Just Graduated college and lost
Just Graduated college and lost
(OP)
Hello everyone,
I'm new here and thought this would be an excellent place to get advice on my current situation. I have just graduated in December with a BS in Electrical Engineering at the University at Buffalo and am honestly very lost on what path I want to take with my degree. My problem is I have never had any work experience which hurts my current chances of finding a job now. I have been on a few interviews since I graduated, but with no luck and sometimes even question if I would be able to perform my job duties.
I am currently looking into volunteer programs for engineers that will help me gain some experience while traveling to other countries. If anyone here has been in a similar situation or knows of a program that would help me I would really appreciate your input.
I'm new here and thought this would be an excellent place to get advice on my current situation. I have just graduated in December with a BS in Electrical Engineering at the University at Buffalo and am honestly very lost on what path I want to take with my degree. My problem is I have never had any work experience which hurts my current chances of finding a job now. I have been on a few interviews since I graduated, but with no luck and sometimes even question if I would be able to perform my job duties.
I am currently looking into volunteer programs for engineers that will help me gain some experience while traveling to other countries. If anyone here has been in a similar situation or knows of a program that would help me I would really appreciate your input.





RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Your job experience, while a negative factor, should not really be a hindrance. You're a new grad, job experience is an icing, and not the cake. Your own doubts suggest that perhaps you are "not into" EE. Most interviewers can sense your enthusiam or lack thereof during the interview.
I suggest that you review what you really want to do with your life. Does the prospect of spending the next 40 yrs doing EE give you thrills? Does the prospect of designing a new circuit make you leap out of bed in the morning? Can you picture yourself pulling all-nighters working on a circuit design or building or test it? Your investigation of travel opportunities suggest that your interests lie elsewhere than EE, at least in the office setting.
If the answers are "no;" so be it. It's then just question determing what you really want and what makes you tick.
I had a freshman roommate that wanted to be a physics major. 3rd quarter, when he had to declare, he declared for English Lit; this, at a hard-core engineering school. He eventually wound up doing Peace Corps work in Africa.
TTFN
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
I was in your shoes nearly 20 years ago and wish I had it to do over again. I'm not sure what I would be doing today but it probably wouldn't be engineering. I consider myself fortunate in being able to provide for my family in a career that I don't dislike. How's that for enthusiasm? IR's suggestion of the Peace Corps is a good one, I know a few people that went that route and it did a lot for them. You need to decide if you are going to live to work or work to live. I wish you luck in your career path.
Regards,
RLS
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
I recommended considering bio-eng, but they didn't call it that at the time. He went on to med school. I was not at liberty to make decisions like that because I was committed to Corps of Engr obligations.
Would you like to see yourself developing diagnostic machines for the medical field? That would be a more lofty goal than aero-weapons in my view. Use those words, and you will get the attention of HR in that industry.
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Blacksmith
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
http://www.ewb-usa.org/
I will echo the others in that lack of experience should not be a great factor in your employability as a recent graduate. Grades are likely to have greater weight at this time. You should also think about what your ideal type of work would be and look at companies that may offer those opportunities. EE's like ME's have a considerable range in which they can find work. Think about what you truly want, and then be persistent in going after it.
Regards,
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
I graduated from UB in 1975. The semester before me the guys were all getting great offers and the salaries were up to $12,000, can you believe it? When it came my turn we were hit with a recession. I finally did get a job in Buffalo even though I was open to living anywhere. I really think the company wanted a beginner, because they payed much less and an experienced engineer would not have put up with their crap.
I must say though that it was valuable practical experience, and future jobs were much better.
Good luck
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
We just hired a December grad (ME), with zero work expereince. But he loved riding dirt bikes and rebuilding engines which showed he had the aptitude to do what we required of him. He was able to explain how to trouble shoot a mechanical problem we presented him with, and was able to work a few simple problems out on paper using free body diagrams.
What really go him the position was his confidence level. He knew he didn't have any work expereince, but was able to express to us his desire to learn and grow.
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
The book I referred to was written for women who don't have a good enough schlock detector.
Anyway, since you've invested the time and money into this field and you are necessarily averse to working in it, I'd recommend spending at least a couple of years to find out whether it's what you really want. If nothing else, if you live frugally, you'll save enough money to go back to school for a different degree.
TTFN
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
My son was pretty torqued that the CL said he should be a lawyer, because he wanted to be an engineer, or run an airline. So he got a history degree, decided he hated teaching, and eventually, went to law school. He loved it, and he's doing well now, a few years into it. We should have seen it; since he could talk, that kid would rather argue than eat; who else would you want for a lawyer?
So, what would you rather do, than eat? That's your career.
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
(1) Identify your goals - both short term and long term. Put these things in a piece of paper, review it and arrive at something that you would be happy doing. Believe me - it would be great to enjoy your work and yet, get paid for it!!!
(2) Once you identify your goals, do a little bit of study/research on the industries which offer you employment in your chosen area.
(3) Develop self-confidence, you need lots of that to succeed.
Good luck.
HVAC68
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Another thing to keep in mind is that job titles are very transparent these days. Just because a person is hired to do EE, for example, doesn't mean they will necessarily be doing "hard engineering". A lot of the previous posts have made a great point, engineering schlool is just teaching you how to think analytically, among other things, it is not teaching you how to be an engineer. The point is don't fall into the job title/description trap.
On a more fundamental note, what do you want to do? Don't think about it in terms of discrete duties (we as engineers tend to do that), but rather, more abstractly, do you want to help people in foreign countries, design rockets, or maybe some sort of marketing. Joining a volunteer-based organization is an excellent idea, and although the pay isn't good, the experiences are invaluable and I don't know of many people that money has truly made happy.
Best of luck!
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
If you spoke with an HR weenie at L-M, even onsite, that's not an interview, that's a deflection.
If you spoke with an actual Decision Maker, call up that person and just flat ask why you didn't get an offer. Be nice, but don't phrase it so politely that the message gets lost.
Be sure to listen carefully to the response. Write it down immediately, verbatim, so that you may understand it better, later.
If the reason turns out to be something you can fix, fix it. If it's something you can't fix, deal with it.
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Many companies are looking for newbies who are ready to continue learning. They know that a lot of new grads don't have job experience.
I the meantime, ANY job gives you some kind of experience.
Never held a job? Prove you can show up regularly at the local fast-food joint?
People skills? go sell cars or stereos for a bit, while you are searching.
Don't feel bad about your situation- You are aware enough to ask questions and search for answers- congratulations!
Regards
Jay
Jay Maechtlen
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
I graduated about 2 years ago, with a Civil/Structural degree. While in school it seemed that just about everyone, myself included, went through a "funk" and didn't know if they wanted to do engineering for the rest of their life, But by the time you're 3+ years into a degree there isn't really a good option out.
Even though I went to school for structural engineering I work for a pipeline company now. I'd encourage you to look outside of the "traditonal" job that can be obtained with your degree, if the prospect of working as a "traditional" EE doesn't thrill you. There are several industuries that are specialized enough that no degree fits them exactly, so they are willing to hire engineers from different backgrounds and train them to work in that particular industry.
There are all kinds of options for where to work and in what kind of job.
Pat
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
The main reason for my enrollment in eng'g was to act as an entre' into airline aviation, but I later found out that the airlines like to hire from trade schools at shockingly low salaries. I found this out after a laborious flight training program under the GI Bill. I stayed in engineering. No regrets.
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Others have gone into sales, biomed, etc.
My degree was ME also, did a number of things while called an engineer. Now am working as technical writer.
Engineering is a great background/launchpad for lots of other things. And, you can even make a living at it, if needs be...
Jay Maechtlen
http://home.covad.net/~jmaechtlen/
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Consider going to a machine shop or something like it where the work might be interesting and you could learn something. Sweep floors for a while and you could get promoted into something where you could use your abilities. You would have an income and you would be able to take your time searching for a job. It is usually easier to get a job while you are working.
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Good Luck.
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
TTFN
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
The traditional job-finding mechanism was badly broken _before_ we started exporting jobs. Now it's useless.
Find five outfits that need an engineer one day a week.
Take an hourly job at an electronics distributor. You'll meet the outside sales reps, who know where the work is.
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
TTFN
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
A good book about problems with the interview process is "Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job", by Nick A. Corcodilos. The author writes about problems with the current employment system. For me, one of the biggest points I got from the book is that you must explicitly tell the hiring manager that you are interested in the position. Sounds trite, but without that feedback, they may move onto another candidate. But there are many good points in the book that may help you. Good luck.
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Wow...
and then you run into the manager who docks you for restating the obvious.
Hg
Eng-Tips guidelines: FAQ731-376
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
Ummm isn't that the reason I would come in for an interview anyway. Oh well never underestimate the stupidity of the interviewing process. Anyway thanks Don I'll look into the book tomorrow.
RE: Just Graduated college and lost
A little hands-on technical experience has held many a neophyte Engineer in good stead and radio or TV is a good place to learn, if your interests fall along that line.
I remain,
The Ol' SGS