Do you think engineers have an entitlement complex when it comes to jobs?

[divx]

I'm getting really tired of the word "entitlement" being thrown around during the recession.

I worked hard during my undergrad, racked up almost two years of technical work experience, graduated with honours, made a point of participating in extracurriculars that demonstrate soft skills like writing/interpersonal/leadership, and unlike many of my fellow students, spent most of my degree looking forward to graduating so that I could do real work as an engineer, instead of dreading the prospect of graduation as the moment that I would have to make real decisions about my life. I have basically spent the last six or seven years of my life making decisions that would help me to become a working engineer.

Now, I've been trying to get any entry-level position in any engineering capacity for over a year. It's extremely difficult just to get an interview, and even then, you're often still competing against dozens of other applicants because of the massive shortage of entry-level jobs. I'd say that this is mainly due to the economic crisis, and partially due to my lack of personal connections in the engineering industry, so no, I'm not really "entitled" to a job under these conditions. However, I do think that I'm entitled to feel a little frustration that my life plans are basically drying up simply because of the year I was born. All I want is a job where I can work hard and further develop my engineering skills, I don't think that's too much to ask given the amount of effort, time and money I've put into trying to obtain one.

Send me your resume.

[Mark77]

I agree, we need smaller government, let the free market work its magic. If Bell and Rogers don't get government sanctioned monopoly protection, then there would more competition and will bring prices down. [b]Regarding mortgages, this is Canada, we don't do sub-prime mortgage.

. And government sanctioned monopolies at Bell/Rogers, wow, what on Earth are you talking about? Its the government that's forcing those private businesses to re-sell their services to others on terms dictated by the government. Hardly a characteristic of government protection of those two companies in the hypercompetitive environment in which they operate.

Meanwhile, the government just hands billions of dollars worth of subsidies to the banking sector each year through CMHC.

[DearSummer]

. And government sanctioned monopolies at Bell/Rogers, wow, what on Earth are you talking about? Its the government that's forcing those private businesses to re-sell their services to others on terms dictated by the government. Hardly a characteristic of government protection of those two companies in the hypercompetitive environment in which they operate.

Restrictions on foreign ownership are most definitely a form of government-sanctioned monopolies.

[aaaaaa]

My picture still stands. I can't even begin to argue the "points" that Mark raises about the internet.

[Mark77]

Restrictions on foreign ownership are most definitely a form of government-sanctioned monopolies.

Really? Restrictions on foreign ownership might increase the cost of equity capital for a corporation, but I don't see how you could call such a 'monopoly'.

[DearSummer]

Really? Restrictions on foreign ownership might increase the cost of equity capital for a corporation, but I don't see how you could call such a 'monopoly'.

Verizon, AT&T, China Mobile, Vodafone, etc. can't just walk into the Canadian market and dominate it. There is only one reason for that: foreign ownership rules. Look at all the trouble Wind Mobile had and is having in Canada due to the foreign ownership regulations.

[Mark77]

Verizon, AT&T, China Mobile, Vodafone, etc. can't just walk into the Canadian market and dominate it. There is only one reason for that: foreign ownership rules. Look at all the trouble Wind Mobile had and is having in Canada due to the foreign ownership regulations.

And WIND got those relaxed as an act of the Governor General in Council, and even its owner is playing crybaby now that he's figured out that the Canadian market is a lot more competitive than ever imagined.

[DearSummer]

And WIND got those relaxed as an act of the Governor General in Council, and even its owner is playing crybaby now that he's figured out that the Canadian market is a lot more competitive than ever imagined.

Ottawa must ramp up wireless competition: report
http://business.financialpost.com/20...tition-report/

In a 42-page report published Wednesday, the SeaBoard Group praised the federal government for taking steps in recent years to allow more players into the sector. Wind Mobile, Videotron, Mobilicity and other new entrants have disrupted the long-held oligopoly of BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada, Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp., the report said, driving prices down and forcing the Big Three to shake off decades of complacency.

However, the Montreal-based research firm cautioned there is “still work to do” if Ottawa’s goal of giving Canadians the best, most cost-effective wireless service possible is to be achieved.

“The Canadian government must strengthen competition by erasing foreign investment limits and providing potential challengers with access to new frequencies,” the report said.

We still have a long way to go...

In March 2008, the Telus-owned Koodo brand gave up plans to switch to per-second billing in favour of remaining with a more lucrative per-minute billing model. Once the plan was public, many assumed other “alternative” brands owned by incumbents such as Virgin and Fido would follow suit, which they eventually did.

That such follow-on price hikes would be expected, the report said “speaks volumes” about the need for Ottawa to continue expanding competition in the wireless market.

[Truemana]

And your point being? I also know the same type of people who flunked out.

Having a social life has afforded me both a good job and a wealth of memories from university, in comparison to good grades and bitterness to the rest of the world for not handing me a job AFTER ALL MY HARD WORK EARNING AN ENGINEERING DEGREE.

Let's all degrade all the engineering grads who enjoyed their youth and have good, well paying and satisfying jobs today instead of worthless-in-the-real-world 3.84 GPA's, ten years of unemployment, and thousands of career forum posts.

I recruited at a career fair today, and I can tell who the guys are who will struggle throughout their careers when they stare blankly when I say "good communicators" and "well fit".

[Mark77]

Let's all degrade all the engineering grads who enjoyed their youth and have good, well paying and satisfying jobs today instead of worthless-in-the-real-world 3.84 GPA's, ten years of unemployment, and thousands of career forum posts.

Except those people are few and far between in ECE, at least for domestic grads.

I recruited at a career fair today, and I can tell who the guys are who will struggle throughout their careers when they stare blankly when I say "good communicators" and "well fit".

Of course. I know the type you're talking about. The thing is, when push comes to shove, cheap over the past decade has won out over those good communicators. Why do you think the IT industry and most of the EE jobs are full of people who barely speak English these days? Certainly not because of those characteristics you describe.

Having great communications skills, intelligence, looks, is actually held against people in EE in many cases. A lot of employers have a certain stereotype of engineers -- they want them to be the socially marginalized type, that won't ask for a raise, won't leave, etc. They do not want a repeat of the 1990s spectacle where all the top guys, even in industry, were recruited away by the Nortels of the world.

[Mark77]

Ottawa must ramp up wireless competition: report

Lol, flood the industry with overcapacity and reduce its ability to employ people at good salaries? Sounds real smart to me.

[DearSummer]

Lol, flood the industry with overcapacity and reduce its ability to employ people at good salaries? Sounds real smart to me.

So you believe in capitalism except when it comes to the field you want to work on?

[Mark77]

So you believe in capitalism except when it comes to the field you want to work on?

I actually agree with you DearSummer, Canada shouldn't have foreign ownership restrictions -- but I don't think that there would be any particular stampede by the foreigners to come to Canada, in light of Canada's hypercompetitive and minimally profitable market.

The owners of WIND may very well find that they could have earned better returns simply using their capital to buy Bell or Telus stock.

[DearSummer]

I actually agree with you DearSummer, Canada shouldn't have foreign ownership restrictions -- but I don't think that there would be any particular stampede by the foreigners to come to Canada, in light of Canada's hypercompetitive and minimally profitable market.

The owners of WIND may very well find that they could have earned better returns simply using their capital to buy Bell or Telus stock.

Hyper competitive? There's like 3 major players with a few struggling new entrants (finally). I don't consider Rogers/Bell/Telus world-beating companies so I would wager that new entrants could eat their lunch. Takeovers would also be a strong possibility if the government were to allow it.

At the end of the day, neither of us knows what would happen but it's a guarantee that Canadians would have better options available to them. Competition is the key to capitalism. Without real competition the whole system falls apart.

[Truemana]

Having great communications skills, intelligence, looks, is actually held against people in EE in many cases. A lot of employers have a certain stereotype of engineers -- they want them to be the socially marginalized type, that won't ask for a raise, won't leave, etc. They do not want a repeat of the 1990s spectacle where all the top guys, even in industry, were recruited away by the Nortels of the world.

Do you really think there's a grand collective conspiracy in the engineering employment market?

Further, once again, I think you're again extending your own personal experience and applying it as a general rule where there has shown little evidence of besides anecdotes.