Networking, memberships, and mentors

[PeacefulKancer]

I currently work as a contracted customer service engineer in the semiconductor field and have done so for 8 years. For some time now I have felt that I needed to move onto something new but have always been blinded by fear of the unknown and held captive by comfort of a nice paycheck. The pay and benefits are good but it has come to a point where while those items are good it is evident that I have reached the ceiling with this job.

In any case, I like to think that part of my misery is that I'm simply not learning anymore and that any efforts to improve my workplace are harshly struck down by management. So as a result of all this I've tried to think of how the best way to move on would be.

I recently read an article entitled Neglecting These 5 Actions Will Crush Your Career and I thought to myself that I lack in all these areas. I don't have any mentors or ambassadors. I am not a member of any professional organizations. I haven't interviewed in 8+ years. And I don't really have any concrete goals for my career advancement. In a nut-shell, I really am disconnected from the industry/engineering world.

So I started thinking... how in the world do I get more involved in the industry and be more in-tune with what is going on? My current employer is a small company and there is no opportunity to find someone to mentor me (from what I can gather most people at my company are M-F 9-5 guys who would rather go booze it up than attend a professional meeting on their time off. Heck, they don't even answer emails). The company I am contracted to probably wouldn't mentor to me either since that is somewhat a conflict of interest. As for organizations I have no idea where to start. There are plenty that turn up - of course the big one is IEEE. But surely just paying $200/yr isn't going to help me network or grow in my trade. (And of course the interview thing is all on me to just do).

A little about me real quick - I graduated Magna Cum Laude from DeVry University in 2004 with a BSEET degree. I have been working for a small contracted company on night shift for 8+ years in the semiconductor field basically as a maintenance technician. I also am also a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt through the Ohio State University but do not have any hard practice with that due to my company being... uninterested... with continuous improvement. I do enjoy the artistic/hands-on side of things as well - carpentry, painting, automotive, writing, etc. So the idea of R&D work really interests me both bio-mechanical and automotive type work but I'm not closed to only those things.

So my questions are as follows...
(1) What are the best ways to get involved and network in the electronic engineering industry?
(2) What are the best organizations to join, learn, and network in?
(3) What is the best way to obtain a mentor, especially given my circumstances?

Thank you for your time and responses in advance.

 

[GregLocock]

To be honest most of those 5 points are not applicable to entry level engineers. It would probably be worth joining IEEE just to get easy access to their publications, IEEE being one of the few professional organisations that haven't become a union or an academics playground.

It sounds like you want a new proper technical job. Nothing wrong with that (there's nothing wrong with sales/applications/customer service if that floats your boat) but you need to figure out why somebody would employ you to essentially start from scratch, rather than a more recent grad on 70-80% of your pay. There are things you can offer, and you may have to overemphasise some of your work experience, and underemphasise other parts.

The big problem I see froma new employer's perspective is that you are just entering what should be the most productive decade of your engineering life, having built a firm technical understanding, forged good relationships with your customers and management and co workers, and having the boundless energy and enthusiasm of youth.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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

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

 

[PeacefulKancer]

Greg-
Thanks for the reply; however, I am still unsure of what I need to do.

I suppose my ultimate goal is to find a job that is less of a job and more of a career. Right now I feel like I am not learning anything and thus not growing. I also feel unappreciated. So I feel like my time is up where I am now so I can try something new and hopefully find something that suites me better.

Sure, I can join IEEE to get access to documents but to be honest I am not sure what that will do for me. Don't get me wrong, I like reading and learning about things but I fear that many things in there will be over my head and even if I do understand the items in there - how can I apply that to making me more happy? Maybe I misunderstand what IEEE is - is it just an organization that people submit to and review others works... or is their an actual physical group that meets and possibly collaborates? I ask because I am wanting to start forging relationships outside my workplace so I can grow and hopefully find something that makes me happier.

I do agree - being in my 30s I should be in the most productive phase of my life although I have no idea where I stack up in this aspect. I am contracted out to a big company and I have a good reputation as well as relationship with the people I work with on a daily basis. However, I am a contractor so there is a slight disconnect between how I interact with them. For example, I couldn't exactly buddy up with any of them and have them mentor me or treat me as some sort of intern because I have a separate job/duty than they do - not to mention they couldn't show me things due to IP. Furthermore, I am more-or-less considered the machine expert and they consult me, not the other way around - they own more of the process than the machine (again, IP). So I feel like I have a firm technical understanding for my specific job but in a general sense I feel like I have a large gap. I simply linked to the article because I feel like I am past that "entry-level" and I should be doing those things listed.

I'm willing to take a pay cut as well. As well as work on obtaining relevant certifications or extra schooling. But more than anything I am looking to grow and utilize my talents... instead of just being in a position where my company managements grading criteria is to simply show up at work (again, I work night shift at a remote location. My management never even sees me work).

I know this is a broad question but how do I do that?

 

[GHartmann]

You are obviously unhappy with your current situation. Do not get discouraged. Your second job and top priority should be exploring new opportunities. It is a bit odd to work on a contract basis for 8 years. Many contract employees become permanent employees become permanent after 12 months or so. This seems to be the main area of disconnect with your employer.

I would start by reviewing your current situation:

What does your company do? Are there any other positions of interest?​

What do other companies in your particular segment do? Is there anything of interest there?​

Avail yourself of placement assistance from DeVry or OSU if these exist​

Start using any of the job web sites to explore other opportunities​

Review what you did well while at DeVry and what was your area of interest​

Utilize all internet resources to explore careers in the semiconductor industry​

Explore whether you want to remain in customer service or move into another area (i.e. manufacturing, R&D, design, etc.)​

Find a good recruiter that perhaps can lead you in the right direction​

Good luck to you.