Preparing for Life After College

1. Preparing for Life After College Nine months and counting…

2. Tara Strobel • Currently working on Mid-Tier Development and Testing • BA Computer Science, Minor in MIS, Interactive Media, Business • Chris Fahey • Currently working on User Interface Development • BS Computer Science, Minor in MIS, Business Certificate • Kevin Owocki • Currently working on Mid-Tier Development • BS Computer Science, Minor in Physics, Philosophy

3. 7 Most Important Points Learned in CIS475 • Application Development Process / Project Lifecycle • Teamwork, Teamwork, Teamwork. • Project and Time Management • Adaptability to Change • Design Diagrams, Design Models and Documentation • Milestone Presentation Techniques and Etiquette • When interviewing, the stories drawn from CIS475 experiences can demonstrate teamwork, leadership, time management, flexibility, etc.

4. Surviving CIS475 : Choosing Your Team and Project • Diversify the strengths and weaknesses within your team • Documentation • User Interface • Mid-Tier Coding • Networks (if applicable) • Databases • Team Management • Coordinate schedules • Group meetings • SubGroup meetings • Select a project that interests you and your team • Define a reasonable scope for your project as soon as possible • Begin with a narrow scope

5. Surviving CIS475 : Working With Your Team • Maintain an open mind throughout the project lifecycle • Combine individual ideas to form the best solution • Utilize Project Management Tools • CVS • Eclipse or NetBeans • Wiki • Do Not delegate one team member to do all of the work • Take advantage of paired programming • Keep your documentation up to date!

6. Surviving CIS475 : Managing Your Project • Use the Application Development Process as a guideline to set milestones for your project • Set aggressive yet realistic goals for your project. • Stick to those dates! • Update documentation regularly. Make sure that every team member is up to speed • Communication • Wiki • Email / Yahoo Groups • Telephone • Create test cases BEFORE you begin coding your project.

7. Surviving CIS475 : Dealing with Project Setbacks • Maintain a positive attitude! • Meet with Professor Leipold • He is very helpful [we are not just saying this because he is in the room!] • Share your concerns and ask questions • Use Visual Aids • Just remember, setbacks are inevitable. Plan accordingly.

8. Surviving CIS475 : Professionalism • This project mimics IT project development in the real-world and hence it demands professionalism • Email etiquette [especially with Professor Leipold] • Documentation structure, readability, consistency, and accuracy • Team relations • Professional Presence in your Presentations • Dress appropriately • Be prepared! Know your slides and practice ahead of time! • Eye contact: Talk to your audience, not to the projector screen • Know your project’s strengths and weaknesses and be prepared to answer questions about them.

9. Our Real-World Experiences… • Team Structure • You do not get to pick your team • People transfer and rotate between teams • Design Models and Diagrams, Documentation • The importance of documenting every aspect of IT development • Changing Requirements • Coding in a Team Environment • Working off of other programmers’ code • Agile programming • Strict guidelines, timelines, and practices

10. Preparing for the Real-World • Networking • Ask questions, attend career events, contact potential employers • Maintain professional contacts within the university • Actively participate in eRecruiting • Attend Recruiting Events • Job Jamboree on September 26th • Interviewing (research employer, follow up with them, take initiative!) • Prepare Professional Documents • Cover Letter, Resume, Follow-Up letter, Writing/Coding Sample, etc. • Start Early!

11. Advice from Us • Prepare interview “stories” to back up your strengths. Use your experiences from CIS475! • 30 Second Commercial • Know what you want to do • If you don’t, cater your career goals towards the interviewer. You are interviewing with that Company for a reason! • Speak with Professors, Advisors, Mentors about potential career opportunities • Enjoy your senior year!

12. Vanguard • No-load mutual fund company. • Serves individual shareholders and institutional clients. • Established in 1975. • Owned by fund shareholders, not by outside stockholders. • Over 11,000 crew members in three U.S. sites – PA, NC, AZ. • International operations in Europe, Japan, and Australia.

13. Preparing for Life After College Nine months and counting… Questions? Mary Ann Fornarol:mary_ann_fornarol@vanguard.com Chris Fahey:chris_fahey@vanguard.com Kevin Owocki: kevin_s_owocki@vanguard.com Tara Strobel: tara_strobel@vanguard.com

14. Professional Presence

15. Attitude and behaviors • How am I appearing to others? • How do I approach coming to work each day? • What impressions might others have of me when they see me during the business day? • What do my facial expressions say to others when I am faced with an unfamiliar situation? • What impressions do people have of me as a positive (or negative) person?

16. Negative impact on professional presence • Matt always has at least two folders overflowing with information at every meeting he attends. • Arlene notices that Malcolm mispronounces her name— even after 5 weeks of working together. • Mario frequently sits quietly in meetings, taking notes but not speaking up. • Over the past few months, Leo’s cell phone has been ringing—even when he is not at his desk.

17. Etiquette • Maintain eye contact. • Avoid interrupting someone. • Arrive on time. • Respond to telephone calls and e-mails within 24 hours. • Dress professionally.

18. Verbal communication • Understand that tone of voice has more impact than the words. • Keep voice mail messages short. • Avoid filler words such as “um” or “ah.” • Avoid slang. • Be cautious of jokes or special lingo. • Use correct grammar.