Land the Tech Job You Love

Book description

You've got the technical chops -- the skills to get a great job doing what you love. Now it's time to get down to the business of planning your job search, focusing your time and attention on the job leads that matter, and interviewing to wow your boss-to-be.You can't just wing it.

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Table of contents

  1.  Appreciations
  2.  Introduction
    1. The Fireman Who Loved His Job
    2. How This Book Was Born
    3. A Disclaimer of Sorts
    4. What’s Inside?
    5. Land the Tech Job You Love Online
    6. Go Love Your Job
  3. Part I. The Job Search
    1. 1. The Foundation of Your Job Search
      1. Be Honest with Yourself
      2. Be Honest with Others
      3. Think Like the Boss
      4. Be a Problem Solver
      5. Sell Yourself
      6. Tell Stories and Give Samples of Your Work
      7. Be Positive
      8. Moving Ahead
    2. 2. What Do You Want in a Job?
      1. A Crash Course in Work Motivation Theory
      2. Dig In to What You’re Looking For
      3. The Motivation Worksheet
      4. What Motivates You? A Dozen Factors to Consider
      5. Now Go Beta Test Your Worksheet
    3. 3. Résumé Content: Getting the Words Down
      1. Before You Write Your Résumé…
      2. Writing a Résumé Is Not Speedy
      3. The Sections of Your Résumé
      4. What to Leave Out of Your Résumé
      5. Moving to Construction
    4. 4. Building Your Résumé Documents
      1. The Three Versions of Your Résumé
      2. General Guidelines
      3. Use Word’s Features Correctly and Effectively
      4. Create an Effective Summary
      5. Check Your Word Document
      6. Build the HTML Version
      7. Build the Text Document
      8. You’re Ready to Move Forward
    5. 5. Finding Your Job
      1. It’s All About the People
      2. Where the Jobs Are
      3. What to Find Out About a Potential Job
      4. Do Your Detective Work
      5. Headhunters
      6. Work the Hunt
      7. Summary
    6. 6. Applying for the Job
      1. Customize Your Résumé
      2. Create a Cover Letter
      3. Put the Package Together
      4. Never Tell Anyone Your Salary History
      5. And Now You Keep Looking
  4. Part II. The Interview and Beyond
    1. 7. Preparing for the Interview
      1. Clear Your Schedule
      2. Prepare to Sell the Interviewer on You
      3. Prepare to Answer Tough Questions
      4. Prepare a Relevant Portfolio
      5. Prepare Your Questions to Ask
      6. Prepare to Get to the Interview
      7. Prepare What You’re Going to Bring with You
      8. Preparation Is Half the Battle
    2. 8. The Interview
      1. Work Toward Your Goal of Getting an Offer
      2. Listen to Everything
      3. Treat Each Person Like the CEO
      4. A Walk Through the Interview
      5. Sell Yourself by Telling Stories
      6. Sell Yourself by Doing the Job
      7. Closing the Interview
      8. Phone Interviews
      9. The End of Your First Day
    3. 9. Handling the Tough Interview Questions
      1. Never Give B.S. Answers
      2. Never Complain or Disrespect
      3. Know the Red Flags the Interviewer Wants to Uncover
      4. The Tough Questions
      5. Curveballs
      6. More Tough Questions: Exercises for the Reader
    4. 10. Too Much Information
      1. Illegal Topics
      2. Other Topics to Avoid
      3. Handle Inappropriate Questions Tactfully
      4. Who Wants to Work for a Company Like That Anyway?
      5. It’s All About Focus
    5. 11. After the Interview: The Job Offer and Beyond
      1. Send Thank-You Notes
      2. And Now You Wait…
      3. Go for Further Interviews
      4. Give Solid References
      5. The Job Offer
      6. Leave Your Job Gracefully
      7. Getting Rejected
      8. And the Cycle of Work Continues…
    6. 12. Staying Hirable
      1. Improve Yourself
      2. Improve Your Network
      3. Improve Your Brand
      4. Always Look for Your Next Job
      5. It’s Never the End
  5. A1. Meaningless Clichés to Avoid
  6. A2. Résumé, Cover Letter, and Email Killers
  7. A3. Interview Killers
  8. A4. Web Resources
  9. A5. Bibliography

Product information

  • Title: Land the Tech Job You Love
  • Author(s): Andy Lester
  • Release date: June 2009
  • Publisher(s): Pragmatic Bookshelf
  • ISBN: 9781934356265