Graduated this May still unemployed? 2

[UnemployedGrad]

What am I doing wrong?

I graduated from a decent but small engineering school this march/may/june, do not want to leave too much information about my university since only around 5-30 people graduated with Mechanical engineering degrees. Graduated with a decent 3.0 GPA

And am still unemployed, I was employed for a brief month after looking for 2 months but got laid off after one month. And according to my employer he received 100 resumes for that position.

It is December and I am still unemployed. I am mostly searching for jobs on monster and craiglist.

At interviews I am dressing correctly wearing a suit with a white shirt and blue tie with dress shoes and belt.

So am I doing something wrong or is it just the economy? What advice would you give for fresh grads going for entry level positions?

 

[GregLocock]

What you are doing wrong is " I am mostly searching for jobs on monster and craiglist. "

There are many threads on eng-tips about getting your first job,I suggest you read them.


Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[Comcokid]

Monster, careerbuilder, indeed, dice - there are lots of search websites. A lot of jobs out there are not posted online - the so-called 'hidden' job market. Some jobs at smaller companies only appear on their websites. Finding these requires networking with friends and knowing a little about the companies in your target location - something that develops over time.

You could try entering a profile on Linkden - the 'facebook' for business connections. Probably some student friends are listed and will link to you which will, if nothing else, result in spam mail from some technical headhunters. Do a search for pointers on how to best enter your Linkden info. Getting that first year of experience is the hard part, and after that it becomes easier.

 

[ajack1]

Well the fact that you get to wear a suit at the interview is a good sign. It must mean your CV is well presented and you are at least getting over the first hurdle.

Assuming that say twenty people get to the interview stage and they all have similar qualifications but lack relevant experience, it then comes down to how you interview there is nothing else to differentiate.

Maybe you come across as nervous (I know I do) or over confident, maybe you haven’t researched the potential employer as well as other candidates or just some little thing that goes against you, maybe there are courses or help groups to help improve how you interview?

Especially at entry level it can just be a numbers game, just keep doing the right thing and it will happen but always look to see if there is anything you can do that gives you that little edge.

Good luck.

 

[RossABQ]

Are you limiting yourself to a narrow geographic area? Where are you (if it won't give anything away)

In this market you presumably have one huge advantage over the experienced people who are likely your competition: you have no house to sell, little in the way of belongings, maybe no wife, etc. In other words you are as mobile as you will ever be in your life, so take advantage of it. Be open to taking a job in your second or third choice of geographical areas.

What is your are of interest within Mechanical?

 

[PEDARRIN2]

Something that helped me was to look at trade magazines that companies that do what you want to do are represented in.

For me, it was Consulting Specifying Engineering. They had a list of various engineering firms that employed engineers doing what I wanted to do.

I got on the internet, went to their website, looked at what they did and even if they did not list an opening, I sent a resume.

I got a call back percentage of about 30% and found my current job through this method.

You might also try the trade organizations both to find openings and to network with other engineers, some of whom might be the person you would be working for.

 

[owg]

http://www.total-ep-canada.com/careers/canada_careers.asp

HAZOP at

http://www.curryhydrocarbons.ca

 

[KENAT]

Yep, over reliance on online job postings may be a big part of the issue.

Finding out about companies that would be of interest to you and then contacting them may be of more use. Don't just look for actual job openings, send your resume or cold call or whatever with any place that looks interesting. This is how I got my first job out of uni, it was just before the internet became all consuming and I went to the local library and found a relevant trade directory. I sent off resumes to every company that looked remotely interesting. I got a lot of rejections and a couple of interview offers. It just so happened that my resume landed on the tech directors desk the very day they were planning on running an add in the paper.

That said, I got my current gig from a resume on monster or career builder or one of those.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

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

 

[josephv]

My favourite book on job hunting is "What Color is your parachute?". This book has great tips on networking, obtaining information interviews, as well as tips on how to find your calling and not just a job. I am sure it is available at any local library. On that note, a public library can be a good place to look for work.

Best wishes,

 

[stanweld]

A huge number of companies list job openings on their web sites. Look them up and apply.

Also contact your Engineering school for futher employment info. Opportunities may have increased.

 

[CRG]

You don't say what geographic area you are in nor the desired field of engineering that you want to pursue.

Is there a professional organization for the area of your interest? Example: If you are interested in HVAC, then join ASHRAE. If you are interested in piping or pressure vessels, then join ASME. You need to meet people in the field of work that you are interested in, and then let them know that you are looking for work. Lastly, don't hesitate to ask professionals in your area what you need to do to become more employable. Then when you make it to your next interview, you can help fill in the employment gap by stating what you have done during the gap to make yourself a valuable employee.

 

[evelrod]

Interesting that things often stay the same. This post could have easily been written by me in 1962. Jobs were scarce then as now and it took an extraordinary effort to find a good one. I settled for "something less", as my parents thought, that turned into a lifetime career. I hope you will be as fortunate as I was, been a great life.

Even after fourteen years of retirement I still get flyers from companies posting job openings...Lately they seem to all be from the oil industry and many from up in the North Country/Canada.
I understand not wanting to leave California...I did not want to leave Texas...You simply must go where the jobs are. It really is as simple as that.

Rod

 

[davefitz]

There are several other engineering job listing sources available , some online, some not. Here are some examples:

- federal gov't, state gov'ts public service listings - online
- state gov't unemployment agency job listings for each state- online
- military support services- online
- electric power companies- see their homepage link for current jobs- online
- roadtrip to other engineering schools- they have physical bulletin boards at their engineering offices- you would also need to find an old fashioned paper and pencil to copy down the information.

Some of the more interesting and profitable jobs involve taking a little bit of personal risk and actually doing something differnt- like field services for a few years. Might be time take a little risk.