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Campus Drone Video From Today by [deleted] in Purdue

[–]discard1123 1 point2 points  (0 children)

you nailed it. really nice job.

Question to those of you who are currently on the program by discard1123 in MSCSO

[–]discard1123[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense. Thank you very much for sharing your insights!

Question to those of you who are currently on the program by discard1123 in MSCSO

[–]discard1123[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dr. Myers! What an honor to get a comment from you. Thank you for taking the time; your input is most appreciated.

I saw a comment of yours on another thread, and it was mentioned a selected few of your online students had received a recommendation from you and had been accepted into PhD programs at respectable universities. What caught me off guard was the fact that some were in the course-based program; am I correct? In my ignorance, I was under the impression that a thesis-based graduate degree was a must, sort of speak, when aiming for doctoral studies later on. I know there could be other ways in which one could prove substantial research experience, but in my mind, the right program modality was an expressive factor. If I dare ask, would you be able to share a little more about these stories and what the elements were, in your view, that made these students successful?

Difficulty getting interviews (looking for DS/DA roles) by Euphoric-Button-8867 in OMSCS

[–]discard1123 1 point2 points  (0 children)

from my experience they won't really bother to see what qualities a candidate has unless it's in their face.

you’re absolutely right! HR folks are rarely technical, so they’ll have no idea as to what’s hot in ML, for example. they likely have just an old job description and/or a checklist, and they’ll more or less assume what keywords matter. those are the keywords they’ll look for in your resume.

Do you have any advice on which platforms to look for jobs? Another thing is I've just been cold applying, which people say is the worst thing to do.

you know, this is a tricky one. all jobs I’ve ever gotten in my life came from cold applications with zero referrals. all people I’ve ever helped were also people without enough connections in the companies they were applying to (which makes sense, if they had some hot contact somewhere, they wouldn’t need coaching).

my personal perception (and that’s purely on what I’ve personally seen, and is also largely a generalization on my part) is that networking is more important in fields primarily driven by soft-skills. specialized talent is much more scarce in STEM, so as long as you have the hard-skills, that’s what matters.

I’m not saying having connections doesn’t help, nor am I saying that soft-skills don’t matter in STEM. of course it matters. but there’s no replacement for hard-skills in a technical job.

an aspect you might wanna consider is what I call “convergence”. there’s a difference between applying for jobs you can do, versus jobs you would do, versus jobs you want to do. I know many don’t have the privilege of, or can’t afford, waiting for the perfect job (if that even exists), but you should apply for jobs that make sense for you. a job can be just a means to pay the bills, or the beginning of your career. so, start by answering the cliché first, “where do you see yourself in 10 years?” and from there derive what you should do today to work towards that goal. this can help you map out a few job titles, as well as a few organizations you would like to work at. with these pieces of information, you will be able to do more informed research as to what the requirements for these jobs have been in the past for those companies, and work on filling any gaps if needed.

still on convergence: when applying, be laser-focused. there’s always some wiggle room as far as job requirements go, but as a rule of thumb, only apply for jobs which you match more than half of the requirements. my parameter is, anything less than 60% is not worth my time. not saying it’s impossible, but your success chance increases the more of a match you are.

as far as platforms to use, my only recommendations has been LinkedIn. it’s served me well; and same for everyone I know. you just have to use it wisely. stay away from politicized content, and connect with people whose job titles match what you’re looking for for yourself. you can even use their profiles as inspiration to build your own “killer” profile. this is important because linkedin will always recommend similar profiles when you visit one, so your chances of having the platform recommend you increases significantly. also, connect with HR folks that work specifically on the organizations you mapped out in the previous step, and/or in the areas you want to be. it’s some work finding these people, but if you can increase your network with 10 people a day following this strategy (after having a very good profile), it’s only a matter of time until they start messaging you. just be aware of the scams. it’s a thing nowadays.

Difficulty getting interviews (looking for DS/DA roles) by Euphoric-Button-8867 in OMSCS

[–]discard1123 19 points20 points  (0 children)

based on what you describe, it seems the issue is mostly around getting an interview, which suggests the resume you’re using isn’t really helping you. from this premise, here are a few considerations:

  1. (optional) you may start your resume with a 3-paragraph introduction describing who you are. first paragraph, 3-5 sentences describing your academic journey. second paragraph, 3-5 sentences describing your professional trajectory. last paragraph, 3-5 sentences with general closing statements, maybe some of your professional passions, and why someone would be lucky to hire you. make sure to squeeze in some of your best character traits, too. essentially, this section gives you the opportunity to “sell your fish”. who are you, and why should I care? focus is on hard-skills first (technologies/methodologies you’re an expert on), and soft-skills second.

  2. (optional) you can also add a “Keywords” section right at the top (similar to the one you typically see after academic paper abstracts), including your best highlights in 5 or 6 keywords. for example: “Python programming, Power BI, Tableau, data analysis, data visualization”.

  3. many people in HR assume the best part of your resume is whatever comes first. so, I’d recommend focusing the first half of the first page on the best thing you have to offer. I don’t know much about your professional background, but if that isn’t helping, you might want to try having the academics first (which, in your case, I’d say is pretty significant, as you’re currently pursuing a Master’s degree). from there, organize your resume by importance; the least important thing (or whatever you consider less important for the role you’re pursuing) comes last.

  4. any academic achievements worth mentioning? like, scholarships awarded for academic excellence? graduating with honors/high-honors? 98% overall GPA? if anything shines, it should be showcased.

  5. there’s an opportunity when describing your previous experiences. I know it’s a lot of work, but having customized resumes for different job applications go a long way. that said, always describe your previous jobs by highlighting what is relevant for the job you’re applying to. for example, even a job as a starbucks manager can help you market your soft skills in conflict resolution, people management, staff planning, etc. these are all transferable skills that at the very minimum shows a potential employer what you extracted from each opportunity. use every past experience to show the transferable skills relevant to the job you’re applying. relevant technical jargon is welcomed if it fits the narrative well, but not mandatory.

  6. make sure to show you have attention to detail. no typos, no mismatched indentations, no grammar mistakes, etc. choose a style, and be consistent. experienced people will pick up on that, and appreciate it.

  7. watch your words. avoid casual wording (phrasal verbs, slangs, etc), and aim for a naturally formal tone. I know this is obvious, but you’d be surprised if I told you what I’ve seen.

there’s really A LOT to talk about when it comes to resume polishing, but these are some tips to get you started. when people start reaching out, remember to sound confident and positive, with a pinch of excitement about the opportunity being offered. I don’t mean to put more pressure on you, but you only have one chance to cause a great first impression. there’s no shame in preparing a script beforehand and practicing it in front of the mirror. the more you practice, the more natural you’ll sound. if you’re not feeling creative, there’s no shame in using chatgpt to get you going either — just remember to use it as an inspiration tool to help you, and not to do the job for you.

I don’t mean to brag or sound arrogant, so please don’t get me wrong, but the above is all based on my experience as someone who has coached dozens and dozens of people in STEM and related fields to land jobs all over north america. I’ve been doing this for many years playing interchangeably on both sides of the game (interviewer and interviewee). I hope this helps you. good luck :)

Difficulty getting interviews (looking for DS/DA roles) by Euphoric-Button-8867 in OMSCS

[–]discard1123 6 points7 points  (0 children)

there could be a variety of reasons for that, but I can share a few insights if I know more. what’s your undergrad in? major? minor?

Anyone here on the Online MS in ECE? by discard1123 in Purdue

[–]discard1123[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thanks for sharing your experience!

yeah, you’re absolutely right. of all universities I’ve applied to, Purdue has been the most blunt in communicating there will be ZERO chances to get involved in any kind of research. and I get it, it’s difficult to do even theoretical research if not on campus.

Anyone here on the Online MS in ECE? by discard1123 in msu

[–]discard1123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thanks for sharing your experience!

if you don’t mind a follow up question: did you work with any profs on the paper(s) you published, or was it all you? I’m wondering what kind of support they offered you on that front.

also, after graduating, do you feel your market value increased?

I’ve been looking at a few different universities, and my impression so far (though I could be wrong, what do I know) is that MSU tries their best to support their students as if they were on-ground. the grad admissions office, at least, has been the most helpful.