Work/College/Finance

[RockRaines]

Those were options for the College of Business, and yes our Engineering school is top notch along with several other programs.

At Miami our two "best" major were Business and Paper sciences (really). The B-School was probably more than half of the majors there.

 

Of course I went into psych because of the girls and focused on child development. Which really helped me out with my career in technology sales and consulting.

[Iwritecode]

the weird thing is, the one class that probably helped me most in college was speech. Excellent public speaking skills have served me well.

 

I hate that I had to take that class. I stumbled through it but I don't think it helped me all that much. Although I haven't really had to do any public speaking since then so I guess it's one of those things that you get more comfortable with the more you do it.

 

I know at least one person that refuses to get a college degree because they are terrified of having to take speech class.

 

[Jack Parkman]

I have an engineering degree-and even I am questioning whether or not college was worth it. Due to some personal issues, I was unable to work or get an internship during the time in which I was enrolled. I have student loans to pay and no job. The great majority of the jobs that I find while job searching I don't qualify for because they ask for at least 5 years experience. I have found, while job searching, an average of one entry level engineering job in my field per month. I have applied to them and did not get any response. When I follow up, they tell me either they have already hired someone or they don't need any fresh grads anymore. I don't want to go to grad school because I don't want to go anymore in debt than I already am, but I feel that the economy is so bad that I'll be unemployed for over a year, and will not remember half of the stuff I learned in college. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't feel that I have borrowed too much for the degree that I have, but at the same time the degree is only a piece of paper if I have no job. I am starting to think that even though I have the brainpower to be an engineer, that I wasted the the time that I was in school. It seems that in this economy, a degree is just a piece of paper, and the only thing that matters is the fact that you are willing and able to work for virtually nothing(compared to the market for your profession) and that you have a ton of experience in your field. It also seems that there are not enough jobs to go around for those who are graduating college these days It seems everyone has a college degree now, and it doesn't matter what it is in, all that matters to employers is that you have some sort of work experience in the field that you are applying to. My response to that is "How am I supposed to get experience if no one will give me a chance when I don't have any?" Am I completely off base here?

Edited June 14, 2012 by Elgin Slim

[Texsox]

This goes in cycles. It may be frustrating now, but once you do start working that degree will help you advance.

[G&T]

I have an engineering degree-and even I am questioning whether or not college was worth it. Due to some personal issues, I was unable to work or get an internship during the time in which I was enrolled. I have student loans to pay and no job. The great majority of the jobs that I find while job searching I don't qualify for because they ask for at least 5 years experience. I have found, while job searching, an average of one entry level engineering job in my field per month. I have applied to them and did not get any response. When I follow up, they tell me either they have already hired someone or they don't need any fresh grads anymore. I don't want to go to grad school because I don't want to go anymore in debt than I already am, but I feel that the economy is so bad that I'll be unemployed for over a year, and will not remember half of the stuff I learned in college. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't feel that I have borrowed too much for the degree that I have, but at the same time the degree is only a piece of paper if I have no job. I am starting to think that even though I have the brainpower to be an engineer, that I wasted the the time that I was in school. It seems that in this economy, a degree is just a piece of paper, and the only thing that matters is the fact that you are willing and able to work for virtually nothing(compared to the market for your profession) and that you have a ton of experience in your field. It also seems that there are not enough jobs to go around for those who are graduating college these days It seems everyone has a college degree now, and it doesn't matter what it is in, all that matters to employers is that you have some sort of work experience in the field that you are applying to. My response to that is "How am I supposed to get experience if no one will give me a chance when I don't have any?" Am I completely off base here?

 

Volunteer. There has to be someone willing to take on an unpaid person for 20 hours a week or something. I know it sucks but since you don't have internships you won't have solid references (I'm assuming). It will be good for your job search, and maybe more importantly, your psyche.

 

 

[Texsox]

Great advice ^^

 

I was just speaking with a new friend who took his engineering degree and went to law school. He practiced patent law and really enjoyed it before becoming a writer.

[kapkomet]

I have an engineering degree-and even I am questioning whether or not college was worth it. Due to some personal issues, I was unable to work or get an internship during the time in which I was enrolled. I have student loans to pay and no job. The great majority of the jobs that I find while job searching I don't qualify for because they ask for at least 5 years experience. I have found, while job searching, an average of one entry level engineering job in my field per month. I have applied to them and did not get any response. When I follow up, they tell me either they have already hired someone or they don't need any fresh grads anymore. I don't want to go to grad school because I don't want to go anymore in debt than I already am, but I feel that the economy is so bad that I'll be unemployed for over a year, and will not remember half of the stuff I learned in college. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't feel that I have borrowed too much for the degree that I have, but at the same time the degree is only a piece of paper if I have no job. I am starting to think that even though I have the brainpower to be an engineer, that I wasted the the time that I was in school. It seems that in this economy, a degree is just a piece of paper, and the only thing that matters is the fact that you are willing and able to work for virtually nothing(compared to the market for your profession) and that you have a ton of experience in your field. It also seems that there are not enough jobs to go around for those who are graduating college these days It seems everyone has a college degree now, and it doesn't matter what it is in, all that matters to employers is that you have some sort of work experience in the field that you are applying to. My response to that is "How am I supposed to get experience if no one will give me a chance when I don't have any?" Am I completely off base here?

 

Or, look for temp work. You are in basically the same boat that I was. I didn't get that silver spoon like most got (an internship) because I got advised wrong and didn't start my major classes soon enough. Consequently, everyone else had a leg up on me and got all the spots while I was continually one semester behind. I picked up what I needed while they interned.

 

So, I basically had no experience and I took some temp jobs just to get in. When you do that, always ask what you can do to help and since you're a temp, either you want to become permanent or if that's totally not an option ask if you can build up some project work to a) put in your resume and b.) get some references.

[Soxbadger]

Yeah its rough right now, but you just have to find a way to get your foot in the door somewhere, even if its unpaid etc.

[Texsox]

When you apply for a job what is on the application?

 

Work history and education are near the top. The better both are the better you chances. Eventually when you have great experience and a qualifying education, you are in a much better position than someone with just one or the other.

[mr_genius]

I have an engineering degree-and even I am questioning whether or not college was worth it. Due to some personal issues, I was unable to work or get an internship during the time in which I was enrolled. I have student loans to pay and no job. The great majority of the jobs that I find while job searching I don't qualify for because they ask for at least 5 years experience. I have found, while job searching, an average of one entry level engineering job in my field per month. I have applied to them and did not get any response. When I follow up, they tell me either they have already hired someone or they don't need any fresh grads anymore. I don't want to go to grad school because I don't want to go anymore in debt than I already am, but I feel that the economy is so bad that I'll be unemployed for over a year, and will not remember half of the stuff I learned in college. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't feel that I have borrowed too much for the degree that I have, but at the same time the degree is only a piece of paper if I have no job. I am starting to think that even though I have the brainpower to be an engineer, that I wasted the the time that I was in school. It seems that in this economy, a degree is just a piece of paper, and the only thing that matters is the fact that you are willing and able to work for virtually nothing(compared to the market for your profession) and that you have a ton of experience in your field. It also seems that there are not enough jobs to go around for those who are graduating college these days It seems everyone has a college degree now, and it doesn't matter what it is in, all that matters to employers is that you have some sort of work experience in the field that you are applying to. My response to that is "How am I supposed to get experience if no one will give me a chance when I don't have any?" Am I completely off base here?

 

Consider consulting work and be open to travel. A lot of companies will take an engineering grad and consulting companies are hiring right now

 

[iamshack]

Great advice ^^

 

I was just speaking with a new friend who took his engineering degree and went to law school. He practiced patent law and really enjoyed it before becoming a writer.

Jesus...was he independently wealthy?

[Soxbadger]

I think patent lawyers can make pretty good money, especially because you have to have a science degree to even take the patent bar, which eliminates a ton of competition.

[G&T]

I think patent lawyers can make pretty good money, especially because you have to have a science degree to even take the patent bar, which eliminates a ton of competition.

 

I have a friend making ludicrous money in patent law. Hates her life, but money is money. And there are few women in the field.

 

There are so many patent law (and other IP) jobs that I'd recommend that anyone with a science degree should go to law school if they can't find anything else. It's the only thing I'd go to law school for if I knew what I know now.

[Jack Parkman]

Volunteer. There has to be someone willing to take on an unpaid person for 20 hours a week or something. I know it sucks but since you don't have internships you won't have solid references (I'm assuming). It will be good for your job search, and maybe more importantly, your psyche.

I am a chemical engineer. I have tried asking companies about this before and they shrug it off because of liability reasons. They are too afraid that they'll get sued. It sucks but that is the way it is I guess.

[Jack Parkman]

Consider consulting work and be open to travel. A lot of companies will take an engineering grad and consulting companies are hiring right now

Don't you have to have a PE to work in consulting? That was the impression I was under.

[bigruss]

Elgin Slim, does your school have an online job database? If so, you should still have access to it as a recent alum and you should be able to attend career fairs, etc still. If your school has a decent corporate reputation, then they should have a ton of recruiters looking for chemical engineers.

 

Also, don't be afraid to apply for internships still, and if they specifically require someone still attending school call the recruiter and see if it is still possible to apply.

 

Are there research parks near you? I know there was one down in Champaign that hired more inexperienced workers compared to their corporate locations, maybe look into those.

 

No matter what though, you are a step behind and you're going to have to make up for that somehow throughout the recruiting process. This means in your resume, your interviews, etc you're going to have to show recruiters that you are just as capable if not more than anyone else coming out of college/still in college. In other words, you need to be polished in your interview skills, and be prepared for a variety of technical and behavioral questions. In your resume, you should highlight areas such as awards, or maybe if you have some volunteer experience or leadership experience (clubs, etc).

 

You will have to first prove on paper that you are not behind anyone else, and in fact you are more prepared for these jobs than others, and that doesn't require work experience but you're going to have to stay busy while looking for work. If there are local organizations/clubs in your area, then get involved. If there are tests/certs you can acquire, then invest in them.

 

There is plenty of work out there for chemical engineers from what I have heard from friends that majored in that area, so as long as you are active both in self development and in the career search then you should be okay.

[southsider2k5]

The first couple of years out of college suck in the job market. It has to suck 10 times as bad in an economy like this one. I know it took me about 2.5 years out of college to get to a job that actually fit my degree work. Besides some of the advice here, I would also say try to find something that at least gives you some of the skills you can highlight in your field, even if the job isn't ideal.

[bigruss]

The first couple of years out of college suck in the job market. It has to suck 10 times as bad in an economy like this one. I know it took me about 2.5 years out of college to get to a job that actually fit my degree work. Besides some of the advice here, I would also say try to find something that at least gives you some of the skills you can highlight in your field, even if the job isn't ideal.

Finding a job on your own at this age is near impossible, you need to leverage your school connections and network. On campus recruiting is a vital method of getting a job.

[southsider2k5]

Or you could always call this guy about a job...

 

http://www.amctv.com/shows/breaking-bad/cast/walter-white

[Soxbadger]

I would disagree with the above.

 

When we are hiring we put it out in the law schools database, but we also post it on Craiglist and other sites as well.

 

Just because you dont have access to a big school network, doesnt mean you cant get access to job postings.

[Jenksismyhero]

I would disagree with the above.

 

When we are hiring we put it out in the law schools database, but we also post it on Craiglist and other sites as well.

 

Just because you dont have access to a big school network, doesnt mean you cant get access to job postings.

 

You need to utilize every available resource. I got mine from craigslist, but that's 100% luck of the draw that they happened to see my resume before getting another (seriously) 250+ in a day. They just printed off the first 10 and went from there.

[Jenksismyhero]

Here you go Balta:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/20...up-to-235k.html

 

A report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says for a middle-income family with a child born last year can expect to spend about $234,900 for food, shelter, and other necessities to raise that child over the next 17 years.

 

That, the government agency said, represents an increase of $8,000, or 3.5 percent, from 2010.

 

Expenses for transportation, child care, education, and food saw the largest percentage increases related to child rearing from 2010. There were smaller increases in housing, clothing, health care, and miscellaneous expenses on a child during the same period.

 

The annual report is used courts and state governments in determining child support guidelines and foster care payments. It is based on data from the Federal government’s Consumer Expenditure Survey.

 

In 1960, the first year the report was issued, a middle-income family could have expected to spend $25,230 to raise a child through age seventeen. That figure could be converted to $191,720 in 2011 dollars.

 

For the year 2011, annual child-rearing expenses per child for a middle-income, two-parent family ranged from $12,290 to $14,320, depending on the age of the child.

[RockRaines]

When you apply for a job what is on the application?

 

Work history and education are near the top. The better both are the better you chances. Eventually when you have great experience and a qualifying education, you are in a much better position than someone with just one or the other.

Entry level the education matters more, as you work awhile you never are even asked as long as the box is checked under college degree. I was always worried my GPA would come up but after my first interview ever, it never has. In fact now I dont even really "apply"

[LittleHurt05]

Here you go Balta:

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/20...up-to-235k.html

 

When they do those calculations, what exactly do they include for housing? I mean, you have to pay for a home, kids or no kids. Maybe you buy an extra bedroom or two?

[Jenksismyhero]

When they do those calculations, what exactly do they include for housing? I mean, you have to pay for a home, kids or no kids. Maybe you buy an extra bedroom or two?

 

Yeah I wondered that as well, but perhaps it's going from a one bedroom to a two type valuation. I think out of that 235k, only 70k was for housing. That's only an extra $4,117 per year.

 

My wife is due tomorrow, so our first will be here any day now. The costs are freakin' me out.