NEIT Grad Returns as Job Recruiter

Medical Information Technology, Inc. (MEDITECH) is interested in hiring NEIT students and grads. Neil Teixeira, who graduated from New England Tech in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems, recently visited our campus to interview applicants for full-time positions at the company. MEDITECH has a unique hiring philosophy, which Neil shares with Tech News readers, as well as his advice to students and grads looking to enter the world of Information Technology.

What made you decide to attend NEIT?

There were several reasons. I was working in the Sales Department of an electric immersion heater company and also part-time at a drug store. I needed both jobs to pay the bills, and I knew that I wanted a career change that would provide more opportunity for growth.

 Since I was working full-time days, I needed to look for something during the evenings. I had always seen commercials for NEIT mentioning the 18 month degree programs and that was something definitely of interest to me. I made an appointment to get more information on what the school offered.

 After learning more about NEIT and knowing that I could have my associate degree in as little as 18 months and my bachelor degree in 36 months, I made my decision to attend.

How did you choose your program?

I had taken a couple of programming classes in high school and had also written some programs at a previous job where I had to do manual data entry. Writing those programs helped me streamline some processes and helped me get out of work on time. I was excited whenever I got the chance to write any programs, so I knew that programming was definitely something that I could be happy with as a career.

What did you do to start your career?

I enjoyed my job at the electric immersion heater company, but I knew it wasn’t going to be a career. I worked to complete the bachelor’s program and then began to look for something in the programming field.

 A couple of months before finishing the program, I put together my resume, posted it to the major job search websites, sent some out, and attended a few career fairs. While attending a career fair at NEIT, there were MEDITECH representatives on hand. Based upon my discussion with them, I knew this was definitely a company I wanted to apply to.

 Many companies wanted two or more years of programming experience which I didn’t have. MEDITECH not only had the benefits that I was looking for but was also a company that only promoted from within, so they offered training for all of their positions.

Tell us about your position

I started at MEDITECH in January, 2002, as an entry level Programmer/Analyst in the Implementation Division supporting the Emergency Department Management and Community Wide Scheduling applications.

 I was responsible for providing programming support to customers installing our software. I had to learn how a hospital functioned and quickly develop an understanding of how software was used to aid in patient care. After about a year, I picked up support of a couple of new products.

 I worked as a Programmer/Analyst until February, 2004, and was promoted to supervisor of the group. I started off with about five programmers. This role was exciting as it allowed me to not only continue programming but also allowed me to help train new staff members.

 I served as a Programming Supervisor until March, 2007, when I was promoted to manager. Here, I didn’t do as much programming, but I was still able to do what I loved—solving problems and working with people. I remained in that role until this September when I was promoted to senior manager with a staff of about 60 programmers. I get to work with not only my staff, but also our development group and a large number of customers. It’s always exciting.

What do you feel prepared you for your position?

I would have to say it was the programming classes that I had at NEIT. Although MEDITECH only hires for entry level positions and provides training, knowing and understanding programming concepts is one key factor that got me the position.

Any advice for graduates just beginning their job search?

They should think about what it is that would make them want to work somewhere long term. As cliché as it sounds, you only get one chance to make a first impression so make sure you read through and spell check your resume. As someone who hires for a technical position, I sometimes wonder how good someone will be as a programmer when they didn’t check for errors on their resume. Finally, dress appropriately. For males, a suit would be preferred but at least a dress shirt and tie.

What can students do to better prepare for jobs in this field?

Do well in school. Grades show potential employers your ability to learn. Approach any interviews with the expectation that you will be starting at the bottom and proving yourself as an employee.