In our rebounding economy, there are plenty of great jobs for self-starting, tech-minded individuals looking to dive headfirst into a rewarding career. At WashU Career Services (Motto: "Bringing the Same 5 Companies to Campus Every Year"), there is a whole list of companies looking to hire entry-level techies to stare at screens for 9 hours a day.

You could, for example, be a Desktop Install Engineer, a dynamic, exciting career installing Windows XP on old workstations. Or how about a Lotus Notes Administrator? Or my personal favorite: Help Desk Worker at Family Dollar.

Here are some tips to help you land your dream job:

-Aim Low. Sure you may want to be a Program Manager at Microsoft, but a quick browse through Monster or HotJobs shows that you have better odds of being Assistant to the Entry Level Web Developer at FlyByNight.com. Don't worry if the company has no real business plan; your paychecks may bounce, but the experience you gain browsing the web will be invaluable to achieving your career goals.

-Network. Many people hire a headhunter to help them find a job, but while they are professionals, they really have no incentive to quickly get you hired. Your parents, on the other hand, are highly motivated to get you out of their basement and into the real world so they can stop doing your laundry and paying for your internet connection so you can play Starcraft. Your Dad has a job, get him to weasel your way into an interview. This works even better if your parents own their own business. If so, there's no reason to even go to college!

-Relocate. Many companies are looking offshore for cheap labor, so get a head start on your competition and move to India. Now is as good a time as ever to find out if it's true what they say about the Ganges...

With these 3 simple tips, you could be beginning your own low-level, menial techie job today!

Posted by: rkc at September 10, 2003 9:00 PM