UNM Computer Science

Career Center

Career Center for Computer Science Students

Note to Employers: UNM is frequently listed among the top 50 engineering schools in the United States. Some of the brightest and hardest-working computer professionals in the U.S. graduate from our department. If you'd like to tap into this resource, please post job openings to the NM Tech Jobs List and to the Job Resource Page for UNM.

General Info	Local Jobs	National Jobs	Entrepreneurship
Career Advice	Interview Questions	Research Jobs

General Info

Good Job Web Sites

• NM Tech Jobs is the only major web site devoted solely to high tech job openings in New Mexico. Make sure to post your resume to this site. There have been cases where people have gotten jobs by posting their resume on this list, even though no official job opening was posted.
• Job Resource Page for UNM is a service provided specifically and exclusively for UNM CS students, alumni, and recruiters interested in hiring them. Make sure to post your resume to this site.

Other Job Search Methods

The following steps are useful for any serious local job search:

• Check the CS event calendar for opportunities to make contacts with potential employers.
• Be sure you are subscribed to the csundergrad or the csgrad mailing lists as job openings may be sent to these lists.
• Look at the New Mexico sections of the national job lists (e.g. Monster.com's Albuquerque Listings).
• Get involved with the New Mexico Information Technology and Software Association. They hold free events and workshops which are good learning and networking opportunities.

Local Employers

Following is a list of local employers that regularly hire CS students for internships or full-time positions. The links go directly to the appropriate career web sites. Our faculty enjoy strong contacts with almost all of these employers so one of the best way to get a job at these places is to get a strong letter of recommendation from the appropriate faculty member.

Research Labs

• Sandia National Laboratory (see also career opportunities at the Computers, Computation, Mathematics and Information center of the labs)
• Center for Cyber Defenders program at Sandia Labs is also looking for undergraduate and graduate students for summer and year-round positions.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
  
• Albuquerque High Performance Computing Center
  
• Santa Fe Institute
• USAF Research Laboratory

InfoTech Companies

• Intel
• Xilinx
• VanDyke Software
• ProLaw Software
• Elisar Software
• New Mexico Software
• Honeywell
• Comet Solutions
• Lockheed Martin
• PodInc
• New Mexico Site Search lists many more local CS companies

General Links

• Albuquerque economic development page lists many more companies in the area. Their list includes a large number of biotech companies.

Search Links

• Albuquerque listing of Monster.com
• New Mexico Section of AllStarJobs.com, links to local employers, employment agencies, job banks & career resources that serve New Mexico.

National Jobs

Search Links

Following are web pages that contain job listings for CS positions across the US:

• Job Resource Page for UNM - this is a service provided specifically and exclusively for UNM CS students, alumni, and recruiters interested in hiring them.
• ACM Career Center
• Monster
• EngineerWeb
• EngineeringJobs
• Techies
• Dice High Tech Jobs
• TechOpps
• Brassring
• EngineeringDegreeHunter

National Companies

Following is a short list of companies that actively recruit CS students. The links point directly to the companies' career web sits. Some of our faculty also have contacts at these companies, so make sure you ask around when applying.

• Microsoft
• Amazon.com
• Google
• IBM
• Hewlett Packard
• Oracle
• Trilogy

Entrepreneurship

Some of our graduates have gone on to become consultants or to start up their own companies. Successful enterprises started by former students include:

• VanDyke Software founded by former B.S. and Master's student Jeff Van Dyke.
  In 2002, VanDyke Software was named to the INC 500 list of America's fastest growing private companies, entering the list at number 213. It has also been named twice to New Mexico's "Flying Forty" list of the fastest growing high-tech companies in New Mexico. (See also this article in New Mexico Business Weekly)
• Sana Security founded by former PhD student Steve Hofmeyr - landed $10 Million in first-round funding in June 2002.
• Mantos Consulting founded by former Master's student Peter Mantos
• Dynavu started by former Master's students David Vick and David Rogers
• Comet Solutions

If you are also interested in this route, you may find the following links useful:

• Small Business and Entrepreneurship Resources at Parish Library
• New Mexico Business Weekly
• UNM Anderson School of Management
• New Mexico Tech Ventures, non-profit group supporting technology-based commercial enterprise formation and expansion
• Albuquerque Economic Development, Inc
• After you earn your first few million, remember that nothing says "thank you" more to your old CS department than an endowed professorship.

Career Advice

• ACM Career Center - career tools and advice for Computer Science graduates
• UNM Career Services - useful place to get someone to proofread your resume
• Jobweb.com - includes interview and resume writing tips - good resource for undergrads
• Michael Howell's Winning Scholarships (includes how to write recommendation letters)
• Monster Career Center
• Dice Career Links
• CareerPlanit

Interview Questions

• Compilation of common job interview questions by Maksim Noy. A very useful resource!
• HiteQuest - another site which compiles interview questions
• Joel on Software techInterview section - discussion of interview questions
• Interview Questions at Microsoft
• The best book on programming interview questions is: Programming Interviews Exposed: Secrets to Landing Your Next Job by John Mongan and Noah Suojanen. The 20 dollar investment in this book is well worth it, considering that it might help you get a job making several thousand dollars more a year than you would otherwise.

Academic and Research Jobs

The following information is focused on academic job searches but much of it is also useful for a research-lab focused search. The information will primarily be useful for Master's or PhD students.

• CRA gives a pretty much comprehensive listing of all current faculty openings(also includes some post-doc and research positions).
• IEEE Research Jobs List
• CS Research Jobs List
• "Interviewing in a Tight Job Market" by Qiong Luo and Zach Ives, 2002.
• On the Academic Interview Circuit: An End-to-End Discussion by Ugur Centitemel; SIGMOD Record, December 2001.
• Tips on the Interview Process by Jeannette Wing, from CMU.
• Mike Ernst's "Getting an Academic Job" web page.
• Career advice, CVs, research statments, and more: the Tomorrow's Professor mailing list archive.
• Caltech tips on the job search process (including CVs and cover letters)
• How to Get aa Job by Ed Lazowska (October 1997), and notes from Susan Eggers' and David Notkin's presentation. (October 2001)
• Tips for a Massive Academic Job Search by Ellen Spertus. (Circa 1997)
• Prof. Jared Saia will provide his research and teaching statements and CV used in his own (successful) academic job search, if you'd like to use them as an example. Please send him email at if you'd like these.