Very OT: Job Searching

Submitted by JimBobTressel on

Hey guys,

I know that this is firmly off topic, and probably not something to discuss on a football blog, but the folks here are extremely knowledgeable in many areas, and I could use some assistance.

I'm a recent Michigan engineering graduate who's currently living in north Florida, and after spending close to two years working in marketing startups that went under, the search for a steady 9-5 position isn't going all that well. I've tried submitting resumes and applications to job sites like CareerBuilder, Monster, etc. and not much luck so far.

I'm polishing up my LinkedIn profile right now, and I'm going to see what I can find on there. Was just wondering if anyone was in my shoes and had some good tips. Unemployment sucks.

 

EDIT: Yes, willing to relocate to anywhere necessary. Current location is Jacksonville FL. Majored in Industrial Engineering. Currently open to IT, Programming, and Engineering jobs (preferably around entry level).

Cheesecake Wizard

June 17th, 2013 at 10:33 AM ^

There are databases of alumni and where they work through different engineering departments and I believe the alumni center also.  If you email them looking for advice or general guidance, you might get farther looking for a job.  I am a current umich engineering student, and this method has served some of my classmates very well.  Good luck.

Raback Omaba

June 17th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^

I'm a huge fan of networking and being aggressive. Dont take No for an answer - but even if it is No, keep in touch with that person and make sure to see if they have any other potential opportunities for you.

You will be fine and step into a role in which you will thrive, just keep on husting hard.

Best of Luck.

GoWings2008

June 17th, 2013 at 11:17 AM ^

Networking, networking, networking.  That's how the good jobs get hired nowadays.  Linked In is decent, reach out to folks from school that you know, friends of friends, friends of parents, connect with folks.  

Some Linked In strategies:  Have a professional picture on the profile, suit and a tie or something looking good.   Put something in the title such as "Industrial Engineer currently looking for opportunities in the ____ field"  or anything similar.   Then, go to folks who know you to endorse you for any and all of the skills and expertise you have listed.  Maybe even some of your professors.  

SituationSoap

June 17th, 2013 at 11:13 AM ^

You say that you're open to programming -- Do you have any experience doing Django/Python work, heavy Java or Android Mobile development? If so, I'd love to pass your resume along. I work with a great group of people on some serious applications for some serious clients (including the US Military, so bonus points if you have a clearance). Locations are extremely flexible. We have folks in Miami, the DC area and a couple dozen remote employees (including myself).

 

 

elaydin

June 17th, 2013 at 10:39 AM ^

I'm a big fan of LinkedIn. I seem to get job inquiries almost every week and it's also how my current employer found me. Put your resume and skills on there, grow your network, and see what happens. It'll try to post some openings that it thinks are good matches. You can then target the ones that look interesting.

Zone Left

June 17th, 2013 at 10:40 AM ^

Do M Engineering have a career site accessible by alumni? Ross has postings geared towards alumni.

LinkedIn is your best bet. Join all the Michigan groups, they tend to have job postings by alumni that will be seen by far fewer people than places like Monster. Formally applying on websites is probably the hardest way to find good work. It's easier to use the Michigan network.

Blue in Yarmouth

June 17th, 2013 at 10:42 AM ^

If I were you I'd add things like whether or not you were willing to relocate and if so, how far (like around the world or just in the area of the southeast usa for example). Also this may be too much to provide but knowing what salary you expect could be helpful. 

I only ask these two questions because there is often jobs around here for various governnment agencies (i.e. Department of Transportantion and Infrastructure renewal, education, health) that are always posting for engineers as well school boards in our province almost always have engineers as their Directors of Operations. 

The issue is oftne that the pay isn't always great depending on  the position but Directors jobs for the schools boards aren't that bad (Two of my friends are Directors at two different boards and one make 120K and the other 140K). Anyway, if you can add a little more info you might be able to get a lot more helpful suggestions that just where to go online to look for a job...someone might actually have some in mind for you to look at.

S FL Wolverine

June 17th, 2013 at 10:49 AM ^

I work in the defense industry and defense companies are always on the lookout for engineers who are: 1) U.S. citizens; 2) Able to get security clearances.  This gives any potential candidate a leg up on the competition; in fact for many jobs these are employment requirements.  It's no secret that science, math, and engineering college grads (US citizens) are on the decline here, with international students on the rise in those fields.  The defense companies are swimming in jobs that they have difficulty filling due to those limitations.  I see lots of defense jobs on Dice, but try going to the indivudual company job search websites like:



    Northrop Grumman

    Lockheed Martin

    BAE

    Raytheon

    L-3 Communications

    Boeing

    General Dynamics

    CSC

    United Technologies



You will have to be open to relocation.  Good luck!

beenplumb

June 17th, 2013 at 12:00 PM ^

In my experience, they usually will have posted a job on the job board that they are trying to fill. If you respond to the posting, they'll usually get in touch with you if they like your experience / resume. 

Even if you're not qualified for the specific position, these are still really good people to know and have a relationship with, as they'll keep your resume on hand to give to their other clients (they make a commission off of filling open positions, and that commission is usually a % of your agreed-upon salary, so they're incentivized to help you negotiate a competitive salary). It doesn't hurt to get on the phone with them if you can and talk yourself up a bit.

If you're interested in moving back to the Detroit / Ann Arbor area, and are interested in continuing to work in start ups, I'm connected with a lot of people through Venture for America, many of whom work in the M@dison building downtown. Not sure how many engineering firms are there, or are hiring, but I could put my feelers out there if you're interested.

LB

June 17th, 2013 at 10:55 AM ^

in the country is the USPTO. In addition to the main campus in Alexandria, they have recently opened a Detroit office.

bluebyyou

June 17th, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^

I'll second the USPTO....a bit different being a patent examiner in that you will use your technical expertise to evaluate patent applications.  I did this some time  ago when I received my Chem E. degree. The USPTO has had programs where they will pay for law school and DC has several excellent law schools with evening programs.  Took me four years and had a great career.

http://www.uspto.gov/

Good luck in your search.

 

 

bronxblue

June 17th, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^

Also support this idea.  Patent attorney here who never worked for the USPTO but did the engineering->law route (then, weirdly, back to engineering).  Definitely worth the time to look into it, especially if you are willing to relocate.  They even given bonuses to certain disciplines on top of the pretty good salary.

LexArborWolvCats

June 17th, 2013 at 10:56 AM ^

I am currently in your shoes as a recent college grad. I am currently employed as a engineering technician for a testing company. Although I am not necessarily using my degree as I intended, I am getting field experience and multiple certificates that I believe will ultimately make me more employable in the future. So if you can handle not getting paid incredibly well for a while, it's a fairly easy job that is always hiring.

raleighwood

June 17th, 2013 at 11:00 AM ^

I think that networking is the key to finding a job.  It sounds like you haven't been out of school that long so you might not have an extensive network but definitely try to keep in touch with former co-workers because they quite possibly have remained in the same line of business.  Linked In is a great resource.

It's difficult to compete with all of the people out there on Monster and sites like that.  It's always much better if you know someone inside the hiring company.....even if it's a friend of a friend.  I used that route last year and got a couple of interviews with good companies.  In the end, I stayed with my own company and took a transfer.

I moved from North Carolina to nothern Florida (JAX) earlier this year and this area definitely doesn't seem to have as strong of a job market....but it's not too bad.  My company was recently named the "Florida Manufacturing Company Of The Year".  I think that the Governor has been on-site twice this year already and we have manufacturing expansion going on.

Good luck in your search!

 

 

 

raleighwood

June 17th, 2013 at 11:42 AM ^

I've only been in town for five months so I'm not very well connected.  However, I'll take a look at our company website to see if any engineering jobs are posted.  If so, we may be able to connect offline to review them.

bringthewood

June 17th, 2013 at 11:02 AM ^

LinkedIn is good for both job listings and better yet networking.  The best luck I have had is to identify the companies I wanted to work for and approach them directly either through HR or someone on LinkedIn.  They sometimes do not have open positions but will often talk to you, especially if you have made a decent case for why you think you would be a good fit for their company.  It shows some initiative because you have already done some homework on them.

I'm not an engineer but I think that apprach would still work.

 

Ron_Lippitt

June 17th, 2013 at 11:09 AM ^

LinkedIn. Yes -- a thousand times LinkedIn.


I'm a staffing executive, and have been in the industry for more than 20 years. Technology and process continue to evolve -- but networking has never changed, and remains the key to not just GETTING a job, but carving out a career path in today's fast-moving world.


Spend time on LinkedIn. Create a compelling profile for yourself that doesn't just say what you are -- but tells readers WHO you are. What type of person, and what are the things that drive you. Give as much data as you can about the things you've done, accomplishments, awards, etc. Then -- look for the people who have careers that mirror the one you want. Connect with them. Buy them coffee. Talk to everyone! Keep connecting to folks on LinkedIn. Tell them what you're trying to do. People love to help others!! Remember to also look at the friends of the people you're connecting with. Expand that network, and appeal to people personally for assistance and advice.


I cannot stress enough how important using LinkedIn is to form the first basis of physically connecting with people. Remember that as you create a short-list of targets, get the conversation past email. Phone calls at a minimum, but face to face remains a must. LinkedIn makes life sooooo much easier, and once people know you, know who you are, and what you want -- you've empowered them to help you!


My dad always said -- "If you wanna be rich, hang out with the rich people." LinkedIn is a technology tool for that very purpose. Use it!

Feat of Clay

June 17th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^

Thanks for this very helpful advice.

My spouse has been looking for work for a while.  He joined LinkedIn some time ago, and his connections are limited, mainly a small group of high-level people he used to work with in 3d software development.  He has kept this list small, kind of thinking that he didn't want to 'water down' his circle of prestigious industry leaders; that this small inner circle would reflect well on him when people viewed his profile.

I'm astonished to hear people describe LinkedIn as a great source of job inquiries, becase that has not been his experience.  But now I suspect that his concept of LinkedIn is just wrong, and that he needs to widen his circle.

clarkiefromcanada

June 17th, 2013 at 11:13 AM ^

I'm following the advice of the many here who indicate that your network is, at minimum, your key to most employment potential. That said, I'd advise you sit down (with someone you trust who is experienced in your field) and consider what your personal brand identifies. At some point you need to be able to establish meaningful differentiation between yourself and your cohort or peer group. This is definitely a wedge issue in hiring/retention; not always for a job but for the elite positions or ones you think might be cool. Sit down and consider what your individual brand looks like on your Linkedin profile, your resume and how you establish that thing personally.

As both a clinician and educator I find it increasingly annoying that graduate schools (and undergraduate schools fwiw) do not  seem to sit the young people down and establish that they need to focus on technical differentiation and personal brand establishment (as there are dozens of others exactly like you in the world). If you differentiate and establish a personal brand meaningfully, you win. 

Best of luck with your new job (hopefully).

JeepinBen

June 17th, 2013 at 11:13 AM ^

I work in the Auto Industry and EVERYONE is looking to hire. All the big 3 and lots of suppliers too. While new sales aren't quite back to their pre-recession peak, the US is set to manufacture the most cars domestically since 2002. Engineers I talk to at all 3 of the big 3 have told me directly that their groups are looking for more engineers.

Indeed.com has thousands of engineering listings, that's a great job site to use. Good luck.

maizeonblueaction

June 17th, 2013 at 11:40 AM ^

a certain number of jobs via Monster/whatever, and that really isn't the way to go for that. I finally ended up just going back to school, which is always an option if you want to bump up your skills. In general, simply networking is key, and just being in touch with as many people as possible. Also sounds like you have some experience trying to do your own thing, and I would almost sell that. It shows an entrepreneurial spirit, and just downplay the whole "failure" thing. Also, if doing your own thing still appeals to you, don't stop working on it, even when you land a job-job; who knows what it could become.

Mr. Rager

June 17th, 2013 at 11:44 AM ^

Networking via LinkedIN is going to be one of your best, if not THE best, resources.  Here is what I would do (I have been through this song and dance a couple of times):

- Find a few solid job posting sites (www.indeed.com pulls from many and is my favorite - the jobs stuff on LinkedIN isn't bad, either)

- If you find a job you like, check with your LinkedIN network to see if you know anyone that works at the company.  If you do, reach out to them before applying.

I have used headhunters in the past - gotten exactly 2 job offers from them (one pre-2008 market crash) out of about 1,000 opportunities.  I would NOT rely on them at all.

If your network isn't strong enough to get a few job interviews by my method above, I suggest finding a job online and then calling the company to try to get ahold of someone in HR.  If you've got a 1 in 500 shot on getting a job through a headhunter - you've got about a 1 in 10,000 chance of getting a job from submitting an online profile / resume.

Password is Taco

June 17th, 2013 at 12:07 PM ^

Tough times out there now for new grads. I've been trying to break into aerospace for most of the past year with an int'l bus degree. Sequestration has basically destroyed my hopes though, especially in my area (DC/Northern VA). Started to look in other locations and interviews are finally starting to roll in, been biding my time working part-time at an aerospace place I used to intern at. Just a shitty time for us to come out of college. Best of luck to you.