbert. This year Google--which employees a total of 12,200 worldwide--will hire even more, she said, declining to elaborate on just how many.

Finding the right fit
Company recruiters have varying perspectives on what makes an employee qualified. IBM, for example, talks a lot about "preset skills"--many of which are developed through its SSME discipline--while Google is looking for employees it can catch early in their careers and mold.

"In general there are some things we are looking for in all Googlers. We look for people who are bright, curious and inquisitive about the world around them," Gilbert said, emphasizing the ability to work well in change and collaboration.

Video: Google's strategy for hiring young talent
Judy Gilbert, Google's director of staffing programs, discusses the Web giant's recruitment strategy.

"If you look at us during the last one, two or five years, we focused on areas that we didn't even think of five years ago," she said. "Similarly we don't know what is going to happen five years down the road from now and we want people who can be flexible."

A specific area of expertise is secondary for those newly entering the workforce, Gilbert said. "For recent graduates, we don't expect that (expertise), but we look for evidence that they dug in, that they solved a particular problem and that they have potential to learn more."

Many students are easily impressed by the prospect of working for a big technology company, but others, like Aditya Jhunjhunwala, recognize that more important than size and prominence is how a company feels and one's connection with the people there.

Jhunjhunwala, who has a master's degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University, has already had one job out of graduate school, but recently connected with his alma mater's career center on a new job hunt. This time around he won't make the mistake of being wooed by a company's size.

"Don't be flattered by big companies," said Jhunjhunwala, who has already received three job offers. "Look more at the positions and people and if they would fit you."

He also advises job seekers to apply for jobs online, but remember those applications can easily go into "the black hole" and that should be one of many ways of landing a job.

Huong Nguyen, a recent San Jose State University computer engineering graduate who landed a job at Hewlett-Packard, advises job seekers to stay motivated, be persistent and finish tasks companies give you during interviews. She also touts participation in student associations, recalling a Society of Women Engineers event she attended that gave her a chance to network with prospective employers and hand out her resume.

"Engage, get your name out there, don't expect the jobs to come to you," she said, also emphasizing the importance of finding an appropriate fit. "I did have other offers, but it's the atmosphere itself (that I liked). People are very friendly and it seemed right."

Brenda Phan, who like Nguyen just graduated from San Jose State with an engineering degree, has applied for a long list of jobs through various channels like the campus career center, e-mail and the posting of her resume on different company sites. She eventually landed some interviews and learned to be specific about the jobs for which she was applying. Being too general didn't take her anywhere, she said.

While it's a good time to graduate with tech degrees, clouds still loom in the distance. Challenger noted signs the economy is starting to slow. Dell and Motorola, for example, recently announced job cuts. But it's important to recognize other technology sectors that are steady or growing, he said. "Companies will continue to invest in skilled people to improve their edge."

[inachu]

Here it comes!

Those resume hoarding sites that boast about job fairs.

Thanks for the warning.

[suyts]

Here is a video from you tube

that shows who and who isn't going to get these jobs. Then we will hear the whine about not enough skilled workers in the U.S. Here is the link. <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?062207/062207_sr_garrett&#38;Special_Report&#38;Cheap%20Labor%20101&#38;Cheap%20Labor%20101&#38;Politics&#38;-1&#38;News&#38;154&#38;&#38;&#38;exp" target="_newWindow">http://www.foxnews.com/video2/player06.html?062207/062207_sr_garrett&#38;Special_Report&#38;Cheap%20Labor%20101&#38;Cheap%20Labor%20101&#38;Politics&#38;-1&#38;News&#38;154&#38;&#38;&#38;exp</a>

[LarryLo]

its a video from Fox news not YouTube

...and it doesn't play (in my firefox anyway)

[alainassaf]

Don't believe there's a shortage

See this video on YouTube.

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU" target="_newWindow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU</a>

The law firm depicted is detailing how companies can post a job vacancy, interview qualified US workers, and still hire an H1B instead.

[Marcus Westrup]

What HB-1's ?

Those ran out minutes after they were available for the year. I hardly think it makes any impact on the job market, anyone who wants one now is tough out of luck - yet people love to bash the industry for it.

[suyts]

Thanks for

finding the original video. Fox covered this only for a day and then broke the link. Why is it that no other news orginization, including CNET, hasn't covered this. I think this is a big issue.

[lowenbrau212]

College Grads: some advice

You know whats funny, allot of U.S. companies are not happy with the poor quality of work that was sent over seas to India and China, like programming and IT stuff, and allot of those jobs are coming back to America, not all however.

Also, these HB-1 visa programs screw the people coming to the US to take these jobs. They get locked in at a low salary and cant get out of them till the contract is fulfilled. And you know these foreigners will not be promoted to management, so they get screwed there too. So its bad for US workers and the foreigners coming over here to get the jobs. If you are from India or China, your better off staying in your own country and get a job there,

[bluerain44]

College Grads: Take A Jaudiced View of This

I have to agree with the other posters - pay off those college loans when times are good (now) because when times are bad (2 years from now?) tech companies will disavow ever knowing you, or ever wanting you for a job.

It's your career kids. Don't let the cans of soda and the foozball hypnotize you!

And always get stock options, even if they turn out to be worthless.

[Penguinisto]

You should always look out for #1...

No matter what you are - whether you're a college grad, or an
old fart like myself.

It's all about negotiation. Hit it now while times are sweet.

* find something with a solid company that has a proven record
and few layoffs in its history.

* always keep your skills sharp.

* if you're a college grad, work on getting experience - solid
experience. Most CS grads I know have little in the way of
practical experience, which is a weakness. Fix that.

HTH,

/P

[firedup2]

New Grads have more power than they think...

Our experience in working with new graduates has consistently reinforced our belief that the most important skills needed when heading into the job market are in interviewing. Knowing how to approach an interview, how to anticipate and respond to difficult questions, and knowing how to project confidence in the interview are the skills most often lacking in new grads.

New grads who take the time to enhance their interviewing skills will come out leaps &#38; bounds ahead of their competition.

Robin Ogden
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.firedupcareers.com" target="_newWindow">http://www.firedupcareers.com</a>

[JackOfAllTrades2]

What is the source of the "overall unemployment rate for the computer industry"? If it was "2.1 percent" at the end of (presumably) 2007 Q1, what was it at the end of 2009 Q4? What are the projections going forward into 2010?