In rough economical times like these, it might seem scary to start an earlier stage, innovation-driven business. But in the midst of this instable financial environment, it is fundamentally important to realize that innovation, engineering or investment projects simply have to become more strictly focused and an even more strategic plan to achieve profitability needs to be developed.

Engineering can be a nexus point for these types of opportunities!

This panel will discuss how Venture Capitalists strategize during periods of economic downturn and what Engineering talent needs to know to meander through the world of start-ups.

Can they in fact be successful in today’s economy?

Panelists:

1. Roger Akers 
    Managing Partner, Akers Capital LLC
2. Francoise Crepin
    Akros Silicon Inc.
3. Jim Schraith
    Venture Partner , DFJ Frontier

Moderator:
Emir José Macari
Dean of Engineering and Computer Science
Sacramento State

Please join us afterwards for a wine and cheese reception.

Your resume is probably your most important job-seeking tool. It is frequently the thing that gets you noticed first. Writing an effective resume is one of them most tricky parts of your job search. It really needs to be well thought out and focused on the industry and the employers you are targeting. Before you write a resume it is helpful to know what you want to do, and who you are relative to employers’ needs. To develop a good understanding of what you need to convey in your resume it is helpful to analyze the job description for the types of positions you are pursuing. It is also helpful to speak with people in your chosen field. Ask them what they look for in a candidate and what qualities are necessary to be successful.

If you are writing your first resume, you will need to go to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) to research the occupation you are writing a resume for. The wording you will find in this resource for various occupations is incredibly helpful. You can use some of the wording found in the OOH for descriptions of previous jobs you have held as well as for the job you are now seeking. Another good exercise is to go to potential employers’ web sites and print job announcements that interest you. This is a great source for ideas and wording to include in your resume.

When you sit down to write your resume use the job description or announcement as a guide. Focus yourself on the employer’s requirements. First inventory the knowledge you have that will be of greatest interest. Expect that you will need to write more than one resume if you are applying for more than one job. Second, make a list of your skills relative to the needs of the companies or industry in which you are applying for jobs. Third, make a list of your activities that relate to your career or job choice.

Limit your resume to one page unless you are applying for an academic position. This is easier than you might think. Use half-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides in order to get maximum use of your page. Format your header (name, address, phone, email) horizontally and limit it to the top one-inch of the page.

In the body of your resume put an objective. This is a focal point of your resume and it is the “controller device” on your resume. Your objective must relate to the employer’s needs before you will be considered for anything. (Anything that does not relate should be left off of your resume). It should be simple and concise. For example: Objective: A position in Civil Engineering.

Things following your objective are put on to the resume in descending order of importance. The next thing that goes on your resume after the objective depends on what you determine to be the most important thing you have to offer the employer. This rule is followed for each and every subsequent item.

Remember that a resume is a summary of who you are. It should tell an employer who you are and that you’re "right" for the position. It must be extremely well organized and well formatted to have the greatest impact. The resume should not go on forever. The purpose of a resume is to gain the attention of the employer you hope will hire you. It is a professional statement of what you have to offer. It should be brief and concise.

It should include the following master categories:

• Objective
• Education
• Knowledge and Skills
• Project Experience (this might be merged with related experience)
• Related Experience (meaning related to your objective)
• Other Work Experience (such as food service; this section might be left out)
• Professional Activities and Accomplishments

This list of seven items works for just about every new graduate I have worked with regardless of major.

Resumes of experienced professionals should include the following master categories:

• Career Objective
• Qualifications Summary
• Knowledge and Skills (this section might be left out)
• Related Work Experience
• Education
• Professional Activities and Accomplishments

Finally, now that you have an idea of what master categories to include, there are some rules that will help guide you in your resume development.

• Limit your resume to one page.
• Include only items that support your objective.
• Use only one font for the entire resume.
• Use bold, italics, and upper case letters judiciously.
• Bold all of your master category headers in upper case letters.
• Bold all of your sub-category headers in lower case letters.
• Use action verbs to describe your experience.
• Don’t use I, me or my on your resume if you can avoid it.

Job Description:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has opportunities for both graduating students and students looking for a summer internship. Engineering opportunities are available for Electrical Engineers (Power Emphasis), Mechanical Engineers, Civil Engineers, and Construction Management majors.

For full-time candidates, PG&E has an Entry Level Engineer Rotation Program, which is a one year program that allows new hires to gain experience in three areas and/or groups within PG&E. With such benefits as the Tuition Reimbursement Program, employees can further their education and/or prepare for certifications such as the P.E.

For non-graduating students, PG&E has an extensive summer internship program that allows students to gain real world work experience through actual projects similar to those given to full-time candidates. Summer interns are coached by assigned mentors and supervisors, and are usually encouraged to shadow other groups to gain better perspective of PG&E’s engineering opportunities company wide.

To Be considered:
1. Email resume to: ajfg@pge.com
2. Attend career fair

For more information, please drop by the PG&E table at the career fair, or visit www.pge.com/college.

Companies can now sign up for Career Day 2009 at http://www.ecs.csus.edu/career/.
We opened sign ups in November and the response has been very strong considering the economy. This is the biggest hiring event for technical professionals in Northern California. Students and alumni turn out in droves to connect with potential employers. It is our single most productive hiring day. PUT MARCH 6TH ON YOUR CALENDAR!!!

We now have 68 companies signed up to attend the CSUS College of Engineering Career Day 2009 which will be held on Friday, March 6th. This is amazing! We are seeing steady demand for our majors in spite of the economy. Companies are surveyed about their hiring plans in conjunction with the sign up. The 68 organizations now signed up report having a total of 1955 openings! Here is the breakdown by majors:

46 will be hiring Civil Engineering majors
32 will be hiring Construction Management majors
15 will be hiring Computer Engineering majors
15 report hiring needs for Computer Science majors
27 report hiring needs for Engineering-Electrical & Electronic majors
30 will be hiring Mechanical Engineer majors
10 report hiring needs for Mechanical Engineer Tech. majors

Job Title: Power System Operator Trainees (3)

Job Description:
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is seeking bright individuals to join our Power System Operations group as Power System Operator Trainees. This is the trainee level in the Power System Operator (PSO) series. The Power System Operators are responsible for operating the SMUD Balancing Authority and SMUD bulk electric system real-time power system operating functions. Successful completion of the training program will allow qualified individuals to progress through the Power System Operator (PSO) classification series (PSO Entry, PSO I, PSO II).

This is a unique opportunity to spend 24 – 36 months learning all aspects of our critical power system function. The trainees will spend their program in the classroom, at self-study, on the operator training simulator, in the control room, and at external sites while learning the required power systems, procedures, and processes. They also must obtain a North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) system operator certification. Additionally, the trainees will assume a 12-hour rotating work schedule (day, swing and graveyard), required by all Power System Operators, at a designated point in their training program. During normal work shifts, Power System Operators spend a significant portion of their work time seated at a console constantly monitoring and controlling SMUD’s power system.

Salary: $26.93 – $32.02 per hour

Qualification:
Knowledge of algebra, geometry and trigonometry; as well as skill to handle multiple tasks simultaneously without losing track of the details at various stages of completion under normal and stressful conditions; work rotating shifts on a routine basis (nights, weekends, holidays, extended hours); apply basic mathematical concepts; use computer applications (e-mail, Internet, work processing, spreadsheets); monitor and navigate among several computer screens simultaneously; communicate detailed information accurately; communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.

BA/BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Mathematics or other related discipline is desired; High School diploma or equivalent is required.

How To Apply:
Submit you application online at: www.smud.org/careers

Position Title: Position Title: Student Assistant - Data Management
Classification: Student Assistant
Agency/Organization: CIWMB-Integrated Waste Mgt Board
Preferred Major: CS, CpE, EEE, ME
Salary: $9.90 - $13.00 per hour
Contact:
Bob Fujii
(916) 341-6419
bfujii@ciwmb.ca.gov

Position Title: Student Assistant - Division of Water Quality
Classification: Student Assistant
Agency/Organization: SWRCB-Water Resources Control Board
Preferred Major: CS, CpE
Salary: $10.00 - $13.00 per hour
Contact:
Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon
email: SAgaylon@waterboards.ca.gov
email: sgaylon@sbcglobal.net
916-341-5508

Position Title: Student Assistant - Ambient Monitoring Program
Classification: Student Assistant
Agency/Organization: SWRCB-Water Resources Control Board
Preferred Major: CS, CpE, EEE
Salary: $9.90 - $13.00 per hour
Contact:
Jennifer Doherty
(916) 341-5553

To view all available student jobs, visit online jobs listing at www.fccccareerpathway.org

In use at more than 175 venues in North America, ABI MasterMind® (ABIMM) is the leading turnkey automated workforce management application system for the public assembly industry today. ABIMM offers managers of public assembly venues – from Los Angeles’ Staples Center to Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, and from Denver’s Coors Field to Dallas’ American Airlines Center – a cost-effective solution for managing staff scheduling and positioning, employee and vendor time management, venue credentialing, lost and found, incident tracking, wardrobe and inventory, event booking and contracts, and much more.

Advanced Business Integrators, Inc. (ABI) was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Sacramento, CA. Our goal is to attract and retain long-term employees with a friendly work environment, quality products and challenging work. We offer competitive salaries and a benefits package (including full medical, dental, vision, long term disability, accidental death/dismemberment, 401-K, cafeteria plan, and life insurance). The base salary is commensurate with experience. Quarterly and annual bonuses are paid to overachievers.

Position-1: Application Programmer

Job Duties:
The Application Programmer position is for a qualified individual that is responsible for development and maintenance of all areas of enterprise applications including client interfaces, mid-tier application services, web development, and database development. It requires an individual who works well independently and in a team environment. This position is involved in all aspects of software architecture, design, development, requirements gathering, documentation, and other business side skills. Specifically, this position is a programming team member participating in the ongoing development and support of ABI’s flagship ABI MasterMind® application.

Experience and Education:

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or equivalent.
• Strong Problem Solving Skills
• Experience with data set manipulation, i.e. T-SQL Language, DTS Packages, SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Pervasive.SQL
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal; ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to acquire and master new and complex technical skills.

Experience Desired:

• 2 years experience programming in Magic
• 2 years experience developing business applications
• Database experience
• Experience with two or more of the following tools/technologies: HTML/XML, ASP, ASP.Net, VB.NET, Java Script, MS Internet information server, MS Visual Basic, Magic
• Administration and programming of Microsoft SQL Server
• Experience with XML, Java, HTML, Web Services
• Experience with reporting tools: Crystal Reports, Adobe PDF, SQL Reports Designer

Position-2: Sr. Application Programmer

Job Duties:
The Sr. Application Programmer position is for a qualified and experienced individual that is responsible for development and maintenance of all areas of enterprise applications including client interfaces, mid-tier application services, web development, and database development. It requires a broadly skilled professional who works well independently and in a team environment. This position is involved in all aspects of software architecture, design, development, requirements gathering, documentation, and other business side skills. Specifically, this position is a programming team member participating in the ongoing development and support of ABI’s flagship ABI MasterMind® application.

Experience and Education:

• B.S. degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering or equivalent.
• Minimum of 3 plus years database experience
• Applicants should have a minimum of 3 plus years experience with two or more of the following tools/technologies: HTML/XML, ASP, ASP.Net, VB.NET, Java Script, MS Internet information server, MS Visual Basic, Magic
• Strong Problem Solving Skills
• Experience with data set manipulation, i.e. T-SQL Language, DTS Packages, SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Pervasive.SQL
• Administration and programming of Microsoft SQL Server
• Excellent communication skills, written and verbal; ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to acquire and master new and complex technical skills.
• Experience working with business analysts to create functional and technical specifications.

Experience Desired:

• 2 years experience programming in Magic
• 2 years experience developing business applications
• Experience with XML, Java, HTML, Web Services
• Experience with reporting tools: Crystal Reports, Adobe PDF, SQL Reports Designer

How To Apply:
Submit your resume to: personnel@abico.com

The Washington Center will offer an exciting program with the Department of Defense once again this summer. Internships will be 10 weeks and are available in a variety of fields. Examples of work completed by past interns include: analysis of major weapon systems, assisting with military-to-military bilateral relations, updating and maintaining departmental websites, providing support for departmental social programs,statistical analysis of budget submissions, reviewing reports from Congress, and more. This program gives students the opportunity to develop important skills, make professional contacts, build their resumes, and explore future career opportunities within the Department of Defense. Graduate students of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility:
Students must:

• be U.S. citizens;
• have a 2.5 GPA or above;
• be an undergraduate or graduate student; and
• submit an online application (see below).

Compensation:
Graduateand undergraduate interns not seeking credit will receive fully-furnished housing while in DC as well as a substantial stipend to offset personal costs. Students seeking credit are encouraged to contact The Washington Center for more information. Those who do not request Washington Center housing will have their stipends adjusted accordingly. Details about housing can be found at http://www.twc.edu/students/where.shtml

Application Procedures:
To apply for the DOD internship program, students should complete The Washington Center’s Department of Defense application, available online at: https://secure.twc.edu/twc/default.jspDepartment of Defense from the drop-down menu. The Washington Center application has been streamlined for this program and should only take a few minutes to complete;

If you have any questions about the required components, please contact us at federalrelations@twc.edu or by phone at 202-238-7900. Qualified applicants should apply as soon as possible, and preferably by February 9th, as these positions will be filled on a rolling basis.

Samuel Jackman Middle School is seeking engineers and engineering students to speak at a career day on Thursday, April 2nd. They are hoping to encourage students to explore engineering careers and understand the role that science and math play in the real world.

What is engineering?

Share your knowledge and enthusiasm of engineering with middle school boys and girls. Show students how cool it is to be an engineer and how math and science learning relates to the real world and engineering!

Event location:
Samuel Jackman Middle School (Sacramento near Cosumnes River College)

Date: April 2nd

Time:
Morning session: 9:30 – 11:30am
Afternoon session: 12:00 – 2:00pm
(If you can stay the whole day, that would be great.)
Lunch served 11:30 – 12:00

To participate in this important event: send email to Swheeler@yahoo.com

If you are looking for work this would be a fabulous way to network with other engineers and to do something that enriches. It is good for you and for the kids!

Job Description:
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. is a national consulting firm offering outstanding career opportunities for civil engineering graduates. ENR ranks Kimley-Horn among the nation’s top pure design and transportation engineering firms in the nation. Kimley-Horn has over 60 offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia and employs over 2,100 people.

We are looking for outstanding graduates and interns with a degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering who have an interest in working on challenging projects in commercial and residential land development, roadway design, traffic engineering, transportation planning, urban planning, aviation, municipal projects, and many other civil disciplines.

Positions are available for students concentrating in the following areas:

• Land Development (Commercial & Residential)
• Traffic Systems and ITS
• Transportation Planning and Traffic Operations
• Planning and Design of Water and Wastewater Facilities
• Roadway Design
• Structural Design
• Hydraulics / Hydrology
• Forensic / Building Investigation
• Environmental
• Geographic Information Systems

Training:
On the job training is emphasized at Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. In-house training programs are provided for specific technical issues along with professional development areas including: Consultant Training, Professional Development, Negotiation Skills, Presentation Skills, Project Management, Client Service, and Kimley-Horn’s Culture & Philosophy. Education expense reimbursement is available for outside training and college course work related to the individual’s role. We also support involvement in professional organizations and other leadership roles.

Career Path:
Our career paths offer opportunities for those wishing to pursue a client service, technical, or managerial role. Our sponsorship program helps develop relationships between shareholders and promising new professionals and ensures transfer of the firm’s philosophy, culture, standards and expectations to the next generation of leaders and owners.

Benefits:
For our full-time hires, Kimley-Horn offers the premier benefits package in the industry, including: bonus programs, ownership potential, health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement, profit sharing, and 401(k).

Minimum Requirements:
Ideal candidates should have excellent oral and written communication skills, outstanding organizational skills, and a commitment to producing high quality work in a team environment. Evidence of a high level of motivation, as indicated by a track record of academic achievement and active involvement in extracurricular activities, is desirable

How To Apply:
email your resume to ca.recruiting@kimley-horn.com and put in CS9CSUS in the subject line. Please attach your resume, a cover letter describing what disciplines, location, and when you are available for full-time work or internships.

Please visit our website and apply online at: www.kimley-horn.com.Please use this reference code when applying on-line: CS9CSUS

If you have a passion for what you do, we want to hear from you!

Employers are hiring from the resumes posted at http://www.ecs.csus.edu/career. If you have not already posted your resume on the ECS Career Services Office Web Site, now is the time!!! Just click on the Post Your Resume button!

Managers from local companies, including HP and Intel report contacting candidates through the system. If you are not on the system they cannot find you.

Students are reporting multiple offers from using a combination of the resume posting service, the JETX job listings, and from Job Fairs.

Employers are able to search your resume now with key words!

I also send resumes out to companies so send me a soft copy in MS Word at: cici@csus.edu

The College of Engineering and Computer Science Needs Your Data

Please report any offers that you have received to ECS Career Services Web site:

http://www.ecs.csus.edu/career - click on the "Just Hired" link.

If you got a student position we need your data.  

If you have graduated in the past few years or if you are graduating this semester we need your data.  

The information you share is used for ABET reports and to help me identify trends in employment and salaries.

I keep your info confidential.  I only report the data!  I use your contact data to confirm and to keep in touch with you.