Omar Abuhashish

  • A senior with a systematic approach to the job search

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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What is your major and graduation year?

I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering. At the end of sophomore year, I found a passion for Computer Science and decided to pursue that as well.

 

How are you approaching the job search? Networking? What interview results did you get?

The phrase 'job search' often seems scary, and a lot of times people worry about starting their job search because they feel like they don't have the qualifications to do so, but we all do. For every student at Tandon, there's a company out there that wants them. This is what my current job search looks like:

Make a list of companies you actually love: their work, their culture, their mission, and their day-to-day life. Research the companies in depth: the products they offer, the tools they use, and their customers. Use the company website, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Blind, and read people's reviews. Do you see yourself working there? If so, go on LinkedIn, look for connections who work there and reach out to them asking for more information about their role and about the company. No connections? The NYU alumni community is HUGE! Reach out to them too. Simply connect and type a very brief message introducing yourself, sharing your interest in the company, and asking to have a casual conversation.

Send applications, lots of them. I set a goal for myself to complete 25 applications by the end of every week. Those include resume submissions, LinkedIn InMails, emails, and referrals. Reach out to recruiters; they are your advocates, and they want you to get the job. Make sure you have a good resume: straightforward, presents your best skills and experiences, and highlights your strengths based on the job posting. It's okay to have 20, 30, 50 drafts of your resume before it gets to the best version it can be. Practice interviews! Practice behavioral questions, know how to 'tell me about yourself' and 'tell me about your resume and experiences'. Use the 'interview prep' section on LinkedIn under 'Jobs' if you have a premium account.
 
For those applying to software positions: Leetcode, HackerRank, Leetcode, Pramp, oh and Leetcode. Other resources you can use for free or pay for a premium are interviewing.io (interview practice) and Rooftop Slushie (for getting professional referrals). It's okay to hear back from 5 companies if you apply to 100; you're only going to end up working at one. I have yet to receive an offer like I want, and I am still on my full-time job of looking for a full-time job, but my networking got me interviews at companies like Palantir Technologies and Spotify. This taught me a couple things: don't give up, don't be attached to a position you're applying to, reach to the moon, never miss a chance, and keep practicing. We're all going to get the job we want, sooner or later, if we keep working towards it.

Meet Omar!

A senior with a systematic approach to the job search

What is your major and graduation year?
I am a senior studying Mechanical Engineering. At the end of sophomore year, I found a passion for Computer Science and decided to pursue that as well.

How are you approaching the job search? Networking? What interview results did you get?
The phrase 'job search' often seems scary, and a lot of times people worry about starting their job search because they feel like they don't have the qualifications to do so, but we all do. For every student at Tandon, there's a company out there that wants them. This is what my current job search looks like:

Make a list of companies you actually love: their work, their culture, their mission, and their day-to-day life. Research the companies in depth: the products they offer, the tools they use, and their customers. Use the company website, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Blind, and read people's reviews. Do you see yourself working there? If so, go on LinkedIn, look for connections who work there and reach out to them asking for more information about their role and about the company. No connections? The NYU alumni community is HUGE! Reach out to them too. Simply connect and type a very brief message introducing yourself, sharing your interest in the company, and asking to have a casual conversation.

Send applications, lots of them. I set a goal for myself to complete 25 applications by the end of every week. Those include resume submissions, LinkedIn InMails, emails, and referrals. Reach out to recruiters; they are your advocates, and they want you to get the job. Make sure you have a good resume: straightforward, presents your best skills and experiences, and highlights your strengths based on the job posting. It's okay to have 20, 30, 50 drafts of your resume before it gets to the best version it can be. Practice interviews! Practice behavioral questions, know how to 'tell me about yourself' and 'tell me about your resume and experiences'. Use the 'interview prep' section on LinkedIn under 'Jobs' if you have a premium account.
 
For those applying to software positions: Leetcode, HackerRank, Leetcode, Pramp, oh and Leetcode. Other resources you can use for free or pay for a premium are interviewing.io (interview practice) and Rooftop Slushie (for getting professional referrals). It's okay to hear back from 5 companies if you apply to 100; you're only going to end up working at one. I have yet to receive an offer like I want, and I am still on my full-time job of looking for a full-time job, but my networking got me interviews at companies like Palantir Technologies and Spotify. This taught me a couple things: don't give up, don't be attached to a position you're applying to, reach to the moon, never miss a chance, and keep practicing. We're all going to get the job we want, sooner or later, if we keep working towards it.