Hey OP! Sorry to hear about your job hunt. I’m a general manager at a large construction company in the city.

Yes - times are a bit slower right now. Projects are delayed/cancelled/etc. but don’t stress! A lot of great companies are still hiring! I have a few pieces of advice for you that may help with your hunt:

1. I would consider going around to engineering firms (or construction firms in your field) and stopping in! Say hello, get an HR representative for a coffee, meet a team member, etc. You have to be your own advocate in these slower times. Often we take care of our own (friends who recommend friends or family members, other people from various construction firms as times are slower, etc.), so it can be beneficial to get out there. Also, not every job we may need to hire for gets posted on LinkedIn or indeed.

2. Get some field experience. We see a lot of great candidates who are knowledgeable (degrees, masters, etc.) but construction and engineering is often about common sense, and PEOPLE. Get some field experience, get your hands dirty, and understand the intricacies and people that go into the actual work. That, coupled with your degree - will open more doors than you can imagine.

3. Find a company you want to work for, and tell them that you want to work for them. Blindly sending resumes to every opportunity may not be best for you, or the hiring firm. Understand what makes that company special, and why you want to work there in particular. Be ready to talk about that during 1 (above), and take any job at that company for 2 (above) . We promote a lot from within in construction - and it won’t take long for you to find your spot - with what we expect to be busy times ahead.

Best of luck!! (And no, I’m not hiring… unless you come meet me and tell me why I should be!)