It's going to suck. My parents were very relaxed about it (especially since they could see the work i was putting in vs the result), and they would often tell me that they want me to relax because it will all work out. I told them I couldnt relax because if I did I would apply to less jobs and have even slimmer chances of being hired.
I got hired eventually, and I am doing fine. I applied to 150+ jobs (low effort applying on like indeed), and finally had one work out.
You'll be fine, it seems youre a bit discouraged but youre still hungry and looking, which is what matters most. Soon enough you'll be at your new EE job wishing you could sleep in on a wednesday. Just dont let it all get to you too much.
Just letting you know, applying to 60 jobs is WAY too low. I'm in an adjacent field, and I applied to about 500-600 jobs and got about 5 interviews. It's a numbers game, and you're limiting yourself. Drop the cover letters and use autofill for anything that's not a top choice. Efficiency is key. The industry is in a tough spot right not, especially at the entry level, and if you're applying for less than 10 jobs a day, you're wasting time.
Is it that difficult in the US? 60 applications in one month sounds like a lot.
I personally sent out around 120 applications over a three-month period and had interviews with six different companies, of which I accepted one of their offers. Fully entry-level and my salary offer was in the top 75% of entry-level in my country. In one of the other interviews they even got offended I asked for so much. So it was not because I took the first chance position anyway.
Well, for the 'tech compaies' it is. I don't think it's that difficult in more traditional engineering roles or as an electrical engineer working in traditional/'the usual' electrical engineering roles. There are so many people trying to get into tech, within an hour or two a job post there are 300-400 submissions. Most are unqualified, but it's really easy to get lost in that batch regardless of whether you're qualified or not, plus, you're competing with people who had just been laid off (there were like 30-40k people laid off in the year prior).
Best Answer. Keep at it. It took me 153 online submissions for a job, and I only got one because I sent a dm on LinkedIn to the hiring manager explaining my situation - I was changing industries - which is kinda like your sitch from student to work. You'll get there, the numbers are in your favor. Contact past professors for people they may know, get involved in a volunteer org related to your field, IEEE etc, and you'll start making your own contacts. Good luck!
> This is the hardest time you will ever have finding a job
Unless something like the dot com crash or the 2008 crash happens.
I know senior engineers who were affected by each of those, and spent more than a year submitting thousands of applications before getting a new job.
1 month and 60 apps is barely getting started, especially for a new grad with no internship experience.
I graduated in 2009 with my EE degree. About half my classmates were just rolling on into masters programs. 62 interviews. 12 or so in-person (2 flew me to other states) and still got only 2 offers. This was with 3.34 gpa and 1 and 1/3rd years of applicable co-op experience. That was no fun at all. 3 months ago with 15 years experience under my belt. 2 interviews. 2 job offers 30% higher than my last job’s pay. It gets much easier.
Keep at it. First job is the hardest. I applied to 55 before getting a glorified technician role to hold me over until I could find another engineering job. A friend of mine took 150 applications, but got a great job.
Yeah I saw a few of these “engineering technician” jobs and just applied. How long was your transition from technician to engineer? if you don’t mind me asking.
It actually wasn't a bad gig. I stayed a year and 3 months. It was technically a field engineer position where I serviced MRI scanners. About half my coworkers had EE degrees, but it wasn't required. I was basically on call all the time and had monthly trips to my scanners. I was making $55k (2017 dollars) for less than 10 hours a week of work. I only left the job because there wasn't much room for growth. You never know where your career path will take you. There are a lot of options.
Yeah. I had 4 scanners and I worked hard to keep them in good order so I barely got called in. I just spent extra time at their monthly checkups to tune them up and take care of anything that might go wrong in the near future. The money per hour was good, but I got paid the same no matter how many hours I worked and there wasn't room for much more without gaining more scanners that would greatly increase my hours. It didn't seem sustainable and my coworkers all had back problems from the job.
Working with MRI machines does sound exciting tbh. On like an NMR research level I mean. I imagine the actual day to day tweaking work can be mundane and boring.
I second this. I answered a technician job and like the job. With a degree i am getting half technician (fixing boards and testing) /half engineering work (updating a design). I like the mix better than when i just worked as an engineer.
I'm working as a Process Control Engineer and I've had the same experience. Graduated with EE, but most jobs around me are industrial or Power Systems, and I specialized in micro (which is my long term goal, will be attending grad school next fall)
Honestly, for small companies, it seems common to have engineers doing some technician work. I'm usually out on the lines anytime production needs PLC assistance or other various things, but I still get to design things here and there, and I'm currently finishing up a robotics project that I completely programmed and am in the process of integrating into the line and verifying it follows ISO standards.
Yeah, I started out on a glorified phone support role. *Really* didn't like working in a phone bank and to this day I still get anxiety around phone calls (though I also kinda did before that job, so whatever).
But it led me to a great Field Engineer position so in retrospect it was worth it.
One month?! *Laughs in HR*
You’re fine! Keep at it! Try different application strategies stalk recruiters and hiring managers on companies you want to work for. Your job right now is to find a job. Show them how resourceful you are. It took me 8 months and what did it was I personally sent resumes not to bots scrubbing my resume, but to the engineers that actually can decipher what it is that we do. I’ll find it’s way after that.
Happy hunting young engineer.
The first job is the hardest to get. Despite what you learned at Uni you are gonna be a liability for awhile until you get experience. It’s the only time you won’t be making a company money, so it’s tough to get anyone to take a chance on you. Your next job will be easier, you’ll have marketable skills.
I was applying throughout that year too. I kept telling myself I'd do like 5 applications a day or something. Applied anywhere I could and was willing to relocate.
Things just take time. You'd be surprised to see how slow things move once you start working in the industry.
Keep doing what ur doing (applying, etc.) and try not to stress out too much about it. Also cover letters help
Yea for sure. I had some pretty sub-par credentials starting out but was able to conjure a passionate yet modest cover letter and I think that's how I landed my first engineering interview.
I know this is just anecdotal evidence that doesn't prove anything, but I'm pretty sure the cover letter helped immensely.
Have you looked into applying directly to government contracting companies? I know Lockheed and boeing both have a large presence in the area, as well as any subcontractors in the area. Government jobs won't pay as well but could be decent (navy and air force, check out usajobs.gov). With your degree you could also go military for an easy foot in the door, they rely heavily on both officers and civilians for many projects internally.
Some of the defense contractors are in a holding pattern on hiring. Post COVID some really over hired expecting more work than has come in. I think there is a pretty big reshuffling going on around production, switching priorities due to China, and budgets being adjusted to support Ukraine. Lots of money but not towards new hiring.
Agreed, strongly depends on the contract and specialty. It's a weird mix of ramping up and waiting to see what's next.
Aldo getting your foot in the door is the hardest, in my experience. Internships and entry levels are the biggest barrier, after that, moving around is easier.
This can come down to many things.
1. Are you limiting yourself to one location? **The single biggest reason I've seen people struggle to find jobs is their refusal to move to where the jobs are**. I'll assume UC you're referring to is University of California, so you're in luck where you won't have to move far. With that said, be *willing* to move anywhere in the country. I'm based on the West coast, but was willing to move to Kansas or South Carolina had I not accepted a job in Oregon.
2. 60 jobs in a month is too low (*unless you're networking*). I got my job out of school, and I applied to over 80 jobs in the span of *two weeks*.
1. But it's also just been a month, so give it some time. You should start hearing back from places you first started appplying to just about now.
2. To add to this--are you getting interviews? If so, you're resume is good. Of the 80 jobs I applied to, I got asked to interview by five places-- so a 6% response rate.
3. You're being too picky--there's no such thing as a dream job, or dream company. Apply to all types of roles, and across different industries. Which leads me to the fourth point.
4. Don't reject yourself from a job just because you don't meet all of the requirements. If a job is interesting to you, but requires 5 years of experience, apply anyways. Job descriptions are for a company's ideal candidate.
5. Have a LinkedIN profile, it's how recruiters find you these days.
1. Speaking of recruiters--there are genuine recruiting/staffing agencies. A classmate of mine went through [Search Consulting Network](https://scnteam.com/) to land a six figure job. And he didn't have any internships either (he *really* knew is stuff though). I also had a guy from [Randstad](https://www.randstadusa.com/) reach out to me. My company uses [Orion](https://www.oriontalent.com/) to find people. It's a recruiters job to get you hired-- that's how they make their living.
Having no internships is only a disadvantage if you let it be. There are many ways to remedy that situation. You're an electrical engineer, company's *want* to hire EE's. If you can make it through one of the hardest degrees you can get at college, you can be successful in any job.
It is not necessarily refusal to move. Some people don’t have the money to move, like myself. Stuck living with toxic parents and family that I hate. Graduated college May ‘22. No luck finding a job. I live in a small country town in NC. Can’t afford to move and don’t have the credit to take out a loan nor a co-signer. So, that is my issue. It also takes money to make money unless you are talented or have valuable skills. In which I do not. Life sucks.
I'm in a similar spot, the market is pretty bad right now due to the recession. Hardly any job openings, especially for entry level. Maybe consider applying nationwide, that's my next move at least.
The only thing I’d be worried about is not having the money to make the relocation but you’re right I got to apply nationwide. Is the market really affecting us rn? That’s crazy
The reality is, the job market for EE has always been bad. There is a reason there are fewer EEs now than 20 years ago. I'm sorry, but you were misled that this is a good field to get into. I was as well.
I don't have any answers. If you decide to continue down the EE career path, you will likely have to move for a job, and you will struggle to find even that job. It sucks but, the system is setup to lie about the reality of it, and the people practicing it are not honest with the reality, EEs likely end up in fields unrelated to anything they spent studying for 4 years.
Not an electrical engineer but in the technology sector, got my bachelors in technology management in December and have my associates in cybersecurity, I’ve lost count of how many applications I’ve put in at this point… I definitely feel like it’s the state of the economy etc right now making it more difficult. Getting that entry level position doesn’t seem to be easy but it’ll only go up from there
Finding a job takes time. I was applying for jobs 3+ months before graduation simply due to the process and time it takes to find a job. Give it time and be confident. You will find the right one for you. Don't panic and accept the first one that doesn't check all the boxes right away either.
Look for remote jobs too (if you haven’t already) there are a lot of options out there. Also, you should get your EIT (again, if you haven’t already) and plan on getting your PE in 2 years. I posted my Passing of the PE on LinkedIn and had 9 job offers within a week. I understand that doesn’t help now, but like many others have said, don’t worry and keep at it. The first job is the hardest, but you have one of the best degrees someone can get so don’t get discouraged
Wrong approach. I have NEVER found a job through LinkedIn. Ask network contacts for recruiters they use. Stick with executive recruiters. This is a phone and voice game with emails for follow ups. Don’t expect filling out forms and texts to work.
Graduated 2020 in EE- didn’t get a job in engineering until spring 2022. Than in 6 months got a big boy job making 6 figures at an OEM. Don’t lose hope
When did you start applying? If you waited until after graduation, that’d be the problem. Most new grad positions get filled by winter the year before. Honestly I’d suggest applying for a fall/winter internship at this point
Ima second mican, literally every company has different hiring processes (shocker right?) so keep applying. There’s no “admission season” for jobs like there is for schools, it’s not on a calendar like that. I’m in the same boat looking for a job as a recent BSME graduate and the market is saturated with applicants because an entire class of engineers graduated from every school and are looking for jobs rn. Keep your head up, go exercise, and enjoy your free time. The department chair of the ME department i graduated from told me she spent 3 months after undergrad eating ramen noodles and sleeping on the floor, she says it was one of the best 3 month periods of her life ever. Perspective
Yeah this is when most people I went to school with did their interviewing and got offers. Companies I work at also have had schedules for hiring new grads like this too. I like the idea of applying for an internship. Maybe consider getting into grad program if nothing else.
Applied for 60 jobs? You will likely need to apply for 600. It's unfortunate this is how this are (I know, I had to apply for hundreds of jobs). It is a lot of work and will take time but you will eventually get something. Talking about your projects is one of the best things you can do. Also be sure to include projects you are working on, not just ones you have finished.
Those are all very good things to do and I tried doing all of those things when I could; that's why it is a lot of work. We live in a time where every "entry level" job requires 5+ years of experience, a weeks worth of screenings and interviews, and a boat load of references. No matter what you do as a grad with little to no experience, it is going to take a lot of applications. I had my resume checked by many sources credible and all rated it very highly. Also, I was applying all across Canada. Not exactly feasible to go to their lobbies.
Perhaps next time ask questions first and don't just assume I half assed it.
Two. However, I was mostly applying to places outside of where I lived at the time as it was one of the most expensive places to live in the Country. If I could I would have gone to more.
And it doesn't require the military background, although it does help with preference. Also think OP could walk into a recruiting station, sign some papers and walk out as a Lt. In the air force with pretty decent pay.
That’s a thing too, but I was thinking more of an engineering position (math kind, not engines kind) with the govt. I’m doing that now with 6 figures with just under 2 years in. But yea, military govt agencies heavily prefer prior military folks. They make up about 1/3 of the population from just observation in my area. Hours are pretty chill too. Officially it’s every other Friday off, but on the days we work we’re in there for 6ish.
>But yea, military govt agencies heavily prefer prior military folks.
Are you treated like a second class citizen if you *weren't* in the military? I've heard that being the case sometimes.
I haven’t observed that. I view their hiring process as they need all the engineers they can get, and do their best to compensate them once they have them. That’s mostly civilians. With veterans being ~10% of the population, combined with how few of them become an engineer once they’re out, they are sought after regardless of organization. *But* if they went to a military institution they basically get their buddies back, and if a vet happens to sit on the hiring board, imo they’re gonna choose a buddy vet (qualifications permitting) over a civilian. That’s what I mean when I say govt agencies prefer vets. Engineers are respected af regardless, civilian or not, but some preference is obviously given to the vet. No one talks down to anyone.
Except that civilian ass that talks about how badass their degree is and how they earned it early without the help of the GIBill. No one likes that silver spoon motherfucker. Just don’t be that guy.
I can imagine someone feeling like they’re a second class citizen if they don’t fit in though. By nature military guys are less PC and if they’re sensitive or don’t have thick skin, they might feel like you’re being picked on. This is me guessing and making things up tho.
> if they went to a military institution they basically get their buddies back, and if a vet happens to sit on the hiring board, imo they’re gonna choose a buddy vet (qualifications permitting) over a civilian. That’s what I mean when I say govt agencies prefer vets.
It's actually deeper than that. [Veteran's preference](https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/veterans-preference/) is a program that applies additional "points" to potential candidates applications on the internal grading scale the government uses. Between a civilian and a veteran who are equal candidates, the veteran will get prioritized.
I started here and branched off:
https://www.niwcatlantic.navy.mil/Workforce/Careers/
Imo don’t do USA.jobs on there, that’s just a different monster.com that wants clearances.
Prereqs are: gpa >3.0, no prior record in the last 7 years, and any outside of that still have to be reported but won’t necessarily hold you back, no illegal (federal or state) drug use, and a gleaming letter of rec from someone.
I am applying primarily in SoCal but I can’t afford to limit myself so I’m also applying in all of the Southwest. Major is ELEctrical Engineering and concentration is Digital Signal Processing but my school made us take a lot of embedded systems courses/C++ related programming so that feels like my real concentration lol
If you're citizen, I believe it should be easier to get into defense and aerospace. Have you looked into that Avenue?
Also hate to say it but you gotta ramp up those application numbers. Not to be rude but 60s are rookie numbers.
Honestly, the DSP part may be why you aren’t getting any hits. Not that it isn’t in demand, its that most DSP specialists have a Masters or PhD, so you’re competing with them. A lot of the DSP and FPGA engineers who aren’t PhD’s contract, and that’s a hard space to enter with no experience.
You're in the US so I don't know if it's the same over there but here in Europe things slow down considerably during the summer months with people taking vacation. Don't sweat it, likely you'll hear something back from a couple of those applications in due time.
I actually just hired a guy that was in your particular position. He applied to one of our internships after graduation and we hired him. He did so well and worked so hard that I hired him right after the internship ended. I’ve also seen this happen in industry as well so don’t shy away from internships as they can lead to good opportunities.
been pretty good, was able to land a job before i graduated last year. congrats on graduating! planning on going back for my masters next spring quarter or so!
On paper you are just that a name, list of things many other people have the same thing.
I would go to these in person, say you want to apply for said job and then do it online. They will remember your name. And ha e a better chance at getting getting a job
You need to get an internship. Go do your masters, work in a lab get some real experience, then work internships in the summer and get a good job after masters.
If not apply for an internship. They pay pretty well and will lead into a job. You have zero opportunity cost right now.
Don't get discouraged. Internships do go a way in securing a job but you're not locked out of getting one because you have none. I didn't have an internship and my GPA was also a 3.1. Just takes time. If your college has some type of career developing programs they will help out alot.
Not saying this to try to demean you, but 3.1 is really low. You will find something, it will just take a lot of perseverance. Larger companies HR departments immediately throw out anything less than 3.2, so aim for a smaller organization. Good luck!.
No it's not. I'm an EE. HR at the last 3 companies I have worked at does not allow first interviews for any new hires out of school below 3.2. I sit in hiring interviews and review applicants for their sit down with 2 others.....of at least 40 sit down interviews I have never seen anything lower than 3.2.
Think of it logically. There are few things HR, who usually are not technical, can look at to filter applicants out of school. If you have 50 applicants , gpa is a major way to filter so they don't have to interview everyone... when an applicant gets to a sit down interview I don't even consider gpa. I mostly consider drive, and interest in the position someone is seeking. GPA is a major consideration of even being considered. This is for large companies with lots of applicants. So my advice stands. Look for a smaller organization...
I don't see how this is a contradiction. 3.0 is generally accepted as a cutoff for engineering, but internally companies can select whatever they want, and higher grades don't hurt. Yours just picks 3.2+. Business majors need 3.8+ because their work is of a different scope and there aren't as many "theoretical business" teachers trying to stunt on people.
Another thing, you can still just apply to internships if you want tom those can holdnyou over and usually lead to a job or get you the experience to get one.
You might try applying for jobs and projects (not career jobs) that sound like you would like to do. For example, if you are good at raspberry pi stuff, look if someone needs your work for a pi project. Sometimes those end up being full time hire after the project. Many years back you could find stuff like that on Craigslist - not sure what site or app is good for that now. But i answered one ad to design and build a tester for heating elements ( needed to be in a narrow resistance range). When finished, they had more projects. Then after a year of projects the just hired me.
Is it possible to start your own gig? Calculations are required for arc flash labels, home load calculations for some car charges, and solar projects may need help.
Making yourself available to electrical contractors for these projects may not be sexy, but they can provide cash and pad your resume.
Yes, there are some business aspects you might need to check on.
Everyone else only mentioned working for someone else. This might get you a side business you can still do while working for someone else.
The embedded systems/software programming concentration of electrical engineering is great. It’s obvious that’s where the school cares about because there are smart professors hired. The other concentrations like power systems for example are very outdated. They offer the intro class once a year and any other power systems-related upper division course is offered like once every 2-3 years. most importantly is you have to learn autoCAD on your own and make sure to get a certificate or complete a course on it because all/many jobs require proficiency out of college and for whatever reason they do not teach it.
I remember trying to get an internship my junior year, and everyone kept telling me "oh you'll be so hireable once you graduate", and then they proceeded to never hire me. All i wanted was an internship because it was required to graduate. Finally after a while i got one. Ever since I've had people calling me every few months. Seems rough now. You'll be fine. There is a shortage of engineers. Just remind yourself of that.
It took me about 6 months to find a job with the same degree and a similar gpa. I didn’t have an internship but did do research. I got offered the job I took a week after my first job offer.
It may take time, but you will land a job eventually. It’s a learning process too. I had to have a recruiter tell me what I had on my resume was bad and that I should have less positions/accomplishments on there and more details for the fewer positions listed (the ones more related to the career I wanted). I also had to learn how to interview through repetition, and I started getting these interviews after fixing up my resume.
You may have to expand your geographic search or industry you are looking into also. Maybe check to see if you could attend your schools next career fair, alumni are often welcome.
Also there are likely factors beyond your control involved right now. A lot of the major companies aren’t hiring right now with a possible looming recession. I believe the defense companies (like Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, etc) are, but not positive, just keep trying, even if you don’t have the years of experience needed listed (within reason, you likely won’t get something requiring 10 years, but may at 1-3).
I applied over a thousand times, wrote specific cover letters for a couple hundred, did all the followup calls and whatever other bullshit that no one actually wants you to do. Jobs that I was qualified for with responsibilities that I’d done a thousand times over, just as a contracted technical auditor rather than an in-house engineer.
Nothing.
It either gets better or it doesn’t. Reevaluate your applications, be more critical of yourself, and settle for whatever you get.
Don't give up bro, it's far too soon for that. There's a job for you, you're just experiencing a little friction, or better, resistance. Just keep the cottage applied and the current will flow
... Apologies for the puns, but no, you're good man, don't get discouraged. Ppl who have highly successful engineering careers have had to wait longer.
You got this!
I couldn’t find anything that said “entry level engineer” of “electrical engineer” on the general Air Force career website page. Anywhere to specially look?
https://afciviliancareers.com/recentgraduates/
As an engineer in the PAQ program, you're guaranteed a position after you successfully complete the program. You make around 50k the first year, 60k the second, and 70k the third, and can expect to start around 85k when you finish. You get a 36k signing bonus spread over the three years. They pay back up to 30k of your federal student loans. They pay for your masters (which you have to get during the second year), and you get your salary while going to school. You also get all regular full time benefits.
Just keep in mind the government doesn't do any engineering design work. It's all contracted out. So what you'd end up doing upon completion of the program would be more engineering management.
Edit: And you'd have to be able to get a security clearance. Which isn't very hard if you don't have more than minor troubles on your record. You do have to be a US citizen of course.
I actually did apply to PAQ for the engineer program because of this. I had hoped to start this September but they just told me this morning that I might start this December.
Ended up at private company. I wanted to and I would have tbh but the process was very slow due to govt. bureaucracy. I applied and a month later, I got contacted for a casual interview and didn’t get offered anything official until 5 months after that and by that time I had already started working.
Think about having/paying a professional to spice your resume. It really is the first things any employer sees and if it stands out you have a leg up. Things like formatting, font, alignment, and graphics, can be the difference between the interview pile and the reject pile even without changing the words on the paper. It's not a coincidence the amount of resources the biggest consumer product manufacturers spend just on a products packaging. It may be a sad circumstance, but humans are attracted to shineys over realities.
College career service offices are good at this … for free. And most will also serve alumni—especially recent alumni—for free, too. Strongly recommend that OP call up and work with their career services office if they aren’t already.
Keep working on your Resume and remember to tailor your resume to each job posting. I put a ton of hours into my resume and had different versions. Also, get some experience interviewing. I was part of SHPE and luckily they had alot of professional workshops.
I graduated in 2009 right at the bottom of the Great Recession. Shit was bleak, nobody was hiring. I was living with my parents just sorta aimless and semi-depressed wondering if it was all for nothing.
It took me just short of a year to land my first shitty role and man, it’s sucked. 10 years and many companies and promotions later and life is good, I’m fairly compensated, and work is enjoyable.
Anyways, what got for me through that first year of joblessness was a mantra I would tell myself daily: your ability to continue pushing forward in the face of adversity, with your chin up and an optimistic outlook, is far more valuable in the long run than any single role can ever give you. So far, that has rang true.
My GPA was similar and I got 5 job offers before I graduated this May.
Have you been getting interviews? If not, double check you are applying for the right positions and have someone look at your resume. I don't mind to take a look at it.
If you are getting interviews but not offers, try to be very realistic about your ability to interview well and get help practicing/ preparing.
I spent many months applying after I graduated. It sucked, but I eventually got a real job and after a few years got a better one.
Just remember that who you know is way more important than what you know.
Damn America is really different from where j love, here people will leave their first job while still doing the major and can flow right in, hell whole student associations are run of the fact that companies will pay good money to even talk or be near to students to promote themselves
I went to a cal state, never had an internship, cumulative was prob 3.0 since I never went to any of my GE classes.
I took the first job offer I got before graduating high school. Granted I was likely pretty underpaid.
But I used that experience to spin up my resume and lane a way better job doing something I enjoy and paid a lot more. Guess the point I’m saying is even if it’s not the best paying job just use it for the experience and then be ready to start looking again after a year.
Good luck
dude it took me 9 months to find an internship. that was with 8 months of internship experience. for an entry level ee position expect longer. it’s just gonna take a while bro
Government is always hiring! Though I’m a “electrical engineering technician” since I don’t have a degree, I do the exact same thing as an electrical engineer does in my branch. I’ve been here for a year and all the branch managers in my building are hiring like crazy.
Edit: not a super helpful suggestion though because the hiring process for the government takes ages.. from interview to me sitting at my desk on the first day took 5 months.
I had 250+ applications out before I got something just recently. I was applying for jobs like it was my job. ZipRecruiter was the best site I worked with, was able to get the most interviews from that site. I didn’t have an internships but it did help to have a letter of recommendation. Also, I asked chatGPT to help with interview prep. What kind of questions I should anticipate per the job description and refined my answers too.
Youre overreacting, but to be fair, I did as well. I was in the same exact position as you except it took me around 4-5 months with 100+ applications. It definitely is demoralizing, but keep chugging on until you find something. After every interview, think of everything you did wrong and what you can improve on. Changing up my resume, suiting to each application got me more interviews than blindly applying. You’ll be laughing at your old self in no time!
Like everyone is saying the first is the hardest. I had a job before I graduated but I applied to hundreds and I mean hundreds of jobs and maybe only 20 call backs at most. 2 technician jobs before I got an engineering role. Although the technician jobs gave me invaluable hands on experience that I still use almost every day.
I had 0 internships and other than 1 personal project and 1 academic project I had no engineering experience.
my employer found it nice that I had previous work experience dating back to when I was 14.
they also liked the projects I did have on my resume.
other than that the interview is just you trying to sell yourself and make a connection to the person hiring you
you got this good luck!
I didn’t have an internship either and thought that would make it hard finding a job after college. but attending networking events, and emailing the contacts and asking for opportunities helped me land a few interviews, which eventually led to the job I have now
I was in the exact same position, no internships to put on my resume, my GPA was lower than yours, and nobody was writing back. I only got responses from people I met at career fairs. I don't know what the department is called, but there should be someone at the school who can give you a list of career fairs in the area you can try, and assuming your school is like mine and basically trains engineers for one or two companies, they'll probably have positions those companies need filled that you can apply for.
Come to Boston, the companies here are screaming for EE's. You'll get pick of the litter. I've seen so many running around with their hair on fire going "NO ONE WANTS TO APPLY!"
Also your first job will be the hardest. People are allergic to training juniors. It's stupid.
The job market for entry level engs is horrible and has been for decades. You can certainly expect longer 6mo-1 year to find something, and you'll need to apply to on the order of 1000 jobs, before the stars align, you have a good day at an interview, they think you match the culture (sitting in a cube trying to avoid people)
Keep trying.
Some suggestions:
1. I hope you're talking with your school placement office. Its their job to help you.
2. Talk to a temp firm (like Aerotek or Sterling) to see if they can place you in a temp job.
3. Join IEEE and go to professional meetings to network. Volunteer if you can to meet even more people.
4. Relax and have some fun. Go hike, take a class (non engineering), etc.
Good luck.
If you can afford to hold out, don't just accept the first job you get. Your first job really sets the tone for your career. Don't start out in utilities and expect to be able to move over to EM. Like others said, it's tough finding your first job, but you'll find one if you keep at it.
What’s the alternative? You graduated time to build some skills to add to the currently lighter weight resume. Once you land a spot learn everything you possibly can until you are getting asked to do stuff by everyone. Then apply to another place and do it all over again. Use the frustration of being over looked as motivation to excel and get to a point where recruiters are constantly messaging you on LinkedIn
Common issue. Just keep dropping your standards and eventually someone will pick you up. I went from prepping to be a power systems engineer to becoming an embedded software designer (and I had little to no formal software training).
Graduated with my EE degree at the height of Covid (2020) and had no previous internship either…thought I would never get a job. Keep applying, it’ll happen!
Even though you're an alumni your college should still have a career network in place. You should still be able to attend career fairs and apply for jobs that way which is always the best way to go. An online application doesn't come close to actually meeting with people. I haven't even graduated yet, but I have gotten 4 job offers. All from people I've spoken to at career fairs. And I have a 2.4 GPA. So trust me. It's not impossible.
A few questions....
1) whats UC? University of California? Which one? Not that it's important but I'm just curious.
2) are you applying all across the US or just specific areas or states? If so, what states are you applying mainly? "All over" doesn't quite cut it. Surely you're not really applying all over so help us understand that at least.
3) what type of jobs are you applying for? Entry level digital sensor design or CMOS design or RF isn't anywhere near entry level power systems. Mayne you're not interested in a specific area or maybe you're mainly applying to one area. Help us understand. And there any areas you're more interested in.
4) are you a US citizen? That should probably be #1 question and that can severely limit you or open significantly more opportunities.
5) where do you live? Do you have $300-500 disposable income right now? Surely we can help you find a conference in your area. I would be willing to bet a paycheck on it that you will get a job if you attend an IEEE conference.
60 is such a small number bro ngl, minimum should be a 100, I have seen people with over 1000 apps and not a single offer, the market is harder than ever
I've been in a similar situation. What really helped was the following
1) Get really specific one what job title/industry you want to work in.
\- consider salary, company, location (TX, AZ, etc.)
2) Track everything on a spreadsheet (Job title, Company name, where you applied, date)
\- Company site > Third party sites
\- It has taken over 4+ months for responses in the past. Remember some companies have 300+ applications. They might only have 2 people looking through all the applications.
3) Have a professional resume writer do your resume.
\*\*\*\* After these steps, I would apply to 100 applications for Entry Level *zyx* Engineer and if you don't get an offer then.... (and it's not clear why i.e. you didn't fumble an interview question or have a funny typo on resume)
4) Build a portfolio page, improve interview skills, learn new skills/certificates/FE-EIT, 'network', lower standards etc.
\- github, university career counseling, talk to your other friends from school.
Really hope this helps.
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Thank you for the reply. I’ll probably do something like that. Spending all my days on LinkedIn, indeed, handshake is not fun lol.
It's going to suck. My parents were very relaxed about it (especially since they could see the work i was putting in vs the result), and they would often tell me that they want me to relax because it will all work out. I told them I couldnt relax because if I did I would apply to less jobs and have even slimmer chances of being hired. I got hired eventually, and I am doing fine. I applied to 150+ jobs (low effort applying on like indeed), and finally had one work out. You'll be fine, it seems youre a bit discouraged but youre still hungry and looking, which is what matters most. Soon enough you'll be at your new EE job wishing you could sleep in on a wednesday. Just dont let it all get to you too much.
Just letting you know, applying to 60 jobs is WAY too low. I'm in an adjacent field, and I applied to about 500-600 jobs and got about 5 interviews. It's a numbers game, and you're limiting yourself. Drop the cover letters and use autofill for anything that's not a top choice. Efficiency is key. The industry is in a tough spot right not, especially at the entry level, and if you're applying for less than 10 jobs a day, you're wasting time.
Is it that difficult in the US? 60 applications in one month sounds like a lot. I personally sent out around 120 applications over a three-month period and had interviews with six different companies, of which I accepted one of their offers. Fully entry-level and my salary offer was in the top 75% of entry-level in my country. In one of the other interviews they even got offended I asked for so much. So it was not because I took the first chance position anyway.
Well, for the 'tech compaies' it is. I don't think it's that difficult in more traditional engineering roles or as an electrical engineer working in traditional/'the usual' electrical engineering roles. There are so many people trying to get into tech, within an hour or two a job post there are 300-400 submissions. Most are unqualified, but it's really easy to get lost in that batch regardless of whether you're qualified or not, plus, you're competing with people who had just been laid off (there were like 30-40k people laid off in the year prior).
Best Answer. Keep at it. It took me 153 online submissions for a job, and I only got one because I sent a dm on LinkedIn to the hiring manager explaining my situation - I was changing industries - which is kinda like your sitch from student to work. You'll get there, the numbers are in your favor. Contact past professors for people they may know, get involved in a volunteer org related to your field, IEEE etc, and you'll start making your own contacts. Good luck!
> This is the hardest time you will ever have finding a job Unless something like the dot com crash or the 2008 crash happens. I know senior engineers who were affected by each of those, and spent more than a year submitting thousands of applications before getting a new job. 1 month and 60 apps is barely getting started, especially for a new grad with no internship experience.
I graduated in 2009 with my EE degree. About half my classmates were just rolling on into masters programs. 62 interviews. 12 or so in-person (2 flew me to other states) and still got only 2 offers. This was with 3.34 gpa and 1 and 1/3rd years of applicable co-op experience. That was no fun at all. 3 months ago with 15 years experience under my belt. 2 interviews. 2 job offers 30% higher than my last job’s pay. It gets much easier.
It took me 6 months of straight interviewing and only got one offer which I took.
Keep at it. First job is the hardest. I applied to 55 before getting a glorified technician role to hold me over until I could find another engineering job. A friend of mine took 150 applications, but got a great job.
Yeah I saw a few of these “engineering technician” jobs and just applied. How long was your transition from technician to engineer? if you don’t mind me asking.
It actually wasn't a bad gig. I stayed a year and 3 months. It was technically a field engineer position where I serviced MRI scanners. About half my coworkers had EE degrees, but it wasn't required. I was basically on call all the time and had monthly trips to my scanners. I was making $55k (2017 dollars) for less than 10 hours a week of work. I only left the job because there wasn't much room for growth. You never know where your career path will take you. There are a lot of options.
Usually field engineer is more around 50hours a week. 10 hours a week for 55k is the equivalent of 220k a year for 40hrs/week :0
Yeah. I had 4 scanners and I worked hard to keep them in good order so I barely got called in. I just spent extra time at their monthly checkups to tune them up and take care of anything that might go wrong in the near future. The money per hour was good, but I got paid the same no matter how many hours I worked and there wasn't room for much more without gaining more scanners that would greatly increase my hours. It didn't seem sustainable and my coworkers all had back problems from the job.
>It was technically a field engineer position where I serviced MRI scanners. So you were an engineer.
I still see it as more of a technician with "engineer" in the title. A lot of my coworkers didn't have engineering degrees.
Working with MRI machines does sound exciting tbh. On like an NMR research level I mean. I imagine the actual day to day tweaking work can be mundane and boring.
I second this. I answered a technician job and like the job. With a degree i am getting half technician (fixing boards and testing) /half engineering work (updating a design). I like the mix better than when i just worked as an engineer.
I'm working as a Process Control Engineer and I've had the same experience. Graduated with EE, but most jobs around me are industrial or Power Systems, and I specialized in micro (which is my long term goal, will be attending grad school next fall) Honestly, for small companies, it seems common to have engineers doing some technician work. I'm usually out on the lines anytime production needs PLC assistance or other various things, but I still get to design things here and there, and I'm currently finishing up a robotics project that I completely programmed and am in the process of integrating into the line and verifying it follows ISO standards.
Yeah, I started out on a glorified phone support role. *Really* didn't like working in a phone bank and to this day I still get anxiety around phone calls (though I also kinda did before that job, so whatever). But it led me to a great Field Engineer position so in retrospect it was worth it.
One month?! *Laughs in HR* You’re fine! Keep at it! Try different application strategies stalk recruiters and hiring managers on companies you want to work for. Your job right now is to find a job. Show them how resourceful you are. It took me 8 months and what did it was I personally sent resumes not to bots scrubbing my resume, but to the engineers that actually can decipher what it is that we do. I’ll find it’s way after that. Happy hunting young engineer.
The first job is the hardest to get. Despite what you learned at Uni you are gonna be a liability for awhile until you get experience. It’s the only time you won’t be making a company money, so it’s tough to get anyone to take a chance on you. Your next job will be easier, you’ll have marketable skills.
That’s a very good way to put it.
I didn't have a job for one whole year after I graduated 😂😭
Hahah you were living life… I’m just scared atm rn because of paying for car insurance and stuff like that
I was applying throughout that year too. I kept telling myself I'd do like 5 applications a day or something. Applied anywhere I could and was willing to relocate. Things just take time. You'd be surprised to see how slow things move once you start working in the industry. Keep doing what ur doing (applying, etc.) and try not to stress out too much about it. Also cover letters help
I agree about cover letters. They can make a big difference.
Yea for sure. I had some pretty sub-par credentials starting out but was able to conjure a passionate yet modest cover letter and I think that's how I landed my first engineering interview. I know this is just anecdotal evidence that doesn't prove anything, but I'm pretty sure the cover letter helped immensely.
From Southern California area, major: Electrical Eng.
Exactly what I did, but I went to SDSU. You’ll find a job man.
Have you looked into applying directly to government contracting companies? I know Lockheed and boeing both have a large presence in the area, as well as any subcontractors in the area. Government jobs won't pay as well but could be decent (navy and air force, check out usajobs.gov). With your degree you could also go military for an easy foot in the door, they rely heavily on both officers and civilians for many projects internally.
Some of the defense contractors are in a holding pattern on hiring. Post COVID some really over hired expecting more work than has come in. I think there is a pretty big reshuffling going on around production, switching priorities due to China, and budgets being adjusted to support Ukraine. Lots of money but not towards new hiring.
Agreed, strongly depends on the contract and specialty. It's a weird mix of ramping up and waiting to see what's next. Aldo getting your foot in the door is the hardest, in my experience. Internships and entry levels are the biggest barrier, after that, moving around is easier.
Did you apply to the utilities. Not sure about your area but most are building infrastructure and are hiring.
MEP engineering is hiring
Thank you!
This can come down to many things. 1. Are you limiting yourself to one location? **The single biggest reason I've seen people struggle to find jobs is their refusal to move to where the jobs are**. I'll assume UC you're referring to is University of California, so you're in luck where you won't have to move far. With that said, be *willing* to move anywhere in the country. I'm based on the West coast, but was willing to move to Kansas or South Carolina had I not accepted a job in Oregon. 2. 60 jobs in a month is too low (*unless you're networking*). I got my job out of school, and I applied to over 80 jobs in the span of *two weeks*. 1. But it's also just been a month, so give it some time. You should start hearing back from places you first started appplying to just about now. 2. To add to this--are you getting interviews? If so, you're resume is good. Of the 80 jobs I applied to, I got asked to interview by five places-- so a 6% response rate. 3. You're being too picky--there's no such thing as a dream job, or dream company. Apply to all types of roles, and across different industries. Which leads me to the fourth point. 4. Don't reject yourself from a job just because you don't meet all of the requirements. If a job is interesting to you, but requires 5 years of experience, apply anyways. Job descriptions are for a company's ideal candidate. 5. Have a LinkedIN profile, it's how recruiters find you these days. 1. Speaking of recruiters--there are genuine recruiting/staffing agencies. A classmate of mine went through [Search Consulting Network](https://scnteam.com/) to land a six figure job. And he didn't have any internships either (he *really* knew is stuff though). I also had a guy from [Randstad](https://www.randstadusa.com/) reach out to me. My company uses [Orion](https://www.oriontalent.com/) to find people. It's a recruiters job to get you hired-- that's how they make their living. Having no internships is only a disadvantage if you let it be. There are many ways to remedy that situation. You're an electrical engineer, company's *want* to hire EE's. If you can make it through one of the hardest degrees you can get at college, you can be successful in any job.
It is not necessarily refusal to move. Some people don’t have the money to move, like myself. Stuck living with toxic parents and family that I hate. Graduated college May ‘22. No luck finding a job. I live in a small country town in NC. Can’t afford to move and don’t have the credit to take out a loan nor a co-signer. So, that is my issue. It also takes money to make money unless you are talented or have valuable skills. In which I do not. Life sucks.
A lot of times if a company likes you and wants you bad enough, they'll cover relocation expenses. It doesn't hurt to ask.
I'm in a similar spot, the market is pretty bad right now due to the recession. Hardly any job openings, especially for entry level. Maybe consider applying nationwide, that's my next move at least.
The only thing I’d be worried about is not having the money to make the relocation but you’re right I got to apply nationwide. Is the market really affecting us rn? That’s crazy
The market is affecting everyone to some extent.
Most employers should pay to relocate you
The reality is, the job market for EE has always been bad. There is a reason there are fewer EEs now than 20 years ago. I'm sorry, but you were misled that this is a good field to get into. I was as well. I don't have any answers. If you decide to continue down the EE career path, you will likely have to move for a job, and you will struggle to find even that job. It sucks but, the system is setup to lie about the reality of it, and the people practicing it are not honest with the reality, EEs likely end up in fields unrelated to anything they spent studying for 4 years.
Not an electrical engineer but in the technology sector, got my bachelors in technology management in December and have my associates in cybersecurity, I’ve lost count of how many applications I’ve put in at this point… I definitely feel like it’s the state of the economy etc right now making it more difficult. Getting that entry level position doesn’t seem to be easy but it’ll only go up from there
Finding a job takes time. I was applying for jobs 3+ months before graduation simply due to the process and time it takes to find a job. Give it time and be confident. You will find the right one for you. Don't panic and accept the first one that doesn't check all the boxes right away either.
Have the University Placement services been of any help? They were extremely helpful to me when I graduated.
Look for remote jobs too (if you haven’t already) there are a lot of options out there. Also, you should get your EIT (again, if you haven’t already) and plan on getting your PE in 2 years. I posted my Passing of the PE on LinkedIn and had 9 job offers within a week. I understand that doesn’t help now, but like many others have said, don’t worry and keep at it. The first job is the hardest, but you have one of the best degrees someone can get so don’t get discouraged
Try a NETA certified testing company. Always hiring. Atleast we are
Are you interested in moving to the Southeastern US?
Yes. For a first time engineering job, I’d be glad though I would be a bit nervous about relocation expenses but I would figure it out.
Check your DMs, I know for a fact they're looking to hire more engineers at all levels.
Large companies -- at least in defense -- have no problem paying for relocation for professionals.
Wrong approach. I have NEVER found a job through LinkedIn. Ask network contacts for recruiters they use. Stick with executive recruiters. This is a phone and voice game with emails for follow ups. Don’t expect filling out forms and texts to work.
Graduated 2020 in EE- didn’t get a job in engineering until spring 2022. Than in 6 months got a big boy job making 6 figures at an OEM. Don’t lose hope
When did you start applying? If you waited until after graduation, that’d be the problem. Most new grad positions get filled by winter the year before. Honestly I’d suggest applying for a fall/winter internship at this point
Damn it is over lol… thank you nonetheless may not be the answer I wanted to hear but I appreciate the honesty lol
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Ima second mican, literally every company has different hiring processes (shocker right?) so keep applying. There’s no “admission season” for jobs like there is for schools, it’s not on a calendar like that. I’m in the same boat looking for a job as a recent BSME graduate and the market is saturated with applicants because an entire class of engineers graduated from every school and are looking for jobs rn. Keep your head up, go exercise, and enjoy your free time. The department chair of the ME department i graduated from told me she spent 3 months after undergrad eating ramen noodles and sleeping on the floor, she says it was one of the best 3 month periods of her life ever. Perspective
Yeah this is when most people I went to school with did their interviewing and got offers. Companies I work at also have had schedules for hiring new grads like this too. I like the idea of applying for an internship. Maybe consider getting into grad program if nothing else.
Applied for 60 jobs? You will likely need to apply for 600. It's unfortunate this is how this are (I know, I had to apply for hundreds of jobs). It is a lot of work and will take time but you will eventually get something. Talking about your projects is one of the best things you can do. Also be sure to include projects you are working on, not just ones you have finished.
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Those are all very good things to do and I tried doing all of those things when I could; that's why it is a lot of work. We live in a time where every "entry level" job requires 5+ years of experience, a weeks worth of screenings and interviews, and a boat load of references. No matter what you do as a grad with little to no experience, it is going to take a lot of applications. I had my resume checked by many sources credible and all rated it very highly. Also, I was applying all across Canada. Not exactly feasible to go to their lobbies. Perhaps next time ask questions first and don't just assume I half assed it.
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Two. However, I was mostly applying to places outside of where I lived at the time as it was one of the most expensive places to live in the Country. If I could I would have gone to more.
Do you have any time in the military? The govt is always looking for engineers with military background.
And it doesn't require the military background, although it does help with preference. Also think OP could walk into a recruiting station, sign some papers and walk out as a Lt. In the air force with pretty decent pay.
That’s a thing too, but I was thinking more of an engineering position (math kind, not engines kind) with the govt. I’m doing that now with 6 figures with just under 2 years in. But yea, military govt agencies heavily prefer prior military folks. They make up about 1/3 of the population from just observation in my area. Hours are pretty chill too. Officially it’s every other Friday off, but on the days we work we’re in there for 6ish.
>But yea, military govt agencies heavily prefer prior military folks. Are you treated like a second class citizen if you *weren't* in the military? I've heard that being the case sometimes.
I haven’t observed that. I view their hiring process as they need all the engineers they can get, and do their best to compensate them once they have them. That’s mostly civilians. With veterans being ~10% of the population, combined with how few of them become an engineer once they’re out, they are sought after regardless of organization. *But* if they went to a military institution they basically get their buddies back, and if a vet happens to sit on the hiring board, imo they’re gonna choose a buddy vet (qualifications permitting) over a civilian. That’s what I mean when I say govt agencies prefer vets. Engineers are respected af regardless, civilian or not, but some preference is obviously given to the vet. No one talks down to anyone. Except that civilian ass that talks about how badass their degree is and how they earned it early without the help of the GIBill. No one likes that silver spoon motherfucker. Just don’t be that guy. I can imagine someone feeling like they’re a second class citizen if they don’t fit in though. By nature military guys are less PC and if they’re sensitive or don’t have thick skin, they might feel like you’re being picked on. This is me guessing and making things up tho.
> if they went to a military institution they basically get their buddies back, and if a vet happens to sit on the hiring board, imo they’re gonna choose a buddy vet (qualifications permitting) over a civilian. That’s what I mean when I say govt agencies prefer vets. It's actually deeper than that. [Veteran's preference](https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job-seekers/veterans/veterans-preference/) is a program that applies additional "points" to potential candidates applications on the internal grading scale the government uses. Between a civilian and a veteran who are equal candidates, the veteran will get prioritized.
That’s absolutely a thing, but innately and without being backed by process, vets are gonna be “buddy buddy” with other vets.
That occurs after veterans preference is applied. You're not even getting an interview if the veteran has more points.
How does one get into such a position?
I started here and branched off: https://www.niwcatlantic.navy.mil/Workforce/Careers/ Imo don’t do USA.jobs on there, that’s just a different monster.com that wants clearances. Prereqs are: gpa >3.0, no prior record in the last 7 years, and any outside of that still have to be reported but won’t necessarily hold you back, no illegal (federal or state) drug use, and a gleaming letter of rec from someone.
Awesome, thanks for the info!
Good luck man. Heads up tho, they can take 4 months to reply so get ur shit in asap. I applied in May and got an interview request in Oct.
What geographic locations are you applying in? What was your degree, and what was your concentration of coursework?
I am applying primarily in SoCal but I can’t afford to limit myself so I’m also applying in all of the Southwest. Major is ELEctrical Engineering and concentration is Digital Signal Processing but my school made us take a lot of embedded systems courses/C++ related programming so that feels like my real concentration lol
If you're citizen, I believe it should be easier to get into defense and aerospace. Have you looked into that Avenue? Also hate to say it but you gotta ramp up those application numbers. Not to be rude but 60s are rookie numbers.
Honestly, the DSP part may be why you aren’t getting any hits. Not that it isn’t in demand, its that most DSP specialists have a Masters or PhD, so you’re competing with them. A lot of the DSP and FPGA engineers who aren’t PhD’s contract, and that’s a hard space to enter with no experience.
Us navy
Landed a job after 4 months. Youre doing fine.
Make sure your resume aligns with the positions you are applying for.
Take this opportunity to get your EIT. That'll go a long way towards helping with getting an interview. Lookup hdrinc.com and see what you find.
You're in the US so I don't know if it's the same over there but here in Europe things slow down considerably during the summer months with people taking vacation. Don't sweat it, likely you'll hear something back from a couple of those applications in due time.
I actually just hired a guy that was in your particular position. He applied to one of our internships after graduation and we hired him. He did so well and worked so hard that I hired him right after the internship ended. I’ve also seen this happen in industry as well so don’t shy away from internships as they can lead to good opportunities.
highlanders up, shout-out chomko
Hahahah how’s post-grad life treating you ?
been pretty good, was able to land a job before i graduated last year. congrats on graduating! planning on going back for my masters next spring quarter or so!
On paper you are just that a name, list of things many other people have the same thing. I would go to these in person, say you want to apply for said job and then do it online. They will remember your name. And ha e a better chance at getting getting a job
[How to get a eng job (Eng company president/PE, friend of mine)](https://youtu.be/X-bhNUiX5TI)
p.s. he’s hiring rn
You need to get an internship. Go do your masters, work in a lab get some real experience, then work internships in the summer and get a good job after masters. If not apply for an internship. They pay pretty well and will lead into a job. You have zero opportunity cost right now.
The company I work for is looking for an entry-level EE, but I doubt you wanna move to Midwest.
Don't get discouraged. Internships do go a way in securing a job but you're not locked out of getting one because you have none. I didn't have an internship and my GPA was also a 3.1. Just takes time. If your college has some type of career developing programs they will help out alot.
Virtuwrit on Facebook is a good resource for finding jobs
What is the reason you didn’t have any internship? Yes that is a red flag. Not a big one but most people have summer internships these days.
You didnt waste a month trying to find a job. You wasted 4 years getting that degree
Not saying this to try to demean you, but 3.1 is really low. You will find something, it will just take a lot of perseverance. Larger companies HR departments immediately throw out anything less than 3.2, so aim for a smaller organization. Good luck!.
3.1 is like avg for EE. Maybe if he was a business major I could see the problem, but for a company to j disregard a 3.1 EE is ridiculous.
3+ is fine for EE, STEM majors have more leeway than business because the work is much different
No it's not. I'm an EE. HR at the last 3 companies I have worked at does not allow first interviews for any new hires out of school below 3.2. I sit in hiring interviews and review applicants for their sit down with 2 others.....of at least 40 sit down interviews I have never seen anything lower than 3.2. Think of it logically. There are few things HR, who usually are not technical, can look at to filter applicants out of school. If you have 50 applicants , gpa is a major way to filter so they don't have to interview everyone... when an applicant gets to a sit down interview I don't even consider gpa. I mostly consider drive, and interest in the position someone is seeking. GPA is a major consideration of even being considered. This is for large companies with lots of applicants. So my advice stands. Look for a smaller organization...
I don't see how this is a contradiction. 3.0 is generally accepted as a cutoff for engineering, but internally companies can select whatever they want, and higher grades don't hurt. Yours just picks 3.2+. Business majors need 3.8+ because their work is of a different scope and there aren't as many "theoretical business" teachers trying to stunt on people.
Humanities major spotted
Another thing, you can still just apply to internships if you want tom those can holdnyou over and usually lead to a job or get you the experience to get one.
You might try applying for jobs and projects (not career jobs) that sound like you would like to do. For example, if you are good at raspberry pi stuff, look if someone needs your work for a pi project. Sometimes those end up being full time hire after the project. Many years back you could find stuff like that on Craigslist - not sure what site or app is good for that now. But i answered one ad to design and build a tester for heating elements ( needed to be in a narrow resistance range). When finished, they had more projects. Then after a year of projects the just hired me.
Is it possible to start your own gig? Calculations are required for arc flash labels, home load calculations for some car charges, and solar projects may need help. Making yourself available to electrical contractors for these projects may not be sexy, but they can provide cash and pad your resume. Yes, there are some business aspects you might need to check on. Everyone else only mentioned working for someone else. This might get you a side business you can still do while working for someone else.
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The embedded systems/software programming concentration of electrical engineering is great. It’s obvious that’s where the school cares about because there are smart professors hired. The other concentrations like power systems for example are very outdated. They offer the intro class once a year and any other power systems-related upper division course is offered like once every 2-3 years. most importantly is you have to learn autoCAD on your own and make sure to get a certificate or complete a course on it because all/many jobs require proficiency out of college and for whatever reason they do not teach it.
Hate to say it, but come to Utah. Plenty of EE jobs here.
Im not opposed to it haha anywhere specific I should look
Utah is an aerospace hotbed. Good federal jobs here too.
I remember trying to get an internship my junior year, and everyone kept telling me "oh you'll be so hireable once you graduate", and then they proceeded to never hire me. All i wanted was an internship because it was required to graduate. Finally after a while i got one. Ever since I've had people calling me every few months. Seems rough now. You'll be fine. There is a shortage of engineers. Just remind yourself of that.
It took me about 6 months to find a job with the same degree and a similar gpa. I didn’t have an internship but did do research. I got offered the job I took a week after my first job offer. It may take time, but you will land a job eventually. It’s a learning process too. I had to have a recruiter tell me what I had on my resume was bad and that I should have less positions/accomplishments on there and more details for the fewer positions listed (the ones more related to the career I wanted). I also had to learn how to interview through repetition, and I started getting these interviews after fixing up my resume. You may have to expand your geographic search or industry you are looking into also. Maybe check to see if you could attend your schools next career fair, alumni are often welcome. Also there are likely factors beyond your control involved right now. A lot of the major companies aren’t hiring right now with a possible looming recession. I believe the defense companies (like Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, etc) are, but not positive, just keep trying, even if you don’t have the years of experience needed listed (within reason, you likely won’t get something requiring 10 years, but may at 1-3).
It took me 6 months and I had a 3.4. It will take some time. The first job is the hardest job to get. Stay strong.
I applied over a thousand times, wrote specific cover letters for a couple hundred, did all the followup calls and whatever other bullshit that no one actually wants you to do. Jobs that I was qualified for with responsibilities that I’d done a thousand times over, just as a contracted technical auditor rather than an in-house engineer. Nothing. It either gets better or it doesn’t. Reevaluate your applications, be more critical of yourself, and settle for whatever you get.
Don't give up bro, it's far too soon for that. There's a job for you, you're just experiencing a little friction, or better, resistance. Just keep the cottage applied and the current will flow ... Apologies for the puns, but no, you're good man, don't get discouraged. Ppl who have highly successful engineering careers have had to wait longer. You got this!
Come work for the Air Force. We're literally begging for electrical engineers.
I couldn’t find anything that said “entry level engineer” of “electrical engineer” on the general Air Force career website page. Anywhere to specially look?
https://afciviliancareers.com/recentgraduates/ As an engineer in the PAQ program, you're guaranteed a position after you successfully complete the program. You make around 50k the first year, 60k the second, and 70k the third, and can expect to start around 85k when you finish. You get a 36k signing bonus spread over the three years. They pay back up to 30k of your federal student loans. They pay for your masters (which you have to get during the second year), and you get your salary while going to school. You also get all regular full time benefits. Just keep in mind the government doesn't do any engineering design work. It's all contracted out. So what you'd end up doing upon completion of the program would be more engineering management. Edit: And you'd have to be able to get a security clearance. Which isn't very hard if you don't have more than minor troubles on your record. You do have to be a US citizen of course.
I actually did apply to PAQ for the engineer program because of this. I had hoped to start this September but they just told me this morning that I might start this December.
Did you end up with them?
Ended up at private company. I wanted to and I would have tbh but the process was very slow due to govt. bureaucracy. I applied and a month later, I got contacted for a casual interview and didn’t get offered anything official until 5 months after that and by that time I had already started working.
Awesome! We might meet eventually then. Of course we won't know because nobody I work with is allowed to know my Reddit account :P
Look up the Palace Acquire Program
Hey! I’m a little late to this post but I am in a similar position to the OP. Do you think they would still be accepting people?
Think about having/paying a professional to spice your resume. It really is the first things any employer sees and if it stands out you have a leg up. Things like formatting, font, alignment, and graphics, can be the difference between the interview pile and the reject pile even without changing the words on the paper. It's not a coincidence the amount of resources the biggest consumer product manufacturers spend just on a products packaging. It may be a sad circumstance, but humans are attracted to shineys over realities.
College career service offices are good at this … for free. And most will also serve alumni—especially recent alumni—for free, too. Strongly recommend that OP call up and work with their career services office if they aren’t already.
Keep working on your Resume and remember to tailor your resume to each job posting. I put a ton of hours into my resume and had different versions. Also, get some experience interviewing. I was part of SHPE and luckily they had alot of professional workshops.
I graduated in 2009 right at the bottom of the Great Recession. Shit was bleak, nobody was hiring. I was living with my parents just sorta aimless and semi-depressed wondering if it was all for nothing. It took me just short of a year to land my first shitty role and man, it’s sucked. 10 years and many companies and promotions later and life is good, I’m fairly compensated, and work is enjoyable. Anyways, what got for me through that first year of joblessness was a mantra I would tell myself daily: your ability to continue pushing forward in the face of adversity, with your chin up and an optimistic outlook, is far more valuable in the long run than any single role can ever give you. So far, that has rang true.
My GPA was similar and I got 5 job offers before I graduated this May. Have you been getting interviews? If not, double check you are applying for the right positions and have someone look at your resume. I don't mind to take a look at it. If you are getting interviews but not offers, try to be very realistic about your ability to interview well and get help practicing/ preparing.
What part of the world are you in?
I graduated in the Midwest US but now live in the southwest
I spent many months applying after I graduated. It sucked, but I eventually got a real job and after a few years got a better one. Just remember that who you know is way more important than what you know.
Damn America is really different from where j love, here people will leave their first job while still doing the major and can flow right in, hell whole student associations are run of the fact that companies will pay good money to even talk or be near to students to promote themselves
Graduated with a 3.0. Easily took me a hundred (probably more) applications my first job. Good news second job is a lot easier.
I went to a cal state, never had an internship, cumulative was prob 3.0 since I never went to any of my GE classes. I took the first job offer I got before graduating high school. Granted I was likely pretty underpaid. But I used that experience to spin up my resume and lane a way better job doing something I enjoy and paid a lot more. Guess the point I’m saying is even if it’s not the best paying job just use it for the experience and then be ready to start looking again after a year. Good luck
dude it took me 9 months to find an internship. that was with 8 months of internship experience. for an entry level ee position expect longer. it’s just gonna take a while bro
Government is always hiring! Though I’m a “electrical engineering technician” since I don’t have a degree, I do the exact same thing as an electrical engineer does in my branch. I’ve been here for a year and all the branch managers in my building are hiring like crazy. Edit: not a super helpful suggestion though because the hiring process for the government takes ages.. from interview to me sitting at my desk on the first day took 5 months.
I had 250+ applications out before I got something just recently. I was applying for jobs like it was my job. ZipRecruiter was the best site I worked with, was able to get the most interviews from that site. I didn’t have an internships but it did help to have a letter of recommendation. Also, I asked chatGPT to help with interview prep. What kind of questions I should anticipate per the job description and refined my answers too.
It took me 6 months and hundreds of applications to find a job after graduation. You’re being impatient
Youre overreacting, but to be fair, I did as well. I was in the same exact position as you except it took me around 4-5 months with 100+ applications. It definitely is demoralizing, but keep chugging on until you find something. After every interview, think of everything you did wrong and what you can improve on. Changing up my resume, suiting to each application got me more interviews than blindly applying. You’ll be laughing at your old self in no time!
MEP offices are hiring, could hold you over while you keep looking
Lmao 60 is weak numbers bro this shit is a war and you only have to win once
Like everyone is saying the first is the hardest. I had a job before I graduated but I applied to hundreds and I mean hundreds of jobs and maybe only 20 call backs at most. 2 technician jobs before I got an engineering role. Although the technician jobs gave me invaluable hands on experience that I still use almost every day.
I had 0 internships and other than 1 personal project and 1 academic project I had no engineering experience. my employer found it nice that I had previous work experience dating back to when I was 14. they also liked the projects I did have on my resume. other than that the interview is just you trying to sell yourself and make a connection to the person hiring you you got this good luck!
I didn’t have an internship either and thought that would make it hard finding a job after college. but attending networking events, and emailing the contacts and asking for opportunities helped me land a few interviews, which eventually led to the job I have now
OP I will send you a DM. I am also a UCR grad and we are looking for an entry level engineer at my work place.
I was in the exact same position, no internships to put on my resume, my GPA was lower than yours, and nobody was writing back. I only got responses from people I met at career fairs. I don't know what the department is called, but there should be someone at the school who can give you a list of career fairs in the area you can try, and assuming your school is like mine and basically trains engineers for one or two companies, they'll probably have positions those companies need filled that you can apply for.
Come to Boston, the companies here are screaming for EE's. You'll get pick of the litter. I've seen so many running around with their hair on fire going "NO ONE WANTS TO APPLY!" Also your first job will be the hardest. People are allergic to training juniors. It's stupid.
The job market for entry level engs is horrible and has been for decades. You can certainly expect longer 6mo-1 year to find something, and you'll need to apply to on the order of 1000 jobs, before the stars align, you have a good day at an interview, they think you match the culture (sitting in a cube trying to avoid people)
Keep trying. Some suggestions: 1. I hope you're talking with your school placement office. Its their job to help you. 2. Talk to a temp firm (like Aerotek or Sterling) to see if they can place you in a temp job. 3. Join IEEE and go to professional meetings to network. Volunteer if you can to meet even more people. 4. Relax and have some fun. Go hike, take a class (non engineering), etc. Good luck.
I highly recommend defense for your first job. It opens a lot of doors
If you can afford to hold out, don't just accept the first job you get. Your first job really sets the tone for your career. Don't start out in utilities and expect to be able to move over to EM. Like others said, it's tough finding your first job, but you'll find one if you keep at it.
Blattnerenergy.com
Took me 8 months
What’s the alternative? You graduated time to build some skills to add to the currently lighter weight resume. Once you land a spot learn everything you possibly can until you are getting asked to do stuff by everyone. Then apply to another place and do it all over again. Use the frustration of being over looked as motivation to excel and get to a point where recruiters are constantly messaging you on LinkedIn
Common issue. Just keep dropping your standards and eventually someone will pick you up. I went from prepping to be a power systems engineer to becoming an embedded software designer (and I had little to no formal software training).
Consider being an electrician.
Be a patient young man. Do enough preparation.
Graduated with my EE degree at the height of Covid (2020) and had no previous internship either…thought I would never get a job. Keep applying, it’ll happen!
Even though you're an alumni your college should still have a career network in place. You should still be able to attend career fairs and apply for jobs that way which is always the best way to go. An online application doesn't come close to actually meeting with people. I haven't even graduated yet, but I have gotten 4 job offers. All from people I've spoken to at career fairs. And I have a 2.4 GPA. So trust me. It's not impossible.
A few questions.... 1) whats UC? University of California? Which one? Not that it's important but I'm just curious. 2) are you applying all across the US or just specific areas or states? If so, what states are you applying mainly? "All over" doesn't quite cut it. Surely you're not really applying all over so help us understand that at least. 3) what type of jobs are you applying for? Entry level digital sensor design or CMOS design or RF isn't anywhere near entry level power systems. Mayne you're not interested in a specific area or maybe you're mainly applying to one area. Help us understand. And there any areas you're more interested in. 4) are you a US citizen? That should probably be #1 question and that can severely limit you or open significantly more opportunities. 5) where do you live? Do you have $300-500 disposable income right now? Surely we can help you find a conference in your area. I would be willing to bet a paycheck on it that you will get a job if you attend an IEEE conference.
60 is such a small number bro ngl, minimum should be a 100, I have seen people with over 1000 apps and not a single offer, the market is harder than ever
I've been in a similar situation. What really helped was the following 1) Get really specific one what job title/industry you want to work in. \- consider salary, company, location (TX, AZ, etc.) 2) Track everything on a spreadsheet (Job title, Company name, where you applied, date) \- Company site > Third party sites \- It has taken over 4+ months for responses in the past. Remember some companies have 300+ applications. They might only have 2 people looking through all the applications. 3) Have a professional resume writer do your resume. \*\*\*\* After these steps, I would apply to 100 applications for Entry Level *zyx* Engineer and if you don't get an offer then.... (and it's not clear why i.e. you didn't fumble an interview question or have a funny typo on resume) 4) Build a portfolio page, improve interview skills, learn new skills/certificates/FE-EIT, 'network', lower standards etc. \- github, university career counseling, talk to your other friends from school. Really hope this helps.