Emerson Exchange 365

Seeking Advice for first full-time engineering position post graduation

If there is one thing I have learned within this past month is looking for your first full-time engineering position is extremely challenging  I recently graduated the University of Cincinnati with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and have found what I consider my ideal job. Although, I have applied to many jobs, I feel this is the one. Consequently, I am doing everything in my power to get the opportunity of speaking with the hiring manager. I want to explain to them why I am more than just another engineer with a resume. I want to explain why I think I am an ideal match for this job. I feel that if they saw my passion and technical qualifications, they would see that my heart is in the job. 

I am seeking help from fellow engineers and job seekers to guide me through this process. I want to know how to best position myself to obtain my first full-time engineering position. Although, my heart is really set on this one job, I know whatever advice I gain will help me through the entire job searching process. I have literally attempted everything I can think of. I have had fellow student engineers critique my resume, cover letters, and LinkedIn to ensure that I am adequately highlighting my experiences. I have even gone so far as to contact HR managers via LinkedIn to try to get some advice to make my application more competitive. I do believe my resume is competitive in that due to the professional requirements of my program, I have work experience through co-ops, as well as a strong technical background. I will admit that I am scared that my affiliation to the military scares employers away. I am currently a Medical Service Officer in the Reserves in Texas. This means I can still have full-time employment, but always run the risk of deployment. I am extremely proud to be in the military and hate to think my service deters employers. Due to the nature of being stationed in Texas, my job search is limited to Texas. Does anyone have any experience attaining their first job in engineering, while serving in the Reserves? 

Currently, I am trying to continually improve my qualifications by improving skills that I feel can increase my chances of hire. I am looking into the possibility of getting a nanodegree from www.udacity.com while I continue my search for a job. Does anyone have any thoughts about www.udacity.com? I'm also beginning to look into the possibility of attending job fairs, although my budget is limited for travel. 

I highly appreciate any advice anyone can give me. I believe that we all have to start somewhere. Please help your fellow new engineer out! 

Sincerely, 

Sandra Hernandez

• Women in STEM
• new engineer graduate

Sandra Hernandez

• 4 Feb 2016 4:13 AM
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2 Replies

• Meha Jha

  

  • 4 Feb 2016 2:39 PM

  Hi Sandra ! I graduated a couple of years ago and remember the stress of job search. It sounds like you have a lot of great experience and doing a lot of right things in your job search. Some ways that might help with your job search is utilizing job search portals on SWE , NSBE, SHPE, etc. These professional organizations typically have a section where you can upload your resume and apply for jobs. These recruiters are actively targeting candidates from these organizations and that is how I got my resume noticed with Emerson via the SWE Conference job fair website. Career fairs - can be hit or miss with the type of companies that are there, but if an engineering professional society has a regional or national conference coming up they typically have a networking session or career fair. I know most universities keep their fall and spring career fairs open to students and alumni and companies will post jobs on career portals targeting students so be on the search as well. Another thing I did was look at other university career fairs that are known to be top engineering schools. For example, UT Austin or A&M are engineering hubs so I would look at their career fair website to see the list of companies registered for the fair just so I can get an idea of what all jobs/companies are out there. My university was limited to most companies that recruited us were from the Southeast, but I wanted to branch out of the South so I looked at other school career fair company registration lists to get an idea of what other companies/jobs there are and apply to them through the company websites. Bio-med is more of a specialized major, but as engineer you have a lot of doors open and ready for your problem solving ability. I would encourage you to keep your mind open to doing non-traditional bio-medical engineering roles. Best of luck with your job search !

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• Emilee (Bannister) Cook

  

  • 5 Feb 2016 2:59 PM

  Hello Sandra!
  I too only graduated a couple years ago and completely understand the struggle. I agree with Meha that utilizing the events SWE and large organizations pull together is a great method. I would implore you to try not only to go after a job, but to build relationships. I got every job I have ever had through someone I knew and who knew my work ethic, passions and strengths. Are there people that you worked with prior at the co-ops or other jobs that you could contact and ask for help on job hunting? You never know who they know! That is how I got my job at Emerson. I had the pleasure of interning at a biotech company in college and built some relationships with the other engineers and interns while there. When I was job hunting I contacted some of the older interns that had graduated before me and one of them ended up at Emerson. She was able to connect me with the right people in order to have the opportunity to apply and interview for a local Emerson job. Now, obviously at that point I was on my own and had to rely on my skills, resume and experience to get me the job, but without that connection through my fellow intern I would not have had such an opportunity. I am a firm believer that in this day and age it’s not only about having a strong resume and experience but sometimes even more about who you know AND who knows the real you. Especially as women we need to strive to find advocates and to be advocates for the other women we work with and come in contact with.
  I would also advise, as Meha also suggested, keeping an open mind. You may not get your dream job on the first try, but it may end up becoming your dream job! Life can surprise you. To be honest, the job I have now is nowhere near what I thought I wanted or where I would end up, but it turns out I actually really enjoy it and I am truly excited about the doors that have been opened to me through it. Sometimes you don’t know something until you try it. I am extremely thankful that even though it didn’t seem like my dream job at the time I was job searching that I I gave it a shot. I wouldn’t even be typing this response nor involved with Women in STEM had I turned it down just because it didn’t “seem perfect”.
  It may very well happen for you, which great if it does, but Biomedical Engineering is tough to break into. I have multiple friends with Biomed degrees that struggled to find jobs. Some broke the trend and found what they wanted and others took engineering jobs that were different than what they were expecting, but ended up loving it. So, in that regard, getting a more general nano degree or certification may be a good idea while searching for a job. If anything, a lot of companies look for leadership skills and training and general project management or “lean process” type skills. These are just ideas; we can’t tell you what is best for you. :) That is for you to decide. What I can tell you is be positive and patient and seek the help of those who will advocate for you.
  I hope this response helps and encourages you in some way. Good luck! It will all work out!

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