Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
(OP)
I've been reading through the forums, and there's lots of great advice hinting at what I want to know, but I thought I'd start a post to ask directly: How beneficial/ detrimental would it be for me to start my career as a mechanical engineer by taking a technician job?
I graduated with my BME in May, and I've been sending out resumes for months now with no bites at all. To my credit, I have a good GPA, some research experience and a short list of academic kudos. On the other hand, I've no internships or prior vocational engineering experience.
Academic requirements for technicians are an AA or less, so I've been overlooking these jobs, but I get the feeling that there is a glut of new engineers on the job market and experience counts. I'm getting zero experience while I continue to work at my non-technical jobs, and I'd really like to be using some of what I've learned just to keep my chops up.
My biggest concern is that I'd be creating a professional dead-end for myself straight of the gate. Ideally, I'd be making professional contacts and demonstrating my aptitudes. Is there a downside? Would tech experience get noticed in future job searches, or is it too unskilled/'engineering-lite'?
Thanks in advance,
I graduated with my BME in May, and I've been sending out resumes for months now with no bites at all. To my credit, I have a good GPA, some research experience and a short list of academic kudos. On the other hand, I've no internships or prior vocational engineering experience.
Academic requirements for technicians are an AA or less, so I've been overlooking these jobs, but I get the feeling that there is a glut of new engineers on the job market and experience counts. I'm getting zero experience while I continue to work at my non-technical jobs, and I'd really like to be using some of what I've learned just to keep my chops up.
My biggest concern is that I'd be creating a professional dead-end for myself straight of the gate. Ideally, I'd be making professional contacts and demonstrating my aptitudes. Is there a downside? Would tech experience get noticed in future job searches, or is it too unskilled/'engineering-lite'?
Thanks in advance,





RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
As with others in your situation, I would suggest that you find someone to critique your resume, cover letters, basic approach, etc. to ensure that it's not your methodology that's at fault. Since there are new grads that are able to land jobs, you need to explore what sets you apart from them.
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RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
TTFN
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Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
When I interviewed, I made it plain to prospective employers why I took the drafting jobs. Also, the jobs were contract positions, and it was clear that I made no false commitments or promises.
Points to remember when taking a tech job while searching for engineering job:
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
Suggest you continue applying for ME jobs and also apply for the tech. jobs.
Should you land a tech. job, it can be great experience. As others have stated it is certainly better than no experience or experience that is not technical.
On the downside, it will probably be detrimental to your career at the specific company where you are hired as a tech. Once you are hired on as a tech. you will be viewed as a tech. regardless of what your degree says.
Should you land a tech job, I would continue to send out resumes to other companies for a ME job. When you hire on at the new company as an ME the new company will not have "experienced" you as a tech. so you'll always be an engineer to them.
good luck.
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
"it will probably be detrimental to your career at the specific company where you are hired as a tech. Once you are hired on as a tech. you will be viewed as a tech. regardless of what your degree says."
Keep applying for the engineering jobs, polishing your resume, work on your interview skills, etc.
Have you considered a field engineering position? A lot of the work can be very "tech" like and expose you to a lot of experience in a short period of time. The downside is a lot of travel.
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
Thanks for all your input. Mechengdude and spciesla basically filled out my reservations about tech work- that there might be a cultural or institutional 'inertia' that comes with a particular job title or function that eventually gets me nowhere. But the general consensus is that this can be avoided as long as I don't get too comfortable with whatever situation I find myself in... or if I land a job in a company that provides career tracks out of the tech dept.
It was great to get some feedback. Thanks.
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
So watch out, you could start at a company as a tech, excel, and switch to engineering when an opening comes but forever be seen as a tech and given priority technician work as you are deemed the only one competent enough to do it!
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
I worked with four of these young engineers. As I sit here today, one is vice president of the company I used to work for, one is a senior engineer having left and come back to that company, and two are senior engineers for local petrochemical plants, one as subject matter expert in electrical maintenance.
I am proud to have helped them along in some small way.
old field guy
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
What you do not, want to do, is end up like my old math teacher in college. He could do differentiation in his head, but could not change a fuse. I used to have to do that for him.
B.E.
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry
RE: Taking a tech job as an engineering career entry