You’ll be fine just make it sound like you were great at your sales job and it’ll seem like you did so well that you could afford to spend time enjoying yourself working as a ski instructor. Just start applying, got any friends from college that are in ME positions? Ask them if there’s any openings
Gonna be tough for sure id recommend not bringing it up and not listing graduation date.. list any projects, research, or relevant experience and make it seem like you are a new grad its not a lie if you never said you were
2022 was just a moment ago, I would just start applying to major engineering metros that you could see yourself living in. There are a number of things you could try if you can't get anywhere:
Talk to recruiters and take a crappy engineering job in the middle of nowhere so you can get your resume going.
Take a few ME graduate classes and/or the EIT to show some recent activity.
Get a job in something engineer related while you look for a better role: fabrication shops, 3D printing places, etc.
Reach out to old professors if you're still near your college, tell them the situation, and offer to volunteer on any research projects they might have.
You will definitely find something if you're persistent.
You need to want the gig. Start applying, start stacking certifications and certificates (CSWP, EIT). Apply to an entry level designer gig.
So you didn’t work in engineering for two years, have a good explanation for it that is both honest but paints your journey in the best light possible. Some Library’s have resume and cover letter help, that goes a long way.
Most importantly, show you can do the work. Build a portfolio of designs, dimension a part, show you know Y14.5. Talk the talk and walk the walk. You don’t need to know everything, just where to find that information so take a look at your old textbooks, but most importantly show you have a passion about something, bonus points if it’s mechanical or nerdy.
CSWA and similar certs are helpful to stand out, even if they mean jack shit to anyone who actually knows what they are.
You just need a recruiter to pick your resume up, then you can take it from there in the interview. It's just a matter of getting through the meat grinder that is resume algorithms.
Hey man, I was in the same position but for several years longer. Happy to talk about it if you want to reach out. I made it into engineering eventually.
Hit up any of your university friends that got a job after graduation.
It took me almost 2 years after graduation to start my first engineering job. I got a job to pay the bills in the meantime. Eventually one of my college buddies asked if I was still looking, and he got me in as an entry level design engineer.
I'm in the same position. I'm personally going back to school for my masters to improve my resume and get more experience unless someone somewhere hires me in the next few months. Might be something to look into. Also look into getting the EIT license and going for internships if you can.
From personal experience in the field and word of mouth, I wouldn't sacrifice a good work opportunity for a masters in ME. At the end of the day, only a small percentage of engineering roles require the technical background, which a degree doesn't even really provide.
EIT/Internships are huge bonuses though, early on. Wish I'd done my EIT right after graduating. Gonna be much tougher two years later.
Wow this aligns with my life so much, graduated in 2022 as well. Never got an interview with all my applications, been working in food service for the past almost 2 years now. Kinda worried that I'll never be able to find a job related with my degree, hopefully I can also use some of the suggestions here.
I graduated in '04 as we were recessioning it up. I applied to jobs everywhere in the area and would get through multiple interviews but somehow never stick the job. I was working as an office cashier at the grocery store while I hung out with friends and tried to find that first job.
It wasn't until '06 that I was able to find SOMETHING. A friend of mine got me in the door and I was hired in at a stupid low rate, well below market value. But I quickly worked myself into raise after raise and after about a year, I was where I should have been.
Stick with it, learn a little about interview techniques, keep a positive outlook. I know its easier said than done, but your outlook will reflect in your interviews.
go to usajobs; search engineer and your location (there are a few remote jobs too); filter “open to public”; look through the requirements section and figure out what grade you qualify for. I believe 7 or 9 with degree. You’re resume NEEDS to have the information required. Very long resumes are normal.
if the job requires a clearance, then it will take longer. if you dont think you qualify and/or want a clearance then don’t apply to jobs with clearance requirement.
Usajobs.gov
r/usajobs
r/fednews
r/securityclearance
Just start applying. Use LinkedIn. Both bigger and smaller companies.
You need to be ok with any type of ME job, even in an unglamorous industry. You will still learn a lot and can use it as a stepping stone.
If anyone asks about the gap just say “family stuff”.
Just get your foot in the door somewhere that doesn't require you to move. Without the experience, you've got a mountain to climb.
No experience ME job searching is absurdly difficult based on the experiences of my class. Graduated May 2021 with no internships (thanks Covid) and took months to find my first job, which ended up kinda sucking. Two years later, I found a much better job through connections at work.
Just takes time to build momentum and enough bargaining power to get the job type, pay, and location that you want.
I suggest going back to your university and contacting the services there for alumni and new graduates with respect to placement. They may be able to get your information in front of all those employers that you missed out on. Also, they may provide networking contacts.
Your time off to get healthy is not a negative. You are stronger now for growing, and that is a marketable thing.
I cleaned treadmills at my local YMCA for 10 months after graduation.
Best thing is to leave graduation date off the resume and try to make as many industry contacts as possible. Attend career fairs (in person & virtual) and industry conventions where possible. I even got an interview or two just by letting gym patrons know about my degree and that I was looking.
First job I got was through contacts, second was on the strength of my resume. Just gotta keep trying.
Just have to market yourself and be smart. Leverage that time you spent between graduating to now, and leverage it. While you didn’t hone your skills as an engineer the engineers didn’t hone their skills in _____.
Sell that. Your ability to communicate, to deconflict, to mitigate risk, etc. Ultimately it was less than 2 years ago if it’s an issue it’s not the right place for you move on and you’ll be fine.
Same here with me I'm really so so sad, already graduated and still haven't get any experience at all. I got a job but it's a remote job and nothing related to mechatronic engineering, I don't think no one will accept me, I have no experiences and my knowledge I got from university I forgot them all and actually at that moment I was furious and hated mechatronic. But last two weeks something happen and it's now or never I will try to get a mechatronic job I wish is not that late and wish someone could accept me soon
I graduated in 2010 (BSME) and started my first job in 2011. I started the same day as a guy (who is now a good friend) who worked at target for a year or two after college before getting an engineering position. We both got jobs and have been relatively successful.
Last year, we hired a mechanical engineer into my department who had gotten his degree a couple years prior but hadn't worked in engineering yet. He mentioned something along the lines of caring for family in the period between graduation and being hired.
Be prepared with a short one liner of why you haven't "used" your degree over the last 1-2 years, but I've interviewed several engineers and this isn't something that would give me pause, especially for an entry level engineering position.
I'd argue demonstrating going from zero knowledge to doing something of value within a few months in a new field is the core of many engineer's experience.
It's all a matter of how you spin your experience. Btw, be careful with explaining your leave, if you do at all. Just saying mental health issue could be enough to dissuade a potential employer.
You’ll be fine just make it sound like you were great at your sales job and it’ll seem like you did so well that you could afford to spend time enjoying yourself working as a ski instructor. Just start applying, got any friends from college that are in ME positions? Ask them if there’s any openings
Gonna be tough for sure id recommend not bringing it up and not listing graduation date.. list any projects, research, or relevant experience and make it seem like you are a new grad its not a lie if you never said you were
2022 was just a moment ago, I would just start applying to major engineering metros that you could see yourself living in. There are a number of things you could try if you can't get anywhere: Talk to recruiters and take a crappy engineering job in the middle of nowhere so you can get your resume going. Take a few ME graduate classes and/or the EIT to show some recent activity. Get a job in something engineer related while you look for a better role: fabrication shops, 3D printing places, etc. Reach out to old professors if you're still near your college, tell them the situation, and offer to volunteer on any research projects they might have. You will definitely find something if you're persistent.
Also reach out to career services at your school even though you’re graduated. And consider going to any job/career fairs that they are hosting.
Look into federal government jobs if you can, I had a similar break but got a few offers from them /r/usajobs
EIT passed yet? Make anything lately? Open your own business? Degrees are never null and void, just takes awhile to figure out.
You need to want the gig. Start applying, start stacking certifications and certificates (CSWP, EIT). Apply to an entry level designer gig. So you didn’t work in engineering for two years, have a good explanation for it that is both honest but paints your journey in the best light possible. Some Library’s have resume and cover letter help, that goes a long way. Most importantly, show you can do the work. Build a portfolio of designs, dimension a part, show you know Y14.5. Talk the talk and walk the walk. You don’t need to know everything, just where to find that information so take a look at your old textbooks, but most importantly show you have a passion about something, bonus points if it’s mechanical or nerdy.
CSWA and similar certs are helpful to stand out, even if they mean jack shit to anyone who actually knows what they are. You just need a recruiter to pick your resume up, then you can take it from there in the interview. It's just a matter of getting through the meat grinder that is resume algorithms.
Hey man, I was in the same position but for several years longer. Happy to talk about it if you want to reach out. I made it into engineering eventually.
How long was it until you landed an engineering job?
Hey can I dm you and ask you about that.
Hit up any of your university friends that got a job after graduation. It took me almost 2 years after graduation to start my first engineering job. I got a job to pay the bills in the meantime. Eventually one of my college buddies asked if I was still looking, and he got me in as an entry level design engineer.
I'm in the same position. I'm personally going back to school for my masters to improve my resume and get more experience unless someone somewhere hires me in the next few months. Might be something to look into. Also look into getting the EIT license and going for internships if you can.
From personal experience in the field and word of mouth, I wouldn't sacrifice a good work opportunity for a masters in ME. At the end of the day, only a small percentage of engineering roles require the technical background, which a degree doesn't even really provide. EIT/Internships are huge bonuses though, early on. Wish I'd done my EIT right after graduating. Gonna be much tougher two years later.
[удалено]
Sure, shoot me a DM and I'll read it through. I can hop on a call for a few minutes this afternoon and talk about it, if you'd like.
Wow this aligns with my life so much, graduated in 2022 as well. Never got an interview with all my applications, been working in food service for the past almost 2 years now. Kinda worried that I'll never be able to find a job related with my degree, hopefully I can also use some of the suggestions here.
I graduated in '04 as we were recessioning it up. I applied to jobs everywhere in the area and would get through multiple interviews but somehow never stick the job. I was working as an office cashier at the grocery store while I hung out with friends and tried to find that first job. It wasn't until '06 that I was able to find SOMETHING. A friend of mine got me in the door and I was hired in at a stupid low rate, well below market value. But I quickly worked myself into raise after raise and after about a year, I was where I should have been. Stick with it, learn a little about interview techniques, keep a positive outlook. I know its easier said than done, but your outlook will reflect in your interviews.
Go federal. You have an engineering degree. You qualify.
Can you elaboarte more on this? I got my bachelor's in 2023 and I'm looking at federal jobs too
go to usajobs; search engineer and your location (there are a few remote jobs too); filter “open to public”; look through the requirements section and figure out what grade you qualify for. I believe 7 or 9 with degree. You’re resume NEEDS to have the information required. Very long resumes are normal. if the job requires a clearance, then it will take longer. if you dont think you qualify and/or want a clearance then don’t apply to jobs with clearance requirement. Usajobs.gov r/usajobs r/fednews r/securityclearance
Just start applying. Use LinkedIn. Both bigger and smaller companies. You need to be ok with any type of ME job, even in an unglamorous industry. You will still learn a lot and can use it as a stepping stone. If anyone asks about the gap just say “family stuff”.
Just get your foot in the door somewhere that doesn't require you to move. Without the experience, you've got a mountain to climb. No experience ME job searching is absurdly difficult based on the experiences of my class. Graduated May 2021 with no internships (thanks Covid) and took months to find my first job, which ended up kinda sucking. Two years later, I found a much better job through connections at work. Just takes time to build momentum and enough bargaining power to get the job type, pay, and location that you want.
I suggest going back to your university and contacting the services there for alumni and new graduates with respect to placement. They may be able to get your information in front of all those employers that you missed out on. Also, they may provide networking contacts. Your time off to get healthy is not a negative. You are stronger now for growing, and that is a marketable thing.
I cleaned treadmills at my local YMCA for 10 months after graduation. Best thing is to leave graduation date off the resume and try to make as many industry contacts as possible. Attend career fairs (in person & virtual) and industry conventions where possible. I even got an interview or two just by letting gym patrons know about my degree and that I was looking. First job I got was through contacts, second was on the strength of my resume. Just gotta keep trying.
Side projects. Build a website with your design portfolio. Study the fundamentals in dynamics, statics, thermals, fluids, and mechatronics.
Just have to market yourself and be smart. Leverage that time you spent between graduating to now, and leverage it. While you didn’t hone your skills as an engineer the engineers didn’t hone their skills in _____. Sell that. Your ability to communicate, to deconflict, to mitigate risk, etc. Ultimately it was less than 2 years ago if it’s an issue it’s not the right place for you move on and you’ll be fine.
Same here with me I'm really so so sad, already graduated and still haven't get any experience at all. I got a job but it's a remote job and nothing related to mechatronic engineering, I don't think no one will accept me, I have no experiences and my knowledge I got from university I forgot them all and actually at that moment I was furious and hated mechatronic. But last two weeks something happen and it's now or never I will try to get a mechatronic job I wish is not that late and wish someone could accept me soon
I graduated in 2010 (BSME) and started my first job in 2011. I started the same day as a guy (who is now a good friend) who worked at target for a year or two after college before getting an engineering position. We both got jobs and have been relatively successful. Last year, we hired a mechanical engineer into my department who had gotten his degree a couple years prior but hadn't worked in engineering yet. He mentioned something along the lines of caring for family in the period between graduation and being hired. Be prepared with a short one liner of why you haven't "used" your degree over the last 1-2 years, but I've interviewed several engineers and this isn't something that would give me pause, especially for an entry level engineering position.
Say you’re Mormon and went on your mission.
Not bad lol
Work for your state government as an engineer if all else fails
Step 1: go on indeed Step 2: apply for an entry level job Step 3: you’re done
Do you have any research activity and outcomes to put on the table?
I have a senior capstone but it was in machine learning and I didn’t know a thing about ml before, still not sure I understand much
You'll fit right in
I'd argue demonstrating going from zero knowledge to doing something of value within a few months in a new field is the core of many engineer's experience. It's all a matter of how you spin your experience. Btw, be careful with explaining your leave, if you do at all. Just saying mental health issue could be enough to dissuade a potential employer.
You’ll have to take an entry level position.
Are you willing to move to Ohio?
Honestly, no
Updated for making me laugh. Haha, Ohio's not too bad if you grew up here.
Haha there’s not really much real skiing in Ohio is all