I need an Engineering job

[Pbartender]

I think this says it all in a nutshell. Your problem is you really need help with interviewing skills. There are an enormous amount of resources available for job hunting; just go to your local Barnes and Noble or Borders, and start reading. I recommend "What Color is Your Parachute" for starters as it is a pretty good description of what the job search entails and how to deal with some of the psychological problems that come from job searches (i.e. depression). But I've seen literally dozens of good books on the subject.

Looking for a job is more than just preparing for interviews; it involves a lot of work, dealing with anxiety, and planning out the best way to do the search. A good job search book will help you deal with all of that and show you how to give yourself some support and confidence, because your confidence level is critical to getting a job.

Some of your previous posts kind of tell me that you're just shrugging your shoulders and saying, I suck at interviews so there's no use trying to get better at them. Not true! The impression you make in the first few minutes of an interview makes all the difference in the world. There are very good books that tell you how to structure an answer for every problem you've mentioned; I know, because I've read them and used them myself. Don't know how to answer the "Why haven't you worked in the industry in a couple of years," question? Find a book that tells you how.

I know it's really hard at this point because it seems hopeless in this economy and you're depressed and frustrated, but that's why you need to learn how to do the job search properly. Good luck!

Quoted For Truth.

SOTS, would you be comfortable posting yor resume for us?


I'm not normally one to espouse the "for Dummies" line of books, but [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Interviews-Dummies-Joyce-Lain-Kennedy/dp/0764552252]Job Interviews for Dummies[/ame] has gotten exceptional reviews and is probably the best place to start. Amazon.com has a link to an excerpt preview to give you an idea of the sort of advice these books will give you. In all honesty, it'll be much the same advice we'd give you here. Look for it at your local library.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

...because your confidence level is critical to getting a job.

*Sigh* Like I've said for years, getting a job is JUST like dating. Except in the latter case, I got lucky cause someone spent months talking to and getting to know me, STILL thought I was weird and was apprehensive about the "merger" prospect, but decided to give it a shot. I know of no employers like that...

Some of your previous posts kind of tell me that you're just shrugging your shoulders and saying, I suck at interviews so there's no use trying to get better at them. Not true! The impression you make in the first few minutes of an interview makes all the difference in the world.

Yeah, basically. Much like dating, I just want to find the right one and then never ever deal with the whole bloody affair ever again. So it both is distasteful to learn "skills" I have no intention of using again, as well as questionable to me how they are skills at all. "Social skills," such a strange term.

I know it's really hard at this point because it seems hopeless in this economy and you're depressed and frustrated, but that's why you need to learn how to do the job search properly. Good luck!

Thanks.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I'll look for the book. I also broke down and made a facebook page to find old classmates after vowing never to use it. I set it up for networking but doubt it will ever help in the matter, so I plan to make it as much of an over-the-top parody as I can, because I'm strange and things like that make me happy.

SOTS, would you be comfortable posting yor resume for us?

Eh, why not? I'm not that comfortable about it, really. But considering how many unknown "employers" I've emailed it to by now, I guess it's silly to feel shy all of a sudden.

Most people say my resume is good. One major issue was one creepy guy that called at 6 pm one night desperately asking me to email him it within half an hour then called me back AGAIN telling me to re-send it specifically mentioning concurrent project management in my capstone design description. I had talked about it on the phone and he was confused to not see it. I could post that version as well, or just the two lines or so that got altered.

I got rid of the Objective two years or so ago because I always hated summing up what I wanted and what i could offer in a few sentences, and was told I didn't need it. I've never written a cover letter, and would rather keep it that way.

EDIT: Ok, I don't think I've ever done attachments on here since the upgrade. I attached it, but don't see it after posting.

 

[Pbartender]

Yeah, basically. Much like dating, I just want to find the right one and then never ever deal with the whole bloody affair ever again. So it both is distasteful to learn "skills" I have no intention of using again, as well as questionable to me how they are skills at all. "Social skills," such a strange term.

Sure it may be distasteful, and I sympathize, but as I tell my 10 year old son... life is full of things we don't enjoy doing that we must do nonetheless. It's best to just do it, get it done quickly and do it well so you don't have to do it again later.

You'll find that the best guides for Interviewing fully admit this fact... Like it or not, an interview is a performance that you must go through -- as you say, much like a mating ritual -- in order to convince an employer that you are A) more competent to do the job than the other applicants, and B) more eager to do the job than the other applicants. Almost all interviewing techniques are based around that premise.



And besides... These aren't skills that are useful only for interviewing. They are also useful for getting promotions and raises later. It's a performance you'll likely have to repeat to a lesser degree every year at your annual performance review, once you do get a job.

 

[Tewligan]

I'll look for the book. I also broke down and made a facebook page to find old classmates after vowing never to use it. I set it up for networking but doubt it will ever help in the matter, so I plan to make it as much of an over-the-top parody as I can, because I'm strange and things like that make me happy.

You know what'll guarantee that your Facebook page won't be much help for networking or finding jobs? Making it a jokey parody.

 

[Psion]

A) I mainly would like to go into optics or signal processing as my field, and I have looked mostly at Dept. of Defense (pretty much U.S. Navy for my region), defense contractors (BAE Systems, Raytheon, etc...), Biomedical suppliers (Philips, Astro-Med, etc...), and assorted others.

Really? Round here, BAE Systems seems desperate for Engineers.

Also, I don't know about your area, but around here, Mantech (ManTech International Corporation) seems equivalently short handed on high tech workers and always seems to be looking for engineers.

Finally, I work for a small company and I could possibly pass your resume on to my boss, but I know we look for specific skills, mostly computer science and network engineering. If you have any related coursework or interest, I could pass your resume on. But we are a small company and exclusively in Southern MD ATM.

My particular office is ALL ABOUT signal processing... but I don't know if we are looking for more signal processing folks in my office.

I think this says it all in a nutshell. Your problem is you really need help with interviewing skills. There are an enormous amount of resources available for job hunting; just go to your local Barnes and Noble or Borders, and start reading.

Indeed. Interviews are vexing, but knowledge is the key! Just two books (interviews for dummies and another with a title like top answers to tough interview questions) helped me negotiate that territory. And I am no social dynamo.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

And besides... These aren't skills that are useful only for interviewing. They are also useful for getting promotions and raises later. It's a performance you'll likely have to repeat to a lesser degree every year at your annual performance review, once you do get a job.

Heh, like I said about not being ambitious...no particular desire to advance very far or fast. I guess I will have to use those skills repeatedly no matter what, though.

You know what'll guarantee that your Facebook page won't be much help for networking or finding jobs? Making it a jokey parody.

Well, considering only friends can apparently view most of your facebook profile anyway, I don't see it helping me no matter what I do. I even went for the "jobster" application from facebook which...is still completely separate from your facebook profile. At the very least, for my more serious networking site profiles, I need a good picture in a suit. I actually only have about 3 digital file pictures of myself (alone), so that would actually be worth my time.

Really? Round here, BAE Systems seems desperate for Engineers.

Also, I don't know about your area, but around here, Mantech (ManTech International Corporation) seems equivalently short handed on high tech workers and always seems to be looking for engineers.

It's possible I never noticed MD when doing BAE searches, I usually include that state in my area of interest. I've mostly for BAE tried for a position in Nashua, NH because they have an office there primarily devoted to optics. My awareness of it was also the highest since that's the most commonly referred to office when they come here for job fairs. Thanks for the tip on Mantech, I'll check it out.

Finally, I work for a small company and I could possibly pass your resume on to my boss, but I know we look for specific skills, mostly computer science and network engineering. If you have any related coursework or interest, I could pass your resume on. But we are a small company and exclusively in Southern MD ATM.

My particular office is ALL ABOUT signal processing... but I don't know if we are looking for more signal processing folks in my office.

I'd appreciate it greatly! I have some computer science experience, but it was hardly my forte. I've learned Visual Basic and C++ (and html, but only the very basics). I've had an intro VHDL class in which we did all the coursework on an Altera FPGA. There was also a Micro controller processes class where we worked with a common Motorola chip the name of which escapes me. I don't think anything I've done could be considered network engineering. I believe my resume is now uploaded here, I need to go check the FAQ when I'm done with the day's searching. If it isn't, I'll PM you with it copied in text.

Indeed. Interviews are vexing, but knowledge is the key! Just two books (interviews for dummies and another with a title like top answers to tough interview questions) helped me negotiate that territory. And I am no social dynamo.

Ok, two recommendations for the dummies book now.

EDIT: BAE site job search for college experience engineering in Maryland came up with no results. Searching the same field for all experience levels gave 12 pages of search results. Well, I can scan through that quickly at least.

 

[Michael Dean]

*Sigh* Like I've said for years, getting a job is JUST like dating.

Oh, it's much more important than that! Like someone said earlier in the thread, job searches are learnable skills.

Look, I decided at 36 to go to law school at night while working. I was scared to death because I would be graduating at 40 and beginning a brand new career when most of my peers were in their late twenties.

My confidence level was very low, especially living in Michigan, where the employment situation has sucked for a lot longer than the rest of the country. On top of that, I'm not a natural conversationalist or small talker. I'm VERY shy in large gatherings of people that I don't know. And while I'm good in courtroom speaking situations and public speaking generally, the idea that my entire future could boil down to the first five minutes of an interview with a total stranger was really freezing me up and making me feel really depressed.

But luckily I had bought some great books on legal job searching, and practiced, practiced, practiced interview questions in front of a mirror, while I was driving, when I was alone in my office, etc... I kept files and records of my job searches, which really helped me feel better because it made me feel like I was in charge of my job search rather than being a passive participant. That was a very big part of building confidence for me.

There was a good passage in one of my books that said you have to approach the interview with the belief that you have something really great to offer your employer and it's your job to make sure that they don't miss out on hiring you. Corny, yes. Effective at changing my mindset and keeping it upbeat? Absolutely.

Long story short, I was able to get my dream job; but it was hard work and came with a lot of anxiety. Don't give up, and don't let the frustration keep you from offering some company a great employee.

Much like dating, I just want to find the right one and then never ever deal with the whole bloody affair ever again. So it both is distasteful to learn "skills" I have no intention of using again, as well as questionable to me how they are skills at all. "Social skills," such a strange term.
Thanks.

Sad to say, that's not realistic. Most people change jobs/careers something like 7 times on average, or so I've heard (I'm on job #6 since I graduated college). You can't rely on your company to be around your entire working life, and so you need to be prepared to move on, so you don't go through the stress you're feeling now. Besides, the biggest pay raises most people get in their professional lives come from switching companies. And social skills are important for most jobs. At some point you may have to have meetings with clients, and your employer will expect you to be able to do that. If it's that much of a problem, think about taking a Dale Carnegie course, or some other public speaking class; I've had people I know swear by them. I debated in high school and college, and it totally changed me from being pathologically frightened of public speaking to actually enjoying it, so I can see the value of taking a public speaking course.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

[Deleted]

 

[Pbartender]

Ah, it was because I chose quick reply. Resume is now attached.

Is this exactly the form that you send to potential employers?