Graduated this May still unemployed?
Graduated this May still unemployed?
(OP)
What am I doing wrong?
I graduated from a decent but small engineering school this march/may/june, do not want to leave too much information about my university since only around 5-30 people graduated with Mechanical engineering degrees. Graduated with a decent 3.0 GPA
And am still unemployed, I was employed for a brief month after looking for 2 months but got laid off after one month. And according to my employer he received 100 resumes for that position.
It is December and I am still unemployed. I am mostly searching for jobs on monster and craiglist.
At interviews I am dressing correctly wearing a suit with a white shirt and blue tie with dress shoes and belt.
So am I doing something wrong or is it just the economy? What advice would you give for fresh grads going for entry level positions?
I graduated from a decent but small engineering school this march/may/june, do not want to leave too much information about my university since only around 5-30 people graduated with Mechanical engineering degrees. Graduated with a decent 3.0 GPA
And am still unemployed, I was employed for a brief month after looking for 2 months but got laid off after one month. And according to my employer he received 100 resumes for that position.
It is December and I am still unemployed. I am mostly searching for jobs on monster and craiglist.
At interviews I am dressing correctly wearing a suit with a white shirt and blue tie with dress shoes and belt.
So am I doing something wrong or is it just the economy? What advice would you give for fresh grads going for entry level positions?





RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
There are many threads on eng-tips about getting your first job,I suggest you read them.
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
You could try entering a profile on Linkden - the 'facebook' for business connections. Probably some student friends are listed and will link to you which will, if nothing else, result in spam mail from some technical headhunters. Do a search for pointers on how to best enter your Linkden info. Getting that first year of experience is the hard part, and after that it becomes easier.
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
Assuming that say twenty people get to the interview stage and they all have similar qualifications but lack relevant experience, it then comes down to how you interview there is nothing else to differentiate.
Maybe you come across as nervous (I know I do) or over confident, maybe you haven't researched the potential employer as well as other candidates or just some little thing that goes against you, maybe there are courses or help groups to help improve how you interview?
Especially at entry level it can just be a numbers game, just keep doing the right thing and it will happen but always look to see if there is anything you can do that gives you that little edge.
Good luck.
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
In this market you presumably have one huge advantage over the experienced people who are likely your competition: you have no house to sell, little in the way of belongings, maybe no wife, etc. In other words you are as mobile as you will ever be in your life, so take advantage of it. Be open to taking a job in your second or third choice of geographical areas.
What is your are of interest within Mechanical?
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
For me, it was Consulting Specifying Engineering. They had a list of various engineering firms that employed engineers doing what I wanted to do.
I got on the internet, went to their website, looked at what they did and even if they did not list an opening, I sent a resume.
I got a call back percentage of about 30% and found my current job through this method.
You might also try the trade organizations both to find openings and to network with other engineers, some of whom might be the person you would be working for.
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
HAZOP at www.curryhydrocarbons.ca
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
Finding out about companies that would be of interest to you and then contacting them may be of more use. Don't just look for actual job openings, send your resume or cold call or whatever with any place that looks interesting. This is how I got my first job out of uni, it was just before the internet became all consuming and I went to the local library and found a relevant trade directory. I sent off resumes to every company that looked remotely interesting. I got a lot of rejections and a couple of interview offers. It just so happened that my resume landed on the tech directors desk the very day they were planning on running an add in the paper.
That said, I got my current gig from a resume on monster or career builder or one of those.
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
Best wishes,
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
Also contact your Engineering school for futher employment info. Opportunities may have increased.
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
Is there a professional organization for the area of your interest? Example: If you are interested in HVAC, then join ASHRAE. If you are interested in piping or pressure vessels, then join ASME. You need to meet people in the field of work that you are interested in, and then let them know that you are looking for work. Lastly, don't hesitate to ask professionals in your area what you need to do to become more employable. Then when you make it to your next interview, you can help fill in the employment gap by stating what you have done during the gap to make yourself a valuable employee.
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
Even after fourteen years of retirement I still get flyers from companies posting job openings...Lately they seem to all be from the oil industry and many from up in the North Country/Canada.
I understand not wanting to leave California...I did not want to leave Texas...You simply must go where the jobs are. It really is as simple as that.
Rod
RE: Graduated this May still unemployed?
- federal gov't, state gov'ts public service listings - online
- state gov't unemployment agency job listings for each state- online
- military support services- online
- electric power companies- see their homepage link for current jobs- online
- roadtrip to other engineering schools- they have physical bulletin boards at their engineering offices- you would also need to find an old fashioned paper and pencil to copy down the information.
Some of the more interesting and profitable jobs involve taking a little bit of personal risk and actually doing something differnt- like field services for a few years. Might be time take a little risk.