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Job Hunting Tips

Obsolete Technologies

"Now is the time to change your area of IT"

By the grace of Allah in the last 2 years a number of people have benefited through the [email protected] list in terms of getting employment in USA. However I do feel bad for those who have applied consistently for the last 1.5 year or so without having any positive response. There is a good percentage of these people who are unable to get a positive response due to their area of expertise, some of them do have other options but do not change as they cannot accept that their last 1-2 of experience is not marketable. 

Whereas I do feel really bad for such people, the intention for writing this is not to express sorrow but to urge that if you are one of them than its high time that you think about changing the area of IT you are in. Do not think about the past, think about the future. Where will you be if you continue in the same area for the next five - ten years and where will you be if you switch to a more scopic one by a concentrated effort of 3-6 months (may or maynot require switching of job, doing practice projects at home and passing of certification to make up for the lost time). I know its really painful to just let all of that experiene seemingly go waste (though I do not think that it should be thought of as wasted time), I also think that it would be more painful for you to do so later and to see that you were left behind because you could not take a tough decision. Time is not on your side, so do give it a thought. 

INS Service Center Numbers

You can check by calling on these numbers whether your case has been filed or not, and about the date and its status. Please note that it may take around 2-4 weeks for the INS to notify your employer even when the automated systems indicates an approval of the case. 

California Service Center 949-831-8427 
Nebraska Service Center 402-323-7830 
Texas Service Center 214-381-1423 
Vermont Service Center 802-527-4913

Java Test 
(Things you SHOULD know before you take a java interview)

1. What is multiple inheritance, is it possible to do so in java.
2. Can we use the interfaces to have the same effect as multiple inheritance.
3. What's the difference between an interface and an abstract class.
4. What is the scope of a protected variable.
5. If I do not want certain variables/parts of my object to be serialized, how can I do that.
6. What should I do to ensure that a certain part of my code is always executed whether an exception is thrown or not
7. In case of a multi threaded application how can I stop two threads from entering a block of code at the same time
8. If I put the synchronized keyword in front of 5 methods of the class, and I have thread A executing method 1, can the thread B enter method 2 ? (of course it cannot enter thread A due to synchronized declaration)
9. What are the two ways of making my class a separate thread.
10. What is the correct way of stopping a thread. 
11. How does the event handling work in java.
12. How can I ensure that each one of my nodes in jtree display an icon based on their object type.
13. What's the data structure class I can use in java to have the behavior of a dynamic array.
14. What's a java bean, how does it differ from other java classes.
15. Compare RMI and CORBA 
16. What's the use of a table or tree model 
17. How can you get the attributes of the system like date, time etc. 
18. What were the java bugs in the GUI component that you used. 
19. How does the garbage collection works in java, can I effect it in anyway 
20. How can I improve the performance of a java application, what are the java optimization techniques 
21. What should you do to ensure that your applet works exactly the same way on both IE and Netscape 
22. What do we need to do if we want to do something when the main window is closing. E.g. In word processing app, we want to confirm to save the doc before we close the app 
23. How does Java handle Exceptions? 
24. Define these terms related to java 

What is in Demand

A few years back computer science was the most scopic career to take in terms of getting an excellent job with good financial and career rewards. Things have changed since then slightly and the information provided below is based on my own experience in placement activities (www.geocities.com/computersciencejobs) and the research I have done by reading reviews and studying market trends, therefore the some people may find the conclusion hard to agree with.

Now its very important that you choose a correct area in computer science especially if you are looking forward to find jobs in countries like Singapore, America, Australia etc. Accepting a job that involves you into tools and technologies that are becoming obsolete or have abundant supply of people from large IT bases like India and China would be the most serious career mistake that you can commit. I can elaborate on the process of how I reached to these conclusions but for the purpose of keeping this brief I am noting down what I think are the ins and outs in computer science industry. 
The maximum number of jobs that I have seen in the recent years, that are the highest paying and easy to get are in the area of web related (and/or distributed computing) technologies. In terms of language the maximum number of jobs available to foreign nationals are in Java. Some of the hottest combinations now (and projected to be for the next few years at least) are:

1. Java + CORBA 
2. Server side java (EJB, servlets) 
3. CORBA (orbix and visibroker implementation seems to the most popular) 
4. Java GUI experience (Swing classes, awt, java beans etc.) 
5. XML + java at the server side 
6. C++ on Unix 
7. Unix Administration 
8. Oracle/Sybase database administration 

Some other areas that were previously quiet scopic but are increasingly getting clogged (which means Indians with 3-5 years of experience and good communication skills are ready to work between 30-40 k per anum, and for each requirements there are hundreds or thousands of resumes given) due to the abundant supply from India and China are:

1. C++ and Visual C++ (on windows) 
2. Visual Basic 
3. Oracle developer 2000 
4. NT administration 
5. Delphi 

The areas that are almost getting obsolete now are: 

1. Smalltalk 
2. Cobol 
3. Fox Pro 

So if you have a choice, take a decision now and switch to where the future is i.e. the internet. If any one of you has 1.5+ of experience in any of the first category areas that I have mentioned and is interested in pursuing a career in Singapore or America please send me your resume at [email protected] and I can pass it to some of the companies that I am working with to promote Pakistani IT professionals. 
Lastly I would like to address the important issue of having good communication skills. I cannot stress enough about how important it is that you market effectively. An essential part of it is to be fluent in spoken English, however it also means having the right attitude in terms of taking interviews and presenting your self in front of a perspective employer. I have seen some very good candidates with good spoken English skills not getting selected due to the attitude they displayed during the interview (like sounding tired in the interview, not sounding dynamic, cheerful, active, relaxed and confident). Those of you who are interested in improving their spoken English skills are welcome to write to me at [email protected] and I can propose a strategy that has worked for me and for others who have followed it.

As most of you already know the H1-B visa will probably be increased to 195,000 an year (from 115,000), the bill is likely to go through as it has the support of both major parties (democrats and republicans), lets make efforts so that Pakistani IT professionals make a good percentage of this number. (Previously we have been at around 2% of the quota as compared to 48% of India)

Internships (Why, When, Where and how?)

Summers are here, you are making plans for that trip to Gilgit, visiting relatives in Karachi, watching cricket, playing volleyball etc. Well you may want to give some thought to 'internship'. I know it does not sound as exciting as white water rafting in Gilgit river but let me assure you that it will go a long way in your career and will be really rewarding for you in terms of personality growth.

There are a number of reasons why you should try to get an internship. The experience that you get in a real software house is really different from what you do at the college, its realistic and enriching. Usually you are able to develop a kind of relationship with the company and that can improve your chances tremendously when you actually go there after graduation for employment. Even if you do not join the same company, nearly all the companies prefer candidates who have some real world experience as compared to the really fresh ones. The office environment, problems, politics and atmosphere helps build your problem solving and people skill that you can never hope to get as a student. In foreign countries its a usual practice and in certain countries like Singapore it can be counted towards your total IT experience and that can mean the yes and no between the issuance of your work permit. In terms of financial gains apart from your internship amount, you can usually get a higher salary if you have internship experience. It gives you a chance to test out a company. I was really keen on joining a company however after doing a summer internship there in summers I did not even apply there for job. Internship will help you get mature both personality wise and in terms of technical expertise (depending on the nature of the internship) and that can be a big help in improving your grades especially in the courses involving core computer science skills.

When should you apply for an internship? Ideally speaking you can do so right from the first summers of your studies at college. If you start in the first year you will have around six months of experience when you graduate and that's a big edge on the rookies of your class who slept through the summers. Six months of internship (two months in each year) is an ideal scenario, the minimum would be the summer internship in your final year. For final year students another really good way of getting acquainted in the market is to take the final year project from the industry and do the summer internship in the same company. 

For where and how of internships I would suggest that for the first and second year students they should not be choosy and should accept the internship of almost any type and kind. This includes offering your services to a Hafeez centre vendor for installation of software and hardware to helping him in selling computers. (That's a great learning experience and is something that you will not experience in your normal job, however the public dealing skills learned there can be applied in your professional life as well). You could also apply to small companies doing web page development etc. If you are really outgoing and want to do something different from everyone, try going to different shops and business around the city like state agencies, your uncle's business, cloth markets etc. and offer them that you will make their web sites. Most of the time you will need to explain them about web sites and explain how it will be beneficial for them. In some cases you will be shunted out quickly, in others after your marketing speech but the probability is high that with consistency you will eventually be able to convince someone to give you enough info about them and to work with you to put the business on the web. Through personal experience I can tell you that its a very interesting, challenging and difficult job to go to a layman, tell him about the web, convince him that it will be a good marketing tool for him and than work with him to put the business on the web. You will pass through more than the steps of software development life cycle. Starting from marketing to analysis, design, implementation and maintenance (for a couple of weeks maybe) and if you do a good job then you can always put those web sites in your resume. It's one of the areas that are very high in demand. If you are unable to get the business of a stranger than uncle, daddy's or friend's daddy's business always come in handy. Though its okay to charge a small fee for your service I would suggest that you do not focus on the financial aspect. (Do not spend any finances of your own though, just the time).

To the final year students I would suggest that you apply to all the software houses for the internship and try your best to get an internship in a company that could be your perspective employer. However if you are unable to get an internship, then automating the business process of someone you know or someone you can convince is a great idea. Try using the stuff that is high in demand like Java (you could use Symantec cafe pro as IDE, please visit http://www.geocities.com/computersciencejobs for other tools high in demand here in USA). You can make an attendance system, a file management system, a house listing system for the state agent, a office supplies system etc. 

The conclusion is that do give this a serious thought, its a great experience that will InshaAllah enrich you technically and from the communication skills perspective. It’s also really good for preparing you for the industry. Please feel free to write to me ([email protected]) for any comments and suggestions.

Sample CV for USA

Download following file for writing your CV on the pattern shown in the CV.

Format: Word Document
Size:
Download: SampleCV.doc

Improving English

Here is how you can improve your spoken English; the strategy has worked wonderfully for me and others who have tried it. However, it must be followed with determination and motivation, and should not be taken casually. I cannot stress enough on how important it is to have good spoken English and the significant role its going to play in your career development. Before you start have the faith that not having good English skills is not an unsolvable issue and with dedication you can overcome this like any other problem of computer programming. Depending on you level of proficiency in English right now, it takes around 1-3 months in most of the cases to significantly improve. DO NOT EXPECT to speak fluently after a week of this. Here is what you need to do:

1. Read aloud an English literature/essay to yourself for 15-20 minutes. It VERY important that you read in a voice loud enough so that you can hear yourself, for people in Pakistan or those having internet I would strongly advice reading DAWN. Read it aloud in a relaxed manner and make sure that you sound clear if not fluent, do not try to rush, remember that reading good does NOT mean reading fast. Reading and hearing 15-20 minutes of good English for 90 days will have an amazing effect when you are speaking. The sentences will come automatically to your mind and get delivered and you will know the grammatical errors by the sound of them. (like you do in Urdu, you may not realize that it is a isma-e-nakra issue or something else, you just know that it is not right because you have heard enough of correct Urdu)
2. Try to identify 5-10 words a day (not more than that) from what you have read, lookup the meaning in a good dictionary and make 3-4 sentences. If possible verify (through someone) that you have understood the word correctly and should be able to recognize it the next time that it is used. 
3. It would really help if you can get hold of at least one more person keen on improving his English, conversing in English with anyone (even somebody worse than you are) can really help you come over the hesitation and lack of fluency, doing it for 10-15 minutes a day would be simply great, try to have daily short sessions rather than one long session per week. 
4. Every third day, write one full escape page describing your routine for yesterday. Then go through the essay again and see if you can improve/correct parts of it, you will be surprised at how many improvement/mistakes you can find. Finally read it aloud to yourself and try to have a feel of the difference in the way you write and in the way that you read in good English (like DAWN etc.), the next time try to improve on your sentence structure and way of explanation to minimize the difference. After 2 weeks, compare your essays and try to identify if you have made any progress or not. If the results are disappointing try increasing your concentration and think more while writing. 
5. Lastly in case you are not sure about when to use, have, has, has been, is being, ing etc. get hold of a book that describes it and try doing some translations making sure that you understand the tenses correctly. 

Excellent Opportunity

(please read this carefully and pass it to others who may benefit, the salient point is that you can goto europe on a student visa and unlike USA you can work full time !!, another important point is that you are required to transfer an amount to the finnish bank before you get the student visa but you can transfer it back the day you go there so that means you can borrow the money for a short period of time for the visa purpose.)

Asalam o Ailakum, I am a pakistani IT professional based in Finland. I am doing my Masters here in information technology and also working in a reputed software company. 

In our desire to get established abroad we only consider very limited options like companies in USA, UAE,Singapore. There are many opportunities that should be considered and I am going to highlight one, fresh graduates especially should consider this option. 

Most of the scandinavian countries are Social states, Education is free here, even foreigners do not have to pay any tution fee. Finland is one such country, you can apply for a Masters degree here and if you are a good students then you have a very strong chance of getting in. As an international student you can work up to 20 hours in the IT industry, the industry here is the hub of activity in the wireless technology. Nokia is a finnish company and Ericsson is Swedish, this says a lot about the research being done on Wireless technology in this part of the world, they are leading the "wireless revolution". After comming here you can apply to a company for a full time position and you may get a work permit, in this case you can work full time and do your masters at the same time. 

The cost of living in Finland is low as compared to other countries in Europe and the standard of living is very high. As a student your expected expenditure will be around 3000 FIM and if you are working part time then you can get around 8000 FIM, and if you get a full time job then your salary can be around 16000 FIM, at the moment there is a scarcity of IT professionals hence getting jobs is not a problem. When I came here, I had 3 jobs within the first few weeks. 

Finland is a beautiful country, the city centers are vibrant with life while one can live peacefully in the suburbs. There is an abundance of natural resources 70% of the coutry is covered with forests, there are 180000 lakes and laplands (north of Finland) is considered one of the most scenic places in Europe. The pupulation is close to 5 million, which is very low compared to the size of this country. However, the best part about Finland are the Finns, they are the most friendly race I have ever met. I have travled considerably around the world and I have not seen a friendlier race. Though Finland is rather secluded from the rest of the world but there is no communication problem and you can get along if you have a working knowledge of English. If you work in Finland for 5 years you can get Citizen ship of this country, In a few words, my experience in Finland has been a dream come true. 

You can find lots of information about applying to scandinavian countries on Mr. Mahmoods homepage

http://www.tu-harburg.de/~semj0108/ 

If you have any questions feel free to mail me at 

[email protected]