Job search records

Guess what? Seems that the title of "Software Engineer" in my head throughout my 3 years at NUS was a bit too vague for the interviewers. It appears that I do not know what I want, which is why I still do not get what I want.

The unfamiliar environment

• 1st 3 interviews were miserable failures
  
  • 1st full time job interview was DSO
  • 2nd was DSTA, and I stammered my way through (How sad I sounded eh?)
  • 3rd was OCBC, a walk-in interview
• Began to understand the idea of selling yourself and also have a slightly more detailed idea of what I want to accomplish as a Software Engineer.
• From the OCBC walk-in interview for Technology Associate, it appears that OCBC prefers business-oriented people which unfortunately I am not. I want to be appreciated as one who can use technical skills to contribute directly to the core business of the company. UPDATE 19th May 2011: OCBC finally called for a second interview (The first interview was more of a briefing) after more than a month of silence, but I decided to decline the interview as the position does not match my goals.

Grades does not matter in the end

• Did my best to sell myself during CSIT interview on 20th April
• Still not qualified - CSIT sent me a rejection e-mail today!
  
  • School grades was supposed to be a stepping stone for the start of my career.
  • I missed the 2nd stepping stone: Passion and the knowledge that comes from it.
• Gives me the final wake-up to the reality that despite my good grades and all my attempts at learning, I am doomed to be equals with the unremarkable and underwhelming people out there at the workforce, and hence that makes me a greater loser than them (See Blog Title).
• Oh well, at least for now. *Shrugs*

Assuring myself through aptitude tests

• Or not.
• CSIT technical test for System Analyst...
  
  • 1st part: Writing an essay
  • Essay-writing wasn't that difficult but I guess I might be a little vague in many of my arguments.
  • 2nd part: Technical test, all MCQs with some True/False questions.
  • Again, the basic programming questions wasn't that difficult but I do not know how to answer many of the questions that are directly testing about the specific job title I applied for
  • So much for passion eh?
• Then from IBM...
  
  • 1st aptitude test was Maths (A timer for each question, I was too slow)
  • 2nd aptitude test was on programming language syntax for Java and C++
  • Apparently testing programming language syntax is the ultimate test of one's familiarity with programming.
  • Guess what? I am certainly not expecting any call from IBM after that aptitude test.

Now I even doubt of my candidacy at ST Electronics (I applied for a job which I have nearly zero experience in).

Current Job Search Status at the time of this writing

Companies applied to:

1. DSO
2. IHIS
3. DSTA
4. ST Electronics
5. ASM
6. CSIT
7. OCBC
8. NUS Computer Centre
9. IBM

1st Interview attended: DSO, DSTA, OCBC, ST Electronics, CSIT
2nd Interview attended: ST Electronics
Technical/Aptitude tests taken: CSIT, IBM
Job offers: -

I am only waiting for a reply from ST Electronics, if any.

Whatever.