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Unemployed engineering graduate seeking advice

  • Last Updated:
  • Jun 13th, 2018 2:48 pm
Newbie
Mar 20, 2017
3 posts
9 upvotes

Unemployed engineering graduate seeking advice

Hello,
I graduated with a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Ryerson University back in June 2016. I majored in power systems. Ever since graduation I am having trouble finding an engineering job related to my field (OPG, Bruce power, Hydro One etc). I do not any have relevant work experience (i.e co-op) and so it is very tough for me to convince employers to hire me. I have tried applying to entry level software engineering jobs (there are plenty) and have been successful to land few interviews. However, i had noticed that the other candidates were always far older and more experienced than me each time. I am seeking advice from an experienced engineer who could perhaps guide me in the right direction. Is it better to improve my credentials by taking a few college courses in PLC and AutoCad? How about project management or electrical estimation? I don't want to steer away from pursuing a career in or relating to electrical engineering. What are your thoughts? Will college courses or college certificate help me? Thank you in advance.
34 replies
Newbie
Jan 17, 2017
25 posts
34 upvotes
Volunteer right now. I don't care what work place, do something as you find a real job. Don't find a job you know you won't stay for a couple of weeks or months while getting another job unless its like retail, fast-food, etc. It will look awful regardless if you did a good job or not. You will be a slipper and will not have good references.

Do college as you volunteer for those industrial certificates like you suggested.

For your information; Have you considered game design or the gaming industry?

Game design uses the same tools as engineering students like AutoCAD, they use AutoDesk or 3DS Max and deal with the same principles of design.

When I mean gaming I mean people who make games for the Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, or PCs like Ubisoft, etc.
Newbie
Mar 20, 2017
4 posts
5 upvotes
Here is what I can tell you.

1. Don't do anymore school, unless you have a clear goal and you know where it will lead you. "Taking a few college courses in PLC and AutoCad" - do you have a job in sight where those skills are in demand? If the answer is NO, then you'll end up wasting time (not looking for a job) and your potential employer may not even care about those credentials in the end.

2. Don't limit yourself with "OPG, Bruce power, Hydro One etc" - those are pretty hard to get in. Even people who did a co-op there don't always get interviews. The fact that you didn't get an interview there doesn't mean anything. Nothing to do with you not having "relevant work experience".

3. Don't be afraid to start low, apply anything that says "engineering" in the title, then keep looking for a better job. When you're working, even as a technician, your self-esteem and reputation in the eyes of the employer will increase dramatically, compared to somebody who sat in the basement or worked evening shifts at unrelated job.

4. Don't limit yourself geographically, unless you have family members to take care of. Apply everywhere where there's a demand for your skills. If you speak foreign language apply in that country as well, look for engineering companies that do business there. Go work there for a while, may be economy here becomes better in the time being, then return with engineering experience under your belt. Better than working at unrelated job here that's for sure.

5. Don't get discouraged. You have a BEng degree, you can do anything you want!
Member
May 12, 2011
291 posts
48 upvotes
TORONTO
I don't have advice because I don't know your field, but I can offer moral support.

I think FAR too much emphasis is placed on experience for many roles. Many employers are not thinking through whether the actual tasks of the job require prior experience, they just assume. And they don't look too deeply at what experience candidates actually have, if the job title and number of years sound about right, that's good enough.

In my jobs I've done a TON of things that I didn't have experience in, or even any training! I just figured it out. I expect that is very common.

Hang in there :)
Newbie
Jan 1, 2017
1 posts
a brief stint in electrical estimating will teach you wonders about value engineering, also provides some insight into project management for the future. start from anywhere in the bottom of the right field and move up
Deal Addict
May 18, 2015
1803 posts
851 upvotes
Ottawa,Ont
thinkpositively wrote: Hello,
I graduated with a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Ryerson University back in June 2016. I majored in power systems. Ever since graduation I am having trouble finding an engineering job related to my field (OPG, Bruce power, Hydro One etc). I do not any have relevant work experience (i.e co-op) and so it is very tough for me to convince employers to hire me. I have tried applying to entry level software engineering jobs (there are plenty) and have been successful to land few interviews. However, i had noticed that the other candidates were always far older and more experienced than me each time. I am seeking advice from an experienced engineer who could perhaps guide me in the right direction. Is it better to improve my credentials by taking a few college courses in PLC and AutoCad? How about project management or electrical estimation? I don't want to steer away from pursuing a career in or relating to electrical engineering. What are your thoughts? Will college courses or college certificate help me? Thank you in advance.
Tonssss of jobs in estimation/project manager if youre willing to go that route for a career. It is just as lucrative or perhaps more so than doing design work. If youre open to moving perhaps reach out to divx as he is an electrical engineer out west I believe
Deal Addict
May 18, 2015
1803 posts
851 upvotes
Ottawa,Ont
thinkpositively wrote: Hello,
I graduated with a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Ryerson University back in June 2016. I majored in power systems. Ever since graduation I am having trouble finding an engineering job related to my field (OPG, Bruce power, Hydro One etc). I do not any have relevant work experience (i.e co-op) and so it is very tough for me to convince employers to hire me. I have tried applying to entry level software engineering jobs (there are plenty) and have been successful to land few interviews. However, i had noticed that the other candidates were always far older and more experienced than me each time. I am seeking advice from an experienced engineer who could perhaps guide me in the right direction. Is it better to improve my credentials by taking a few college courses in PLC and AutoCad? How about project management or electrical estimation? I don't want to steer away from pursuing a career in or relating to electrical engineering. What are your thoughts? Will college courses or college certificate help me? Thank you in advance.
Tonssss of jobs in estimation/project manager if youre willing to go that route for a career. It is just as lucrative or perhaps more so than doing design work. If youre open to moving perhaps reach out to divx as he is an electrical engineer out west I believe
Newbie
Aug 11, 2014
15 posts
Toronto, ON
If you have money to spare, perhaps consider a college program that offers co-op and gives you some skills to differentiate yourself. Then you may be able to get your foot in the door from the co-op program and eventually transition to an engineering role... Otherwise, like other posters suggested, try to get some volunteering / job / personal project to get some engineering experience on your resume and have something to talk about in the behavior interviews once you start landing those.

Please don't only aim for those three utilities. You will most likely end up disappointed. Personally, I had 2 years of co-op engineering experience (16 months of which is from one of those three utilities) and I didn't even get a new grad interview...
Sr. Member
Dec 15, 2015
706 posts
538 upvotes
Toronto
Have you looked out west, east, the US? Europe is a great place to look too.

What about companies like Entera, or engineering firms contracted out by the hydro companies.

Maybe stray away from Power systems. You can apply that knowledge in many other fields. Think outside the box. If you had your heart set on a big power company and they did not contact you while in school you'll be waiting a while.
Deal Fanatic
Jul 13, 2009
5244 posts
3536 upvotes
Can you sell? Technical Sales is an option too, you can start by looking at roles like Quotation Specialist, Spec Engineer, Project Coordinator, etc.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Mar 31, 2008
13011 posts
3095 upvotes
Toronto
Great advice here OP. Also, even how you structure your paragraph in your original post, should be properly spaced out as others have here. Basically, sentence your questions and writings in paragraphs as others have done here. Basic communication skills will go a longer way.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jun 11, 2008
3376 posts
153 upvotes
Toronto
Aim to build two sets of skills: Technical skills (in engineering for your case) and soft skills (communications, interpersonal, etc.)

Technical skills: Can only be gained if you work in the specialized field, so whether it is through volunteering or working in unrelated fields, you should try to do something that will help you progressively build skills towards your end-goal target job .

Soft skills: This is where you can get creative. It doesn't require you to be working in your target field, as long as you can demonstrate that you can communicate with people. When you get an interview and you can convince the interviewer that you have these skills, you will have a much better chance of landing the job offer.

Now, this may not apply to every field but in general, the best candidates would be the ones that has solid technical skills and can carry a solid/meaningful conversation with anyone they speak to. You need to find ways to build towards either (or both) of these skill-sets, which will significantly help you build your resume and land your target job.

Whatever you do, just do not blindly go back to school. Experience and networking is king in our current economy.
Newbie
Mar 20, 2017
3 posts
9 upvotes
Thanks for taking the time to reply everyone. I will take your suggestions and make changes as soon a possible. Lets hope for the best.
Sr. Member
Dec 16, 2014
932 posts
519 upvotes
Easter Island
look outside canada, things not looking good here
Member
Nov 30, 2015
221 posts
36 upvotes
Mississauga, ON
PLC course is a useful thing to start with. Lots of automation and robotics companies hiring for I&C engineers or PLC technicians.

As mentioned in previous posts OPG and Bruce are the hardest to get into. Moreover with Darlington refurbishment kick off and Pickering planned decommissioning in 2020 or 2024 i don't think nuclear field is the place to be.

Try ABB and Siemens. Rolls Royce and GE are located in Peterborough and they build generators.

Good luck
Deal Expert
User avatar
Aug 18, 2005
21223 posts
5939 upvotes
Burlington-Hamilton
Experience is only one thing. If the job interviewer sees that you are very interested and motivated with respect to the company and the job, you could beat out someone much more experienced. I have done this before when I was just a newbie co-op student, beating out experienced 4th year students.
- casual gastronomist -
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User avatar
Oct 26, 2003
39339 posts
6342 upvotes
Winnipeg
nikels21 wrote: Tonssss of jobs in estimation/project manager if youre willing to go that route for a career. It is just as lucrative or perhaps more so than doing design work. If youre open to moving perhaps reach out to divx as he is an electrical engineer out west I believe
no need to mention me twice...

not really an advice but the economy is in recession, so there are not many opening for junior positions, lots firms wants senior people to fill management roles though, i know people getting multiple offers and got flew over for interview and office introduction then spent like a month to decide. although this is probably true since forever, once you have exp, people come to you every 2nd week asking you to go over to such and such firms and lead their team.
Banned
User avatar
Nov 19, 2014
910 posts
248 upvotes
http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines ... shortfall/

Seniors now outnumber children in Canada. That’s a problem for engineering.

Across the country, thousands of engineers with decades of experience are about to retire en masse. Engineers, who we are celebrating this National Engineering Month, design the bridges you drive over every day on your way to work. They invent new mobile devices that transform our daily lives. And they develop new technologies to improve cancer treatments, generate carbon-neutral power, and provide clean drinking water to remote communities both at home and abroad. Engineers are solving the world’s most pressing problems, designing large-scale solutions to incredibly complex challenges.

But we now face a crisis: Canada will be short 100,000 engineers in the next decade as a result of retirements and growth, according to Engineers Canada, the national umbrella organization for the profession’s regulatory bodies.

To keep our economic engine running in the face of this imminent shortfall, Canadian industry needs the specialized knowledge and skills of a new kind of engineer — those with advanced degrees.
I'm At The W, But I Can't Meet You In The Lobby, Girl I Gotta Watch My Back, Cuz I'm Not Just Anybody, I Seen Em' Stand In Line, Just To Get Beside Her, That's When We Disappear, You Need GPS To Find Her, Oh That Was Your Girl? I Thought I Recognized Her."
Jr. Member
Jul 31, 2009
124 posts
14 upvotes
OP, did you wind up taking those courses? Im planning to take them this term, since im unemployed for now and those evening classes shouldn't affect my EI.

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