Engineer - Job Search Advise (Huntsville: student loans, headhunters, find a job)

[averymaie]

What is the best time of year for job hunting? We are in Vegas and I've been applying my husband for any job he is qualified for and then some. He has received 2 call backs with no luck.

Is there a hiring season? DOD, DOD contractors, private companies...do they hire more at a certain time of year?

What is a typical salary for an engineer with 5+ years experience, and a Masters degree? (He has a MS in Electrical Eng.)

Who helps pay back student loans? DOD is the only place I've seen, is this typical for other companies as well?

Do companies help pay for education? He is working on is PHd now and would like to get it in Vegas or Huntsville if hired at a new company. Is that a deterrent?

What do I need to do to get him hired? Is it easier once your there?

Is it just getting in somewhere and getting them to relocate and then transfer to a better job?

Ultimately for him to consider the move; he wants research ability, education (assistance / possible pay back of loans), job stability, $90k+, relocation assistance. Is this too much to ask for????

Thank you! Any advise is appreciated...

[guxu]

I've been applying my husband for any job he is qualified for and then some.

What do I need to do to get him hired?

Does he even want to find a job?

[averymaie]

Also...how do headhunters work? Do you have to pay them or do the companies using them pay for that service?

[Lamar Bowman]

Originally Posted by averymaie

Also...how do headhunters work? Do you have to pay them or do the companies using them pay for that service?

The company pays for them. But dont expect to be paid as much as normal as that pay will come out of your potential.

[averymaie]

Yes, it just has to be worth it to move the family. We don't want to leave a decent situation for a worse one. We just want to move to a better place to raise our three kids, and have a good economy for engineers.

[dijkstra]

He is competing against a huge pool of engineers. Our local University, UAH, pumps engineers out by the hundreds every semester so companies have plenty to hire from. These younger guys today have no loyalty to the company they work for and after they get a few years experience, they move around from job to job to get increases in salary. At any given time, your husband is probably competing against a hundred or more local engineers for a particular job posting. Why would they want to pay for relocation when they have a ton of local talent?

He will have to be persistent and will eventually get some interviews and probably get a job. It may just take some time and he may have to take a lower salary to get his foot in the door and get moved here.

On a side note, I find it a little odd that his wife is applying for jobs for him. Some of the places I have applied in the past had online questionnaires and tests that there is no way someone else could have done for me. Even the silly HR, hypothetical questions he would need to answer himself because trust me, an engineers personality is completely different than the typical person. If someone else answers those questions, it will almost undoubtedly show them as not compatible for the position.

[pkbab5]

I don't think there's a hiring season that I know of.

He may be having trouble finding an engineering job in Huntsville if he does not have a clearance.

I don't think you can get $90K+ on 5 years of experience and a Masters degree. That's actually fairly junior around here. He needs to think more like $60K-70K. Possibly less if he has to get a clearance. $90K+ is more 10 to 15 years of experience. Remember that cost of living in Huntsville is a lot cheaper than Vegas. Also, once you get a company to pay for your clearance, job stability gets much much better. You may get laid off every couple of years, but it is VERY easy to find a new contract to jump on when yours ends as long as you have that clearance.

I have intereviewed with a lot of engineering companies here and none of them offered to help pay back student loans. It's assumed that your salary will cover that.

Some companies pay for education. Usually it's in the form of reimbursing up to a particular sum of money per year contingent upon 1) the courses being applied to a degree program in a degree that your boss approves and 2) you earn a B or better in the class. I don't think it's a deterrant.

There are a few job fairs hosted here in huntsville that are good. If you can find one that has a lot of big engineering firms coming, it would be worth taking the trip out. Hiring folks are much more likely to consider someone without a clearance if they see that person in real life, chat with them, and form a positive impression.

[NoleFanHSV]

90K for 5 years and and a master's degree in EE? That sounds about right I think. I know a few EEs with around 8 or 9 years making more than that and some less.

[averymaie]

Originally Posted by dijkstra

On a side note, I find it a little odd that his wife is applying for jobs for him. Some of the places I have applied in the past had online questionnaires and tests that there is no way someone else could have done for me. Even the silly HR, hypothetical questions he would need to answer himself because trust me, an engineers personality is completely different than the typical person. If someone else answers those questions, it will almost undoubtedly show them as not compatible for the position.

I do all of the searching, he does all of the questions. It's kinda how we operate. Team work

[oberon_1]

What does it mean you are trying to get him hired? What about him? He has to do the searching, because it is highly specialized. You may not be familiar with the professional nuances which make the whole difference. Better let him manage the effort.
1) it's not agriculture or tourism, so the hiring process isn't seasonal.
2) again, it's specialized. He has to apply exactly where he fits in professionally. That's not easy. On top of that, many positions require very specialized experience.
3) he needs to be flexible regarding potential relocation. Forget a "decent place to raise our children". Also forget the "job stability and $90K salary". There is no stability anymore. Its a horrible time for job seekers. He may need to do a temporary move (he alone) in order to gain more experience and continue the search while working. Finding a job while employed at a good company is much easier.
4) there are a few Internet boards with advertised positions. He can post his résumé there where potential employers can view it.
5) today's job hunting is a frustrating, very difficult process. You both need lots of patience.
6) relocation reimbursement was common in the 90s. Today very few positions-offer such thing and mostly for senior position (VP, Pres, CEO). But in any case it's worth asking.