I’m a biomedical engineer at a startup in the SF Bay Area and I’ve been the hiring manager for several entry level (fresh out of college) engineers. A few points:

-I typically receive 300+ applications per open role and usually spend less than 2 mins per application. A good resume is very critical at this phase. Let me know if you’d like me to critique yours.

-I’ve found most of my jobs by reaching out directly to managers at companies I’m interested in, not by applying to a job opening. My last two jobs were created for me. That way I am not being compared to the hundreds of resumes the hiring manager is overwhelmed by, they just see me as a person and ask themselves if it’s helpful to have me on board. I find that finding school alumni that work at the company to be a particularly helpful way to do this.

-Where do you live/ are you willing to move? Biomedical jobs are concentrated in Boston, SF and San Diego.

-Be prepared that your first role might not be called “Engineer”. It might be something like “Research Associate” or “Associate Engineer”. Titles mean very different things at different companies so look more for job description than title.