Engineering job market in Atlanta

[ATLTJL]

I'm checking out Houston and Dallas and Austin, too

If you're looking for a conservative place, I'd recommend Dallas over Atlanta.

You'll give up the humidity, but it's definitely more southern and churchy than Atlanta, I think.

[MrJester]

Originally Posted by brown_dog_us

I'd check out this path out or get a job in Silicon Valley for 2 years and then move to Atlanta. You probably can get an internship in Silicon Valley easier while at Davis also.

So far I have done two internships--one in a lab in Idaho, another at a NASA facility on the Gulf Coast operating instrumentation calibrations and writing a MATLAB program (that's as much as I'll specify). I also got an interview for a telecomm internship in Atlanta (though I didn't get the job.)

I can see why employers might not want to hire interns from across the country. But like I said, I interned on the Gulf Coast, far away from California. So wouldn't it be even more doable if I moved to Atlanta and started looking for a job there? After all, it's typically 6-9 months between graduation and your first job.

Not opposed to getting a master's, either, but would like to get some industry experience first.

[English Ivy]

Originally Posted by MrJester

So far I have done two internships--one in a lab in Idaho, another at a NASA facility on the Gulf Coast operating instrumentation calibrations and writing a MATLAB program (that's as much as I'll specify). I also got an interview for a telecomm internship in Atlanta (though I didn't get the job.)

I can see why employers might not want to hire interns from across the country. But like I said, I interned on the Gulf Coast, far away from California. So wouldn't it be even more doable if I moved to Atlanta and started looking for a job there? After all, it's typically 6-9 months between graduation and your first job.

Not opposed to getting a master's, either, but would like to get some industry experience first.

I don't think employers would have issues with you applying from across the country. My brother graduated a few years ago from Ga Tech with an engineering degree. As graduation approached, recruiters from companies all over the country were contacting him with offers to fly him in for interviews. So, he interviewed and got some offers from all over, but ended up accepting an offer from AT&T in Atlanta. And they are currently paying for his Master's Degree. One of his friends from Tech got hired by a company in San Diego, and gets to live in the beach.

I think your location is not something they'll care about. They care about whether you're qualified for the job itself.

Also, get the job first, then move.

Best wishes.

[MrJester]

Are there a lot of H1B visas (I would think so, but what about in defense companies)? Heard H1B visas make it virtually impossible for all but the best newly grads to get a job.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

If you're looking for a conservative place, I'd recommend Dallas over Atlanta.

You'll give up the humidity, but it's definitely more southern and churchy than Atlanta, I think.

Actually, both cities are about the same these days on the socio-political standpoints. Dallas is just overrun with transplants and socially progressive individuals as Atlanta.

[stoxdiamond]

Originally Posted by MrJester

Are there a lot of H1B visas (I would think so, but what about in defense companies)? Heard H1B visas make it virtually impossible for all but the best newly grads to get a job.

There are a lot of H1Bs here but I don't think there are that many (or any) working at defense companies due to national security concerns, lots of these companies require US citizenship.

[VJP]

I have an undergrad from Georgia Tech in EE with a focus on RF/electromagnetics including antenna design and passive PCB circuits. I used that education to get a job in the wireless telecom industry when I graduated. I've been in it ever since, though I do much more customer facing/sales roles nowadays (for more money than I ever dreamed of as an engineer! ).

If you don't want to work just on hardware, I would look into applications of antenna design and signal processing..i.e. systems, systems engineering, systems integration. This will lead to a far longer path to the glass ceiling than being a hardware designer, in my opinion. Jobs to do this kind of work are available for new grads in the Atlanta metro for sure.

[Tarzanman]

Originally Posted by MrJester

I am an Electrical Engineering major going into my senior year at the University of California, Davis, and want to move to the Southeast permanently. How’s the engineering job market in Atlanta? Of course, Silicon Valley is unbeatable for high-tech, but I really don’t like the fast-paced, expensive, liberal atmosphere of California, so I’m looking for jobs in the Southeast. I spent a summer in New Orleans and Biloxi and loved the humid weather and scenery there much more than California, so I know I want to go to The South.

Does anyone have insight to the following questions?

1. I am taking courses mainly in signal processing and antenna design. How are the telecomm and Aerospace/Defense industries in Atlanta?
   
2. Is it harder for an engineering grad from California to get a job vs. someone from a nearby college? Do I need a more impressive GPA, internships, projects, etc. than I would need if I were to apply to jobs back in California? We all know how competitive Silicon Valley is, but Georgia Tech is a very prestigious school, too.
   
3. I am a US-born citizen and have heard that since the 1990s the influx of H1B applicants has made engineering much more competitive, especially for new grads. How much of a problem is this in the telecomm/defense companies around the area?

Take as much advantage of the career services department at your college as possible, as well as reaching out on your own to companies in the area you want to live.

Never in your life will you have as easy access to prospective employers as you will as a senior in college.