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Job Searching in Toledo, OH

TwoQuestionsTwoQuestions Registered User regular
edited March 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
I'm graduating in May in Computer Science with a B average, and I need to find a job in Toledo. My grades aren't anything that will hold me back much, but Toledo has next to no job opportunities.

I'm 1/2 panicked right now because moving away would be extremely difficult, but I don't want to work fast food and eat ramen noodles after finishing my degree. I have a job right now, but it's student only, and my graduation date is my last day. I've made a linkedin profile, and I'm going through Monster and Dice like mad, but everyone wants senior developers, and at the least 3+ years of programming experience. I've got 2 years in several languages, and I'm confident in my ability to program in whatever my potential boss needs.

Anybody have any job-hunting tricks or advice so I can be employed? I'm not looking to make 100k, but I'd like to be able to afford a new $30 video game every month or so.

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Posts

  • SentrySentry Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Toledo's job market was terrible even before the economic downturn. May I ask why it has to be Toledo? You might consider expanding your search to places Toledo adjacent, like Norwalk or perhaps even into Michigan.

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  • TwoQuestionsTwoQuestions Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I've just started dating someone going to UToledo for IT, and she's in a lease until next March and she doesn't do long-distance relationships. Other than that, I'd like to avoid the hassle of finding a place and moving everything there, only to move again once I have that obligatory 3-5 years experience. If I can, I'd like to get the experience here in Toledo then move once I can make some real money.

    TwoQuestions on
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  • skettiosskettios Enchanted ForestRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I recommend posting in this thread. Post your resume there and the people there can give you critiques, advice, etc... and joe might add you to his spreadsheet (he likes helping people find jobs).

    Good to see that you're on linkedin (that's how I got my current entry level soft dev job :) ), monster, and dice. Do you keep an eye on craigslist? Also, check out usajobs for a govt job.

    Remember to be patient. You might have to get a PT gig to pay the bills, but it's not the end of the world. I had 2 PT jobs in the time after I graduated (5months) before I landed my current job. And I know I'm not the only one who had to do that (a few of my classmates did as well).

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  • skettiosskettios Enchanted ForestRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Be sure to flesh out your resume. If you had internships, put those on there. Highlight school projects, classes took, subjects covered. Since you had a nice GPA, throw that on there.

    I didn't have much work experience in this field, so that part of my resume was small and not very detailed. I focused heavily on the school stuff.

    Also - COVER LETTERS. Write them.

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  • meekermeeker Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Indeed.com is my favorite job hunting aggregator. Good luck.

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