-------- (Ehv rUanit (©bseruer Getting hired in the software industry depends on company Page 6 March 22, 2000 contribi for rtp srom T he P ortland O bserver As you embark on a job search in the software industry, you should decide first whether you prefer smaller companies, including the many start-ups that surface each week, or larger industry players. Small companies offer far less in the way oforganizational structure and office systems, and you’ll often be fending for yourself on the administrative front. You’ll almost certainly have a smaller salary, but ify o u ’re lucky, a potentially much more generous stock package. At larger software companies, your job will likely be more narrowly defined, but you’ll also have a much greater sense of security than your company will around a year or two. If you need som e degree o f structure in your work, the larger firm is the better bet, though this also means a more settled and very possibly less dynamic work environment. Whatever your preference, here are some tips on landing a job: • If y o u ’re app ly in g for a technical position, you will almost certainly be asked to write some code as part o f your interview. Y o u ’ll also im press your interviewer if you can discuss p re v io u s p ro g ra m m in g you’ve done - especially if it re la te s to th e ty p e o f application you’ll likely be working on. • W hetheryou’re applying for a technical or a business position, you should know the products o f the company to which you're applying. It’s even better if you can offer suggestions about how you’d improve the product from a user’s standpoint, and how you’d improve the product from a user’s standpoint, and how that w ould give the product a stronger position a g a in st th e c o m p e tin g products on the market. • Beenthusiasticandenergetic. Remember, this is an industry Come visit us on the web at WWW. portlandobserver. com