Looking for some advice

[zielathe]

Hi, I graduated a little over two years ago with a degree in M.E., and have been searching for a entry level position for for some time. Unfortunately, my currant employment has not allowed me to gain any real engineering experience. My interests are in the automotive and aero fields.

Having read some of the comments/replies of other engineers who are searching for work, I'm reluctant to ask a simple question. How does someone gain the necessary experience required for these entry level positions. What's the chance of finding a beginners level position these days and where should I search.

Some other ideas I have thought given the scarcity of work would be to pursue a Master's or look into purchasing a cnc machine shop.

Any suggestion or comments will be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[msquared48]

I can understand your frustration, believe me. I was in the same position 31 years ago myself and had to shift employers several times to get the experience I needed. My in was an unknown one at the time - turned out that I was hired by a past president of the State Board for Structural Engineers, and he mentored me to the license, along with four other young engineers. We all took and passed the test the first time. Took me three years, but I got it.

Have you tried researching alternative energy companies in the auto industry? There are a lot of new upstart kinds of cars on the market now that I have seen advertised.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[KENAT]

How desparate are you to get into Aero or Auto. Something that might help you get in could be something like GDTP(s)

http://www.asme.org/Codes/CertifAccred/Personnel/Y145_Geometric_Dimensioning.cfm

for example. Some would argue this is more for designers that engineers but it might get you in somewhere.

Persistence is also key, try finding some association or club or something to get to know people in the trade.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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

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

 

[IRstuff]

As a general rule, entry-level positions assume no experience, other than the appropriate degree. That's said, you need to look at the job descriptions for the positions you're interested in, and determine what common denominators they share, if any.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[TheTick]

Young people like auto and aero because it sounds cool. There are plenty of real and interesting engineering challenges in fields that do not sound nearly as cool.

I gained more real engineering experience in my first three years working in the ag industry than I ever would have in auto or aero.

 

[calguy07]

IRstuff,

Entry level positions these days require some experience, usually through internships/co-ops.

 

[DesignerGuy16]

It all depends on the employer. I've worked for a cutting edge company and didn't learn much of anything.

I now work at a smaller food equipment manufacturer and I have much more room to breathe and learn. Sure I still have to do my own designs and details, but I get to also do all of the engineering, and actually get a say in how things actually look, and are made.

James Spisich
Design Engineer, CSWP

 

[PLukacovic]

I'm sort of in the same boat. I graduated in December and had been looking for FT employment, but found a temporary position as a co-op (even though I'm a degreed engineer). Now that the co-op is ending, I'm filling out apps for grad school and going to pursue that route. The market is tough out there. Good luck.

 

[NomLaser]

Sounds like you need to open up to the possibility of relocating if you really want that experience. Pickings are great for companies right now so they can specify a lot of experience for little money and people will bite.

I worked as an Engineer for 3 years then was laid off right before I got my degree (back in 2003). Took me a year to find something that was basically a CAD jockey. Worked there for 1.5yrs and asked for a promotion since they were using me as a Design Engineer and paying me peanuts. From there it went further up with each job. My advice, don't expect a $100k/yr job right out of the university, especially with no experience.

 

[kawh1]

I'm in a similar situation having graduated with a BSME degree last year. If indeed.com is any indication, I did a nation wide search for "entry level mechanical engineer". On the first page, there's two job listings with "entry level engineer" as a title. Here are their requirements/preferences:

Job 1:
P.E. or working toward P.E.

Job 2:
0-3 years of Mechanical design experience are required.
BSME degree required, Masters preferred.
E.I.T is required, P.E. preferred.

How are entry level jobs relevant to having a PE license? By default, a PE does have work experience. I know what an employer is looking for and what they actually get in job applications are different. Those job listing are either unrealistic and the employer is willing to settle for a more reasonable applicant, or it is really a buyer's market out there.

I don't mean to discourage anyone. It's really a bizarre world these days. You have job postings where recent college grads are competing with PEs for a job that has the salary range of $40k-$80k.

 

[GregLocock]

Incidentally, I have had to relocate for every single job I have ever had. Including the first one.

Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[KENAT]

By the way, there are many similar posts, some for new grads some for more experienced folks, but take a look. Several times I've related how I got my first job in aero/defense by finding a directory or aerospace companies and writing to any that looked interesting, starting with the larger places then down to the smaller ones.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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

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

 

[purdue87]

aero and auto aren't really good industries to be in. i worked for boeing for 6 yrs. decide what about engineering it is that you like then find the companies that might have a better fit. boeing? how many resumes / applications have you sent? 100-200? or more?...



Thanks,
Scott

 

[zielathe]

Hi, many thanks for the comments. In an ideal world, I would like to work in the auto or aero fields. However, I am still open to other fields. Working with wind turbines or other renewables will be just fine. Having to relocate is another option I would be willing to do. I think that working for a large name brand company might sound terrific, but the truth is that I would probably learn a lot more with a smaller company.

I understand that having an internship/co-op is helpful. However, that's one option I did not have the luxury of while in school.

thanks again,