Tips for starting career and in between jobs activities

[MechEng7777]

Greetings everyone! My name is Brian and i graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering in 2010 from Polytechnic University in NYC, this is my first post. This forum appears to have quite a wealth of information and i can't believe i didn't join it sooner. Please forgive me for a lengthy post but it needs to be in order to explain my situation!

The reason im posting today is because i am in need of career advice. Since graduating in May 2010 i haven't been able to find engineering opportunities and just worked various odd jobs. Right out of college i worked as a census enumerator and after that a customer service rep at a insurance company's call center. I was just laid off a couple weeks ago from this naval architecture / marine engineering firm in manhattan. Now i wasn't an engineer there, i was just a temporary configurations management assistant. I worked there for 6 months and for the last 3 months my boss had promised me full time employment as an engineer. However the complete opposite had happened and they abruptly ended my contract due to lack of work.

Ever since i was laid off i've been coming up with all these new ways to find employment such as through newspaper ads, googling companies and calling them, through friends, etc. but a part of me still worries quite a bit about my career. I can't say its working out just yet because i started this new method not too long ago so only time will tell. Now since i haven't had an engineering position yet my career hasn't officially started. Its starting to really freak me out that employers will start to say that i've been out of school too long. However im assuming that going back for a masters wouldn't really help since i wouldn't have any real world experience and they'd just have to pay me more for the same job. So i feel as if my engineering career is coming to an unfortunate end before it has even started. Does anybody have any suggestions as to what i can do in between jobs or atleast provide more employment advice? I do have my Engineer In Training Certificate if that helps. Any answers are greatly appreciated!

 

[Ron]

You seem to be giving up way too soon! The job market at this time sucks. Consider relocating and also consider jobs that are not directly, but closely related to your caree aspirations.

Don't give up...keep looking and be aggressive.

Good luck.

 

[DubMac]

You ARE giving up way too soon. I got out of college w/ Petroleum Eng. degree when the market was hot and got a job right away. The Oil business tanked after 4 years and I was let go with many thousands of engineers in Houston. Many engineers with 20 years exp. were lucky to work at convenience stores. I got "lucky" and landed a roughnecking job in the Gulf, where I worked my *ss off for 3 years until landing another engineering position.

I must admit it was tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it did come along. If you really want to work as an M.E., just put your nose down and plod along; something will turn up and you'll be glad you did. You have to ask yourself whether or not your negativity towards the situation is possibly because you really don't have any passion for the M.E. profession??? If that is the case, you may not be happy once you do land a job.

One note on job searching: don't expect much from the Googling routine. It doesn't hurt, but usually that approach gets you stuck in a pile in Human Resources that never gets looked at. Remember who actually decides a new headcount/replacement is needed; it is the manager of the Dept..

Human Resources merely carries out the paperwork end of hiring. Through friends and contacts find out who the Engineering Mgr is and send a personal cover letter and resume letting them know you are willing to take any position available that would lead you to Engineering. Become aggressive, target several companies you want to work for, do some detective work to find out who the Eng. Mgrs. are and find a way to get resume to them.

Times are tough right now; pound it out a little longer and GOOD LUCK.

 

[MechEng7777]

Thanks for the information! I'm still unsure of what would be considered work close to engineering or atleast something for in between jobs. I was thinking maybe a drafting or machining position. I definitely do like mechanical engineering but its kind of putting a bad taste in my mouth if its going to be like this every time the economy dips. I know there are engineering positions out there that are for the most part recession proof though like working at an energy company (Con Ed for NYC). @DubMac, what did you do while working a roughnecking job for 3 years to keep your engineering skills sharp and marketable? Were you able to use the economy as a reason for not being employed as an engineer to future employers? Oh and trying to find the engineering manager sounds like a great tip! I will definitely be doing that.

 

[lacajun]

The economy is making life hard for a lot of engineers of all ages. Be patient and stick with your search.

In the meantime, get your MSME because it will count as one year of experience towards your PE. Initially, the pay differential between a BSME and an MSME will not be prohibitive. Many employers want engineers with a master's degree. The MS reaps rewards over the long haul. The Ph.D. is an even slower ROI, which is one reason I didn't jump into it. My data on remuneration tied to education levels is old, as in pre-internet. There is probably more recent data on the internet somewhere. You can do that search and post it here. ;-)

Staying relevant technically is always up to the engineer, whether employed or not. You can:
- read technical journals
- attend technical conferences
- participate in technical societies
- contribute solutions at technical fora
- provide your engineering services free or for a nominal fee to a few small manufacturers in hopes of quickly working into a paid situation with them and/or others
- work problems in your text books that you didn't work in college
- attend trade shows to investigate new methods and technologies
- learn standards that apply to your area of interest

Volunteer to work problems for NCEES, if possible. You'll need to contact them to know the threshold for qualifications to assist them.

Check out

http://www.nsf.gov

and other governmental bodies down to local municipalities, if they align with your interests.

If you're going to be serious, you'll need to pound the pavement for the foreseeable future. There may be some small shops that can provide you with a start. If you don't look for them and knock on their door, you'll never know. As the others have said, be open to relocation.

Keeping your engineering skills sharp is always a challenge and you'll need to be self-starting and self-motivating to accomplish it. Through your self-initiated studies, you may find a new idea that may lead to your own startup.

I don't know that any of those are good ideas but if you've not thought of them, they are food for thought. You won't know until you try.

As for anyone commenting about you being out of school too long and lacking engineering experience, I wouldn't give that much merit or time. If you hear that, ask them why they would make that comment to you. Interviews are two way streets and you should ask questions to understand them and their culture. Hearing their answer may reveal their ignorance of the economy and what it really means or that they were trying to learn you and how you respond to a somewhat difficult personal question/comment. Being out of school for a couple of years is not too long. I know female engineers that raised their children for about 18 years then got back into engineering. That had to be tough but they did it.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[DubMac]

Btai88,
While roughnecking, I would fill out the driller's books for him (daily log of the last 24 drilling operations in detail), until I finally became the driller. I also took every opportunity to collect all of the data I could around the rig and do any analysis on my own to better understand the drilling procedure from the "real world" side. This would include constant mud weight, pump pressure, monitoring. Would practice on designing various casing strings for the hole I was on. I also learned every nut, bolt, pipe, manifold,etc. on the rig I was on (Rowan Gorilla class), and could take it apart in my sleep.

It was really a very unique opportunity as most Drilling Engineers would be lost on the rig floor and don't really know how to converse with the "hands". SO much valuable information is lost due to the lack of communication between the guys actually at the center of the work and the "suit and tie" guys. This is natural to every industry, and anyone that can speak the language of both crowds is a valuable asset.

I would much rather hire someone that has a couple years of prctical hands on experience to go along with his degree, than someone with just a degree. Get some field experience while you wait for the right job to come along.

 

[MechEng7777]

Thank you so much for all this information Lacajun and DubMac. It feels good to know that there is something i can do about this situation... An engineer that's well rounded and sees the big picture is definitely better than one with just technical knowledge...

 

[looslib]

Mechanical engineering can cover a broad range of jobs. Is there a particular area you want to focus on, like power plant operations? Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com will be a little better than googling for openings. Put your resume out there for others to search against. How tied to the NYC area are you? Expensive place to live, but is nice. Look for other areas where the job market may be smaller, but have better potential.
Keep your chin up. The market is tough right now, but those that work at finding a job will get one.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[MechEng7777]

Well im not 100% sure right now, which i know is bad because employers like someone who has a specific skill. But i do know that i do NOT want to do any sort of structural or material related work. Those topics just bore me to death... sorry if that's your field lol. I enjoy the HVAC / fluids / energy related subjects. I hear that the energy field has great job security too. My preferred place to work is NYC, and i only want to venture out as far as NJ, Long Island, Philadelphia as of now. Not THAT desperate yet.

 

[MechEng7777]

But of course if i was offered a position to do structural or material work i would just take it for now for the experience.

 

[KENAT]

"I hear that the energy field has great job security too" might depend what you mean by the energy field. If you mean working for utilities, then maybe. If you mean 'energy extraction' - such as Oil & Gas - then I'm not sosure.

One way to narrow down the choice is do you want to design 'products' that get made and sold - such as machine design, automotive, aircraft... This is generally known as 'exempt' industry and having PE is less relevant in these fields as the company carry's the liability (gross simplification for brevity).

Or, do you want to sell services to the construction and infrastructure etc. sector, such as HVAC etc. which would put you in non exempt which means eventually you probably want to get your PE. (again gross simplification for brevity.)

I'm not going to say there is no overlap between these 2 segments

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[KENAT]

... but they tend to be fairly separate.




(Sorry I lost track of what I was doing and hit submit post button, however, if anyone asks I did it on purpose to illustrate my point.)

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[telecomguy]

I recommend you spend your spare time getting design tool experience. See if you can get a student copy of MCAD and CFD tools and learn as much as you can. You will make a big impact on your future employer if you can walk in and be fluent in the tools of the trade. It will take a large training burden off of the employer and in many cases you may become the go-to guy because many engineers get into a daily grind using only a small portion of the power of these tools. <tg>

 

[MechEng7777]

I think i would rather be in the non-exempt field since selling a service might be better than selling a product. I feel "products" are usually luxury items in the US or atleast unnecessary. The firm i was just let go from was trying to sell a ship that i honestly couldn't see having much use other than a just to have stand point.
@telecomguy, what is MCAD? I looked it up but only found various websites dedicated to CAD services or FAQs on multiple CAD programs. I've only ever used Solidworks and AutoCAD.

 

[KENAT]

So all US manufactured Cars, Trucks, Military Equimpent, medical devices, scientific equipment, machinery... are mostly unnecessary luxuries?

I'm tempted to say that to make yourself more employable you may need to 'get a clue'.

However, that seems harsh, instead I will implore you to poor over relevant trade magazines and websites etc, read some books, peruse this site even to get a better idea of how the real world works.

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[MechEng7777]

@ KENAT, You are most likely absolutely right lol. Like i said i just entered the "real world" last year... so what do i know. My logic behind it was that it seems there are a lot, not all, of products like luxury cars, ships, electronics, the parts that make up of these products, etc. that just make life easier or more enjoyable and not really necessary. So every time the economy dips they aren't bought as frequently.

 

[KENAT]

Um, in case you hadn't noticed, demand for houses and commercial buildings often drops during a recession too. Plus, barring stimulus efforts, as govt revenue drops, it's spending on infrastructure often drops.

Just what industry do you think those 'exempt' jobs are often in?

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[telecomguy]

MCAD is mechanical CAD tools (vs ECAD is electrical CAD tools). Different industries will lean toward different design tools so I didn't want to recommend a specific tool such as SolidWorks or ProEngineer (CREO). These are the two that dominate my area but may not apply in yours. <tg>

 

[KENAT]

Sorry, 'non exempt' jobs.

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