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Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others
4

Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

(OP)
Hey everyone!

I've nearly graduated for the Ecole de Technologie Superieure in Montreal, Canada and i was wondering where how can i distinguish myself from other graduates.

1- Get more technical knowledge through books
2- Attend seminars, learn and hope to meet my ticket to the corporate world
3- Use linkedin or such community websites to find old lab partners and ask them if they have job openings
4- go to job fairs and do as #2
5- do nothing, as it is luck (or curse) that will push me in the right direction

Non-electrical engtipers are welcome to throw in their 2 cents
 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

At your level, internship, internship, internship.  Makes your resume look much better.  Plus you might get offers from the company thay you interned at.


Good luck!

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."  

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

In my opinion, such as it is, experience and networking are what will help you the most. You can have all the technological knowledge in the world, but you're no good to anyone if you don't know how to apply it. Book smarts will only get you so far...

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP, Certified DriveWorks AE
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Relevant and varied internships help greatly, but since you are close to graduating, maybe they won't.  You and your graduating peers are all shiny, new, and green... relevant experience is all you have to distinguish yourself from the others.

I say do All of the Above, and number 1 should never stop.  Pound the streets and get hard copies of your CV out there.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

4
Too late.  Try asking again two years ago.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

One simple thing you can do is to take a class in public speaking or technical presentations.  

Your poise and ability to communicate clearly and succintly can make a huge impression, even with such a short horizon.

TTFN

FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Get a job in the field you would like to persue, after excelling ask for transfer to technical/design assignment.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Quote (MadMango):


... relevant experience is all you have to distinguish yourself from the others.

MM,

I don't agree. I'd add develop contacts (go to all those CSME ASME etc meetings), learn about how to dress for an interview, learn how to prepare for interviews, figure out how to cold call people without annoying them, and most important, learn to give people feedback -- so if someone gives you a name at a company you want to work for, send a note saying "thanks for giving me John Doe's name, I gave him a call and am meeting him next week" or "I talked to him and he was very helpful".....

My thoughts only
SLH

 
 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Though it sounds obvious, be enthusiastic at job interviews (but don't overdo it either).  I've interviewed people who didn't pay attention or came across as not interested.  Easy ones to weed out.  Act like you're actually intersted in getting the job.

Best of luck.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Learn to be good at research.  For instance, really browse this site, not just this particular forum but also maybe "Overcoming Obstacles Getting My Work Done" & even "Where is Engineering Going In The Next 5 Years".  You will see answers to similar questions.  You'll also see what people moan about in applicants/new hires etc and maybe learn what not to do.

There was a thread about being a 'star' engineer not too long ago, maybe more relevant to once you have a position but worth looking at.

You'll also find several threads on what to wear to interviews etc.

Before asking a question, it's usually a good idea to do your own research first.  However, you did make some reasonable suggestions in you OP.

Tick may sound a bit harsh but he's not really wrong.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Do something interesting so you can have something to talk about at your interviews.

Did you do a senior design project?  What was it?  Do you really understand it?  Can you talk about it intelligently, explaining the goals, challenges, what you learned and why you choose the solution to the problem that you choose?  Do not, under any circumstances, say "well I plugged some numbers into the computer and it said this would be ok, so that's what we did."  You will be instantly shown the door.

 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Come first in your class.

Find a cure for the second law of thermodynamic.

Make damn sure that you target a company that suits your strengths (ie find your strengths and exploit them).

You choose!

Kevin

"It is a mathematical fact that fifty percent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class." ~Author Unknown

"If two wrongs don't make a right, try three." ~Author Unknown
 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Get the best haircut. It's all that will matter, since everyone else will be doing all of the above. Or if you really want to stand out from the crowd, learn to play guitar or drums, or learn to fly. Perhaps there is a company somewhere that would rather hire a real person instead of a cookie-cutter engineer.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

I've got several jobs over the years, from the first job I ever had through to ten years ago, by waiting until the end of the formal part of the interview and then hijacking it by presenting an interesting project that I was involved in.

 

Cheers

Greg Locock

SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Doberdorks, I was commenting from the aspect of only having a stack of resumes in front of me.  The context of the OP (seemed to me) was getting an interview, not what to do during the interview.  I might have been wrong in my assumptions.  

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

(OP)
Thanks for your replies!

Actually, this is my third internship and i'm pretty fed up with manufacturing.  Besides, I've got great communication skills that are clearly not needed for the job i do (mostly CAD and electrical safety procedures)

I'll give a try with LinkedIn, as it will be a great way to find those lab parterns I've lost over the years.

As for Tick comment, it's true.  I've missed my opportunity to enter Hydro-Québec thanks to millions of things that fly over my head as a student (didn't notice THAT email!)

I've been a salesman in the past and is considering becoming a sales engineer (so i can leech on your time with products you don't want!)

A future MBA is also on the radar.

Cheers!!

 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

I missed some great internship opportunities when I was in college due to military commitments.  I made up for it by doing short-term contract work after graduation.

The advantage for me was that I could focus on doing the kind of work I wanted to do (mechanical design).  Also, contracting gave me a chance to see what a company and field was like before getting in too deep.

Be careful in selecting your first job.  If you have a specific field in mind, don't get too far away from it.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Quote (MadMango):

I was commenting from the aspect of only having a stack of resumes in front of me.  The context of the OP (seemed to me) was getting an interview, not what to do during the interview.  I might have been wrong in my assumptions.   

Whoops, sorry about that -- I was answering the wrong question, I guess really my comment is

"if you think your resume is enough to 'distinguish' yourself, good luck".

My jobs have been (no particular order)
1. Working for profs from undergrad, underpaid but doing cool stuff
2. Though networking
3. Temp agency picking my resume off one of the online sites



SLH
 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

As already stated, go ahead and do them all. None of your suggestions will hurt anything (except maybe #5). Also, explore ALL options. This includes sending resumes/applications to companies that aren't formally looking for engineers or don't have ads. Explore all avenues for contacts. I had a few interviews based on parents of my friends. Even if I hadn't really met or discussed the parent, it was enough to get my resume looked at, even if it didn't end up with an interview.

Additionally, when you do get an interview, research the company you will be interviewing with as much as possible. Look up the company website, google the company, check wikipedia, everything. Then, when you are at the interview, you can ask intelligent questions. I have found in interviewing that the questions I ask often get a better reception from the interviewer than a lot of my responses to their questions. I suspect interviewers get approximately the same response from everybody, but each canidates questions are different. Use that to distinguish yourself positively.

-- MechEng2005

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Get pierced, get an odd hair cut with color.

The rest have been recoloring thier hair, and getting a "normal" cut.  Thier piercings will come out for the interview.

It will get you noticed, but probably not hired.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Other than what is noted in the OP, I would keep in touch with the profs who liked my work (the firm I work for keeps in touch with some profs at nearby universities).

Also express a willingness to move to Alberta or British Columbia. You'll be beating prospective employers away with a stick.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Experience > GPA IMO. I personally know students in the 3.9-4.0 GPA range who for the life of them cannot find work.  

I'm ranked 28/28 in my class but have a job waiting for me in May with pay (salary+signon bonus+relocation) in the top 50%. This is because I sweated blood in internships and research positions and have the recommendation letters to prove it. I also worked 5 years in retail before college; soft skills are important today too.

I suggest polishing your resume and really researching the company before talking to their recruiter.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Take a part-time job in the engineering offices. You can make friends among the faculty. Seek other jobs on campus. This is where your professional references will come from.

Do something original for your thesis. I had a team that built a flat-plate pneumatic feedback valve as opposed to the usual spool valve. We ran performance no-load and under load. The report was written in a very frank and informative manner, and we got an A. The prof was the kind who routinely gave C's. I took the report to interviews. Another project was writing a paper for the ASME student club. Got 2d place. This was presented at a monthly meeting.

My references were bullet proof when I came up against some characters who were trying to terminate my career.

At work I introduced the methods of fracture analysis in welded structures with defects. It got widespread attention. It was a good example of a new MME transferring good ideas to his mentor, me.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

zoner82,

I believe that if you, "sweated blood in internships and research positions" but instead were 1/28 (first in your class) you would have pay (salary+signon bonus+relocation) in the top 10% instead of average compensation.

GPAs are only important to you if you have a good one.  

Sinatra,

Perhaps you should make a personal list (not one to post here) of the things that make you different than other graduates.  Review the list and select all of the items that are positive and set them aside for a bit.  With all of the negative stuff, if you cannot change it, remove it from the list and don't think about it again.  

Focus on those things you believe are the most salable. From those work on what you like to do that would make you more competitive.  Work on moving some of the things that are negative into being positive. Rate your efforts such that you will be getting the biggest return for your effort.   
 

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Sinatra,

On paper:

Have you done any volunteer work ever?  How about personal projects (School related or not)?  Have you ever run your own small business?  These things can be very distinguishing for a new grad.

On the interview:

I cannot express the need for a positive attitude.  Negativity is contagious and is hard to steer away from once the conversation shifts that way.  Don't get cocky, stay humble.  Remember to smile warmly and give a firm handshake.  Don't give the interviewer any reason to be pessimistic.

Good luck.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If it is broken, fix it.  If it isn't broken, I'll soon fix that.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Might be beating a dead horse here, but...

You're a Canadian electrical engineer like me (I'm finishing in April 2009 from UVic). You already have a lot on US engineers and the ability to travel abroad if you want to. Our engineering programs are extremely consistent and well respected.

That being said, you're in some good competition within Canada so you have to give yourself all the chances you can. Here's some tips:

- If you haven't already, get involved with engineering student government. You'll learn organization and a bit of leadership (how easy is it to have a social life, do six courses, get good grades and be the president of a society?)

- You're obviously not in a co-op program like me, so I don't have much advise here. I don't even know the meaning of the term "unpaid internship". I'll never work for free.

- Go to your professional society meetings and seminars (It's called APEG BC here in BC, not sure the name of it in Quebec). Not for any information there, but just to chat with engineers and make contacts. You'd be surprised who goes to those things and who's *kinda* a big deal.

- I don't know your personality, but being outgoing and friendly will put you miles ahead in an interview. Remember names. Tell the truth and don't be afraid to answer questions with relevant stories that may tell them you're human. It's important when they ask you "What are your weaknesses?" that you know how to identify them and how you aim to correct.

- Don't bother with doing extracurricular learning right now. They know you're smart. The real test is learning fast and effectively, which will come in the job. You're wasting your time getting the A instead of the A-, in my opinion (I have a B+ average).

- I like the suggestion of working in an engineering office. Email or call a local interesting office and say you'd like to speak to them on the phone or in person about what they do. Put your foot in the door before they post a job. Even if it's not for you, you now know. If it is, your name will pop out on the job lists. Bring a resume if you visit an office.

- Most importantly: you're an engineer, don't ever forget that. You've spent years learning how to analyze problems in a specific way. Use what you know.

I hope this provides insight. This information has come to me after plenty of regional and national conferences, four co-ops and dealing with event sponsors and speaking to corporate reps.  

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

The debate on grades is covered in more detail elsewhere.  Suffice to say there are places that want the straight A's, others that are more interested in the schoold than the grade and others that care more about how you'll fit plus a whole bunch that are a mixture of the above & things I've forgotten about.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

I guess it comes down to whether you want to work for a company that cares only about grades. I think there's a whole host of egotistical management issues that would become very apparent very quickly.

If my grades aren't good enough for a company, then that company isn't good enough for me.

RE: Near graduate seeks to distinguish himself from others

Sinatra

The sad truth is that grades do not necessarily mean it all.  Their are individuals that have lots of drive, spark, etc. and are a better fit for real world application, and may not have had stellar marks for a variety of reasons. Graduation is a great achievement in itself and should not be belittled; however the next step will be/could be of big time relevance in your future.



I would think contacting potential employers, (far and wide, even if no position is available/posted) before you graduate, and trying to land with a group that has lots to offer a newbie (opportunity to learn, grow, diversify) is where your head should be.


Letting them know you are hungry, and understand now is when the real work begins, should help.
Training from old souls.... priceless. Being mentored from the right folks is something you should be in search of.
Good luck.    

 

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