More lay offs (Detroit, Ann Arbor, Dearborn: for sale, travel, income)

[Ivorytickler]

Man, will this ever end. I heard on the news this morning that Ford is laying off again (I'm in Dearborn so this hits us hard). I was let go from a parts supplier last year. I noticed that the prototype shop I used in my design days is up for sale. Seems like everything is just shutting down with no end in sight.

Unemployment stinks. I have way too much time to think about this stuff.

Anyone know anyone who is hiring design or test engineers in SE Michigan? Dumb queston

[cab15]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

Man, will this ever end. I heard on the news this morning that Ford is laying off again (I'm in Dearborn so this hits us hard). I was let go from a parts supplier last year. I noticed that the prototype shop I used in my design days is up for sale. Seems like everything is just shutting down with no end in sight.

Unemployment stinks. I have way too much time to think about this stuff.

Anyone know anyone who is hiring design or test engineers in SE Michigan? Dumb queston

Good luck finding another job in the area, especially w/ any security. I was in your exact same boat. I *was* Design Engineer w/ Lear Corp, working out of the Ann Arbor area. I couldn't find ANYTHING in MI, when Lear started cutting again. I ended up taking a Designer job in Warsaw, IN (Orthopedic Manufacturing Capital of the World). Pay is very competitive to Metro Detroit, cost of living is MUCH cheaper. You're only 3 hours from Detroit to visit friends/family or around 5 hours to Traverse City/Northern MI to play.

[Ivorytickler]

Unfortunately, my husband's job anchors us here for now. We can't walk away from his job so I can find work elsewhere.

I just finished student teaching and will certify in math, chemistry and physics in the fall. But, alas, with the mass exodus from Michigan, schools aren't hiring either. Sigh.

This just stinks. Hopefully, I can find something, even temporary by fall but it sure is an anxious time. I don't see Michigan bouncing back any time soon.

[mich2fla]

You can be a sub teacher. That way you can get your foot in the door.

Good luck!

[Michigansnowflake]

ugh! Have a friend downstate that worked for Lear, of course he hasnt had any work from them or anyone else. He is close to losing his home I feel so bad for everyone still trying to make it in the Auto Industry, and we are so blessed that we were able to get out of it. Good luck to you and all who are struggling right now.

[sikes0000]

We just had some layoffs. Its stange because we just hired people too. Welcome to the world of Human capital.

Design or test engineers? From my experience they are two very different jobs. What is your background? DE's can also means lots of things to lots of different companies.

I have been a design engineer. It required a degree and several years engineering experience. Although I have worked for places that were not quite as stringent. From talking to head hunters in SE MI for the past couple years mostly they want DE's to sit in front of a tube and create CAD models all day. I never agreed with this because I did more CAD work as a DE then I did working as a CAD operator back in the 90's

Most of the places I worked treated test engineers poorly. But they did not always need degrees. However, they tended to be contract and get the short end of the stick. Work when they are told and lots of stress.

Automotive sucks right now but there are still jobs out there. I would lean towards electrical if anything. Electrical packaging, wiring, schmatics. It is extremely difficult without a degree though.

You really need to think outside the box these days. There are still lots of smaller companies looking for DE's. And it could be anything you imagine. I even worked for a compnay that made furniture. Even architecture might be a choice if you are good on the tube. But as a test engineer I would still lean towards electrical.

Wish I could help you out. Its funny, I ask HR if there are any jobs postings because I know several people looking for jobs. So they send me to the company website to check job postings (which is identical to our internal postings). Thanks for nothing!

You need to post your resume everywhere. And make sure to update it weekly so it stays at the top of the list on sites such as Monster.

And cold contacts work too. Go throught the thomas registry for companies that do testing or design. Send them your resume. You have nothing to lose. Smaller newspaper websites work sometimes too. I had a boss that used to go door to door with his resume. Drive through those big industrial parks and get company names. I have done that before.

[scarabchuck]

Just because your husband is anchored here doesn't mean you have to be. Welcome to the new trend of couples working out of state. I spent a year and a half away from my family. I was three hours away so I would just commute on the weekends. I know plenty of people working out of state and even out of the country that have families. It sucks but you do what you have to. There seems to be work out there ( I am a design/engineer also) but it's on the buddy system and you have to be at top of your game (and knowing 2 or 3 cad systems helps too) , start hitting up all those contacts...
Also it seems like the aerospace/defense industry is slowly creeping up in this area...
Good luck.

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by scarabchuck

Just because your husband is anchored here doesn't mean you have to be. Welcome to the new trend of couples working out of state. I spent a year and a half away from my family. I was three hours away so I would just commute on the weekends. I know plenty of people working out of state and even out of the country that have families. It sucks but you do what you have to. There seems to be work out there ( I am a design/engineer also) but it's on the buddy system and you have to be at top of your game (and knowing 2 or 3 cad systems helps too) , start hitting up all those contacts...
Also it seems like the aerospace/defense industry is slowly creeping up in this area...
Good luck.

No. I have two kids and I'd like to actually raise them. Commuting from another state is out of the question. We'll live on one income first. Unless I find something making enough more than he does out of state, we're staying here. I'm not likely to find work in either Michigan or Ohio and that's as far as I'm going. I'll be commuting daily.

I hear ya on the buddy system. Unfortunately, all my buddies are in Ford and Visteon and they're both laying off. This economy really stinks.

[GlassPipe]

I work for an IT service company who serves the automotive industry. We're in the process of being bought out and we're all a little scared. Especially those of us in automatable positions. I wouldn't mind the unemployment for a couple months though so that I could find a job I'm actually happy in. I know it's terrible to say, but at the same time it's like torture. I sit in a tiny little room all night and babysit systems. ugh... I wanna go back to swingin' hammer but that industry is tanked around here too.

Best of luck to you.

[Ivorytickler]

I understand wanting to find something you like. I had zero job satisfaction in automotive testing. After a while, you come to realize that everything you're doing will be driving to a junk yard in 12 years. That nothing you do really matters beyond making money for the company today. I'd love to find something I can feel good about but in this economy, you take what you can get.

I just finished a secondary teaching degree so I hope I can find meaningful work there. Unfortunately, we're exporting teachers along with automotive jobs right now so that market isn't good either.

With two masters degrees you'd think I could find something.

Glasspipe, what did you do before? My step son works construction and is, finally, finding work here after traveling the country for years in order to work. Sooner or later, you have to rebuild things. It might not be a bad time to look in construction.