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]

KENAT

my job hunting has been centered around internet. but i have been very resourceful at it and got my self few phone interviews on top of screening phone calls. but nothing beyond that, mainly due to unwillingness to relocate an entry-level grad. one time, i started putting on resume that i would relocate at my own expense.

 

[SiliconeAurora]

Relocation is probably necessary. I've moved states every time I've moved jobs. Luckily I'm young with no family so it's not hard to pull up the roots. Some companies offer relocation assistance and some are very generous about it. Depending on how things go, you could make out quite well on that with money to cover the move and then some to help get settled.

And I resent the "all young people have bad job hunting skills" comments. It's not FUN (okay, it's basically the worst thing in the world) but neither is it the end of the world. At least with us engineers it's understandable if we're not automatically charming. We're usually not applying for sales positions, after all.

 

[unemployedengineer]

flash3780

thanks for your sympathy but, i am not really offended by the replies. nothing really can top a 3-year unemployment. and the replies are written with good intention and i do take them into consideration, although i may sound defensive in my replies.

and thanks for tips and encouraging words. interviewing skills are part of the problem, beside recession. sometimes, an unexpected moment of depression or anxiety can kill the excitement and destroy days of preparation for an interview.

again, i would like to stress that my interviewing skills are probably within the range of that of entry-level grads (if not better as i am older and more mature). so, this is just one factor beside recession and geographical location.

 

[MintJulep]

His friends and family can be tactful. Here on the web we call it like we see it.

It's not his fault, it's the bad economy.

His resume is perfect, and he has great interview skills.

After a year he's simply undesirable. That's what an article on the web said.

It's not his fault.

What else could it be?

He want's us to tell him that it's just bad timing. Get a PhD and wait for things to improve.

 

[unemployedengineer]

SiliconeAurora

thanks for input. i did think about moving to another location where my field is in demand. however, there is too much risk with the little savings i have. i found that the PhD with guaranteed funding to be less riskier. so, i stayed where i am and chose to prepare for PhD. beside, the PhD school has a the reputation at the level of ivy league schools. so, i thought maybe the PhD will give me an edge and compensate for the missed years. at least in terms of better job quality if not money and advancement.

 

[ewh]

I don't like being critical of someone in your situation, but your attitude could use some adjusting.
Make it known that you will relocate if offered suitable employment, and ease up on your use of "absolutes" such as "all young people have bad job hunting skills" and "nothing really can top a 3-year unemployment". Both of those statements are false, as there are exceptions. This attitude may be showing through in what interviews you do get.
"Guaranteed funding" of a PhD is a nice thing to have, but you must be willing to take some risks if you want to get ahead (or even get by) in todays economy. If everyone thought that way about risk, we would all stay home in bed where it's safe and "less riskier".
Good luck, however you decide to approach it!

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[sam74]

I'd reccomend the career center idea. When I was laid off for the second time and congress was jack-knifed on unemployment extensions I decided I had to get a job doing something in order to lessen my use of savings.

I ended up going to a seminar for a job I had applied for on online which was not related to engineering. I had to take the career readiness test and started attending a class on my own time three days a week for three hours a day for four weeks.

It covered many job search skills including public speaking, resume writing, and interviewing skills. Really a unique experience working in small classes with people of various backgrounds (life and job). The entire class was geared towards the company's background and mindset (Green Mountain Coffee).

It really gave me some structure in my life that I was lacking with no work routine. Attendees that made it through the entire course with perfect attendance were guaranteed an interview. They were hiring 150 employees in the next six months.

Got a job there worked it for a month until I found another related to my field. Pretty humbling

The career center here has a lot to offer in the way of free services and classes.

 

[unemployedengineer]

thanks ewh for input

i've mentioned earlier that i am open minded about relocation. i even applied to jobs outside north america. i wrote in cover letter that i would relocate at own expense and that i would work 24/7 to make sure i compensate for any deficiency.

the second point is that interviewing skills may play a little factor because all grad are inexperienced job hunters/interviewers and are within same level of knowledge/experience. so, it is more of an opportunity rather than competition, assuming that junior candidates are not competing with grads for the same jobs.

 

[unemployedengineer]

thanks sam74

yes. i should have made a use of freely available resources in career centers. and i am signed up with a temp agency to provide me with temp jobs. haven't heard from them yet.

 

[unemployedengineer]

i just wanted to thank you all for your input. it is like brain storming different ideas from different angles. great stuff.

 

[ewh]

...because all grad are inexperienced job hunters/interviewers

To quote Ronald Reagan, there you go again.
What about a machinist or CNC programmer who has contracted his services for twenty years before he decides to switch paths and get an engineering degree? He will have had quite a bit of experience getting positions, and probably would have had to interview for the majority of them.
I realize that this is being picky, and I know that you are referring to the majority of grads, but in todays market, employers have the luxury to pick and choose.
It seems that one thing not taught at university any more is that there are no absolutes.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[unemployedengineer]

ewh

the point still stands, regardless of semantics. call it majority or a bell curve with small variance. majority are around 22 age and around same level of maturity and life experience

 

[KENAT]

unemployedengineer, I've interviewed a few new grads or final year students that were applying for internships at my employer.

They were not all equal in terms of interview skills. Some were better than others and hence came across as more capable.

Having good interview skills may give you the edge over other candidates, especially if less technical folks are doing the interview like some managers & most HR.

So interview skills can make a big difference, especially in a tight market like we currently have in many places.

It is a competition, I'm not sure what let you to believe otherwise, you are competing against all the other applicants for that position. Anything that sets you apart (in a positive manner) is gonna help.

I'm trying not to be like one of Job's buddies. My dad was out of work for something like 4 1/2 years in the early 90's recession in the UK and had a hell of a time finding something permanent, and it took me over a year to find an engineering position when I moved to the US, so I have some sympathy.

However, it really seems your attitude, or at least how you come across, could be part of the problem.

Heck, even your handle is a bit negative, wouldn't 'in between positions engineer' or even better 'soon to be employed engineer' be a bit more positive.;-)

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[rbulsara]

and..KENAT is being very polite. I wrote a few paragraphs and then decided not to post here!

Looking for entry level jobs from internet is not going to work. Get out in the real world.

Rafiq Bulsara

http://www.srengineersct.com

 

[ctopher]

Also work on grammar and spelling. English may be your second language, but to have a degree from a US college, you must have taken a writing/English course(s).
This will improve your odds.

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

 

[Latexman]

Have you spoken to your medical care giver about all this? You may have depression.

Good luck,
Latexman

 

[moon161]

I would not rule out depression. If you go to a health clinic, you will probably fit the guidelines for happy pills, I think that's how they treat all but the rich for depression now.

No one will fix you, I spent some time looking (for someone to fix me).

A previous employer, god bless him for tolerating me, used words like 'Ass' and 'Gusto' to describe what he wanted out of me, and said things like "moon161 will you please allow me to not be angry today!". I think his statement that his property was large and well "I haven't seen moon161 since he left in the afternoon" was the most motivating.

Nothing personal, your mother and your dog love you, I'm sure. Love yourself, just in case no one else does. There are about 5 unemployed people busting their nuts for every reported job vacancy out there, and you don't sound like the one who is getting it. I used to share a house with a grad student, smart guy, got laid of from GE, went back for MS. The thanks but no thanks letters came every day, because, well employers replied more in those days, even to say 'no'. He came across like droopy dog too. Really, the transformation is closer than you think.

Too late, but the census was taking any warm body that could take a simple test last spring. Actually good work and a learning experience.

Please, for your own sake, participate in something useful. It is transformational, and empowering. I worked for an electrician some when I was laid off, barely paid for child care, but really helped the mojo. Habitat for humanity (Jimmy Carter was an EE too), Engineers without borders, City mission, they could all use some help. Tutor math and science, I hear the DC schools need a little help. Unless you've got kids to watch, don't be held back.

I would say spend a couple months, 1-2 days at a local job center, the balance volunteering. Research a move to someplace with more work, plan it get a greyhound ticket june 15th. Spend the summer busting it looking for a job. Return to school in the fall.

 

[GregLocock]

Boring bit first. To get my first job, at the age of 17, I hand wrote a researched letter to every relevant company in my country (one hundred ish). From that I got six interviews and 2 offers. I did this while attending school full time and doing 3 to 4 hours homework every evening.

Scary bit second. I see that many Americans on this forum are saying that 'times are tough', and seem to be implying that things may improve. In the rest of the world we are more than a year into recovery after the GFC recession, and I have already seen recommendations to pull back out of the stockmarket on the basis that it is toppy. So, what you are experiencing in terms of the economy may be the new normal, because the USA will sure as eggs be participating in the next global recession.


Cheers

Greg Locock


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[unemployedengineer]

Thank you all for your extremely helpful input. You've given me helpful information to work with.

Thank you again.

 

[csd72]

unemployedengineer,

Definately do not get a phd, it will make you even more unemployable in some peoples eyes. I phd will make you too much of an expert on a very focused subject area whereas most consulting engineers are generalists.

Sounds to me like you need to relocate or to start your own business, at least something radically different to what you are doing at the moment.

I have changed countries three times and never taken more than 2 weeks to get a job, though I do have the advantage of being a native english speaker.