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64 The PCB Magazine • May 2017 Many years ago, as I began my senior year of college, the reality of getting a job slapped me in the face! After three years of college studies, it dawned on me that without a job after grad- uation, all my hard work would have been for naught. Luckily, my university had a solid inter- view/job program that helped me and many of my fellow undergrads find gainful employment upon graduation the following spring. What became obvious to me at that time is something that I have tried to pass along to others as my career has progressed. That piece of wisdom is, simply put, your resume only gets you in the door. Where you go from there is completely up to you. We've all heard the stories about college de- grees, in which someone has a degree in one area of study but is then working in a complete- ly different area of study. Who knows what the reason might be for that to have happened? The reasons are far and wide, some important and some not. But, as I mentioned, the degree (a piece of your resume) simply opens up the op- portunity for you to find your spot. Who cares if the spot is right in line with your area of study or not? Who cares if you've done a 180° turn and are headed in another direction? Ultimate- ly, finding the right fit is paramount. Thoughts for those looking for a job When you're out there trying to find your spot, be yourself. As someone who has been on both sides of this situation, being true to yourself is incredibly important, and it's the only way to ensure that both parties can be satisfied should you win the job. Build your resume with any possible experience that you can think of. You'd be surprised by what a prospective employer may consider valuable experience, or what you may be asked regarding a previous job that you thought had nothing to do with the position at hand. Also, only list experience on your resume that you can speak about if you're asked a ques- tion. For example, unless you can really talk about what a specific piece of instrumentation by Keith M. Sellers NTS–BALTIMORE Random Thoughts on Employment, from Both Sides of the Table… FEATURE COLUMN: LET'S TALK TESTING