Need some guidance regarding job 1

[salman99]

Hello people, Muhammad here. I completed my BE Electrical degree from National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan in Oct 2013. I moved to the United States in Feb 2014 and now I am looking for a job in the electrical engineering field here in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. I have joined this forum in hope of getting some guidelines from the members here so any response would be appreciated. Plus is there anything I can do to improve my resume like passing the fundamentals of engineering exam and getting the EIT certificate or getting my transcript/degree evaluated by some institution. Does picking up some courses at some college here help? I know that I can always get a masters degree to get a job but I am already working a full time job at a store to make some money so studying full time is out of the picture for now at least.

 

[jmbelectrical]

Muhammad,

Taking and passing the FE/EIT exam would likely be of great benefit to you, but primarily if it's your intent to work in an industry, such as power systems, that values or requires PE licensure. Is there a specific area of electrical engineering that interests you? If you do decide to pursue the FE/EIT - and I think you should, regardless of your interests - you'll have to do some research regarding the degree evaluation process. It varies from state to state. Check with the NCEES website and your state's engineering board to determine what's required.

I'm not sure what the job market is like for engineers in the Los Angeles area, but if it's bleak, are you open to moving or do you have obligations that are keeping you tied down in Los Angeles?

 

[MikeHalloran]

If your spoken English is as understandable as your written English, you should be okay.

Do you have Saturdays off?
Wander around on a Saturday morning and find 'electrical'/'electronic' type businesses that are obviously working.

Go in the back door, find the person in charge, and ask if they need help. If they're working on Saturday, they probably do.

Even better, the usual HR gatekeepers are very unlikely to be there, so you may well be speaking with owner. Be polite. Be brief, especially if they think they don't need help right then and there.

Have a nice resume with you, but don't present it unless it's requested.

Get some Avery business card sheets, and print up a simple card with your contact info to leave behind. Don't print too many at a time; you will probably want to adjust the card after giving out a few, e.g. to answer the next question that's asked, or to add a catch phrase that will start a conversation as soon as you show the card. You will think of a good one eventually.

Don't be a pest. Just be an available resource.
Keep a list of the companies you've contacted and the people with whom you've spoken. Update it as soon as you walk away, so you'll remember what was said.

While reviewing, try to find inflection points. E.g., when the conversation changed from how you could help them to why they can't find work for you, try real hard to remember what you said just before that happened. Write it down. Don't ever say it again.

Don't call later to follow up. They'll call you if they want you. In a day or two, send another card and a thank you note to each person with whom you spoke.










Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[salman99]

@jmbelectrical (Electrical) Job Market is pretty good here I guess. I have applied in numerous companies in LA and now I am awaiting their response. I have to stay in La county area due to family issues. I will take the FE exam once I prepare for it in a couple of weeks, so hopefully I will be adding the EIT certificate to my resume pretty soon. As far as degree evaluation is concerned, as you said, it varies from company to company so I need to do some research in that regard.

@MikeHalloran (Mechanical) I am gonna keep those things in my mind.

Thanx guys. Plus can you guys refer me to a sample resume for engineers in the United States. I don't want to miss an opportunity for an interview due to unconventional resume format.
Cheers

 

[MikeHalloran]

Search on 'student resume' or similar.

Monster.com used to help you generate custom resumes. They all looked the same and were instantly identifiable, and got discarded instantly. Better to just use a generic sample as a start.

It's okay for it to be short.
It's not okay for it to contain even a slight exaggeration, misstatement, or misspelling.

Since you're just starting in your career, you'll have to try to demonstrate your positive mental attitude and your ability to get along with a workforce that you didn't select, and from whom you will have to extract a lot of knowledge and wisdom. Smile while you are writing. I am not kidding.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA