Engineering

Start planning NOW for next summer's internships?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:49:00 +0000

I do a lot of writing for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer, where my latest article covers a bunch of internships and fellowships that students can take advantage of in the summer of 2010.

These are great opportunities, but why did I write about them in November? Easy: the application deadlines are just a couple of weeks away.

Internships and other work-experience programs are just about the most valuable things you can add to your resume before you graduate and start searching for a full-time job. They put you in the real world, give you the perspective of the workplace, allow you to meet valuable contacts, and let you try new things. Plus, they don't last forever, so you always enter an internship with an end-game in mind.

But fitting an internship into your college schedule can be difficult at best. I remember needing to heavily rejigger my course schedule so I could fit an internship into my senior year, and even then, I still wish I'd picked one that offered at least a tiny stipend. The cost of getting to the internship twice a week sucked so much money from my starving-student wallet that I could barely afford to eat that semester!

But man, was it all worth it. I'm still in contact with some of the people I met on my internship, and I put the lessons I learned to practice on an almost daily basis.

So anyway, early planning... Companies that have regular intern programs can't accept an unlimited number of students. They might take one or two at a time, and often start taking applications months in advance. If there's a company in your neighborhood you really want to intern for, chances are there are a hundred other students salivating for that opportunity, too. Which means you'd better get your application in before them. Like, now.

You can start your search at Experience.com, where you can use the job-search feature to specifically look for internships.

So don't delay. Start thinking about it, and then get moving!

Where are the high-tech jobs? NYC, Silicon Valley and Austin top the list

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Where should you focus your job-search efforts? According to a report from Dice.com, the most high-tech job listings are in Silicon Valley* and New York City.

Outside of NYC, the entire Northeast area is apparently experiencing high-tech job growth, especially in New Jersey.

High-tech job postings in Charlotte, NC, and Austin, TX, are also up 45% and 31% since the beginning of the year.

Job postings aren't up that high percentage-wise in NYC and Silicon Valley, but the sheer number of jobs in those areas puts them at the top of the list. New York City job postings are up 16%, while Silicon Valley saw a 6% rise.

So keep this in mind when you're job searching, and narrow your search to look at some of these areas.

* Since Silicon Valley isn't a real city, it's sometimes hard to search for jobs in that area. Use cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Los Altos, Palo Alto, Mountain View and Milpitas for your searches. Or check Wikipedia for the complete list of "Silicon Valley" cities.

Licensing: Your Key to Working Anywhere, at Any Time?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Not every engineering field requires the people practicing it to be licensed. But one field that does is civil engineering, and here's the tale of one man who has just landed his 50th civil engineering license, allowing him to work anywhere in the United States.

Tracy Letzring is also a licensed environmental engineer and registered structural engineer. He fully admits that having all of these licenses gives him and his company a marketing edge over the competition, but in practical matters, it also lets him work for any client in any state or city, and not just in his own neighborhood.

Working in different states requires different knowledge and skills. For example, Letzring says that California's license required him to learn about seismic migration, while he needed to learn about Arctic conditions to land his license in Alaska.

How much do you need to think about licenses in these particular careers? It's up to you. But you do want to plan ahead. It would suck if you had to turn down a job or couldn't land a client because you were licensed in one state but not in its neighbor. Something to consider...

Nuclear Engineering Jobs are Hot

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:58:00 +0000

If you're looking for a high-tech career with nowhere to go but up, then you can't go wrong with nuclear engineering.

More than just nuclear power, nuclear engineers are also vital for work in physics, medicine, imaging, and more. It's an essential field, and it's growing. According to a 2008 article from USA Today, there are now five times more nuclear engineering students than there were early in the decade.

If new nuclear power plants get approved in the next few years, it could mean hundreds of new engineering jobs. Heck, worldwide, new nuclear power could result in thousands upon thousands of jobs. That's the expectation in the UK, where 11 new nuclear power plants are currently being debated. (And yes, chances are that the majority of new nuclear jobs will be created outside the U.S., but the States still has the best nuclear training programs, so you're in the right place to make sure you get the best knowledge possible to get started in your career.)

Want to know more? Here's a great profile of a working nuclear engineer, and here's another one from an engineer who's just started out in his field.

Ireland Wants More R&D Workers

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:45:00 +0000

Interested in working overseas? Then Ireland might be the place for you. The country is already well-known as one of Europe's technology centers, and now the government has rolled out a new program to make it easier for foreign researchers to work there.

The new Euraxess.ie web portal aims to make it easier for R&D people to take contracts in Ireland, and even to bring their entire families there for the extent of their contract. You won't even need a green card or work permit, that's how much they want you there.

Euraxess is actually EU-wide, but this new Irish version of the portal takes things several steps further that most other European countries and making the country even more attractive to researchers.

Give it a try. But if you get a job there, don't kiss the Blarney Stone. You don't want to know why.

Environmental engineering jobs up 25%

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Looking for a specialty for your engineering career? Think green. Environmental engineering jobs are up 25.4% according to a new book, 200 Best Jobs for Renewing America by Laurence Shatkin.

Shatkin's top ten green jobs are full of engineering specialties. Industrial engineer jobs are up more than 20%, geoscience jobs are up 21.9%, and other jobs for environmental scientists and specialists are up more than 25%.

The jobs all pay pretty well, too. According to Shatkin, the average environmental engineering job pays $72,350.

I just did a quick job search on Experience.com, and there are, at this moment, more than 20 jobs that fit into these categories.

Give 'em a look and see what appeals to you!

Are You An Extreme Programmer? Or a Hybrid Champion?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +0000

Are you up to a programming challenge? IEEE will once again hold its IEEE Xtreme Programming Challenge this October 24th. Teams will have 24 hours to solve a programming challenge that will be revealed when the competition opens that day at 00:00:00 UTC.

This is specifically for teams at universities with IEEE student branches -- and if you're not already involved in your student branch, you should be.

Interested? Don't delay - if you want to compete, you must register by October 12!

Meanwhile, registration is now open for next summer's Formula Hybrid International Competition. This is a really exciting event, where teams of college and university students design, build, and race high-performance, plug-in hybrid vehicles. It's held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH, every year, and attracts teams from all over the world.

Formula Hybrid attracts not only some great minds, but some very interested recruiters, who look to this competition to find their next great automotive engineers. It's a great way to examine green technologies, and a perfect way to practice teamwork and learn from your peers.

Registration for the 2010 Formula Hybrid competition opened this week, and closes in mid-December. That leaves you several months to create your vehicle, time you'll really need. Give it a try!

Any other competitions you're excited about this year? Let us know in the comments section!

Will 'Gandhian Engineering' Influence Your Career?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:29:00 +0000

Have you heard the term "Gandhian Engineering"? This relatively new concept (coined by the New York Times last year when Tata Motors first unveiled its game-changing Nano automobile) describes engineering as a way to change the lives of the world's poor.

As the NYTimes first put it, Gandhian Engineering combines "irreverence for conventional ways of thinking with a frugality born of scarcity." In other words, throw out the old ideas and think of ways to do things inexpensively.

Two statements by Mahatma Gandhi himself help form the core of Gandhian Engineering, which has been embraced by engineers all over the world over the last several months:

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.
I would prize every invention of science made for the benefit for all.

You can learn more about Gandhian Engineering through a free webinar being hosted by IEEE's GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) group on October 2. (You do need to be an IEEE member to attend.)

So how do you see this concept of "high performance - low cost" engineering affecting your career or your goals in the future? Let us know and post your thoughts in the comments section!

Engineering degrees lead to the highest salaries

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Hey folks, welcome back to the engineering careers blog from Experience.com! Every weeks, we'll take a look at why it's great to be an engineer, and what you have to look forward to as you leave school and get out in the "real world."

First up, here's some encouraging information that should brighten your day, in light of the rotten economy: a new study finds that engineering degrees lead to the highest salaries for all U.S. workers. Aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, computer engineering and electrical engineering took the top four slots in a list of top median salaries compiled by PayScale.com. As for the rest of the top ten, most of them are also engineering-related categories: mechanical engineering, computer science, industrial engineering and environmental engineering.

You need to read a bit more closely into the tables to see what your likely starting salary is likely to be (chemical engineering seems to be the highest for beginners), and PayScale.com also found that your salary could depend on where you went to school -- MIT grads seem to attract the highest starting salaries, while Dartmouth grads garner the biggest medial salaries after they've had 10 or more years of work experience.

In any case, if you're looking for a satisfying salary, engineering is the place to be. (And this makes this the blog to read!)

I'll be back next week with another look at engineering career prospects. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, post them below or email me. I'll try to find some answers and publish them in the weeks to come!

3 Engineering Careers That Are Relevant Even in a Recession

noreply@blogger.com (Experience) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:26:00 +0000

By Kat Sanders, Guest Blogger

If you’re contemplating what majors to pursue to better your chances of a job when you graduate, engineering is a good choice. Even here, there are a few disciplines in engineering that are much better than the rest when it comes to future career prospects and earning potential. These include:

Biomedical engineering: The health industry is one that is really recession-proof because people are going to be spending money on their health, even if it is at the cost of any other expense. As a biomedical engineer, you will be involved in designing devices and procedures that help solve health problems and make life easier for those with chronic problems. Research opportunities will spur the demand for qualified people in this engineering discipline, and the BLS (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) predicts a growth that is faster than the average for all other industries.

Civil engineering: With the population growing by leaps and bounds and the housing needs that have to be met, civil engineers are always going to be in demand. The key to not just surviving but actually being successful in the field of civil engineering it to be familiar with alternative building methods. These include sustainability and green principles to avoid harming either the environment or the people who live in the buildings. Besides constructing new architecture, civil engineers will also be able to find steady work in renovating buildings, bridges and other structures that already exist and that need to be maintained on a regular basis.

Environmental engineering: The emphasis today is on the color green and on preserving the environment. This makes environmental engineers a much sought-after breed. They are involved in developing solutions for the problems that plague the earth – like the scarcity of natural resources, the management and control of pollution of water and air, and the effects of industrialization. Jobs will be most plentiful in various sectors like the conservation of wildlife, cleaning up of pollution, waste and oil spills, minimizing the effect of global warming, climate change, acid rain and other forms of environmental damage.

If you’re serious about a career in any of these engineering disciplines, you need to be aware that the competition will be tough. So you may need a master’s degree or more to make your mark and carve out a niche for yourself in the engineering field.

This guest article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of online engineering degrees at her blog The Engineering A Better World Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

Tough Times for Grads Entering the Job Market

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Around the country, college seniors will be graduating over the next few weeks and finding themselves entering an uncertain job market.

“I’ve never seen it as bad as this for students looking for jobs,” Allan Cotrone, the director of Career Development and Student Affairs at the Ross School of Business, told The Michigan Daily.

In the article, Cynthia Redwine, director of the Engineering Career Resource Center, gave her advice for job-seeking students: “Maintain a positive attitude, network, expect the search to take a bit longer (6-9 months) and to not overlook small and medium size companies.”

But look, don't let that get you down. The truth is that there are actually more high-tech jobs in America right now than there were at this time last year. According to a report by TechAmerica, high-tech employment in the U.S. increased by 77,000 jobs in 2008. The year wasn't perfect -- some jobs were lost in the fourth quarter -- but jobs that disappeared did so at a much slower rate than the rest of the economy.

2009 has been rough so far, and it's too early to say where the job market as a whole is going this year, but no matter what, engineering jobs are here to stay. Just take your time, be patient, and keep looking. If you've got the skills, there's probably an employer who needs you.

Good luck, grads!

What to do when your career is in transition

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:51:00 +0000

It's time to answer another of your engineering career questions, this time from Todd:

I found myself unemployed last December for the first time in 23 years. My last plant was a victim of the economy. There has been plenty to do searching for a new job but the results have been discouraging.

I wonder, is there still enough manufacturing left in the Delaware Valley to keep a guy like me employed? Or perhaps my engineering career has run its course and I should be thinking career change.

That's sad to hear, Todd. I'm sure everyone reading this feels for you. It's tough out there, and getting tougher.

To be honest, your mid-career age might make it a little bit harder to find a new job. According to a recent survey by IEEE-USA, older engineers took longer to find new jobs. They were still employable, and desirable, but it still took about twice as long for them to land new positions.

Part of your challenge might be the area you're living in. In your letter (which I only excerpted above), you express fears that too many manufacturing jobs have left the country, which is probably true. But a quick search of Experience.com's jobs database finds a large number of positions in Delaware, so I recommend giving them a search.

If that doesn't work, you might want to consider putting your engineering skills to use in a complimentary area, outside of manufacturing but still within engineering. Your long work history and reliability make you an asset to a company looking for a solid, stable employee.

And there's always the possibility that you might need to move to find the right job. If you want to stay in manufacturing, but there just aren't jobs where you live, it might be time to follow the jobs to a new state. Always an annoying prospect, but something to consider.

Your letter says you're already back at school getting a new degree, so you're already ahead of my next suggestion. Adding skills -- both new skills and enhanced versions of the ones you already have -- is vitally important to your continued enjoyability, so you're on the right track there.

Like I said, this might take a little while, but engineers are still highly desired employees, even in this recession. So hold on a little while longer, and we'll keep our fingers crossed for you.

Engineering Career Question: What does an environmental engineer do?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:15:00 +0000

It's time to answer another of your career questions, this time with one from Ryan in Illinois:

I'm pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. I'm getting increasingly worried about what I will do when I graduate. I'm just not sure what EXACTLY I would be doing in any job directly related to mechanical engineering.
Will I be doing differential equations like the problems coming out of my book for homework?
Will I be creating my own differential equations?
Or Will I be solving the simply set up statics problems in my homework?

Basically, Ryan is worried that he's not getting a taste of how he'll put the skills he's learning to use in the real world once he graduates.

I think that's a pretty common fear, Ryan, one that most of use face no matter what career we're heading toward.

Ryan tells me he's only a sophomore, so there's still plenty of time to learn what it's like in the real world -- and to adjust career goals accordingly, if you feel it's necessary.

First things first, you can't go wrong with an internship -- or several. You're early enough in your schooling that you could have two summer internships and one more during an upcoming semester, maybe for credit. (This might even be a requirement of your school program.)

Second, take a look at the definition of a mechanical engineer, which is quite broad. Here's a description from a rival school:

Mechanical engineers are typically involved with the generation, distribution, and use of energy; the processing of materials; the control and automation of manufacturing systems; the design and development of machines; and the solutions to environmental problems.

Research, testing manufacturing, operations, marketing, and administration are some other key activities associated with practicing Mechanical Engineers.

Mechanical engineers are characterized by personal creativity, breadth of knowledge, and versatility. They are also valuable and reliable multidisciplinary team members.

The technical subject areas that form the main basis for their work include mechanics, energy transfer and conversion, design and manufacturing, and the engineering sciences. Through clever use of analysis, modeling, design, and synthesis, they solve important problems to improve quality of life.

Mechanical engineers work on teams responsible for developing a wide range of products and systems including, for example, space shuttle vehicles, aircraft of all sizes and shapes, automobiles, turbines, pumps, power plants, and factories.

Virtually any machine or process you can think of has benefited from the influence of a mechanical engineer.

With such a broad range of tasks and possibilities, mechanical engineers can either specialize (say, in modeling) or become generalists, covering just about anything. You can work in environmental issues, refrigeration, aircraft, or just about anything else you want.

So what to do next? Consider a minor or a second major in a related field. This could give you some specific information that will complement your education as a mechanical engineer.

Next, get out of the classroom. Try to meet some working, professional mechanical engineers, either through local IEEE events, conferences, or other gatherings. Ask them questions. Have them tell you what they do. Ask how their education related to their work once they hit the real world.

Finally, talk to your professors. Your classwork might not give you much perspective into your future work, but maybe a one-on-one session with one or more of your teachers might help to shine the light on your classwork so you understand it in the context of your eventual career.

It's tough to commit to four (or more) years of education without truly understanding what you're going to be doing when you graduate, but you can't depend on anyone else to tell you where you're going to go. Ask questions, open your mind, and learn as much as you can -- before it's too late.

Good luck!

Want to work for the government? Consider the defense industry

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:24:00 +0000

This time around we've got a question from Robert, who is facing a mid-career job change and wondering what direction to go:

I have some questions to ask you in regards to engineering jobs in general. I am 45, and will be 46 in August '08. I graduated in December 2005 with a BS in physics with a minor in math and GPA of 2.3. In 1999, I graduated with an AAS in electronics engineering technology. This is in addition to 10.5 years experience in the Navy--working as an interior communications electrician--and 5 years working with a civilian microwave filter company rounds out the meat of my technical career.

I still have not got a job in the engineering field, and frankly am starting to get a little concerned but still remain confident and will continue to do so.

I want to stay within the federal government if possible. When you add my military and USPS time up towards retirement it comes out to about 21 years, but I plan on working a long time.

What do you recommend and/or what would be your first priority in my situation towards getting an engineering job? Should I work on getting a PE certification? Where?

Well Robert, you're facing the same situation as many people in your age bracket: what to do next?

Here's an idea that might suit both your experience and your desire to stay with government work: the defense industry.

According to a recent article in Forbes, "The job market for security-cleared professionals in the defense, aerospace and homeland security areas is wide open, as it has been ever since Sept. 11, 2001. The number of such jobs has only grown since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began. There simply aren't enough skilled workers to fill them."

You may not have security clearance yet, but I think your background will give you a heads-up on getting approved.

Military jobs are location-dependent, and I'm not sure where you're based, but if you're near a major defense contractor or base, or if you are willing to locate, this could be a good fit for you.

Let us know how it goes!

Do You Need a License to Work as an Engineer?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:57:00 +0000

We're back with another career question, this time from Arvin, who asks "I am a mechanical engineering student and my question is as follows: Is it necessary to do a Masters and/or FE/PE license to get a good job after graduating?"

Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: Absolutely. Well, probably.

Here's the thing: there is no national professional engineer license. Every state has different rules, which require mechanical engineers to meet strict guidelines that show they are qualified to practice in that state.

Because of this state-by-state licensing, many engineers get licensed in multiple states. But if you don't know where you want to work after graduation, you might want to wait until you land in your chosen state before you pursue the license for that state. You'll definitely need your four-year degree before you take the exam.

You don't need a Masters degree to get a PE license -- yet. But the rules are changing and it will be required before too much longer.

As for the FE -- Fundamentals of Engineering exam -- this is another definite. It's actually a step in the process to get your PE license. Again, rules vary from state to state, but depending on where you live, you can take this exam in or before your Senior year.

Long story short, your four-year degree might teach you what you need to work as an engineer, but until you pass these rather rigorous exams, no one is going to hire you for a good job. You might get some beginner-level jobs, which could help you build up experience, or an employer might even put you in an internship program that will lead to your getting the PE license on their dime, but until you get those essential pieces of paper, your career isn't going anywhere.

California Announces Green-Tech Job Training Program for State's Youths

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Are you living in California, between the ages of 16 and 24, and looking for a high-tech career? If that describes you, then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is looking for you.

The Governor recently announced the California Green Corps, a 20-month pilot program to teach the state's youths (especially "at-risk" kids) the skills they will need to work in Cali's growing green-tech industries.

Participants will receive training in a variety of careers, to fill the need for "construction workers, cost estimators, energy analysts, computer technicians, salespersons, scientists, engineers" and many jobs.

The $20 million program will be funded with $10 million of the state's federal stimulus money and another $10 million from yet-to-be-received private sector donations.

Why California, and why this program? Simple: the state is going to need the workers in order to feed its growing economy. One estimate says that California will create an astounding 83,000 new green jobs in the next two years, and the state needs training workers to fill those jobs.

The Green Corps will start placing youths in job-training programs this summer. There's no word yet on how to sign up for it, but you can read all about it here and register to receive more information when it becomes available.

How to Become an Environmental Engineer

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Time for another career question from our readers! This one comes from Lauren, who is almost done with college but wants to know if she needs to change her path to become an environmental engineer:

I am about to graduate in May with a bachelor's in biology and french. This year, as I've been considering where to look for a job and talking to many people in my field, I've come to realize that what I'm interested in is probably more in environmental engineering.

What is your advice on where to try to find a job, what changes I need to make to pursue that field from a biologist standpoint, or if I simply need to go back to school to take some courses in engineering?

Well Lauren, you might still qualify for a basic environmental engineering job, which will require good knowledge in math and science. But according to the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, most jobs in the field require at least a BS in engineering, either civil, mechanical or environmental.

Written skills and good old "people skills" are also essential.

My advice, since you're about to graduate, go ahead and search for environmental engineering jobs on Experience.com (there are quite a few listed today, and most only say "a four-year degree is required," not what KIND of degree), then send out your resume. Play up your skills in math and science, and your communication skills, and anything else you might have that fits. See how the companies respond. If they're willing to give you a go in a beginning level position, you can then start taking courses more specific to your new field while you're working. Maybe even start working toward your Masters. Heck, some companies would even help pay for your continuing education!

If that doesn't work, yeah, you might need to go back to or stay in school to refocus your skill-set. But give it a try first. You don't know how employers will respond until you put yourself in front of them.

Good luck!

Need for Hydrologists Expected to Grow 24%

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Looking for a good career? Think water.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for hydrologists will rise 24% in the next few years. This will be driven by agricultural needs as well as the need for fresh water for a growing world population.

How does one get to be a hydrologist? According to a report in The New York Times, "Most hydrologists did not earn degrees in hydrology; in fact, only a handful of undergraduate and graduate hydrology programs exist across the country. It is far more common for hydrologists to come from a hard-science or engineering background."

According to the article, math skills are essential for careers in hydrology, as are good oral and written communication skills.

So how does this play out for job-seekers? I just did a quick search for "hydrology" on Experience.com and turned up 25 jobs (3/16/09, 1:44pm).

Worth a look!

Tech jobs on the rise (but mostly in temporary positions)

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:45:00 +0000

The atmosphere for tech jobs isn't rosy these days, but it is far from sour, according to a recent study by Dice.com. They found that job openings in the tech sector were up dramatically at the beginning of February, although the bad news is that most of the growth came from temporary, contract positions.

Okay, so contract positions are not full-time, 'keep-em-forever jobs,' and often lack medical benefits, but there are huge reasons to take advantage of contract jobs while they're available:

You get paid. Nothing wrong with that!
You'll meet a whole lot of people. Expand your network. Every time you meet someone, add them to your address book. If you get to know them half-way well, add them to your social networks (like LinkedIn and Facebook). Keep in touch after you move on, especially if you do a memorable job.
You get a work history in your field. You'd rather have a top tech company on your resume for three months than a blank spot where you weren't employed, or a job at Starbucks, right?
You'll gain valuable experience. In addition to work experience, you'll see how things run at different companies. Cultures vary from corporation to corporation, and you can learn valuable lessons by observing different rules, methodologies, meeting styles, and the like. (Plus, broad experience early on will help you avoid becoming rigid later in life.)
You might be able to get job recommendations for other jobs. Do a good job, and you'll have contacts and past posses who can recommend you for any full-time jobs you apply for later on. Or people you're working with might hear about a full-time job opening and let you know about it. The inside track is always the best! Speaking of which...
You could be in the right place at the right time. Even if a company isn't hiring full-time workers now, they might be in the future. And known quantities are always more attractive than strangers. Keep an eye on the company job boards, and when a full-time position comes up, make it clear that you're interested. The company could find they have the perfect employee right under their noses!

So don't rule out contract positions in your job search. Even a temporary job is better than no job at all!

March 13 is Hug an Engineer Day!

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:28:00 +0000

Friday the 13th normally brings bad luck, but this month, it brings hugs! Hugs for engineers!

That's right, this month, March 13th is "Hug and Engineer Day." So far, in the official Facebook group for the event, more than 53,000 people have signed up to attend.

What a great way to meet a few people, spread the word about your chosen profession, and get some love all at once!

Go ahead and sign up. Maybe you'll meet someone important next Friday!

While you're at it, don't neglect the networking features on Experience.com. Don't have an account yet? Create one today.

What if you have too many skills, but not enough specialties?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:38:00 +0000

We're back with another of your engineering career questions. This time, we have a question from Matt, who's got a doozy:

Where most engineers are able to focus on specific accomplishments within a field of choice, my career was forced into customer service and tackling a wide variety of skills. I eventually became good at working with customers, but have been laid off a few times because the business was bad even though I have a lot of success stories.

Now, my career is a trainwreck of mixed skills and odd jobs with no pattern-matching titles, to the point where even when I tell a manager "I want this job", they don't believe me.

What can someone with electrical and computer engineering education do with experiences in customer service and miscellaneous software, hardware, and project management roles but not enough in any one area to be a solid expert?

Well Matt, the way I see it, you've got some valuable skills, even if they're not pointing your career in exactly the direction you want.

Customer service is a great skill, and companies need employees that can bridge the gap between techies and non-techies. You could take these skills and talents into sales, management, or other areas.

But it seems like you're more interested in going back in the direction of engineering. I think you have a few options.

First of all, re-think your resume. Downplay the customer service aspects and play up the aspects that are most appropriate for the jobs you're seeking. Don't lie, just call attention to the truth you want to be perceived.

Second, try to get some more experience in your engineering field of choice. You can do this part-time by volunteering on some non-profit projects (check volunteermatch.org) or consulting on small projects for for-profit companies or start-ups.

Third, look at your career in the long term. Take some courses, attend conferences, and meet peers in the area you most want to focus in. It might take 2 or 3 years to re-focus your career, but it might be necessary to gain the new skills you need to be perceived as an "expert."

Good luck!

Digital archiving: A growth field

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:49:00 +0000

The New York Times recently reported on the growing need for people skilled in digital archiving, aka digital asset management aka digital preservation aka information management consultants.

No matter what you call it, this is a growth field, with huge growth opportunities.

"Literature, film, scientific journals, newspapers, court records, corporate documents and other material, accumulated over centuries, needed to be adapted for computer databases. Once there, it had to be arranged — along with newer, born-digital material — in a way that would let people find what they needed and keep finding it well into the future."

In the sciences, huge amounts of data have already been created that can no longer be accessed. I've seen scientists weep over disks that contained files no computer on earth could still read. A writer friend of mind paid hundreds of dollars to recover files from a set of disks from a computer format that only lasted on the market for one year.

Not only does this material need to be accessed again, it needs to be preserved in a format that will be adaptable again in the future.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, look at all of the world's medical data that only exists in hard copy. As we move to electronic medical records, all of that information needs to get translated into digital formats, and become accessible on everything from computer screens to smartphones.

This job isn't just about scanning old documents -- it's about information, its management, and its preservation. It's about creating a library, a history, and a future for the world's information. It's about creating solutions to bridge one technology format to another, while thinking ten steps ahead for the future. This will require some brilliant minds in software development, scanning technologies, communications, and strategy.

Sound interesting? The article quotes salary ranges of $70-$100,000. I'd say that's worth a look.

Fewer Women Getting EE, Computing Degrees -- But Is That Bad for You?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:50:00 +0000

Every year, fewer women in the United States graduate with EE degrees. Last year, only 18.1% of EE bachelor's degrees went to women, and only 9.2% of Computing degrees, went to women, according to research from the American Society for Engineering Education.

Part of the problem is perception, according to IEEE Spectrum magazine. Young women don't see that they can have an impact in computing or engineering, so they don't look at it as a career.

But what if you're already studying EE or computing? What will the lack of women in your profession say to your own career prospects?

I like to see the opportunities here. For one thing, women will stand out more in their jobs. The more you stand out, the more chances you'll have to get noticed, and the more likely you are to get the best assignments. And as I wrote last year, women are valued for their teamwork, a critical personality trait in high-tech.

So don't let this news hold you back -- and help that number of women in your field continue to grow.

Outsourcing: Is It a Threat?

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:06:00 +0000

David Saltzman asks:

I have heard many vague things about jobs being outsourcing and was wondering which jobs (comp sci, branches of engineering etc) are being outsourced and if it is a problem significant enough that I should try to avoid certain routes. I am currently a freshman in college planning on majoring in engineering or maybe computer science.

Good question, David! Outsourcing is a threat to some high-tech jobs, but not all. And there are things you can do "outsource-proof" your job, at least a little bit.

First of all, the more common your skills are, the easier they are to outsource. Think about jobs like basic computer programming, research, mathematics, IT, etc. -- if they can be done from anywhere, they probably will.

Labor-intensive tasks that require a lot of salaried employee time are also prime for outsourcing. This includes areas such as product testing, design, and estimating.

Second, back up your skills with more education. The more educated you are in a specific field, the more skills you possess, and the more valuable you become. (This isn't a guarantee -- there are more and more opportunities for distance medicine as assignments like reading X-rays get outsourced to doctors in the developing world.)

Third, look for developing fields where you might have less competition, areas like green engineering, nanotechnology, power and energy, wireless communications, etc.

Finally, why not look at outsourcing as an opportunity? With companies cutting costs left and right, they might not need a full-time employee doing certain tasks, but they will need to hire consultants and temporary employees to get their work done. So take advantage of that need by building yourself a skill set and hanging out your shingle!

Good luck, and keep sending those engineering career questions in!

Green IT Equals Job Growth

noreply@blogger.com (John Platt) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Looking for a growth field in computer science and engineering? Then look no further than the traditional -- and ever-critical -- IT department.

With costs spiraling upward and the economy dovetailing, companies will increasingly be in need of IT pros who can help cut expenses by "greening" their data centers.

Greening has a lot of benefits for companies: it cuts costs, it makes things easier to run, and it can reduce greenhouse emissions (which in turn can lead to tax benefits and improve their image with the public).

This also opens up all kinds of opportunities for engineers and computer scientists who can develop servers and other devices that use less energy, run cooler, last longer, and pack in more processing power.

According to a recent report from JobFox, IT jobs are not only stable, but could grow thanks to President Obama's stimulus package.

Another report from Foote Partners LLC points out that the U.S. economy lost 853,000 jobs last October and November, but gained 9,000 IT jobs.

This is the time for really inventive IT pros to come out of their shells and prove their worth to their employers. Save a company money and you also end up saving your job!

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Thanks to all who posted and sent their engineering career questions. I'll start providing some answers next week!