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After about a year and a half after graduation, I have still been unsuccessful in finding my first engineering position.
I graduated from a respected University with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering in December of 2014. My cumulative GPA was a 3.63.
After being turned down for all of the interviews that I have had, which were for entry level engineering positions, I think that I should aim lower. I would like to find a job that helps me to improve my mechanical aptitude and possibly some engineering skills; jobs like a junior engineer at a hotel, junkyard related work, HVAC related work, or working with cars in some capacity.
I never took my FE Exam. I am socially awkward and therefore a poor interviewer. My network is not very good either. Should I focus on improving my communication/interviewing skills and/or take my FE exam? Should I try to get more common sense and practical skills from a job that doesn't really require a degree? What advice do you have for me?
I have been in engineering for 30 years and never have seen a worse time to be an engineer. The jobs in engineering still in USA are DoD, California and a few tiny set of places near several big cities. That is real engineering jobs. Most engineers converted to IT, in fact in interviews expect to be getting IT and not engineering questions because some places don't even know what engineers are anymore since the corporations moved all the real engineering positons overseas. I hate IT so I would not recommend it, to me it is full of guys digging ditches and filling them in. They invent stuff that doesn't help and so on. If you are into that, places out there jumping on people who take a class in "cyber security" and other buzz words. I know people with advanced physics degrees who couldn't get work and switched to cyber security by taking some course. I don't like any of that, so depends on what you want. Switch to nursing or something else that won't move outside US, put up with "cyber security" or other IT work, or get something totally unrelated. One top notch electrical engineer I worked with, super brilliant engineer kind of in his own world but best of the best just got work in a concrete company.
As I mention engineering work is worst I ever saw in my 30 years. The few guys I know still calling themselves engineers are really paper pushers fundamentally, emailing overseas offices, drawing something for other overseas offices, etc. Other are not engineers and long ago went to IT, or cyber security or something.
I have been in engineering for 30 years and never have seen a worse time to be an engineer. The jobs in engineering still in USA are DoD, California and a few tiny set of places near several big cities. That is real engineering jobs. Most engineers converted to IT, in fact in interviews expect to be getting IT and not engineering questions because some places don't even know what engineers are anymore since the corporations moved all the real engineering positons overseas. I hate IT so I would not recommend it, to me it is full of guys digging ditches and filling them in. They invent stuff that doesn't help and so on. If you are into that, places out there jumping on people who take a class in "cyber security" and other buzz words. I know people with advanced physics degrees who couldn't get work and switched to cyber security by taking some course. I don't like any of that, so depends on what you want. Switch to nursing or something else that won't move outside US, put up with "cyber security" or other IT work, or get something totally unrelated. One top notch electrical engineer I worked with, super brilliant engineer kind of in his own world but best of the best just got work in a concrete company.
As I mention engineering work is worst I ever saw in my 30 years. The few guys I know still calling themselves engineers are really paper pushers fundamentally, emailing overseas offices, drawing something for other overseas offices, etc. Other are not engineers and long ago went to IT, or cyber security or something.
Do you have any other interests?
I do have interest in programming. I took a Matlab class at university, but that is all of the programming that I have taken a class in. I recently started looking into Java on my own.
I have used some CAD packages like Solid Edge, SolidWorks, and AutoCAD. I think I would be interested in using those programs or something similar.
I am open to doing lots of different jobs. When people ask me what I want to do with a mechanical engineering job, up to this point I usually say that I don't know. But recently I have been aiming for jobs in Industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, and design engineering.
My current location is in upstate NY, but I am willing to move to just about any state to get a job (preferably to a city).
Currently I work a temporary position as a content mapper, and on the weekends I work in a warehouse. I want to find a job that will give me some useful experience to get into a better job in the future.
I heard some photonics companies relocating to NY, can't say though for sure if they are hiring. They involve ME's on some of the stuff.
Manufacturing is a problem area, companies not wanting to do it anymore in US. So hard to see it as a growing area, even positions I get called they say manufacturing by end of conversation I know it really is about setting things up for an overseas operation. Industrial similar. GE used to hire hundreds of engineers in NY, they are hoping to be a big industrial company but having some concerns when I see they are laying off though.
Try getting a job lined up in Asia or South of the Border. Thats where all the engineering jobs are going and will ALL end up sadly before its all said and done.
.. Unless you're content being used and abused by the Fraud Temp agencies.
Its getting to a point where everyone will need to start looking abroad for work. Until businesses start getting taxed for outsourcing this will only continue.
Wait till Trump is elected. Then everything we buy will be made in the USA, and it will cost $20 to buy a made in USA paperclip. No wonder CEOs are crapping their pants right now.
After about a year and a half after graduation, I have still been unsuccessful in finding my first engineering position.
I graduated from a respected University with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering in December of 2014. My cumulative GPA was a 3.63.
After being turned down for all of the interviews that I have had, which were for entry level engineering positions, I think that I should aim lower. I would like to find a job that helps me to improve my mechanical aptitude and possibly some engineering skills; jobs like a junior engineer at a hotel, junkyard related work, HVAC related work, or working with cars in some capacity.
I never took my FE Exam. I am socially awkward and therefore a poor interviewer. My network is not very good either. Should I focus on improving my communication/interviewing skills and/or take my FE exam? Should I try to get more common sense and practical skills from a job that doesn't really require a degree? What advice do you have for me?
A lot of engineers get IT jobs. For instance I studied ME engineering and ended up as a .NET developer.
If you like programming, then work really hard and get good in Java (or .NET). Then you use your knowledge to sell applications to companies you got connections with and put it on your CV. If you do that, you will be hired in a year.
If you don't want to become a developer, then I suggest you apply for jobs in areas that lack engineers. While you are applying for jobs, you should do small engineering jobs. In this way, you won't have a hole in your CV, and you will keep your engineering knowledge up to date.
Learn how to program the iPhone, basic cad in Rhinocad and some basic electronics tinkering kit like Arduino.
Then think of a project to make which includes designing the physical product in rhino, the guts in arduino and interfaces over bluetooth to the iPhone.
there are loads of "maker" websites that give info on all of this.
Then look for work at BMW Tech in Chicago and R&D in Mountain View, Mercedes Benz R&D in Mt. View, Google Car team in Mt View, Uber r&D in pittsburgh, and apple car team in Cupertino. Other sectors where it is easier to get hired right now is the "internet of things." but i think the cars will pay more for the next 5-10 years.
Also consider learning German. Germany actually employs engineers, has a mega shortage of front line engineers and an easy to get "blue card" visa system.
After about a year and a half after graduation, I have still been unsuccessful in finding my first engineering position.
I graduated from a respected University with a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering in December of 2014. My cumulative GPA was a 3.63.
After being turned down for all of the interviews that I have had, which were for entry level engineering positions, I think that I should aim lower. I would like to find a job that helps me to improve my mechanical aptitude and possibly some engineering skills; jobs like a junior engineer at a hotel, junkyard related work, HVAC related work, or working with cars in some capacity.
I never took my FE Exam. I am socially awkward and therefore a poor interviewer. My network is not very good either. Should I focus on improving my communication/interviewing skills and/or take my FE exam? Should I try to get more common sense and practical skills from a job that doesn't really require a degree? What advice do you have for me?
I don't post much any more, but this thread had such bad advice, I thought I should post something.
First, what the heck is the FE exam? Second, you can get a job at a hotel, junkyard or HVAC company if you need something to tide you over. But none of these is going to mean much on a resume for a mechanical engineer.
You also state: "I have used some CAD packages like Solid Edge, SolidWorks, and AutoCAD." Used? In what capacity? The mechanical engineers (and non-degreed mechanical designers) I've worked with know these packages, in addition to Pro-E, inside and out. They use them every day.
What work experience do you have? Did you do any internships while in school?
"I am socially awkward and therefore a poor interviewer"
You need to work on that. Regardless of how brilliant an Engineer you may actually be, if you give the impression of not being able to communicate with others, no organization in their right mind would hire you.
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