Graduating EE with no technical experience 4

[engnewb]

Hi everyone,

Basically, I am graduating at the end of the month with an electrical engineering degree from one of the best universities in Canada.

My grades from first year to last go as follows 3.2,2.8,2.0, 3.7. Obviously I had a bad 3rd year and all I can really blame it on is maturity. I have definitely grown a lot since then.

Jobs I have done in the past include Clerk at grocery store, machine technician at electronics company and hand on a drilling rig.

I have applied to all companies from Power to EPC to Oil and Gas without getting any interviews.

Any advice on getting a job would be appreciated. I am not picky and just want to get a foot in the door to prove myself and hopefully learn as much as possible.

I saved a lot of money working on the rig and am willing to take some extra tech/other courses to increase my attractiveness to HR people. Any suggestions?

 

[IRstuff]

Are you graduating early, or late? Interview season is usually March-May for new grads, but you should still contact your school's placement office. All but one of my first interviews were arranged through my school.

TTFN

 

[Senselessticker]

I suggest trying to be picky. Decide what kind of engineering you want to do, and perhaps you chances of landing a job will increase.

A hiring manager usually has a specific need or skill set in mind which the company needs to fill. They want to hire someone who is, if not experienced, then at least interested in that particular branch.

For example, when I was hired.... the Electrical group needed a young guy interested in power engineering (me). About a year later the group needed someone strong in communications. A year later, it was controls.... Each spot was filled each year either by someone experienced or interested in THAT particular branch of EE.

Ironically, a few years later, I now work in com and controls (because the needs of clients shifts around) and the company needs to once again fill my old spot with someone who is good at (or at least interested in) power engineering. So as the resumes and interviews come around... Who do you think will get the job?... You guessed it...the one whose Objective on the resume mentions "Power". The resume that says "Not picky" will be looked over.

Hope this helps!

Sense

 

[Ashereng]

Most companies usually go on campus for interviews at a common time - and as IR mentioned, it is usually in the fall.

At most "large" companies, hiring university grads is usually limited to that time frame - the exception being someone bringing in a resume by hand (these are always considered).

I would suggest you get in touch with your school's placement office, and in also your school's alumni office (since you are graduating). They should be able to offer suggestions.

Good luck.

By the way, what is one of Canada's best universities?

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[COEngineeer]

Just send out a lot of resumes, even if the companies are not hiring. The more you send, the higher your chance get a job. Find out their mailing address trough internet.

Then hang all of your rejection letters on your christmas tree . But really, the more you send, the more chance youll have interviews. Do a search of companies that might hire EE.

 

[engnewb]

Ashereng, I go to the University of Alberta.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I have been applying to all the jobs from campus recruiting but am not getting any calls for interviews. I am going to see a professional in regards to my resume and cover letter because this could be the problem.

I am just frustrated because everyone is saying that power companies are dieing for people but i still can't get an interview.

 

[eliou]

Do you have any contacts from coop jobs? I'm attending the University of Waterloo in Ontario Canada, and usually after my coop term ends, people that I have worked with in the company offer their emails and references. They often encourage me to contact them after graduation if I was seeking employment.

 

[MechanicalChef]

How well put together is your resume? Universities genrally have career centers who will look over your resume and reccomend improvements.

Also, have you been writing cover-letters? You'd be surprised how well a cover-letter well help you get interviews.

 

[Ashereng]

Companies need people - usually people with experience. That is the catch-22 of the working world.

I am not familiar with University of Alberta, but I would think that they have both a placement office for recent grads, and an alumni office to help alumni's get jobs. They do at my university. I would suggest you start there.

Sending out resumes cold, is usually pretty low percentage - especially without work experience. I know that the majority of recent grads we hire we do during the campus recruiting rushes. The rest of the year, not so much - unless a co-worker brings the resume in by hand.

Good luck.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[stephenw22]

Don't just use the university's campus recruiting centre.

1. Make yourself a 'top-10' list of places you want to work at, and fine-tune your resume and cover letters for each employer. Emphasize your desire to work in that field. Try and find a job fair or other event where HR people from the companies will be attending, and talk to them directly. Otherwise, go to each company and see if you can personally deliver the resume to HR. Try and show them that you really want to work for them.

2. Go around and knock on some doors, too. If you look up 'Engineers' in the yellow pages, there will be tons of places to go visit and drop off resumes at. Some of the places will be engineering sweatshops, but it will give you experience to get in at one of your 'top 10' places.

3. Sign up with employment agencies. They find jobs for you, and charge the employer a finder's fee if you're hired. If you haven't already, try The Design Group or Roevin.

 

[sms]

Number 1: If you are not getting interviews it is very likely that your resume sucks and is turning HR people off. Get resume help, it is your number one advertising media. The career center at school should be able to help.

Next, once you have a great resume, use every avenue possible to get an interview. Online recruiting boards like Monster.com, the individual websites for companies of interest (for instance Shell has lots of opportunites posted), contacts in industry (go to technical society meetings for instance), your campus recuiting office, head hunters, etc.

But make sure that your resume sells you, and doesn't hurt you.

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

 

[cvg]

most large companies have job postings on the company website. Check these out and then respond to a particular job posting. Consider hand delivering your resume to HR who may then do a pre-screening. Temp agencies are a good idea, we have one EIT working for us now who is a contract employee and searching for another. We prefer it for younger / less experienced people since we are able to terminate them quicker if they don't work out, and if they do work out well, we quickly convert them to full time staff.

 

[RDK]

If you are a new grad in Alberta and cannot get a job then something is wrong.

I doubt that it is your GPA, you can get around that by saying the graduating year GPA.

Have someone look over your resume, if it’s not letter perfect then it will get passed over.

Use whatever network contacts you have, students a year or so ahead of you, your professors, anyone who knows anything about the engineering field or might know anyone who knows anything about the field.

The big job boards are next to useless in my opinion. I once advertised on one and got a couple thousand résumés that had nothing to do with the stated requirements of the position. Most of the responses that you will get from them is head hunters who will shift through your resume and match you with something. Many employers do not like using these firms because the cost is too high.

Pick a company a day, do some research on who makes the decisions what sort of work hey are doing and what major accomplishments they have done in the past and contact the decision making person, in person by going to the firm and asking for them by name. Then politely tell the person about yourself and ask if there are any openings. It would help if you could say something about a past project that was successful for the company and say you would like to be involved in that sort of project.

Then work on a different company for the next day. Don't give up because you are not defeated until you stop.

Also don’t consider that your UofA degree makes you better than anyone else who did not go to UofA. A friend of mine once interviewed a woman who had graduated from Queen’s with a bare pass GPA. Her attitude was that a degree from Queens was better than the Gold Medal from any other institution and that any company would be lucky to have her. This was said, in Winnipeg to the gold medalist from some 30 years ago from the University of Manitoba.

His response was yes we have an opening for you, just don’t slam it on the way out.


Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[engnewb]

Thanks for all the input, it is really helpful. I have a few interviews coming up, so that is something to look forward too. I am also going in to get my resume looked over by some professionals who can give me some input.

I guess it now comes down to whether I should take the first job that comes along or wait for something I am really interested in.

 

[ScottyUK]

On that last subject, it is often said that it is much easier to go from one job to another than it is to go from no job to any job. In your position, and with the difficulties you have experienced up to now, I would take any offer and then in the event that it was not my ideal job I would use it as a stepping stone. The experience you gain will be valuable one way or another, even if it only serves to convince you that you don't want to do that role. Try not to jump ship too soon though - job-hopping doesn't sit well with recruiters unless you are intending to make a career of short term contract positions.


----------------------------------

Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

 

[plasgears]

Dont't let location stop you from moving out of town. My first engineering job in the NYC area had a 1.5 hr commute one way, and more returning.

The next job was at a first rate engineering company in Ohio with a 15 min commute. Smaller town, less cost, less aggravation, more personable relationships. Our first three kids wre born and raised there.

It was all down hill from there. Pick your companies carefully.

 

[getstuff]

I would not worry If I was you. You are still in school, don't need money to buy food yet and live in Alberta.

You also have some interviews within two months of posting here. That is not very long. I would recommend that you go to all of the interviews before you decide (if they are close together). Most large firms will not offer you a job right away. Smaller places might be different.

I would also agree that specialization is important in engineering. My degree was more generic and I believe that it held me back when job hunting.

It took me 4 years after graduation to find a "real" engineering job. (OK, I only really tryed for two of them)and was in BC for 90% of the time where the job market is not nearly as good as Alberta).

A proffesional looking Resume is important but I found the best way is word of mouth and who you know. Ask everyone you know, friends, parents, distant relatives, teachers. I got my current job thought my wife's friend's father. Of the maybe 50 resumes I sent out (cold or to postings) I only got one interview.

I would not be too cocky about your school, yes U of A is good and might be more focused to the Alberta job market, but I would venture to say that you are no better then someone from UBC, U of C, O Of T, Queens, McGill etc. Be proud of your degree but it is not worth much without experience.

I would also focus on your experience as the technician and on the rigs, especially if you are looking into the all popular oil industy. It may also help to state on your resume/cover letter that you are willing to move or travel if you are not picky about location.

Best of luck.

 

[getstuff]

I just found this thread about resumes, it is very interesting:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=173724&page=2

Thead # 173724 "What's Important on a Resume" if the link doesn't work