To Secure Your First IT Job you must do this right...

Summary

The video emphasizes the importance of selecting the right final year project for students seeking entry-level jobs in the tech industry. The speaker advises students to avoid outdated project topics and instead focus on industry-relevant, innovative projects that demonstrate problem-solving, analytical, and programming skills. By choosing projects aligned with current trends like cloud computing, AI, or event-driven design, students can showcase their potential to employers. The video also highlights the importance of teamwork, using industry-standard tools, and gaining practical experience through real-world problem-solving.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of final year projects for students seeking entry-level positions in the IT industry.
• 🎓 Students often miss the opportunity to use their final year projects as a tool to secure a job by not selecting industry-relevant topics.
• 🔍 Choosing a project that is both industry-relevant and showcases one's skills in programming, problem-solving, and design can significantly improve job prospects.
• 💡 It's crucial to stay updated with industry trends like cloud computing, AI, and machine learning, and incorporate them into the project if applicable.
• 🚀 Adding innovative features or research extensions to existing systems can make a project stand out and demonstrate a candidate's ability to think ahead.
• 📈 The scope of the project should be manageable yet impactful; it should not be too broad to avoid failure or too narrow to lack value.
• 👥 Group projects should have a diverse team composition, with roles like PM, QA, and BA, reflecting real-world industry team dynamics.
• 🛠️ Using current industry tools and practices, such as Git for version control and modern programming paradigms, is essential to align with professional standards.
• 💼 A strong portfolio that details one's contributions and the project's practical impact is key to demonstrating real-world experience to potential employers.
• ⚠️ Students are encouraged to seek advice from industry professionals to ensure their projects align with what employers are looking for in new hires.

Q & A

What is the key tool that entry-level job candidates often lack according to the speaker?

The key tool that entry-level job candidates often lack is a final year project that is industry-relevant and showcases their skills.

Why is choosing the right final year project crucial for getting a good job?

Choosing the right final year project is crucial because it serves as a practical demonstration of the candidate's skills, knowledge, and ability to apply what they've learned to solve real-world problems, which is highly valued by employers.

What should be the primary consideration when selecting a final year project topic?

The primary consideration when selecting a final year project topic should be its relevance to the industry, ensuring it addresses a current problem or need.

Why is it important to demonstrate skills through the final year project?

Demonstrating skills through the final year project is important because it allows candidates to showcase their analytical, programming, problem-solving, and design skills, which are critical for most jobs in the industry.

What role do industry trends play in selecting a final year project topic?

Industry trends play a significant role in selecting a final year project topic because aligning the project with current trends can make it more appealing to potential employers and increase the project's practical value.

Why should the scope of the final year project be carefully managed?

The scope of the final year project should be carefully managed to ensure it is neither too broad, which could lead to failure to complete, nor too narrow, which could diminish its value and relevance to the industry.

How can students ensure their final year project is practical and applicable in the real world?

Students can ensure their final year project is practical and applicable by researching industry practices, consulting with professionals, and focusing on solving real-world problems with feasible solutions.

What is the significance of having a diverse team composition for a group project?

Having a diverse team composition for a group project is significant because it mimics real-world work environments where various roles such as developers, QA, PM, and BA contribute to a project's success.

Why is it beneficial to use industry-standard tools and practices in the final year project?

Using industry-standard tools and practices in the final year project is beneficial because it prepares students for industry expectations, demonstrates their adaptability, and ensures their learning efforts are aligned with real-world applications.

How can students get insights into industry practices for their final year project?

Students can get insights into industry practices by researching online, engaging with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn, consulting with seniors or academic advisors, and by following industry-related content on platforms like YouTube.

What is the importance of building a portfolio and having a clear record of contributions to the final year project?

Building a portfolio and having a clear record of contributions to the final year project is important because it provides evidence of the student's capabilities, responsibilities, and the impact of their work, which can be crucial for job applications.

Outlines

00:00

🎯 The Key to Securing Entry-Level Jobs

In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on their experience conducting interviews for various positions, especially entry-level ones. They emphasize that candidates often miss out on a crucial tool—their final year project. A well-chosen project can make a significant difference in securing a job. The speaker urges university students to carefully select their final year project, explaining that many simply complete one to graduate without realizing its potential to open doors in the job market.

05:02

🚀 How to Choose a Job-Winning Final Year Project

The speaker advises selecting final year projects that are relevant to industry trends. They caution against outdated, generic topics like inventory or library management systems. Instead, they suggest focusing on projects that solve real-world problems and demonstrate key skills such as analytical thinking, programming, and design. They also highlight the importance of incorporating trending technologies, such as cloud computing, AI, and microservices, while ensuring that these features add meaningful value to the project.

10:02

🔍 Adding Research and Practical Extensions to Projects

The speaker encourages students to go beyond basic project ideas and add research-based extensions to their work. Instead of repeating existing solutions like location tracking or notifications, students should focus on innovations like predictive modeling or intelligent notifications. By doing so, they demonstrate creativity and problem-solving skills that appeal to potential employers. The goal is to show that the candidate thinks critically and applies knowledge in a practical, industry-relevant way.

15:03

📐 The Right Project Scope and Team Roles

This section discusses the importance of selecting the right project scope—neither too large nor too small—and assembling a team with diverse roles. The speaker emphasizes that not everyone on a team needs to be a coder. Students should assign roles like QA, project management, and business analysis to team members who are interested in those fields. By creating a balanced team and managing scope effectively, the project is more likely to be successful and showcase individual strengths.

🛠️ Choosing the Right Tools and Industry Practices

Here, the speaker stresses the importance of using modern tools and industry-standard practices in student projects. They note that outdated tools like MySQL are still common in student work but hold little value in the industry. Instead, students should research and adopt tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, and Kafka, and apply best practices like version control with Git. By doing so, they can show potential employers that they are up-to-date with industry standards and ready to work in a professional environment.

🔧 Practical Solutions and Industry Applications

The speaker warns against implementing impractical or overly theoretical solutions in projects, as these are difficult to apply in real-world scenarios. They recommend focusing on practical solutions that can be demonstrated and used in the current industry, ensuring that the project has real-world relevance. This increases the chances of impressing employers by showing a clear understanding of both theoretical concepts and their application.

🤝 Leveraging Industry Contacts and Mentorship

The speaker encourages students to seek guidance from industry professionals or senior students to gain insights into real-world projects. They stress the importance of connecting with people who can provide valuable advice on making projects more relevant to the industry. By doing so, students can create projects that stand out and showcase their problem-solving skills in a practical context, improving their chances of securing a job.

🎓 Taking Ownership of Your Learning and Project Success

In the final paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility in project success. They advise students not to blame their academic supervisors or lack of guidance, but rather to take initiative, seek help from industry professionals, and make their project a valuable tool for job applications. Sharing their experience, the speaker concludes by encouraging students to use their projects to land good jobs and to share the video with others who could benefit from the advice.

Keywords

💡Final Year Project

The final year project is presented as a crucial tool for students to secure a job in the industry. The speaker emphasizes that choosing the right project, one that is industry-relevant and showcases practical skills, significantly improves job prospects. The project should not be chosen simply to fulfill academic requirements but as a means to demonstrate capabilities in problem-solving, analytical thinking, and relevant technologies.

💡Industry-Relevant Skills

Industry-relevant skills refer to knowledge and abilities that are currently in demand in the job market. The video emphasizes the importance of selecting projects and learning tools that align with industry trends such as cloud computing, AI, machine learning, and event-driven designs. Applying these skills in projects demonstrates to potential employers that the candidate is prepared to contribute to real-world applications.

💡Project Scope

Project scope refers to the defined boundaries of what the project will achieve. The speaker highlights the importance of managing scope to ensure it is neither too big nor too small. A well-framed scope allows students to complete their project successfully and show how it can be extended in future stages, which makes the project more appealing to employers.

💡Team Composition

Team composition is the idea that not everyone in a group project needs to code. The speaker advises students to diversify roles within the team, such as having someone play the role of a project manager (PM), business analyst (BA), or quality assurance (QA) specialist. This allows team members to specialize in different aspects of the project, simulating real industry roles and helping everyone showcase their specific strengths.

💡Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving skills are critical for job candidates to showcase during their projects. The speaker emphasizes that students should choose projects that allow them to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. This demonstrates their ability to think critically, solve complex issues, and innovate, which are highly valued traits in the tech industry.

💡Tools and Technologies

Tools and technologies refer to the software, programming languages, and frameworks students use in their projects. The video stresses the importance of using current, industry-standard tools such as Git, Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, and others. Using outdated tools diminishes the value of the project, while familiarity with modern tools makes candidates more attractive to employers.

💡Real-World Experience

Real-world experience refers to the ability to apply academic knowledge to practical, industry-relevant scenarios. The speaker urges students to treat their final year project as a simulation of working in the real industry, where they apply proper workflows, use cases, and project management techniques. This helps employers see that the candidate can seamlessly transition from academic settings to professional environments.

💡Innovation

Innovation is the process of developing new or improved ideas and solutions, especially within the context of a project. The speaker encourages students to extend existing systems or come up with new features that add real value, rather than working on outdated or overly simple projects. Demonstrating innovative thinking in a project shows potential employers that the candidate is capable of creative problem-solving and staying ahead of industry trends.

💡Industry Trends

Industry trends refer to the current popular topics and technologies within a specific field. The speaker emphasizes the importance of staying updated on trends like AI, machine learning, and cloud computing. Incorporating these trends into a project shows that a candidate understands the direction in which the industry is moving and is preparing to meet future demands.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of work that showcases a person's skills, accomplishments, and experience. In the video, the speaker advises students to build a strong portfolio by highlighting their role in the project, what they contributed, and how their solutions addressed real-world problems. A well-structured portfolio enhances the candidate’s credibility and marketability during job interviews.

Highlights

Choosing the right final year project is the key to landing a good job.

Avoid projects with outdated concepts like inventory or library management systems; focus on industry-relevant topics.

Select projects that demonstrate your skills, such as problem-solving, programming, and design.

Consider trending topics like cloud computing, machine learning, and AI for your project.

Don't add technologies like AI or ML just for the sake of it; ensure they add real value to your project.

Extend existing systems with innovative features, such as predictive modeling or traffic analysis, instead of redoing what's already available.

Scope your project correctly. Ensure it’s neither too large to complete nor too small to showcase real value.

In group projects, not everyone needs to code. Team roles can include BA, PM, QA, and developers.

Use industry-standard tools like Git, Jenkins, Docker, and Kubernetes to make your project more credible.

Implement real-world industry practices in your project, such as feature branches, release management, and proper Git workflows.

Create a project portfolio that showcases what you contributed and how it integrates with other parts of the project.

If you're a BA or PM, focus on real-world use cases like handling missed deadlines, managing dependencies, and coordinating team efforts.

Even if your academic supervisor lacks industry experience, seek guidance from professionals in the industry via LinkedIn or other networks.

Avoid blaming others (like supervisors) if your project doesn’t succeed. Take ownership and find external support if necessary.

Your project should aim to showcase practical, real-world solutions that apply learned knowledge in a relevant way.

Transcripts

hello how are you guys doing so as I

told you in one of my video I was in my

career I was doing many interviews maybe

thousands of interviews on various

position some are senior position some

are like entry level position like

associate engineer or engineer sometime

maybe even uh join for intern level

interviews so most of these entry level

jobs like internship associate engineer

engineer they are missing best tool they

can have to get this job if they have

this tool and I have seen when when the

candidate have this tool they get job

like instantly I mean no doubt they get

the job so they're missing this tool so

therefore this video is dedicated to who

passing out from universities and

looking for entry level uh and looking

to enter into this ID industry how to

pass this interview how to enter this

interview and how to build your tool

that is your final year project

when you don't select right project as

your final year project you're missing

the golden opportunity to get a good job

when you're in University I've been

there probably you been there maybe

probably already getting into this

situation when you're in University you

just need to somehow get some project

done and get the project accepted right

so you write a proposal where you can do

easily you can do with your exam you can

like get get done within Maybe weeks or

months and then you're trying to get

this project accepted by the board panel

and then if they accepted if you get

this Mark whatever the mark you remain

to uh complete your degree you it's

enough for you right so you say okay

just just do the project so most of us

doing a project to sake of doing the

project don't do it because this is the

key yeah you and you learn like years

and years in your University you face

many exam and you pass it was a hard

time studying in everything but believe

me this is the key to you to get a good

job so therefore today video I'll tell

you and I'll explain you how to choose a

project where it can help you to get a

job in the industry before we start just

look little down and see whether you're

subscribed to this channel if you're not

subscribed this is the right time for

you to subscribe and also if you like

this type of content Tell Me That by

clicking this thumbs up button and or

writing a comment on this video so then

I know I this you like this content and

I did something for you when you're

applying for a higher level position

like a senior engineer associate Tech

lead tech lead or an architect you have

so many things to share with your new

company or a new position you're

applying the experience you have gained

tools you have used Technologies you

have expert the projects you work there

are so many things they might

interesting about but when you're

applying for your first job you don't

have literally anything to show them

other than your degree certificate or

something like that but here's the

problem for a here thousands of students

are graduating with the same degree are

doing and you think you're being a bat

stop is interesting no what interesting

is how you applied what you have learned

in practically so if you find a people

like that you get priority obviously

that is why it is very important you

choose the right project so therefore

select a topic select a project which is

industry relevant don't find a topic

like inventory system Library man

management system or something like that

which is decades year old Concepts and

right now like you can find tons of

online free tools therefore find

interesting problem in industry and try

to solve that make it indust relevant

that is the first thing you need to

consider when you're selecting a topic

and the second most important thing is

find a project find a topic where you

can demonstrate your skill your

analytical skill your programming skill

your problem solving skill your

designing skill so show find a project

where you can showcase your skill if you

find a project like Inventory management

system is just a basic CR operations

there nothing you to solve right there

is nothing you to demonstrate it's the

CR operation even now school kids can do

it so it is you are not special by doing

a CR operation so find something where

you can apply event driven design

microservice architecture scalability

some like a message D data analytics

right so so you can find you can think

many things you have learned throughout

these three or four years so therefore

second thing is find a project where you

can demonstrate your skills to do that

be aware about industry Trends if you

don't know if you are not updated just

have a chat with someone who's working

in Industry these days like cloud

computing ml like AI those things are

like trending topics find something

relevant to that or brings that those

topics into your project but make sure

this that topic giving some purpose just

because of you bringing the topic

doesn't help just because of you want to

add something with the ml or something

like a AI don't just bring it right so

make sure that feature adding some value

to your project and now you have a

feature which is industry Trend and

Industry relevant so it is you can

really Market it another thing you can

consider is bringing something which is

little bit research involed like you

don't have to invent from the beginning

find something which is already done and

add some new extension for that for

example you have enough location based

Services right now for example uh food

deliveries package deliveries so many

things vehicle tracking so many things

which is involving the location but if

you can do something on top of that

something like a prediction something

like a traffic modeling something like

that which is not there but it's

extension to the current system you have

this will be really good but other than

that you adding like location tracking

or

vehicle tracking or a driver tracking

thing into your application it doesn't

give any wow because I mean it's already

out there also like you giving a

notification from your system it's like

a decades old like socket based

notification post notification email

notification those are very outdated but

if you can build some future into your

system where it listen to all

notification and kind of aggregate it

summarize and send into to uh the user

so then there adding a new feature right

so those things even we need in the real

industry rather than getting hundreds of

email but if there is a middle layer if

they can read it and like summarize it

and say you can always use your

generative AIS some uh some AI tools API

you have enough things to use but use

those and add some extension to what

what already there so then industry is

obviously interesting about your project

when I'm saying they interesting about

your project it is not that they're

going to buy you a project it is not

that they're going to hire you to do

that project or not not like that the

important thing is when we interview

someone if we can see wow these guys are

thinking like this way so then I can use

them into my project because they have

innovative ideas they solving problems

through what they have learned they're

applying what they have learned into the

real world so then they will be really

good candidate to my team other than

that I'm not interested to buy your

project or run your project after saying

all these things I need to warn you

about this as well when your scope is

too big to your project scope then

you're not going to complete it then

your project is probably a failure

project same time if you get a smaller

scope then your project doesn't have a

value so you need to make sure you don't

go into this Pitfall where you don't

have the right scope in case if you have

a bigger scope make sure you draw a

frame this is what you're going to

implement and clearly show this is how

you can extend it is not that you get a

bigger scope and you implement one

module and throw it throw it there right

so no if you're getting a bigger scope

Implement a portion and keep extension

point and showcase this is how we plan

to for the our next Milestone this is

how we can extend that oh this is

somehow this is how someone else can

extend your project this is the most

important thing on this video when you

get a group project we have a

misunderstanding like everyone has to

code no everyone not required to code in

your team you should have someone uh to

play the B role someone to play the PM

role someone to play the QA role someone

to play the dev roles because when we

pass out everyone is not trying to

become software Engineers there are

people who choosing QA as a career there

are people who choosing ba as a career

there are people who choosing PM as a

career so get those people into your

team you have to have a right

composition of your team that's the most

important thing because otherwise you

get a five people most of the time you

are friends and though everyone trying

to code and then some people don't know

how to code and they have a mindset we

have to write at least small code to

contribute to this project no you a ba

of the project you're a PM of the

project right and then you play that

role you have a project plan and then

tracking and then Bas like WR the ni

documentation qways create those

requirement traceability matrices test

cases test strategies test plans do your

role on the project it is not necessary

everyone to code now we select a project

now we select the team now next thing is

what are the languages or tools you're

using when you get come to this make

sure you do do little research what are

the tools what use in Industry if you're

using some outdated tools your whole

effort going to waste for example is

still I'm seeing finally a projects come

with the like mssql or a mySQL database

and then basic uh service layer and

basic front end no it doesn't have any

value so use do little research about

the tools we don't do this synchronous

programming anymore most of the

languages supporting functional

programming and most of system

architectures are going with event

driven designs they use Kafka they use a

caching to improve the performance and

then CA to the messaging or event driven

then Dockers to deploy kubernetes like

you have various technology serous

programming to do little research and

make sure you get fine latest updated

tools to your project that doesn't mean

you need to use all the tools out there

that's a big mistake if you get a like

because you are already new to this this

Paradigm right you everything you have

to learn so if you have 100 things to

learn then it's not going to work so

therefore get few tools which is the

industry is like what what using in

Industry make sure those industry

standard those are using in industry and

those are are value in Industry so then

the effort you put into learn is not

going to waste not just the tools when

you're developing the project make sure

you using industry practices for example

for a code repositories use git and also

not just using the git as just for using

git do a little research how interestly

using gits how the git uh pipeline works

like release branches feature branches P

patch branches and the main main branch

develop Branch how the releases goes

when how when to create the tag when to

create a branch and then when to delete

a branch when to delete a TCH so many

things what we use in Industry have a

chat with someone who in industry or do

a little research on I mean YouTube is a

really nice ground even I have done so

many videos regarding these practices so

follow those why because when we have a

chat with you in interview when I see

you have follow all those methodologies

like a genkin pipes line or a git work

flows or a get branching strategies or a

feature toggle something like that then

I would be like like wow can you start

from tomorrow because I don't have to

train you you already done that or you

already done your homework I just need

to like kind of a little bit shape with

you right so then you will be really

advantaged for me right now we have a

topics team and the tools and the

practice and everything now we we are

going to solve our problems when we

solve this problem also make sure those

are practical Solutions like don't just

build a hypothetical solution where you

can see even the way Implement like for

example certain of your solution may be

theoretically very correct but practical

implementation may be not practical in

probably next 5 years even for example

if you're if you're looking for like a

quantum computers to solve these

mathematical problems like a crypto

cracking or like blockchain cracking or

something like that which is you cannot

demonstrate practically or industry

cannot apply practically then your waste

like your your effort might be waste but

that being said if your expectation is

to like join to NASA or some agencies

like that then yeah doing that great

project is really worth because then

they will see your potential and

everything but make sure you that is

your Target because if you miss that

then you will not Landing anywhere where

you can use your project to get some

other usual job usual software

engineering opportunities because

whatever you implemented is maybe highly

theoretical and very like very low

percentage is the requirement for some

some some topic like that so then it

will not be able to use in majority so

make sure if if that is your project

make sure you're targeting that type of

opportunity after that make sure you

build your portfolio and you have

something some impact to did to your

project some module you implemented and

then have to have some A to Z visibility

about what you have done what is your

portion what is what you have done in

the project and how that part integrated

with the other modu and other parts of

the project and if you are doing like a

ba work or a PM work so make sure you

have full enough use cases where what

are the problems you for what are the

challenges you face when did you miss

the deadline then what you have done

when to catch up and if you missed the

deadline so what was the workaround

whether have you delivered like MVP

product and then add the features later

and when someone is absent or someone is

sick or something happen you miss the

deadline other dependencies cost then

how you manage it have a right strong

use cases where you can go and

explain like in summary what you have to

have is though you haven't worked on an

industry though you haven't worked on a

team you have to Showcase The Real World

Experience so that is the key to get the

real good opportunities in industry and

now I get that so when you do this

project with the academic staff or

academic supervisor they may don't have

this experience the real industry

experience so you always can talk to

like you can find someone from LinkedIn

you can find someone on the Facebook or

any other uh groups or any anywhere or

you can talk to some of your seniors and

then see uh like is there anyone who can

help you on those companies and like

that have a have a like kind of chat

with them chat with someone in Industry

share their ideas and they will help

obviously they going to help you to make

your project success because I mean I

don't think they will ask money for that

and like they will volunte help you to

get their project success so you you can

kind of get an idea how they do in

Industry so you can apply to that to

your project so don't complain like we

didn't have opportunity our supervisor

didn't tell us because as I always says

the blaming someone or like passing the

ball to someone and putting the blame on

somewhere else doesn't solve your

problem if you miss opportunity you

missed it doesn't matter who was wrong

so then I hope now you can do a really

good project share this video who are in

like even a first year second year or

who are like willing to go to

universities and share this video in the

social media so lot of people will see

this video and they will do a right good

project and they will use that project

to get a good job in Industry so then if

you have any questions anything else you

want to learn or you want to know about

this write the comment down below and or

send me a message on Facebook U so I'll

try to reply you until I see you in the

next video stay safe and take care