I left school in spring 2008. Setting aside how to search and what to pick, a thing I didn't understand at the time was how to think about the offer I received:

I left school in spring 2008. Setting aside how to search and what to pick, a thing I didn't understand at the time was how to think about the offer I received: - on the one hand, I was in no position to negotiate the offers I received - on the other hand, the modest (commensurate with my lack of experience) equity component in my compensation package was calculated based on current (low) prices. It didn't seem important at the time, but when the market picked back up, this seemed really fortunate. - I joined a team of people who, having seen their unvested equity take recent hit, were less than exuberant in their outlook about the near term. I did not realize: their problems were not my problems. If you do land a job at a company which can survive and even grow, now could be an great time to start your career.