How to Find Entry-Level Jobs in Engineering
Finding a job can be a real chore. While there are plenty of sources for tips and techniques to help, those tips are useful, but they are often generalized. What happens when you want to find a specific job, say in engineering?
That would require a bit more time, energy, and research. But, after all the setbacks and waiting around to hear back about another job application, morale may be low. In order to overcome possibly dwindling enthusiasm, or just some frustration. Here are some tips to finding entry-level jobs in engineering.
College Resources
No, you won’t need to go back to college, but your alma mater may have a host of resources. And networking opportunities that can help to get you (at the very least) an interview. Many students after graduating leave college without ever having explored the resources that are available in the career centers located on campuses.
Scheduling a meeting with an attendant who can help you go through your resume. Portfolio, and even setting up mock interviews to improve your chances of landing a job. What is more commonly unknown is that these career service centers will keep records of past graduates. And the companies that they have been or are currently employed with.
This information is also paired with the contact information of recruiters and business representatives who are known to the institution. It can be encouraging to remember that companies are sometimes just as anxious about finding and hiring talent as the unemployed are. In this sense, companies that have become familiar with certain colleges already have a preference. And the relationship with schools and may actually prefer to hire people from certain schools.
Your alma mater may be one of those places. Being bold and brave enough to reach out to another graduate may be just the crack in a door you need to get your resume to shoot right to the top of the pile of candidates.
Bolstering your Resume
There are several ways to bolster a resume that tend to be overlooked, often because the hope is that a degree will be enough to get a job right away. While that does happen, sometimes it’s best to have a bit more behind a degree. Here are a few ways to upgrade your resume while on the hunt for an entry-level engineering job.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering is a very effective way of not just gaining more experience. It is a wonderful way of meeting new people that can be a connection to a new job. There are plenty of organizations today which need and would benefit greatly from the knowledge and experience that you have as an engineer. Working with a variety of projects will also diversify your skill set. And truly test out the knowledge that may be only in theory up to this point.
On top of that, volunteering with different companies and organizations will help you to try out and refine which of the many engineering industries you may most enjoy working in. That there are demands for engineers in almost every field. And in every country on the planet, you won’t be without opportunities to share your talents. And learn some new techniques all while making new connections.
As work is complete. You will be able to add those projects to your portfolio and the names and titles associated will help you to stand out.
Internships
Internships have gotten a bad reputation over the years. And while there is certainly some truth behind those ideas, that should not be enough to scare you off from looking for an internship. Ideally, an internship is something you can complete during or very near graduation date.
However, if you didn’t have time to do one, or just couldn’t land one, now is a perfect time to try again. Internships that offer education, hands-on training, and mentorships will do a lot for a career in the long run. While a paid internship is preferable, that may not always be the case. If you can’t find a paid internship, you may be able to leverage that lack of pay into other benefits like mentorship programs. Free seminars, and business travel.
Regardless of the paycheck. An internship is a great way to gather new and test skills out in the real world, and just like volunteering, will give you connections. And the opportunity to try out which types of engineering may suit you more like industrial, mechanical, or social engineering. The best part about an internship (even one not paid) is that if you can land one of those. Work hard, and stand out, the odds of being offered a position with the same company are much higher.
Even if it’s not the kind of job you may want to keep in the long run. The momentum and experience gathered there in just a few months- the typical length of an internship— will be more positive to highlight on your resume.
Career Fairs
With the creation of online job search sites, the majority of traffic for both companies and those looking for jobs appears to have moved. While this may be the new trend in job searching. It doesn’t mean that the process of finding a job has become any easier. In fact, with the invention of new AI technologies that are programmed to scan many resumes at once for keywords.
Even with an impressive degree. If you are not using the right language a computer may sort through your file without a second glance. This means that your polished cover letter isn’t even end up in human hands. Technology may have its benefits at times. But that will never replace the human universal signs of trust and connection like a firm handshake and eye contact can have. Being that as it is, a career fair can be a far more effective use of your time than causing your eyes to burn from staring too long at a computer screen.
At career fairs, companies set up booths just hoping that people will come up and talk to them. These professional recruiters not only have an eagerness to tell you about their company. But they can also be the personal connection needed to see that your resume is handed off to the right person. If a conversation goes well enough, they may even do the work for you.
Networking
There is a reason that networking has become a byword in the professional world: it works. There are entire conferences set up and held all over the country per year dedicated just to refining the skills of networking. One thing that all these enthusiasts have in common is the interest and desire to connect with people.
On top of this, there are plenty of organizations and clubs dedicated to specific industries— including engineering. Joining an engineering club can get you more than a name badge, it can connect you directly to working professionals who, again. May know of or be the very hiring manager who is looking for that next new talent.
More than that, gathering an understanding of the various organizations and their members will give you clarity about which companies are the most reputable and most sought after to work for. They may also give you clues about which companies to stay away from. Regardless of whether you are looking for a job locally, nationwide, or internationally. The potential to find work in different places may put ideas in your head that you never before considered. And connections that could quickly make you a rising star in the industry.
Building a Portfolio
People struggle to sell themselves. Part of that has to do with the fact that school rarely equips people with the knowledge and skills to do so. Another is that it’s hard to feel confident sometimes when trying to find a job for the first time professionally. That’s where a portfolio comes in. The work that you’ve done can display the talent and intellect you know you have but may be fumbling to articulate.
A portfolio is a visual storyboard of your skill sets. When sharing with a potential employer. The work will spark questions and conversations that would be easier to talk about because it’s knowledge that you are familiar with. And don’t have to make up. You can be honest and natural in describing your roles and imaginative ideas. When your passion and excitement starts to show, that’s what will cause you to be memorable. Just remember to make it presentable and post it to the various job boards you have your resume listed on.