Information on Entry Level Mechanical Engineering Jobs (school, universities)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by coloradoalimony

Classic case of having a referral from a friend, and being a local graduate.

Couldn't be that he was qualified, now, could it?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Couldn't be that he was qualified, now, could it?

If an employer has a choice between two similarly qualified candidates, and one is a known quantity to him or her either directly or through people he or she trusts, which candidate do you think is going to get the job?

The old saying that "It isn't what you know but who you know" isn't quite accurate. It's more like like "It's what you know AND who you know."

[coloradoalimony]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Couldn't be that he was qualified, now, could it?

There are dozens of qualified applicants for nearly every job in CO, from minimum wage through high six figures.

The employer chooses one. Connections are what get the job 95% of the time. Read post after post on C-D from qualified people who try for years to get a job here while living somewhere else, while not knowing anyone already here. It is almost impossible.

[Katarina Witt]

I'm glad someone gave this gal from Pennsylvania, with a degree from a sketchy college like the University of Pittsburgh, a chance.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by coloradoalimony

As jazzlover said, there is very little manufacturing or mechanical design in CO any more. Most MEs work in energy, and CSM and CU provide all the new grads the industry can handle, and then some.

There's plenty of mechanical design in Colorado and the surrounding states. But, was you said, a lot of it is in energy, and even more is in resource extraction (whether mining or O&G) with specific skill-sets being preferred that you don't see being pushed at the schools outside of PE or Chem E. No one in Colorado (and by default WY, NM, MT, etc) gives a damn if you can design a pump, but if you can design the pump house....

To the original poster, if you can develop a decent skill-set in Process and Instrumentation Diagramming that can really help your job search. A lot of design firms out there like their engineers to have an excellent knowledge of P&ID (not to mention Process Flow) since the engineer can quickly do their own drawings instead of handing it off to a CAD Designer.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

I'm glad someone gave this gal from Pennsylvania, with a degree from a sketchy college like the University of Pittsburgh, a chance.

Well, you obviously had something that impressed someone enough to hire you, despite how you describe your education and the fact that you were otherwise an unknown quantity. There are a few people that manage that, but most don't. I've hired a couple of people that impressed me just by how they interviewed, despite less than stellar qualifications. One turned out to be a disaster, the other developed into one of my best and longest-tenured employees.

Things have changed a lot, in Colorado and elsewhere, since you landed that job. Some changes have been positive, for both job-seekers and employers, but many things have changed in ways that make it more difficult for people to land and hold on to jobs. Colorado's perceived "desirability" factor means that, in most fields, there are far more applicants than there are jobs available. That makes both competition more fierce and, in many instances, drives wages down compared to other places. And not just in lower level jobs--there are plenty of unemployed or underemployed professionals rattling around Colorado, all ready to pounce on a job in their field if one becomes available. That's especially true for people whose skill may not be in high demand, or who lack work experience. For those, it usually means having to go somewhere else to work or to change careers to stay in Colorado. I've done both over the years.

I think that people from other parts of the country would be amazed at the number of Coloradans who fully intended to spend their entire working careers in Colorado who have been forced to relocate elsewhere, often for the remainder of their working career, because they just could not stay working in Colorado.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Well, you obviously had something that impressed someone enough to hire you, despite how you describe your education and the fact that you were otherwise an unknown quantity. There are a few people that manage that, but most don't. I've hired a couple of people that impressed me just by how they interviewed, despite less than stellar qualifications. One turned out to be a disaster, the other developed into one of my best and longest-tenured employees.

Things have changed a lot, in Colorado and elsewhere, since you landed that job. Some changes have been positive, for both job-seekers and employers, but many things have changed in ways that make it more difficult for people to land and hold on to jobs. Colorado's perceived "desirability" factor means that, in most fields, there are far more applicants than there are jobs available. That makes both competition more fierce and, in many instances, drives wages down compared to other places. And not just in lower level jobs--there are plenty of unemployed or underemployed professionals rattling around Colorado, all ready to pounce on a job in their field if one becomes available. That's especially true for people whose skill may not be in high demand, or who lack work experience. For those, it usually means having to go somewhere else to work or to change careers to stay in Colorado. I've done both over the years.

I think that people from other parts of the country would be amazed at the number of Coloradans who fully intended to spend their entire working careers in Colorado who have been forced to relocate elsewhere, often for the remainder of their working career, because they just could not stay working in Colorado.

Regarding my education, I was being sarcastic, if you couldn't tell! Pitt is actually ranked #7 for nursing by US News, but you'd be surprised how many people out here have never heard of it. We actually came here at a time when there was a nursing surplus in metro Denver, so getting a job was difficult.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Regarding my education, I was being sarcastic, if you couldn't tell! Pitt is actually ranked #7 for nursing by US News, but you'd be surprised how many people out here have never heard of it. We actually came here at a time when there was a nursing surplus in metro Denver, so getting a job was difficult.

I think more people would know about Pitt out here than Wasted State.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

I think more people would know about Pitt out here than Wasted State.

Not everybody that attended Western State was a ski bum, though it does have a reputation for attracting them. You might be surprised at how many very successful people are Western alums and how many are in prestigious jobs and careers in this region.

As for Pitt, I'm well aware of its reputation as a pretty darned good university. A friend of mine got his MBA and law degree from there. He is one of those Coloradans, though, who left Colorado for better opportunities elsewhere. He has spent his career as a high-powered corporate attorney--in Pennsylvania.

[flyingcat2k]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

There's plenty of mechanical design in Colorado and the surrounding states. But, was you said, a lot of it is in energy, and even more is in resource extraction (whether mining or O&G) with specific skill-sets being preferred that you don't see being pushed at the schools outside of PE or Chem E. No one in Colorado (and by default WY, NM, MT, etc) gives a damn if you can design a pump, but if you can design the pump house....

To the original poster, if you can develop a decent skill-set in Process and Instrumentation Diagramming that can really help your job search. A lot of design firms out there like their engineers to have an excellent knowledge of P&ID (not to mention Process Flow) since the engineer can quickly do their own drawings instead of handing it off to a CAD Designer.

As an licensed engineer and work in the energy industry, this is TOTAL BS! An engineer should never become a drafter. I know of a number of firms that try to shovel this down young entry-level engineers throats and its garbage. If you want to be an engineer, never take a drafting position. Your experience will be completely wrong (drafting, not design or ops) and you'll be overpriced (using your degree) compared to experienced drafters. You, the engineer, need to know how to properly red-line, i.e. draw on, the drawings to tell the drafter what to do in relation to what is designed or what is in the field. You then hand it to the drafter who makes the chicken-scratch into good, actual drawings. When the drafter is done, you approve the drawings or red-line again and hand it back. It's how controlled drawing remain controlled.

The OP has never probably seen real P&IDs. Chemical engineers deal almost exclusively in those whereas mechanicals are more concerned with pump curves, efficiencies, ect. I didn't see real P&IDs until my first job and I graduated in 2000. There are a ton of mechanical engineers in the energy industry doing both designing the pump, designing the pumphouse, managing the project building said pumphouse, ect. However, we're not going to expect him to know anything on how to do that. Colleges teach great design and theory on how the real-world works. The problem is that every company has their standards and no college will ever teach out of a corporate design standard, except for Olin, who basically set up Olin College as a feeder for their corporation. We fully expect every entry-level new grad to not be productive for a few months and really not be meeting their job description for another year. New engineers take time to train.

Considering the recruiting season is over, I'm wondering if the OP has ever had a job before. If not, that is a strike against you, no matter your GPA or pedigree. Engineering managers, typically, have a low tolerance for having to train young engineers on basic job skills like showing up on time and dressing appropriately. You also can't answer the "How do you handle X situation?" because you haven't earned a paycheck.