New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
(OP)
Hi
I just recently got my undergraduate degree in Materials Engineering from a reputable university. I'm having difficulty landing my first job. In my final year, some of the courses I took included subjects like powder metallurgy, surface coatings, corrosion, ceramics, polymers, fracture analysis and extractive processes.
I'm really interested in the subjects I took, especially areas dealing with surface coatings, heat treatments and fracture analysis. I need some advice as to what kind of companies would be interested in people with this sort of knowledge. I tried applying to some of the larger companies with student 1-2 year programs, but didn't get too much of a response.
I'm thinking of just going to some local heat treatment and surface coating plants to see if they would be interested in hiring someone like me.
Any advice and personal 1st job experiences are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
I just recently got my undergraduate degree in Materials Engineering from a reputable university. I'm having difficulty landing my first job. In my final year, some of the courses I took included subjects like powder metallurgy, surface coatings, corrosion, ceramics, polymers, fracture analysis and extractive processes.
I'm really interested in the subjects I took, especially areas dealing with surface coatings, heat treatments and fracture analysis. I need some advice as to what kind of companies would be interested in people with this sort of knowledge. I tried applying to some of the larger companies with student 1-2 year programs, but didn't get too much of a response.
I'm thinking of just going to some local heat treatment and surface coating plants to see if they would be interested in hiring someone like me.
Any advice and personal 1st job experiences are greatly appreciated.
Thanks.





RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
I am sure you will find some one responding to your call and provide you an opportunity,grab it and learn well.
Good Luck!
_____________________________________
"It's better to die standing than live your whole life on the knees" by Peter Mayle in his book A Good Year
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
My third job, I stumbled into the "oil bidness", third job was the charm.They used everything ,(gold plated instruments, aluminium drill pipe, titanium pressure vessels, 625 overlay well head,etc : and what is better, you tell the suppliers what you want them to make/do. But you have to know if they are doing a good job.
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
Did I say I really enjoyed my job ?
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
I'd suggest, as others have, you find a manufacturing facility that utilizes the processes you are interested in; particularly one that has an active Metallurgy/Materials department. These can be hard to identify if you don't know the industry, but one source would be to see which companies are active contributers to the "Code" agencies; that is, API, NACE, ASME, ASTM, etc..., those agencies that write the manufacturing standards used by industry in processing these materials. Organizations that can contribute to Standards Development are also those that have the larger departments that deal with the processes you studied. You don't mention where you are located, so your situation may be different.
rp
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
The jobs I've had since graduating in 2005 are typically filled by mechs, but I think the degree I obtained is better suited for some parts of my job and I still use the concepts I learned in school often. I may not have been taught some of the dynamics and other "mech only" concepts but if a boiler ever starts moving at 12m/s and collides with an plastic block while.... well I don't want to be near that anyhow...jk
It would be helpful to know where in the world you are though if you're looking at hints on finding jobs. I do think jobs at small companies where you get hands on experience are great places to start though.
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
I also agree with redpicker and believe that my Materials Engineering degree is very useful. There's a lot of interesting stuff, which a lot of people may not know about.
As for my location, I'm about an hour's drive from Toronto, Ontario. Canada, but I'm pretty much open to moving.
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
Noone could specialise in all of
powdered metals, polymers, coatings, fracture mechanics, corrosion, etc
those are each enormous areas- maybe you mean small sections of each of those areas.
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
I'm in that area as well.
Don't know of any opportunities off hand, but I expect you're in the best spot in Canada to find a job. Lots of small shops as well as world wide corporations.
If you're willing to move, expand your search as far west as London and move east to Kingston, even Ottawa, and everything in between.
Try websites like knighthunter instead of the larger ones like Monster, etc...
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
For someone looking for experience, would the best way be to just go to the local companies and submit a resume?
Another thing is that in university I learned about things like welding, heat treatments, metallography, die pressing, sintering and that as a material engineer you should be able to judge the quality of the manufactured material or process used. So would a small company say a heat treatment plant, have a need for someone with a degree or would they just be having their process/engineering/testing related work done by another company.
For example, a steel fabrication plant would be looking for welders and fabricators from college who have been trained with that stuff and would just expect one experienced person to check the quality.
Or maybe in a heat treatment plant, the owner would be the metallurgist and a lot of the other workers would just be general labour following the defined process.
Let me know if I am wrong as I don't have that experience as to how the industry works.
All previous posts have been really helpful.
Thanks.
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
JC
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
I had the same problem in a down economy when I graduated. I ended up knocking on professors' doors at the university I had graduated from. Two of them hired me to conduct some research for them while I was looking for full time employment. It was this university connection that ultimately to my first full-time job while in the interim I got to perform work in areas I never would have seen otherwise. The knowledge I gained from this research had come in handy during the course of my subsequent career.
Good luck!
Aaron Tanzer
www.lehightesting.com
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
I also had the problem of graduating into an awful recession (early 80s). If you are an hour from TO that places you at either Mac or UW (my school). Both excellent schools, and that should help get you get in the door for interviews. If there is a good aspect to your situation, it is that there is no stigma in 2012 about being an unemployed graduate.
My suggestion is materials testing laboratories - although they can be assembly line sweat shops, you will have exposure to lots of materials, test methods, standards, types of customers, but especially PEOPLE. One of whom may eventually rescue you. In the end, your success will be more about your relationships than your knowledge. Keep in touch with your professors - my first good job was through someone contacting my former thesis supervisor. Attend your local PEO, ASM, etc. chapter meetings and press the flesh with other engineers - they will be more than happy to share their experiences. Its not a cliché to say that there is a giant network out there that you need to connect with and tap in to.
Remember that everything in the world consists of materials, so your expertise will always be needed. Keep upgrading and educating yourself (you can NOT rely on employers for that) - the www is a fantastic resource, without which I could not be in business.
Good luck!
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
RE: New Graduate Materials Engineer - Advice
Further grad work in the fields of fracture mechanics, FEA, and geopolymners also would help in the long term.