How to prepare and search for your first job (dos and do nots) 6

[PropulsionMan]

Greetings all, this is my first post. I've been looking for an engineering forum forever, glad I finally found one, dont know how I missed this. I in fact created my own forum, though it's so hard to start online communities these days that I gave up in the end.

Anyways, a bit of background to my situation, and I'm seeking some advice on the matter.

Basically, I went to study Aerospace Engineering in the US for 6 years, got Masters and Bachelors, looked for about 2 years for jobs in the US and Canada in the aerospace field, got a few interviews, and they always ended up the same way. I could not work because I did not have either US or Canadian Citizenship or permanent residency.

Why did I "waste" so much time looking for a job that I pretty much knew I couldnt find? Well, after 6 years of hell in school, I didnt look for jobs 24/7, so I took some time off if you will, traveling a lot and spending time with friends etc. IN between having fun, I'd search for jobs. And I did land a few interviews, including 2 of my top dream companies in my chosen field, 2 of the biggest North American aircraft engine manufacturers. Both got me to interview with them, but both said no because they wanted at least permanent residency.

So at last, I have completely shifted my focus to look for propulsion jobs in Europe, where I'm legally allowed to work cause I'm a EU citizen.

I specialized in gas turbine and rocket propulsion, specifically in aerothermal analysis, combustion, heat transfer and performance analysis. And I have 2 big questions:

a)How do you prepare for your dream job (or your first job in general). I.e. do you try to learn the CAD or CFD software teh companies you want to work with use? Do you read textbooks all day and review material? Do you randomly pick engineering problems and try to solve them? Learn FORTRAN or C and do problems, do CFD, do CAD on your spare time? Is any of this really worth all the time it'd take?

Ok...that's a big question made up of smaller ones

b)Can your first job realistically be your dream job? The job you've been studying specifically for a long time? Or do you have to settle pretty soon with whatever you find, and then keep looking while you work?

c)Say you have a dream job (mine is working with rocket or gas turbine propulsion) do you have to start working in something related to it? So say you want to work with gas turbine engines, but cant find work with the aircraft engine manufacturers, do you HAVE to find a job say in the turbine industry? Say steam turbines for power generation, or pumps etc so that you can build experience relevant and closely related to gas turbine propulsion and rocket systems? Like say you worked 4 years with materials or structural engineering for a car company. Would this time be wasted if you wanted to be a combustion engineer or a aerothermal engineer on a gas turbine engine company?

Sorry for the length of my post,

thanx in advance,

PropulsionMan

 

[MRDPE]

Check out

http://theprofessionalengineer.com/employment/engineering-job-search/

and

http://theprofessionalengineer.com/employment/engineering-resumes/

MRDPE

http://TheProfessionalEngineer.com

 

[rtmote]

After more than 15 years wandering the globe, in search of the dream job, I am in my dream job and an even better dream job lies in the future.

The ingredients for getting the dream job is network, getting your hands dirty, making mistakes, doing the boring stuff, giving up your favourite jobs, learning, teaching, questing and discovery. All of it in the mix until you meet the right people who want you to do what you best. But that calls for confidence and respect. Confidence is the easier part, but respect is a little harder to come by. Respect needs time and patience. Ain't no easy street out there for anybody but everybody has got a great story to tell and that is the beauty of this forum.

Robert Mote

http://www.motagg.com

 

[MechAZ3000]

I agree with the idea that you have to take what you can get, and work hard. It doesn't matter if you are designing a toilet, or a rocket engine. You can still take pride in your work as an engineer, and apply the same principles. Learn the process.

That would work in a perfect world, where all your engineering experience would be summed as equal.

The only problem I've found is...

If you spend too much time in an area of engineering too far from what you really want to do, you tend to get pigeon-holed (especially by recruiters, who can't comprehend that most engineers really rely on the same skill set, even if they are building different products, using different software, etc.).

For example, once you work in aerospace for a while, then try to work in HVAC design, nobody is going to believe that you are going to be capable, or want to do the job (the old over-qualification garbage line, "This isn't rocket science-you'll be bored with this"). Even if you are willing to start at entry level!

Anyone else experienced this?

But, us engineers know that it's entirely possible for a good engineer to switch gears and learn something new, and be productive fairly quickly.

Anyway, I would be careful not to take whatever's available too quickly, if it's not on the same path as where you want to end up in the long-term.

 

[HgTX]

Some recruiters don't seem to be too fussy...I got a call from one today because of the topic of my undergrad research job. (I graduated in 1997 and haven't touched that field since.)

Hg

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