Later on this morning, Summer of Tech candidates will find out if they’ve been chosen for a “speed interview”.

Our “matching” process works a lot like dating.

Bear with me as I elaborate on that highly unusual statement from such a professional, career-focused internship programme.

We have a “talent pool” of top technology students, seeking their “perfect match” for summer internship.  They’re looking for a company, with a project, in a field that meets their ideals in terms of their future career goals.

On the other side of the equation, we have “innovative companies” seeking their “perfect match” for summer internship.  They’re looking for a student with skills, energy, attitude and aptitude that meets their ideals in terms of their business needs this summer.  Oh, and they’re keen to invest in the future talent pool by accelerating learning and work experience in the talent pipeline too!

We’ve done our “online dating”, which involved checking each others’ profiles online…

We’ve done our “meet & greet”, which involved meeting in person…

Next week, it’s “speed dating”!

While all you candidates are waiting eagerly for news as to whether you’ve been chosed for a “Speed Date”, here’s some hot tips to help you get ready.  These are the key learnings from our Speed Interview Bootcamp:

We’ve had a bit of info through from TechNZ, so if you’re interested in applying, read on!

Here’s a link back to our previous post that has been updated with current info (and apologies, it’s looking a bit “technicolour”, just wanted to be clear about the timeline of  new information / updates!)

Companies applying for this funding should also note:

Yes, as previously flagged, funding is turning out to be very competitive this year!  We’re reliably informed that the number of registrations of interest so far have confirmed this.  “Exceeded expectations” would perhaps be too strong, but you get the picture:

Supply < Demand

Summer of Tech’s opinion goes like this:

Companies should get their best possible business case for TechNZ investment submitted before the deadline on 10 September.

Additional information and assistance is available, see this post for more info.

Headsup for tech students – time is running out if you want to be in the running for a Summer of Tech internship for 2010/11.

We will be closing student registrations at 12noon on Tuesday 31 August.

If you’re only just getting round to signing up, you’ve got a LOT to catch up on.  Please go here to sign up, then spend some quality time completing your Summer of Tech online profile.  This is your marketing tool to get companies to notice you!

More information is available when your profile is complete.  We also highly recommend you read through historical blog posts which contain useful tips & information for candidates.  Here’s a link.

It’s not too late to score a cool job with one of our outstanding Tech host companies this summer!  The companies are waiting to meet you on the Summer of Tech website, so sign up & get profiled asap!

Do you have an engineering or industrial design project just waiting for some extra resource this summer?

Summer of Tech can help!  We have skilled & enthusiastic students keen to help you develop new products or enhance your existing ones!

Download this info sheet, which has an overview of what we reckon our Summer of Tech interns can do for YOU:

SoT2010 Manufacturing Projects

Interested?  Check out this page for more information for companies about Summer of Tech 2010.

Greetings Summer of Tech companies!
(not registered yet? no time to lose, go here to sign up!)

Right now, SoT companies are furiously completing company profiles & projects on the Summer of Tech website, because the next round of Deadlines are fast approaching!  Here’s a quick overview of upcoming deadlines:

You can find a full list of activities & deadlines for Summer of Tech and for TechNZ funding, here:

SoT2010 Company Key Dates

For more Summer of Tech 2010 company information, check out this post

Wellington’s Summer of Tech is well and truly underway for 2010, with a stunning lineup of talent and technology on display at our Meet & Greet event last night.  Thanks to everyone for making this a roaring success!

Check out @anistirk’s great photo here!

For those who were unable to attend, sorry we couldn’t connect at the Meet & Greet, but it’s not too late to be part of Summer of Tech 2010!!

Companies of Wellington… it’s not too late to sign up!

Here’s a some company deadlines to think about:

• COMPANY REGISTRATIONS CLOSE – October-ish.  That is not a fixed deadline, we need all the host companies we can get!  However, if you want to maximise the benefits of the programme, and increase your chances of getting a top student interested in your role, we suggest you sign up before the end of August. This will give you time to take part in the Speed Interviews, and, if you’re super-onto-it, to apply for TechNZ funding (if you’re eligible & interested).
• SPEED INTERVIEWS – 7 & 8 September (before then, you’ll need to complete your company profile, set up a project (which is like a job description) and browse & shortlist candidates on our website)
• TechNZ APPLICATION – 10 September (if you’re interested in applying to TechNZ for funding to support your internship, you need to submit by 10 Sept.  If you want Grow Wellington to help you with this process, you’ll need to let us know by 31 August)

Students seeking a technology career… it’s nearly too late to sign up!

Here’s a couple of student deadlines to think about:

• STUDENT REGISTRATIONS CLOSE – 31 August
• ONLINE PROFILE – asap like now is good what are you waiting for stop reading and finish it QUICK!  Companies are browsing and shortlisting now.  If your profile is incomplete, you are “invisible”.  Enough said.

Here’s a quick re-cap on how the evening went:

To get things rolling, we turned the standard “recruitment process” on its head, requiring employers to “pitch” themselves to potential candidates.  Presentations from 34 companies which showcased an astounding array of innovative projects and technologies. From exciting startup to high-growth creative to established corporate, there is no stopping Wellington business when it comes to developing cool tech!

Because candidates and employers can “browse” each other via the Summer of Tech website, we asked companies to focus on the “fluffy stuff” like workplace culture and business aspirations.  And boy, they did   Turns out that for many companies, having @EpicBeer as our Meet & Greet beverage sponsor was a fairly good cultural fit!

Summer of Tech aspires to play a useful role as a bridge between industry and the education sector, provide a platform for employers to streamline their graduate recruitment, and source & invest in local top talent.  At the same time students are exposed to a range of opportunities they may never have known or thought of, right here on the doorstep!  Judging by the volume levels during the “greeting” part of the evening, a lot of this is being achieved.

2010 is the first year we’ve gone beyond “Code” projects.  The tech industry is becoming more competitive, more demanding and developing and releasing new products & services is harder than ever.  Summer of Tech’s wider reach now caters to companies who want a broader skill-set, “Code” is still important, and the thriving Wellington Web industry was certainly on show during the company intro’s last night! Equal emphasis is now placed on the creative thinking and approaches of “Design”, the problem solving and innovation of “Engineering” and the thinking, processing, management and execution of “Business Analysis”.

Above all, employers are still hiring on ATTITUDE and APTITUDE.  Technical skills are a given in this tight job market, you either got em already or you’ll learn em quick on the job.  Communication skills, professionalism, team fit and the “fluffy” stuff are where candidates need to excell.  If a paid summer internship is the result, perhaps those skills are not so “fluffy”, after all.

A huge thanks to all our helpers (especially Rebecca, KaiXin and Alastair, outstanding student-wranglers and SoC09 alumni… oh, and their employers Amberdms, Redvespa and CatalystIT who let us borrow them back for the evening!)

A huge thanks to all our sponsors and partners:  Massey University Events Team for the venue, Grow Wellington for helping with company-wrangling, TechNZ for your upcoming investment in summer internships, and all the fantastic individuals and organisations without whom Summer of Tech would not be possible.

Roll on Summer of 2010!!

This is a headsup for companies interested in applying for TechNZ funding support to help support your intern’s wages!

UPDATED 13/8: Summer of Tech’s “tips” on TechNZ funding have been refreshed & rejuvenated. SoT companies, contact Ruth if you haven’t got a copy of our “guide” yet. Its a pdf that was emailed to you directly.

UPDATED 2/9: Notes on Grow Wellington assistance – see below

These guidelines are available to companies registered for Summer of Tech 2010. If you’re not registered yet, it’s not too late!  Sign up here before the end of August and our friends at Grow Wellington will help you through the TechNZ process.

Grow Wellington is our local TechNZ regional partner.  Their role is purely ‘kerbside’ consultation.  They do not have any influence on the decision on expressions of interest, this sits with the TechNZ assessment panel.

You can still seek assistance after 1 Sept, but its unlikely we’ll be able to provide much support for the TechNZ stuff before the 10 Sept deadline for registration of interest.  You’re a bit late… but please contact us anyway, we’ll do what we can between now & 10 Sept to facilitate this for you! (2/9/2010)

By the way, Summer of Tech companies do NOT “have to” apply for TechNZ funding, this is an optional pathway only.  R&D funding may not be relevant to your company or your project, but if you choose to apply, we can support you through the process!

Here’s the highlights for those who are interested:

To apply to TechNZ for funding to support your Summer of Tech 2010 Intern:
You will need to complete a three page registration of interest document and submit to TechNZ by 10 September. This application form is available to be downloaded from the Foundation’s website – www.frst.govt.nz/technzinternships (go to the “Related Downloads” page on the top right hand side of the screen)

There you’ll also find a “fact sheet” which has all the ins & outs.

Key deadlines:

• Summer of Tech companies can get assistance with the application process, but you’ll need to contact us before 31 August to set up an appointment with Grow Wellington (sooner is fine!!)
• Completed registrations are due on 10 September (email to technzinternship@frst.govt.nz)
• You will be notified of their funding decision by 24 September
• You don’t need to know who your student is until 19 November (yes, this works in perfectly with the Summer of Tech timings)

More info:

Summer of Tech companies, contact Ruth

Other companies, contact your TechNZ Investment Manager (if you have one, you’ll have their contact info), or your local TechNZ Regional Partner.

We’re only a few days away from the Summer of Tech 2010 meet & greet, so wanted to give a few “inside tips” for companies to make sure you make the most of it!

(Students, move along please, nothing to see here, you can get some “inside tips” over HERE)

So, companies, this is your only chance to meet students in real life before interviews.  The rest of your “browsing” will be done via online profiles.

Format

• The Meet & Greet will start at 5.30pm, so please arrive a few minutes before to check in and get your nametag.  We’re expecting around 200 people, and will be in a big lecture theatre to start with, before moving on to a larger networking space
• Please take a seat in one of the front rows, which will be reserved for company representatives.
• The first part of the evening is when you introduce yourselves to students.  This is a quick intro & overview of your company & project(s).  The main purpose is so that YOU will be recognisable to students afterwards.
• Second part of the evening is an informal networking event.  Everyone is wearing nametags, and you’ll be able to clearly identify who is a potential intern and who is not.  It is up to students to introduce themselves to companies that are a match for their skills.
• Summer of Tech helpers will be on hand to help direct traffic.
• Light refreshments will be provided to help facilitate the networking.

Tips for Companies

• Do your homework!  Be prepared!  Student profiles are live on the Summer of Tech website right now.  Spend some time before Thursday researching the candidates, so that you know who you’re looking out for at the Meet & Greet.
• Your goal for the Meet & Greet is to get a better feel for your shortlist for job interviews.  Students have been asked to do their research, and to introduce themselves to you if they think you’re a match.  This is your opportunity to find out who has the right attitude & aptitude to join your team this summer.
• Remember that there are 4 different streams for Summer of Tech, so not all students will be relevant to your industry.
• It’s often a good idea to bring several staff members, and compare notes afterwards.  If that’s not possible, you can always jot down names and check out student profiles on the Summer of Tech website afterwards.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Meet & Greet, want to rsvp additional team  members, or send through a slide for your introductory presentation, please contact info (@) summeroftech.co.nz.

Directions

• Here’s a map of Massey’s Wellington campus.  The Meet & Greet is in the Old Museum building, via entrance D off Buckle Street.
• If on public transport from the Railway Station, we suggest you grab a bus to the Basin Reserve (e.g. a No. 1 or No. 44) and walk up from there.
• If you’re driving, there is very limited visitor parking at Massey, you might have more luck on Tasman or Tory St’s.
• There’s plenty of bicycle parking around campus, for those of you on 2 wheels.

Looking forward to a fantastic Meet & Greet for SoT2010!

Don’t forget to RSVP – log into your account and check out the “Events” page.

We’re only a few days away from the Summer of Tech 2010 Meet & Greet, so wanted to give a few “inside tips” for students to make sure you make the most of it!

(Companies, move along please, nothing to see here, you can get some “inside tips” over HERE)

So, students, this is your only chance to impress companies in real life before interviews.  The rest of your “impressing” will be done via your online profile.

Format

The Meet & Greet will start at 5.30pm, so please arrive a few minutes before to check in and get your nametag.  We’re expecting around 200 people, and will be in a big lecture theatre to start with. Take a seat anywhere except the first couple of rows, which will be reserved for companies.

First part of the evening is when companies introduce themselves.  This is a quick intro & overview of their company/project.  The main purpose of getting the company representatives to stand up in front of the room is so that YOU will be able to recognise them during the informal networking afterwards.

Second part of the evening is an informal networking event.  Everyone is wearing nametags, and you’ll be able to clearly identify who is a company (i.e. a potential employer) and who is not.  Companies will be standing around the edge of the room, under a sign with their company name on it.

It is up to students to introduce yourselves to companies that are a match for your skills.

Light refreshments will be provided to help facilitate the networking.

Tips for Students

• Do your homework!  Be prepared!  Company and project information is on the Summer of Tech website right now.  Spend some time before Thursday researching the employers, so that you know who you want to impress during the Meet & Greet.
• Your goal for the Meet & Greet is to be chosen for a job interview.  Companies will be impressed if you have taken the time to find out a bit about what they do, if you have relevant and interesting questions and ideas, and if you’re exhibiting the right attitude and aptitude to be on their team.
• Remember that there are 4 different types of job on offer, so you need to pay attention to who is who during the introductions, so that you’re not wasting precious time talking a Design employer if all you want to do this summer is electrical engineering!
• There will be more students than companies – you will need to use all your social skills to engage in scintillating but brief conversation with companies.  Please respect the fact at there are other students who would like a chance for a chat, and know that you’ll get a few minutes at most with each company on your list.  Another reason to do your homework and think about what you’re going to say before you meet & greet.
• We highly recommend you pay attention to schmoozing potential employers rather than the food & drink that’s on offer; standing in line for a drink and socialising with your mates is NOT a great use of your time if there are companies to impress and summer internships to be secured!

Directions

• Here’s a map of Massey’s Wellington campus.  The Meet & Greet is in the Old Museum building, via entrance D off Buckle Street.
• If on public transport from the Railway Station, we suggest you grab a bus to the Basin Reserve (e.g. a No. 1 or No. 44) and walk up from there.
• If you’re driving, there is very limited visitor parking at Massey, you might have more luck on Tasman or Tory St’s.
• There’s plenty of bicycle parking around campus, for those of you on 2 wheels.

Looking forward to a fantastic Meet & Greet for SoT2010!

Don’t forget to RSVP – log into your account and check out the “Events” page.

Drumroll please…

Last week, we announced a competition for Girl Geeks (here)

To keep you in suspense a bit longer, the competition asked female Summer of Tech candidates to name one inspiring woman in Technology.  Here are some highlights:

Agnete Enga, who is a member of the Femme Den studio (part of Smart Design) in Norway. She also spoke at AGIdeas this year in Melbourne.

Agnete Enga is a senior industrial designer at Smart Design, a multi-disciplinary design consultancy. Originally from Norway, Agnete brings a unique set of eyes to each design problem. She has guided projects in the areas of consumer electronics, fashion, and kitchen products. Clients she has worked with in the past include OXO, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Nike. She has won multiple design awards and her work has been published in Time Magazine and Fast Company.

(from a bio on the DMI Conference page, here)

2 separate people mentioned Jane McGonigal!

Jane is a game developer and researcher from the states especially focusing on Massively multi-player gaming.  Jane has done some amazing research and helped to build games that give an alternate reality situation to help us deal with potential real-life scenarios. If you haven’t seen her TED talk on “Gaming can create a better world” check it out here

Anita Borg -what a great legacy for Women in Technology! Here’s a bit about Anita:

Anita Borg had a unique capacity to mix technical expertise and fearless vision that inspired, motivated and moved women to embrace technology instead of fearing or ignoring it. She touched and changed the lives of countless women in the computing fields and beyond. She is responsible for including women in the technological revolution – not as bystanders, but as active participants and leaders.

Google offer an “Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for Australian & NZ students.  This year’s entries closed in May, but if you’re studying next year, watch out for it here.

Barbara Liskov

Barbara Liskov (born Barbara Jane Huberman in 1939) is a computer scientist. She is currently the Ford Professor of Engineering in the MIT School of Engineering’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department and an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She earned her BA in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley in 1961. In 1968 Stanford University made her the first woman in the United States to be awarded a Ph.D. from a computer science department. The topic of her Ph.D. thesis was a computer program to play chess end games.

(from wikipedia)

All right, enough suspense and anticipation…

the winner of the very cool leather laptop bag is… Amanda!

Amanda also gets a ticket to next Wednesday’s Girl Geek Dinner!  Also, runners-up Kalani & Kate win tickets to the Girl Geek Dinner too!

All 3 of you get to listen to the most excellent Rochelle talking about intellectual property as applied to technology.  Plus awesome networking, great swag and prizes, and a yummy dinner.  Thanks for entering everyone, Summer of Tech is proud to support Wellington women into technology careers!

Andrew Mayfield from Optimal Workshop spoke at Friday’s Design Bootcamp, on the topic of User Experience.

He emphasised the need for “iterations” in design, and shared this interesting paradox:

Andrew shared a reading list (some of these titles are now “classics” in this field):

Some more reading on iterations and design (for startup companies, but relevant, I think to Design students), can be found in this recent article on ReadWriteWeb.

Here at Summer of Tech we’re all about connecting universities to industry, and have been busy putting top industry leaders and technologists in front of students through our Bootcamp series.  Great things happen with fresh minds and seasoned business heads intersect, and the benefits are on both sides of the table.

Internships are a great way to kick-start R&D in your business, with tangible bottom-line benefits for business.  We just found out about another event coming to Wellington that encourages networking between academics and industry, fostering the commercialisation of research, in areas as diverse as industrial processes to smart grids, robotics & photonics to textile innovation to nano technology…

If you’re a Wellington technology business, you might like to check out the High Tech Innovations event, brought to you by Manufacturing NZ, happening 4 August at Te Papa.  More info & rsvp here.

Looks like some quality presenters, great networking, and opportunities for collaboration and ultimately commercial success.

Warning: this post contains sexual discrimination that may offend male readers.  Viewer discretion is advised…!

Announcing….The Summer of Tech 2010 Girl Geek Prize!!

This competition is open to all female Summer of Tech 2010 candidates, who have completed their profile on the Summer of Tech website!

On offer, we have:

1st prize:

1 x ticket to the next Wellington Girl Geek Dinner (11 August).  The speaker is Rochelle Furneaux (aka @kiwiseabreeze) who is a dispute resolver extraordinaire. She’ll talk about why intellectual property is important and how to be a technology lawyer.  Of particular interest to Design students perhaps, but the networking & dinner conversation will be of value to ALL SoT candidates.

1 x FABULOUS girl geek accessory, a Paris Special Edition leather laptop back-pack (fits up to 15.4″laptop).

Check it out!!

HUGE thanks to Lushai for sponsoring this prize!!

2nd prize:

1 x ticket to the next Wellington Girl Geek Dinner (11 August)

Conditions of entry:

1. you must be registered as a candidate in Summer of Tech 2010
2. you must complete your Summer of Tech profile
3. you must tell us the answer to one simple question:

Name one woman in technology who inspires you

(you can do this as a comment on this blog post, or by emailing info (@) summeroftech.co.nz if you’re shy )

…NOTE: if you have already purchased a ticket to the Girl Geek Dinner, you can still enter, your prize might be exchanged for a ticket to the next GGD, or an equivalent groovy girl geek incentive…

We make no apology for excluding the majority of students from this prize, boy geeks, we still value & support you, and are open to suggestions for prizes & incentives that will get you engaged in a technology career… but, in the meantime, Summer of Tech is keen to encourage women into technology internships, and keen to know who inspires YOU in your career goals.

Girl geeks… good luck!

Thanks WelTec for hosting our first “Engineering” bootcamp this week! Oh, and great to learn about the Technology Expo that’s happening on 20 August, that looks like a cool opportunity for Tech students to connect with potential employers!!

We heard from Kristian Jensen, General Manager of Reyrolle Pacific Switchgear, about what makes a good Engineering CV.

The message was loud and clear… it’s your ATTITUDE and your APTITUDE that are going to get you a job!  When you’re on the market for an engineering role, your CV is your first sales tool.  The purpose of your CV?

…to get you a job interview.

Use your CV as a tool to show your professionalism, your passion, and your potential.

Engineering employers want to know that you can work on a team, that you’ll be a good “fit”, that you bring the skills & energy that will move the business forward.

Do your homework (and know that employers are doing their homework on you, too!)

Ask questions.  Find out what you can bring to the organisation.  There ARE some great engineering & manufacturing roles in Wellington, but as students, you’ll need to build your connections to industry (here’s some tips from a previous post) in order to take advantage of the hidden “word of mouth” job market.

Thanks to Kristian for sharing some inside tips on what employers are looking for, and how engineering students and grads might approach the challenge of getting their CV noticed!

Thong’s slides from the Code Management bootcamp are here   (Warning: you kinda had to be there for those slides to make sense…)

But do try the workshop exercise, here!

Big thanks to Thong for sharing your knowledge & providing another hands-on & practical bootcamp!