Having read many of the posts here, and being a manager at a fair-sized company who does a lot of hiring, I thought I'd go ahead and comment.

First, sorry to do this, but your degree means nothing to me. Fifteen years ago, I cared about it. But like most managers, I learned a long time ago, that colleges don't impart practical knowledge to graduates any more, and I need boots on the ground, not heads in the clouds. Recent college grads want to start at the top, want more money than they are worth, and often have attitudes that annoy me.

I'm not looking for a person that will require 6-12 months to get up to speed (at minimum), and provides me with no assurance they will ever be an asset to my teams. I'm sure as hell not going to pay you more than entry level - because you are an entry level guy.

I do hire for entry level positions though. And sometimes I'll take a chance on you if:

1. You want it. If I get the sense that you think you are too good for the job, I'll pass you by for the person that will be grateful to have it. I need people that are clueful, and in the career business for the long haul. I'm not going to hire you if I get the sense you'll jump ship at the first opportunity. I started life as a PC tech. Pay your dues.

2. You're presentable. It makes me look bad, to have folks working for me that look like college dorm rats. Wear a suit to interviews.

3. You're bright. You'll be interviewed and tested with real world problems. It's pretty easy to spot the clueless, somewhat harder to tell the difference between "sort of knows it" and "owns it". 85% of the people who apply for an IT job have no idea how to do it, in my experience. This is less important in an entry level job - you know you're getting a beginner. But in a skilled position, it's fundamental.

4. You're not a pain. I need people that can get along well with their co-workers. If I have to waste time arbitrating disputes involving you, settling the ruffled feathers of another department head, or explaining your performance/appearance/goofy solution to a problem, you will be impacting my productivity.

Lastly, I saw several replies referring to long periods of unemployment after school, while you looked for work. I'll say, that this would attract my attention. But I'd consider why. If you're some clueless kid mooching off your parents because you can't find a job that's good enough for you, then I don't want you.

I see quite a few posters here that seem to think the Internet bubble is still inflating. Nobody is hiring kids anymore and making them executives. The last entry level networking job I posted received 75 applicants. Probably half of those had college degrees. The person I hired had no degree, and had started her career as a paralegal in a big law firm. They moved her into IT because she could get it done, and because she liked it. Aptitude is where you find it.