What do all the useless engineering graduates do for work? 7

[wdr36]

Apart from digging ditches, qa testing what else can one do with limited skill set?

 

[RVAmeche]

Do you even like engineering? Do you know (have you actually done any engineering)? I know many of my classmates went into engineering because its the default push for someone that seems smart and technically inclined - I'd wager at least 50% are doing nothing engineering degree related because they just don't like the field/work. There's plenty of avenues for you to pivot an engineering degree that isn't straight up engineering at a big contractor/consulting firm - equipment design, technical sales, municipal stuff, site facilities work (one of my friends is doing a project at zoo right now), etc.

 

[wdr36]

I think you need to fully address the elephant in the room; are you fully capable of doing the engineering? If so, do you have relevant job experience? These days, internships are the gateway drug to decent jobs, and working at McD's for 3 summers in college is definitely not going to hack it. Additionally, your resume is comparable to your college application; does it say clearly "Pick me" and why they should pick "me." A resume is a selling document, where you are selling "you" as a product, and that product must obviously fill a need that the potential employer has, and the better you are able to present "you" as the solution to the problem they have, or didn't even know they have, is key.

are you fully capable of doing the engineering?

Yes. I have very basic skills though.

If so, do you have relevant job experience?

Only through personal projects. I had to work other jobs to support myself.

These days, internships are the gateway drug to decent jobs, and working at McD's for 3 summers in college is definitely not going to hack it.

Well these days employers aren't really interested in hiring in case you haven't noticed therefore there is nothing to "hack" it. Also not all of us are lucky in securing an internship. I didn't despite having a great grade point average. Get off that high and mighty attitude if you please.

Additionally, your resume is comparable to your college application; does it say clearly "Pick me" and why they should pick "me." A resume is a selling document, where you are selling "you" as a product, and that product must obviously fill a need that the potential employer has, and the better you are able to present "you" as the solution to the problem they have, or didn't even know they have, is key.

I've been doing that all along. The resume is not the problem.

 

[lucky-guesser]

Get off that high and mighty attitude if you please.

I've been underqualified for my last 3 jobs, either in terms of degreed credentials or general work experience. That said, with good personnel skills and a willingness to learn, I've been able to get the job and keep working my way up the ladder each time.

No one else here has an attitude or is throwing insults, and if you are interpreting things as such, then maybe you need to do some soul searching.

YOUR attitude, and clear distain for people who are just trying to help, is why I do not predict success for you.

Have the day you deserve....

 

[wdr36]

I've been underqualified for my last 3 jobs, either in terms of degreed credentials or general work experience. That said, with good personnel skills and a willingness to learn, I've been able to get the job and keep working my way up the ladder each time.

No one else here has an attitude or is throwing insults, and if you are interpreting things as such, then maybe you need to do some soul searching.

YOUR attitude, and clear distain for people who are just trying to help, is why I do not predict success for you.

Have the day you deserve....

I interpret things the way how I want to interpret things, you interpret things the way you want to interpret things. But I have no "attitude" about anything, therefore there is no "YOUR attitude". And yes some people were throwing subtle insults, I don't need to do any soul searching.

YOUR attitude, and clear distain for people who are just trying to help, is why I do not predict success for you.

Have the day you deserve....

YOUR attitude and clear lack of perspective is why I do not predict success for you either.

Have the day you deserve...

 

[RVAmeche]

I don't think anyones been subtle about how abrasive you come off here and how dismissive you've been. Not the best approach when asking for HELP.

Job market is rough for new grads and on the job training is always the norm. Keep applying (especially outside of Linkedin), widen your search to things that may seem weird, and do what you have to do to make ends meet. Outside of that work on your outward personality and maybe reduce your reddit time.

 

[RattlinBog]

There's "how to win friends and influence people" and then there's its antithesis: "how to lose friends and alienate people."

Unreal. I thought this was joke/satire post at first, but it seems you're serious. Please do some deep introspection if you truly believe this is an acceptable way to talk to people, even if they are internet strangers. Even if you were to totally ignore normal etiquette and the feelings of others, and only focus on your own self-interest, there are surely better ways to make a first impression, no?

 

[Brian Malone]

I am old enough to know job markets are always tough for new grads / those with limited experience. Occasionally, a given area / specialty may have a major run up but then others are stagnant. The late 70's had grads paying finder's fees to job placement agencies while if you were in the right place in the Cal. Silicon Valley, EEs, electronics techs and assemblers were in extreme demand, the Dot Com boom did the same for software engineers, and those outside those hot zones had to be scrappy. In my 48+ years working I see every year reported to be the worst year for new grads. It makes copy for newspapers, magazines, and politicos. An engineering degree is not a limited skill set. It is a wonderful mindset for problem solving. Engineer your success - make it happen. Good luck.

 

[SWComposites]

wdr36,
If you think the job market is bad now, you should have seen it in the early ‘80s.
Anyway, please answer some questions:
- where are you located?
- what degree do you have? level and field?
- what type of companies have you applied to? In what locations?
- have you gotten any interviews?
- if you have had interviews, what feedback did you get?
- if you are a new graduate, are you using your uni’s placement office?
People here will help if you give them more than a one line vague question.

 

[GregLocock]

I've always thought the ideal first job for a graduate is manufacturing of some sort. An engineering degree and a bit of common sense is a great start for problem solving factory floor issues. It also leads to a bit of attitude adjustment.

 

[IRstuff]

Get off that high and mighty attitude if you please.

Fine, carry on; I done with this

 

[LittleInch]

WDr36 - I've been doing that all along. The resume is not the problem.

Well something seems to be amiss and in things like this it really isn't your view and assessment which counts here, it's the person / machine that's reading it, hence why this is most valuable advice given so far. Adjusting each CV to match the opportunity is time consuming, but it's the only way to really stand out or at least get past the first stage. You may well think there is no problem with what you've issued, but this really needs to be put to the test with people who will give you honest feedback. Listen to them.

Mt other advice, which I'm guessing you won't want to hear, is that you really need to get a bit of a thicker skin and realise that not everyone thinks the same way as you, but that's ok. If you don't like the advice given, be a bit more gracious and just say, thanks for the advice, I'll consider that and not immediately go on the offensive.

I'm reminded here of the "rules" when I used to hitch hike many decades ago. Even if you've been waiting hours at some hell hole junction or motorway service station, no one is obligated to stop and give you a lift. Hold out a sign saying clearly where you want to go / road you want and smile at everyone coming towards you. Even if someone makes some sort of gesture, just ignore it. The worst thing is to make gestures back as they drive past. You never know if the next car was going to stop and give you a lift, but changed their mind when they saw you react badly. Such is the way with finding work. You never really knew how long you were going to be there or if the person to stop is going to be driving some beaten up wreck, a fast posh car or a Truck - I usually got trucks....

 

[wdr36]

I've always thought the ideal first job for a graduate is manufacturing of some sort. An engineering degree and a bit of common sense is a great start for problem solving factory floor issues. It also leads to a bit of attitude adjustment.

Given that I have no attitude I fail to see your part about attitude adjustment.

 

[wdr36]

I've been underqualified for my last 3 jobs, either in terms of degreed credentials or general work experience. That said, with good personnel skills and a willingness to learn, I've been able to get the job and keep working my way up the ladder each time.

No one else here has an attitude or is throwing insults, and if you are interpreting things as such, then maybe you need to do some soul searching.

YOUR attitude, and clear distain for people who are just trying to help, is why I do not predict success for you.

Have the day you deserve....

lucy-guesser fyi when I said: YOUR attitude and clear lack of perspective is why I do not predict success for you either. By clear lack of perspective I meant mental limitation too. How do I know this? From your post: "Question is, is there some obscure electrical property that I am unaware of that would cause the bus bar to actually see full load at a given point?" From this I'm no longer predicting, I'm stating: YOUR attitude and clear lack of perspective is why you will not ever find success ever and will fail downwards.

I can change personalities whenever I feel like it and so I have no attitude. Your "predictions" therefore don't represent me at all. But I do encourage you to keep soul searching.

 

[SuperSalad]

Thank you all for coming to our one man show on shitposting. You can all go about your business.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

UK the useful graduates don't stay in Engineering.

 

[wdr36]

Well something seems to be amiss and in things like this it really isn't your view and assessment which counts here, it's the person / machine that's reading it, hence why this is most valuable advice given so far. Adjusting each CV to match the opportunity is time consuming, but it's the only way to really stand out or at least get past the first stage. You may well think there is no problem with what you've issued, but this really needs to be put to the test with people who will give you honest feedback. Listen to them.

Mt other advice, which I'm guessing you won't want to hear, is that you really need to get a bit of a thicker skin and realise that not everyone thinks the same way as you, but that's ok. If you don't like the advice given, be a bit more gracious and just say, thanks for the advice, I'll consider that and not immediately go on the offensive.

I'm reminded here of the "rules" when I used to hitch hike many decades ago. Even if you've been waiting hours at some hell hole junction or motorway service station, no one is obligated to stop and give you a lift. Hold out a sign saying clearly where you want to go / road you want and smile at everyone coming towards you. Even if someone makes some sort of gesture, just ignore it. The worst thing is to make gestures back as they drive past. You never know if the next car was going to stop and give you a lift, but changed their mind when they saw you react badly. Such is the way with finding work. You never really knew how long you were going to be there or if the person to stop is going to be driving some beaten up wreck, a fast posh car or a Truck - I usually got trucks....

Mt other advice, which I'm guessing you won't want to hear, is that you really need to get a bit of a thicker skin and realise that not everyone thinks the same way as you, but that's ok.

But I already have thick skin and yes I do realize that not everyone thinks the same way as me. Like I said I've redone my CV for each different job posting, included necessary information and even asked for professional help.

 

[wdr36]

Thank you all for coming to our one man show on shitposting. You can all go about your business.

Only to the people making retorts and not actual advice. Some people here give good advice.

 

[Maslov]

I struggled to find work for months after I graduated. I had work experience from three student work positions, so I wasn't entirely green, but I still struggled. Two of the student positions were at sites that closed down, and the third was not hiring, so I entered the rat race of resumes and interviews.

It was tough, and for the life of me I could not secure engineering work. I opted to try my hand at trades, specifically targeting trades involved with fields I was interested in.

I got work as a shop-hand for a metal deck builder. He was a structural engineer who pivoted to create a modular decking startup. Though I wasn't doing "engineering", I was cutting miters into tube and angle on a chop saw, prepping for welds, painting, screwing down boards, etc. It was erratic hours, a lot of driving, long days, and back-breaking work, but it put food on the table and kept a roof over my head (and, in a way, it was fun).

Now I'm working at an engineering job where I do structural calcs for chemical process skids.

Did I get this job because I built metal decks? Not solely, but the employers saw it and it helped. It's important to communicate how these "tangential" experiences make you a better engineer. It's thanks to that job that I have appreciation for all the work that goes into construction and assembly, and it has made me a more well-rounded structural designer.

You just have to keep careful not to get stuck in that trade. Keep applying to jobs, talk to any contact you know, and put in the effort. Effort is unfortunately not often rewarded in these areas, but those rare moments it is can make all the difference.

And luck. Get very lucky.

 

[Latexman]

I graduated May 12 and started work May 14. 1979! I worked 45 years, was sold twice, never laid off, and retired this July. I credit my strong work ethic.

 

[lucky-guesser]

lucy-guesser fyi when I said: YOUR attitude and clear lack of perspective is why I do not predict success for you either. By clear lack of perspective I meant mental limitation too. How do I know this? From your post: "Question is, is there some obscure electrical property that I am unaware of that would cause the bus bar to actually see full load at a given point?" From this I'm no longer predicting, I'm stating: YOUR attitude and clear lack of perspective is why you will not ever find success ever and will fail downwards.

I can change personalities whenever I feel like it and so I have no attitude. Your "predictions" therefore don't represent me at all. But I do encourage you to keep soul searching.

Lol, I see that I’m living rent free in your head since you keep replying to me even though I quit watching this thread. And stalking my profile apparently.

I like how you keep giving reasons why you don’t predict success for me, while I have a good career and you’re the one begging for help.

And there are obscure properties with electrical currents where scaling the size of the conductor doesn’t directly scale its ability to carry current. As someone with a mechanical background, I was trying to check with people with more electrical experience. It’s called being humble, and thorough. As professionals do.

And to say that you know you don’t have an attitude because you’re able to change personalities when needed, either you are trolling or you actually have mental issues. You have been off the rails from the get-go whether you believe it or not. If it’s my word versus your word, then that’s a fair debate. But when the vote is 20 to 1, safe to say that one is missing something

Feel free to launch more poorly thought out attacks, I am enjoying the show.