Graduated last year...no job

Same old story. Graduated last year with a combined degree in computer science and physics (note: NOT dual degrees) and no internship experience (I was pursuing one but it fell through, 3 guesses why). I had one job interview in June, a couple phone interviews with a second company in October, and nothing else since then. I'm already coming from a position of weakness to begin with since I'm aiming for entry-level, but my qualifications aren't that great even for entry-level (my GPA isn't very good either, but I'm not advertising it on my resume).

At this point I'm wondering what I should do. I considered hiding out in grad school but for reasons not worth going into that's not an option. The other option that came to mind was pursuing certification so I have something more to put on my resume than school projects. The specific cert I'm looking at is the Sun Certified Java Associate since it seems kind of in line with what I already know and what I want to do. But the test itself plus the practice test is $350, which I can afford (*coughwithparentalassistancecough*), but I don't want to invest in something that might ultimately never pay off.

I guess I'm wondering is if I'm simply in an irredeemable position and should look for something else to do with my life, because after the last 8 months I really feel kind of worthless as a prospective software engineer and I can't think of anything else to do with my degree.

CP83 Hang in there. I graduated with a BS degree in 1978 as a Chemist. The economy was bad like it is now. You are in a good position because the demand for Software Engineers will improve. Show employers you are serious about pursuing a career as a Software Engineer. Get the certification. You may want to work on a software project of your own or get involved with an open-source project. Find some kind of work (i.e newspaper delivery, Burger-King etc) to show that you are willing to work.

I would recommend finding an open source project to work on while you continue to search for a job. Show people you have a passion, and keep honing your skills. Might want to check out StackOverflow careers as well.

cp83,

Have a back-up plan in case your IT career goes nowhere. The labour market now is flooded with people with more experience than you looking for work. There is no guarantee that things will get better. Vertruen, who responded above needs to understand that it is not 1978. Do not depend on IT/CS/SW Eng to be a lifetime, stable career.

I have to push back some on what eagle1970 said. Yes, it's not 1978 in the sense than you can't simply apply to any major corporation, claim you're a programmer, and be set for life (I'm being hyperbolic, but you get the point).

If you have a passion for IT, and have the skills to back up that passion you can find work, especially if you're willing to move. I do admit it can be tough to get your first gig, but make the most of it and learn everything you can.

I've only been in the field a few years, but I graduated with 11 job offers, and every time I've put my name back into the market, I've been flooded with opportunities (granted, I am usually looking in larger cities). I did not go to an Ivy League school or have friends hook me up with jobs, I just know where to look, and how to present myself.

Most of my friends (including dramatically more experienced developers) have never had much trouble finding another job. I do suggest sticking to smaller private firms that don't have to layoff or outsource development simply to meet short-term financial goals.

Rochester, NY is not a good place to be working in Software. There are opportunities there but pay is low, supply is high compared to demand. Rochester has Paychex, MVP Healthcare and a couple other regional companies. The cost of living is very low compared to the rest of NY state,

I live in the New York Metropolitan area and am willing to travel. I am currently working in PA. My company is having trouble finding an adequate number of people. The pay is good. I have been in IT for 18 years now. There was a time I thought it was probably a mistake to stay in IT.

IT is not what it used to be in the 1990's but it is still much better than what it was in the late 1970's. A career in IT is a reality although it may require an attitude adjustment if 1990's conditions are expected.

My current company in Chicago is also having trouble finding qualified applicants. It's absolutely unbelievable how many reasonable looking compsci grads that come in for interviews and can't code their way out of the room.

Getting a software job isn't always easy, especially since the interviews can be tricky. Keep applying and you're bound to get an interview somewhere.

You can still apply for an internship - most software ones pay about 20 bucks an hour....even an unpaid one is good to just get some experience.

Dont worry about the economy, you can still find a job, just be persistent.

Certs don't make much of a difference - showing that you're intelligent and motivated does.

I'd recommend that even before you get an interview you start preparing since it takes some time to prepare.

Check out this site - it helped me get my last software job:

www.programmerinterview.com/

Contact me asap.

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Mike in Chicago, Illinois said: My current company in Chicago is also having trouble finding qualified applicants. It's absolutely unbelievable how many reasonable looking compsci grads that come in for interviews and can't code their way out of the room.

Software is not rocket science and I have seen dumb guys with no programming background doing equally good ,since they learned all the stuff on the job .