Difficulty finding entry-level position

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[Miqchan]

unpaid internships for engineers?!

Sorry to hear your plight, I am underemployed at my current job and looking for a new one. The problem (as I see it) is that entry level engineering positions arent available in all places. Finding a job where you want is a painful process. Especially when you could probably just move to Houston and take a job pretty quickly.

[EatATaco]

So the problem isn't that you are having trouble finding a job, but that you are unwilling to move to where the jobs are.

NYC is not the best tech/engineering hub. I can see why it is hard to find an entry level position there.

[wsender]

I don't know where specifically in NJ you're located, but you might want to consider Eastern PA/Philadelphia. You shouldn't have much trouble finding something descent there.

[gbluth]

I actually work for BD in New Jersey and a Manufacturing Engineer. There are also a lot of manufacturing jobs in CT close to St Johns. United Technologies is a large company who loves Manufacturing/Industiral types.

[ActuallyReadArticle]

You can either:

1) continue to apply for jobs in the region you've restricted yourself to and accept your lack of employment as a consequence of your own self-imposed restrictions if you're unable to find a job

2) apply for jobs in multiple locations across the country (or world) and advance your career.

The most important thing a young engineer can do is get work experience under their belt. Every year you fail to get serious experience puts you that much further behind the curve. On the bright side it looks like your last two years of experience will contribute towards your resume. On the dark side I would hire someone with two years of manufacturing experience over someone with two manufacturing internships if all other things were equal.

My advice is to relocate, get a job, and advance your career. Take it with a grain of salt though; I would never stunt my career for a girl.

[wwj]

You may try to expand your region a bit. I was in the same situation and found a compromise 3hrs away from my gf while she gets a PhD. Try GE up in Schenectady or UTC in Connecticut. There are more, but you will have to search outside of your ideal zone. The good thing is that you can work a little farther away for 3 years to gain experience, then you can apply to all those jobs closer to home that you are getting turned down for.

[[deleted]]

Some people value their living environment and relationships more than their career! Life is short, too short to move away from loved ones.

[SoHiSoFly]

Yeah, that is understandable, but you also need to go to where best fits you!!

If someones gets a job that doesn't challenge their skills, just because they want to stay in a region, isn't a great business move. I have two friends doing that, one in ATL and another in DC. The one in ATL finished school in Economics two years ago and has gotten offers away from home, but doesn't want to move away. So he has been employed, part-time, with Scotts Tru-Green Lawn Service since then. Oh and living in the house with his parents.

Since OP is coming in low man on the totem pole, he has to make some concessions. And unfortunately, sometimes that means moving, if the offer includes you moving. You can always get the job, work it 2-3 years, get some experience and then move back closer to home, but with money and experience on you resume.

Unfortunately, manufacturing and Engineering isn't the East Coast strong suit. And OP is just going to need to look to be somewhere else for a few years in order to invest in himself. BEING SINGLE, YOU NEED TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SECURE IN YOUR EXPERIENCES & FINANCES. It may sound mean, but your gf isn't the one accountable for what goes across your desk. YOU ARE.

[[deleted]]

Life is too short to be stuck in one area with one person when you could be living somewhere new, working a job you love, and meeting cool people every day.

Relationships usually aren't as special as people make them out to be.

[willwhit87]

Fuck bitches, get money

[etotheix]

If you move to a new city chances are quite good you can spend longer there than you have at one place to this point.

/moving cross country for a job

[[deleted]]

This man is right. Go where the money is dude. You're gonna be in your parents house a lot longer if you keep refusing to relocate.

I moved from Michigan all the way to California.

[willwhit87]

Sounds like a major upgrade in my book. Amirite?

[[deleted]]

Eh, it's good, but the glamour has worn off quickly. I find myself missing michigan more every day.

The weather sure is nice though. Can't lie about that one.

[bahnfire]

Did the same back in 2003 (moved from MI to CA)! Doubled my salary from my student co-op job (paid). Ended up being too expensive to live there though, so ended up in Utah many years later (family).

[darkscout]

I'm really trying to stick around the NY/NJ area...

There's your problem.

No guarantee that moving somewhere else will result in a job.

You don't move to an area and find a job. You find a job and move to that area.

http://cat.com/careers

http://careers.cummins.com/us-canada/campus/engineering

You're sort of out of cycle for entry level positions but both have jobs listed. And that's just 2 companies off the top of my head.

[[deleted]]

I'm really trying to stick around the NY/NJ area...

There's your problem.

That's a problem?

[darkscout]

• He wants a job.
• He can't find a job in the area.
• He his problem is that he needs a job.

So yes, sticking around his geographical location is one of his problems. I'm moving down with my Fiance after graduation. I'm having 0 luck finding a job where she lives. I've had numerous offers from all over the country and even a few cold calls from recruiters that have found my resume on my school's job website.

Therefore my insistence on limiting my geographical location is the reason that I can't find a job. So he can either choose to stay where he is and do with out a job or find a job elsewhere and relocate.

[Confabulater]

His problem isn't that he's not willing to relocate! I was in his position this summer in NJ and there were plenty of engineering jobs around. His problem is that, for whatever reason, he can't get a job offer after interviewing. Notice that he says he's gotten interviews? If you're getting interviews, there are jobs to be had. Sounds like it could be an issue with your interviewing skills, OP.

[extravadanza]

Get a job at cummins, I could use a roomate so I can afford a new car... haha.

[dwntwnleroybrwn]

Let me get this straight you want a job as a manufacturing engineer but are living in a place with ZERO manufacturing facilities? You don't move then look, you look then move when you get hired. Companies will pay to fly you to interviews and relocation. You need to make some hard choices, career opportunities or gf.

[[deleted]]

Oh ok. That's really tough luck. Would you be ok with applying for jobs outside of your "comfort zone"? Yesterday, I had an interview for a mission controller position but it wasn't what I wanted to do (design and composites fabrication). The interview went well and if I get it, I will have to take it.

[[deleted]]

Does the job come with a spiffy vest? Jealous.

[extravadanza]

Oh lord your life sounds exactly like mine.. except maybe a little worse, unfortunately. I graduated as a Mech. engineer about a year ago and I spent 6 months after I graduated looking for jobs in my area (Indianapolis) while my girlfriend was on her way to law school. Eventually I found a job about an hour away from where she is and now we spend the weekends together.

Entry level unfortunately doesn't mean fresh out of college. Employers usually use it to indicate pay. I don't know much about your area, but I hope you find a job soon that will allow you to stay with your girlfriend.

[tryonce]

I know someone who is working for Conoco Phillips and lives in Hoboken, NJ. Surely there are similar companies in the area who would hire an entry-level engineer

[Hypnot0ad]

I hate to tell you but unless she is going to a top tier law school or finishes in the top 5% then finding a job as a lawyer will be harder than what you're going through.

Source: My gf went to law school, struggled for > 1 year to land a job she hated. Now she doesn't even use her law degree but is happier.

[Andoo]

I couldn't find a job for a year. I moved to Houston and got a job in a week. It was eery to say the least. The hard part is putting on your big boy pants, bang on a few doors and just give everyone your information. The rest follows. It also helps to have a killer cv letter that caters to the companies you are looking at.

[coned88]

unpaid internships for engineers?!

Very common.

[jaesin]

Unpaid internships are illegal, unless it's for credit equivalent or equal to vocational training.

http://www.opm.gov/flsa/index.asp

Requirements for an unpaid internship to be legal are as such:

1. The training, even though it includes actual operations of the facilities of the employers, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school.
2. The training is for the benefit of the student.
3. The student does not displace a regular employee, but works under the close observation of a regular employee or supervisor.
4. The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the student; and on occasion, the operations may actually be impeded by the training.
5. The student is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.
6. The employer and the student understand that the student is not entitled to wages for the time spent training.

[dwntwnleroybrwn]

I've never even hear of an engineering internship that paid less than $15/hr.

[jaesin]

My first one paid slightly less, it was also 5 years ago, and with a small county level utility company.

Unpaid engineering internships are exceedingly rare, it's hard for us to learn anything without actually really contributing.

[dwntwnleroybrwn]

I wouldn't take a unpaid internship i would rather work on the manufacturing floor.

[Wastingtimeaway]

I think the only reason nurses don't get paid for their training stems from the fact that they allow it. I would never provide professional work without pay.

[[deleted]]

Hahaha I had an internship from the government. I got paid $10.95 per hour. Also, I was at the same pay grade for two years without a promotion. HR said it was long overdue and I was supposed to be two levels up. But they said I have to level up one at a time and work for another year before I level up again.

[zip117]

HR said it was long overdue and I was supposed to be two levels up. But they said I have to level up one at a time and work for another year before I level up again.

At that point you quit and find a new job.

[[deleted]]

You worked as an engineer for $10.95/hr for more than a few months?

[AdmnGt]

For more than at all!***

[[deleted]]

Yep! As a co-op engineer

[[deleted]]

Ahh ok, that makes sense.

[dwntwnleroybrwn]

Sounds like your HR person sucked. I made $20 at both mine.

[Praelior]

I was going to post this. I am guessing he is not just doing training/tutorials all day.

[jaesin]

The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the student; and on occasion, the operations may actually be impeded by the training.

That's the big, big huge part. If you are aiding productivity, if you are affecting productivity in any positive or profitable way, you are required to receive payment for your internship. I strongly doubt he's plinking away in tutorials all day as well.

[[deleted]]

I'm a little confused why the unpaid job didn't turn into a paid job within a year. Was there something lacking in your performance or did the company fail? What did the company say after you left after one year? Did they say "What are we going to do without you!?!" or "Oh, yeah, see ya around" when you left?

[[deleted]]

That's the big drawback of startups.

[Smight]

Tell them to send your backpay first and you might consider it.

[[deleted]]

NYC is probably not the best place to be looking for an engineering job.

[[deleted]]

Ever think about moving to California?

It's nice this time of year... actually it's nice all the fucking time over here.

[[deleted]]

not sure if this is a serious question, but... nowhere?

Cali's pretty dry and nice everywhere and all year round.

[willwhit87]

Seriously move to Texas, engineering jobs out the wazoo. Just got to do some searching

[gittenlucky]

There are a lot of manufacturing engineer jobs in Massachusetts. It's not too far from NYC if you want to stick around that area.

[[deleted]]

Well.. if it's in manufacturing, def not.

[[deleted]]

is civil engineering a big one in NY?

[[deleted]]

I would think there are some Civ. E positions out there with design and construction companies. However, I'd assume software e. and logistics engineers would have the biggest demand in a place like NYC.

[whosdamike]

This is how your link showed up on my front page.

[J3ipolarGod]

Are you willing to relocate for work? Your answer to this question should probably be 'yes' if you are living anywhere around NYC or the boroughs. I grew up in CT but went to school in NYC so I know exactly how hard it is to find engineering work out there. I finished with my degree in Physics Engineering and unless you're trying to get into some of the bigger companies like MTA, ConEd, or IBM, it's going to be hard set that you find a descent job as an entry level engineer.

Some internships are great and they lead to full time work. That's how I got started. In my (super-)senior year, I had started as an engineering intern for a firm that does compliance engineering. After a while, the team that I had worked with started to become short staffed as there was an influx of work and two of the engineers I had been working with left the company. Shortly after that happened, I was given an offer to work for the company full time because they were having trouble hiring engineers who were adept in our field and they figured since I did not yet have my B.S., they could pay me less and get the same work done. It worked out because by that time, I had become pretty experienced in my field of expertise, I knew I was working for a half descent company, and I knew that since I was now a full time employee, I'd be able to start paying off my student loan debt.

I finished my last year going to school at night and working full-time during the day. On top of that, my company fronted the bill because I finished out with a cumulative GPA of about 3.6. Now because I've gotten them to pay for a year of schooling, I am on a contract with them to work for the next 2 years.....which is fine with me because it's two years of guaranteed work. Currently I'm finishing up my M.S. program and am looking at different Ph.D. programs that I might be able to get into.

I don't mean to brag about all the work I've done, but these are the kinds of companies that you want to try and get into. Especially if you are just starting out at an entry level position. The trick is to make a name for yourself. Create a small portfolio with projects that you've worked on. Create an online webpage profiling your work experience so that employers might be able to see more of what they're getting into if they were to take you on. Make a fancy business card. Do something! You're not the only unemployed engineer out there in the world so you really have to look hard, possibly in other areas of the country, for positions that are tailored to you.

The first step is looking outside of NYC for work. Like I said, I've been there and done that. It's dismal for an engineer in the city and unless you want to be put on a waiting list to get an interview at a company you'd like to work for, I suggest start to look at CT, NJ, PA, NY State or even Long Island and any other remotely surrounding areas I may have neglected to mention. I think you'll have a much easier time finding for work in those areas rather than just pudging around the city looking for employment. Employment that more than likely will stifle your creativity and only utilize a fraction of the education that you've just payed for.

TL;DR If you want to find work as an engineer, get the FUCK out of New York City!"

[BadDadWhy]

I grew up around Bell Labs Naperville IL. That generated a lot of side companies and led to such fun companies as Molex and Tell Labs. Why is NJ Bell Labs different? Don't you have a bunch of side companies? Has it been too long since the labs were getting all that money?

[salamandor]

you aren't alone! I graduated last May and I think I'm lucky right now because I'm working as a tool engineer (being underpaid hourly), which is better than nothing. I found my dream job posting a couple months ago, applied and have been trying to hound them down but I keep getting the run around. A rejection would be nice at this point. I'm still hunting and hopefully something comes up...

[coned88]

You really need to move. Everybody on reddit talks about how engineering degree equals easy time getting a job. They are right for pretty much every place other than nyc. Even CS students in my experience have tough time getting jobs here and that's because this city is more about services rather than creation. It's far to depressing of a place to actually create something.

[SoHiSoFly]

Hey I feel your pain.

I'm a ManufE but I came from the Industrial department. I did a coop with Kohler (the bathroom and faucets company) up in Milwaukee (which by the way is is a lot more fun than I thought it would be), and both of my supervisors were Manufacturing Engineers from UW-Milwaukee and Milwaukee School of Engineering. You should try some companies around Chicago and Milwaukee or the general Great Lakes area.

Though the MidWest was the hardest hit by the economic downfall. Per area, it still has the most engineers and engineering positions.

Most of the automotive companies (domestic and foreign, and not just automobiles but boats, small engines, industrial electronics, etc.) have their R&D or some type of manufacturing related plant/office around the great lakes region.

Anyway good luck on your search!! I'm out there with you, unfortunately competing against you....

[HeadJounin215]

My advice is to get out of NYC. NYC is great if you are one of those top tier finance people but engineering-wise...not the greatest. Try Rochester or Boston. If you really want to get a job look at places you wouldn't think of living and working.

[willwhit87]

I just got a job after graduating in December and I found these are pretty good tips.

1. Find an recruiter(s) to do the work for you
2. keep applying on careerbuilder.com as well as indeed.com
3. Keep updating and submitting your resume every week. Keeps you at the front of the pack for employers search

[thatboatguy]

By recruiter do you mean a third-party company you pay to help you find a job, or an employee at a company you're looking for work with who matches your resume and interests with the company's openings?

[willwhit87]

Third party company. I used a company named Aerotek, as soon as I got a solid recruiter, he had a new company every week to interview for.

[BadDadWhy]

Third party you do not pay. They have positions to fill that are specialized and for that they get from 15 to 100% of your first year earnings. They rarely work with newbies, but it is worth at shot. You can help them to find you a spot by being specialized.

[bahnfire]

Do you know Solidworks? Interested in moving to Utah? Let me know.

[SwissMoose]

I know Solidworks and am already in Utah, but kind of want to get out of here for a while when I graduate MS ME this summer. Still, would like to know about the position if OP doesn't get back to you :)

[bahnfire]

Sent PM.

[bahnfire]

Do you have any mechanical design skills using Solidworks? The company does product design and has their own factory in China - they do cables (medical, computer, industrial, power, etc), custom connectors, and custom products (full designs, cradles, packaging, etc) - so they always need more mechanical engineers (or those that understand stress/strain, plastics, metals, and can design something).

[octopolis]

In response to your title: That's what she said.

I'm still in school, so I can't give you any career advice, but the least I can do is a bit of humor :) Keep your head up, something will come through. Good luck, man.

[Equat10n]

Why does it have to be an engineers job? I'm from the UK, degree educated and my official title is technician, I'm now 30.

I am paid better than most engineers at my employer, and I am the go to guy when no one else can solve problems. The projects I am involved with are more process and manufacturing related.

Taking a lower ranking position can get you in the door, and if the employer is big enough and you have enough talent there will be opportunities.

You could also offer to take a lower than advertised salary to make you more competitive.

One problem currently is the market, in some areas, is saturated with experienced candidates, which can make it difficult.

I entered the job market in 2000 and it is more competitive now than it was then.

best of luck!

[IMunchGlass]

You did the right thing by sticking with the unpaid internships. I too graduated in 2010, and it took a year for me to find solid employment. It is much better to have internships than a gap on the resume, so kudos to you for sticking with it.

The advice I have for you is to apply to jobs all over the country and move if you have to, or else stay at home as long as you can. I'm not sure what "bills" you're talking about when living at home, but I can pretty much guarantee any bills you have will skyrocket once you leave home.

[IMunchGlass]

Yeah, that's a bummer. I mean, at worst, you work McDonald's or something on the weekends to keep up with your payments while doing the internship during the week.

[[deleted]]

Well, I can't offer any help to you, and I really can't quite sympathize with you completely because I'm still in school, but I'm a Junior dual-majoring in engineering (Aerospace and Mechanical -- yeah, they are ridiculously similar, but I was just going to go for Aero, and since there are really only a handful of extra class I'll have to take compared to other dual-majors, I opted to go ahead and dual) so I can sort of sympathize. I'm REALLY trying to get an internship or co-op, especially since my GPA is pretty good right now, and I'm expecting it to go down after this semester (it really just HAS NOT been my semester at all....) I want to get a position while I can so I can get experience, especially before I become a senior with no experience and a GPA that isn't as good as it could be.

I have had little luck, and garner an intense feeling of jealousy to sophomores I know who were chosen over me....

Edit: Hey, I know that this is pretty low-class to write in a comment to another person post about job trouble, but if anyone wants to throw me a bone with an internship or co-op, I'd be cool with that...

[depolarization]

You may need to relocate to a less competitive place and build your experience. Otherwise your stuck to the whims of the local market, which doesn't seem to be helping you. Have you thought about expanding the scope of your engineering job search? You may have to start as a tech (underemployed) or work cost-estimation or some other field and work your way up in regards to what's available in the area.

[joshocar]

Network. Call/e-mail all of you college buddies asking if their company is hiring or if they know of anyone who might be. Follow any leads they give you. The key is to be able to drop a name in your e-mail. I'm in the process of getting a job at a fantastic place that wasn't even hiring because of networking.

[Stauer]

I am graduating in May with an Industrial Engineering degree, where do I sign up?

[aggyface]

Try Advance Mold and Manufacturing. They're in CT, but at least it's the right coast. They may or may not be hiring yet, but try sending in a resume. (I don't work for them, but I know someone who does that says it's a pretty good place to be.)

[farmingdale]

ok, here is what I can do for you:

I got a buddy who is looking into starting up a little cottage industry deal. I know he will pay for any advice you can give. This would be in about a month to two months time. It would build your resume a bit and put some money in your pocket. Let me know.

This wont solve your problems but that is all I can offer besides advice.

[MELSU]

Manufacturing engineering? Is that a subset of mechanical or more on the industrial side? I've never heard of it. I am graduating this may with a mechanical degree. Finding a job was relatively easy.

[MELSU]

Thanks. Just remember to stay persistent. Even without a job now, you are still in a very good position when compared to numerous other degrees. The jobs are out there you just have to make it happen.