1: Why do you want to mentor in the job search?
A: I am entering a new area of the workforce, one I am mostly unfamiliar about. A mentor will provide insight on how I should present myself and work to best show off the skills looking for in a technical role. The mentoring groups will offer support along with immediate experiences of their successes and failures in the job search.
2: How will you hold yourself accountable for balancing time for your job search and following your mentor and group's advice?
A: I will take the mentor and group's advice into account before the different actions required by the job search. They are complementary to each other, not mutually exclusive. Working within a group all set with a goal to find a software engineering role will help reinforce positive habits and continue the pursuit during the difficult periods of the job search.
3: What is the focus of your job search (timeline, ideal job, steps you've already taken)? Be as specific as you can.
A: Having a job secured by the end of graduation would be ideal, yet not mandatory. I do need a job, but I am not in a rush to take whatever falls in my lap first. I want to find a job that is in one of the cities on my list of places I would move to, is a company that is doing good for the world, and, just as importantly, treats the employees well. Work is a community, being selective about the who I am engaging with daily is essential to success, happiness, and longevity. An ideal job is difficult to describe every day as I look through postings, I find just an incredible diversity of software engineering jobs. Understanding what I am capable of is harder to sort through and one I need help with. I have been reaching out to contacts mostly about any thoughts they have on what I should be doing to set myself apart as an accelerated immersive software engineering student. Most of my time has been devoted to school and excelling as best I can at the material given. I look forward to a job mentor and group to help me best use my time to effectively find, reach out, and apply for positions where I see myself as a fit.