The little things make a difference: there is more to it than salary when deciding on an offer

You may have decided which industry you'd like to be in, but your options can still be overwhelming if you go into it not having a good sense of what you're looking for. There is of course, salary, but do not fail to overlook the other benefits that a company has to offer:

1) Bonuses: Many companies offer merit-based bonuses. After your performance review, it is often up to a manager to determine what percentage / monetary amount you should get. These bonuses are taxed, but don't forget that they are meant to be an addition to what you are earning, so it is an added incentive to accept an already enticing offer.

2) Stock Options: This may not sound as appealing at the moment, but if there is a possibility that a company is going to go public in the future, then this is something to think about.

3) Relocation Assistance: Many companies will pay for you to relocate to another part of the country for work. There is usually some sort of formula behind this, but it is meant to offer a reasonable amount to cover moving expenses.

4) FSA: You may already expect to get healthcare, but a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) allows you to set money aside at the beginning of the year to pay for qualified medical expenses, including (but not limited to) medication, glasses, and contacts to name a few.

5) Commuter Assistance: Many companies offer a free or subsidized shuttle service, garage parking, subway / commuter rail passes, and bike checks to name a few. These can reduce your monthly spending significantly.

6) Free food / snacks: This is one of the most underrated benefits but most often used!

7) Free fitness facilities: For those of you who live in the city or who are members of an outside gym, the monthly fees can really add up.

Considering the entire package, and not just the salary, will help you greatly in making the best choice when you go to accept an offer.

Companies are thinking out of the box to try to reach you!

The reality of the situation is that a lot of companies are not attending as many Career Fairs or doing as many info sessions as they may have been in the fall due to the economy and budget constraints. But that obviously doesn't mean that students aren't looking for positions. In fact, competition is even tighter now that companies are receiving more resumes and are being more selective about candidates. As a result, many companies realize that they have to do more (with perhaps fewer resources) to reach students, so here are some additional ways that we came up with so that you can get involved:

Web Casts:
Be able to hear VMware give a presentation of the company without having to leave your room! All you need is online access and a phone. You will learn more about us and the type of candidates that we look for. Opportunity for Q&A at the end.

Office Hours:
If you would like to have a quick question answered regarding any aspect of VMware (projects, opportunities, hiring process / timeline, etc) please attend one of our Office Hours! A member of HR – as well as one of our Engineers – will be standing by!

E-Newsletters:
We want you to be in-tune with the latest and greatest VMware happenings! These will be posted once a month.

Blogs:
For a list of all of our engineer blogs please see visit:
http://blogs.vmware.com/

We will have a page on our www.vmware.com site with detailed info. We hope that you will participate in some of these, but other companies may have similar events as well.

Introduction

Hi everyone! Thanks for visiting. I know that this is a tough economy right now, and I (on behalf of VMware) would like to help college students who are looking for a job or internship. As you can see in my profile, I am gearing my blog toward the job search. So, let's get started...

Right now is peak recruiting season so take advantage of it! Many schools are hosting Career Fairs where hundreds of employers are coming to you. Make an appointment with your Career Center to have your resume reviewed, because that is the most important piece of paper related to your career at this point. If you live in an area with numerous schools around you, you may be able to attend fairs at other schools - just make sure that the school is open to having you.

Before attending a career fair, take a look at the companies that will be attending and target the top 10 or fewer that you would like to speak to. Then, the week before the fair, start to research these companies and find out who they are and what they have to offer that is unique. The better prepared you are when you meet with an employer, the better of an impression you will make. Doing more work up front will guarantee that you have to do less later on.

This is just the first step...more to come!