3 years unemployment 4

[unemployedengineer]

Hello everyone,

Here is the story:

graduate with BS degree in 2006
graduate with MS degree in 2009

unemployed since graduation. by September 2011, i will be 3 years unemployed and 5 years of no experience since BS degree.

keep in mind that i am an immigrant (speak with an accent) living in DC where most of jobs are out of my field and/or require TSC. and jobs in my field are too far for me to be worthwhile of companies to relocate me.

does this sound normal, giving the current economic recession?

that was the reaction of one recruiter who contacted me recently.

thank you

 

[unemployedengineer]

i meant to say that the recruiter's reaction was "surprised"

 

[oldfieldguy]

I know companies in the Louisiana/Texas Gulf Coast area that might be interested, if you're interested in going where the work is.

old field guy

 

[unemployedengineer]

oldfieldguy

thank you for replying and offering to help. yes, I would be interested.

however, i would also like to hear comments and reactions in order to put myself in perspective and understand whether or not I am deluded.

for instance, what are the long-term implications on my career and competence with regards to my age group? will a PhD degree give me an edge and bring me back to a competitive level and compensate for lost experience years?

 

[ctopher]

If you are a US citizen, look into government jobs.

Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[Ron]

The PhD will not greatly help you in industry, but offers another employment possibility (teaching) once you get some experience. The job market might be a bit better after you get your PhD than now.

Otherwise, take oldfieldguy's advice and go where the work is.

 

[rbulsara]

This is not really normal! Where have you looked?

Rant Alert!

In the USA ( I assume you are referring to DC as in the USA), experience trumps degrees any day, except in R&D type work. While academic knowledge is necessary, it is by no means sufficient to succeed in a world where you have to deal with people.

BS degree is all you need to get started and even to succeed. You can always get higher degrees later. Higher degrees are valuable only with relevant experience.

For entry level positions even non-engineering work experience is a great plus. As it shows that you are not shy of hard work and would do whatever it takes to be on your own!

You need to start looking for entry level jobs and you will be competing with people with BS degrees. Get some experience before you go after higher degrees. This will not only make you more valuable and employable but most employer will also reimburse some costs for higher education, especially if it is related to their business.

If you go after more degrees without real experience, life will only get more difficult. I would also think that enrolling in PHD requires some experience.

As for being an immigrant and having accent, they are no excuses or hindrance and I speak from first hand experience.

Some other hints:
Recruiters are of no real use for entry level work. You can contact them but do not hold your breath for them to help. I would say 80% of openings in the USA are NOT advertised. Because advertizing and process of interviewing is expensive! Most entry level or lower positions are filled by referrals of current employees or walk-ins or current resumes (less than 3 mo old). Your best bet is to knock on doors in your area and try to contact companies of interest directly. Try to speak with engineers and not HR. It is a difficult and frustrating process but in the end remember that you only need to find one willing employer not worry about 1000 nay sayers.

Join local associations and chapter for engineering professionals. Most will not charge fees or offer discounts for students and the unemployed. Talk to friends and relatives and their friends. Such networking would be much more productive.

Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com

 

[unemployedengineer]

Ron

thanks for input. i have applied everywhere. i've use linkedin/indeed/monster/careerbuilder/university job bank/craigslist and even googling the job title. i did get some phone interviews but nothing beyond that. it seems that there is always someone who is better and is at the right time and place to take the job.

from the couple of replies, i get the feeling that my situation is extremely odd.

 

[zdas04]

You are already being beat up as "over qualified" with an MS. A PhD would just about make you unemployable outside of academia or one of the vanishingly small industrial research concerns.

As I've said many times in this forum, a graduate degree without experience tends to be viewed by industry as a liability--you'll want more money because of the MS, but you will still be an entry-level engineer that may or may not ever make them a dime. On the other hand if you have a few years of successful experience then your MS (and possibly a PhD, but that is tougher) becomes an asset.

I wish you were the first person to stay in school after a BS and having trouble finding a job, but you're not. We get people asking similar questions to yours every few months. It is sad. Industry views academic credentials as the price of admission, not as something that will always add value to their company. Too many people come out of college ill-equipped to master the tasks required and with their heads full of information and techniques that are basically worthless to industry (ask any of us when was the last time we had to find an Eigenvector).

I don't know your specifics (e.g., do you have decent interview skills? do you have a useful resume? etc.), but if you feel that work in your area of interest is in short supply in D.C., then start looking elsewhere. The Gulf Coast is booming right now. The Marcellus Shale play is creating a crazy labor market in Pennsylvania. North Dakota is nuts (I read the other day that their unemployment rate is lower than the minimum possible that the economists talk about). Think of it like the dust bowl--if you can't work where you are you need to go where the work is.

Good Luck

David

 

[unemployedengineer]

Rafiq Bulsara

thanks for your input. yes. i have been applying to entry-level and technician jobs only. and not just EE.

DC is washington,DC

 

[unemployedengineer]

thanks zdas04 for input

yes. i've applied everywhere in US and even around the globe.

my master degree in computer process control which is considered an advantage in this field, especially for petrochemical/chemical industries where they deploy advanced control systems. i have friends who successfully got hired with huge salaries in this field after completing MS/PhD or even post-doctoral. As for me, I kept myself open minded and applied to technician and BSc entry-level jobs.

 

[MintJulep]

What are the differences between you and your now employed friends?

Your friends are now "insiders". Are you in contact with them?

 

[delagina]

do you require visa sponsorship?

 

[unemployedengineer]

thanks MintJulep

i also have friend who found it hard after graduation due to recession. yes, i do keep contact with the closer ones. they gave me permission to use them as referrals on online applications.

 

[unemployedengineer]

delagina

i am a permanent resident

 

[unemployedengineer]

basically, i have been applying for almost 3 years using different techniques and resume formats.

thanks to all for the helpful suggestions. what bothers me the most is the psychological obstacle of realizing that i am 5 years out of BSc with no career, while I can/could. i hope this does not leave a scar and hinder me psychologically in the future when i start working as an engineer

 

[flash3780]

There's always some work somewhere. The US is a big country. The world is even bigger. Unless you have specific ties to Washington DC, you can almost certainly find a job with your credentials. For starters, you may consider contract work to build up some experience. The amount of time out of school is a negative. Still, keep your hopes up and your ear to the ground and something will come up.

You may consider having someone look at your resume if you're not getting any bites. If you are getting bites, be honest and confident in interviews. Confidence lands jobs.

Good luck!

 

[TheTick]

I've been passed over for jobs in favor of candidates with MS degrees. There are some employers that took advantage of the economic situation to get overqualified people on the cheap.

 

[MintJulep]

they gave me permission to use them as referrals on online applications

Well that's next to useless.

Do they know if there are open jobs where they are working?

Do they have your resume?

You need your friends going to the hiring manager saying "I went to school with this guy and I think he's be good for this job."

If you can't get that then at least you want them saying "I went to school with this guy."

 

[unemployedengineer]

thanks flash3780

i doubt the problem is my resume. i did have few phone interviews. i am not really attached to DC and applied everywhere. but in this recession, there are always entry-level engineers nearby who can interview in person and be hired at no further expenses to the company. now the situation got worse with time and i fell into the chicken-egg dilemma.

the recruiter's surprise reaction prompted me to post this thread to see how others would react and get a feeling of my situation from another perspective. for me, i see the only option left is PhD. i've actually stopped applying for jobs and started preparing for PhD. i had to, in order to build up focus and determination in pursuing PhD without having second thoughts. originally, i just wanted a master degree to get into the process control field. i cannot afford to have second thought because i cannot afford to fail PhD if I go along with it.