These were some of the pieces of advice that members of Women in Computing and tutors in the CSE department at the Jacobs School of Engineering gave to a standing-room only crowd last week in preparation for DECaF, the job fair that concludes Engineering Week here on campus.
The presenters knew what they were talking about. They had landed jobs at Yahoo!, Google, Facebook and Apple, among other companies. They had decided to put on the presentation to make sure more students land jobs with these companies.
As a CS student, it's important to study for interviews, explained Brina Lee, a first-year graduate student who has worked at Yahoo! Studying in groups is the best way to go. Picking a language that you already know well and sticking with it is the best approach. Recruiters are looking for good problem-solving skills rather than knowledge of a particular language. Students also should be comfortable writing code on a white board, without the help of a compiler. They should also be familiar with running time and data structures.
"Introduce yourself with confidence and stick your foot in the door," Lee said.
Below is a slideshow with the presentation she and fellow WIC members gave:
