The world is yours, and everything in it
Scarface
I attended a great community conference in Bergen called Booster conf. They have a lot of students helping out as volunteers, which is a really great thing. Providing them with an insight into our industry is something that is really cool.
During the conference there are a series of Open Spaces and today I did something I’ve been thinking of doing for a while. I suggested giving some subjective advice to students. This was largely triggered by discussions during lunch related to working in fucked up organizations and projects. I just thought that they need to get a heads up on what to do, so they don’t end up wasting their talent and their opportunities. The session was really great and I think it wasn’t all “grumpy old guys telling war stories”.
Advice
The future of the world does belong to the young, hence the quote in this post. Only problem is that they’re very seldom aware of this fact (I know I never was). Especially when you’re a young IT-student there are just so many opportunities out there just waiting for you.
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Look beyond what you see around you. You can reach for jobs and careers beyond what is in your near proximity and what you think is possible. The opportunities available to you are greater than ever before.
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Take your time, you as a student should not be in a hurry. It is only those who try to recrute you who’s pressed for time.
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The best jobs are seldom posted anywhere, so try poking around in networks and communities for which companies are doing cool stuff. Figure out what you think is fun and try figure out who matches you best
I think that #2 is perhaps the most important. Especially in Norway where there are few signs of a decline in demand for fresh talent to IT companies you should not rush.
Perhaps the best advice is to not listen to people who try to give you advice, figure it out on your own ;)