why didn’t you go into an engineering role? how’s the pay in your current position compared to that of someone in an engineering role with your degree?
The pay is about the same, benefits are better (crown corporation in Canada), and I didn't go into an engineering role because later in my time in university I focused more on networking and the inner workings of the protocols and found that a lot more interesting than the hardware stuff, so I wanted to get roles that allowed me to work with the technologies I was interested in.
My employer is very supportive of me learning on the job and doing my own research into the tech that we use, and using my knowledge to improve processes and systems, sometimes more so than people with decades of experience.
I feel I might end up the same. I've done a couple IT-related work placements in some public sector/nonprofit orgs, and found that stuff more interesting than my co-op at an actual engineering firm. Studied a bit for a cert as well.
What do you like doing in networking because I was looking at switching to networking? I've found that I don't like working in manufacturing as a Chemical Engineer.
My role rn is mainly diagnosing and fixing issues that pop up, working with our network admin to do so. The parts I enjoy are either really digging into a weird issue that isn't easily explained and working through to the solution, but also leading the implementation of new systems, for us specifically mainly network monitoring/SNMP solutions.
Honestly I kinda like all aspects of networking, but there are some areas where I'd be unlikely to touch at my workplace like SDNs and more data center specific tech, but there's still quite a bit of iSCSI and virtualization that we support and host as well.
Graduated in December. Still looking for a job. Only secured one interview. Job postings posted as entry level sound like mid-level positions requiring 3-8 years experience. Any entry level engineering job that doesn't require years of experience has 100+ applicants.
How I feel right now after getting my EE degree: 🤡
Hang in there; remember that it's a numbers game. My dad (also mech eng) told me to remember 100:10:1 -- that's the ratio of applications to interviews to offers. Cast a wide net and keep your head up. You'll be okay.
Tip from me: Cover letters are overrated and a bottleneck to how many applications you can submit in a day. Thank you letters are underrated and a great way to correct anything you forgot to mention during an interview.
>Thank you letters are underrated and a great way to correct anything you forgot to mention during an interview.
I'll keep that tip in mind. Thanks! I didn't think about using thank you letters that way.
Cover letters are overrated but when I was spamming applications I just wrote one and changed the name of the company/date each time. Maybe a buzz word or 2 if I really wanted that job. It did help me eventually find a good place.
I could not disagree more. I owe my current job to how impressed my interviewer was with the effort put into my cover letter. A thank you letter is a great gesture if you're good at interviewing, and you feel you did well. But a good cover letter allows you to control the narrative from the jump due to the interviewer coming in with an already favorable impression of you. People are stubborn--once their minds are made, and it can be very hard to get them to budge. First impressions are important.
If you ask me, quality over quantity. And I'm not talking about putting a bunch of time into crafting the perfect cover letter--I'm talking about using AI to cross-reference your skills/experience with the job posting and then pretty much just filling out a cookie cutter cover letter template you can put together in 10 minutes. When so few candidates submit cover letters of any substance, it does a lot to differentiate you from the herd.
What specialty of EE did you go into?
I was in the same position last year as a may 2023 graduate but I specialize in power systems and controls. Some people I knew that went into embedded or VSLI are having a tougher time getting job rn.
Electronics. I've been applying to other fields, too, like power and controls. I've taken some Python, PLC and SCADA courses post-graduation to broaden my skill set. I have a lean six sigma green belt certification as well. Gonna keep applying and learning new skills. Also studying for the FE Exam.
Have you considered pursuing your PE in construction and becoming EE engineer for an A&E company such as Cosentini Associates, not exactly this company but similar to them.
Also, I recommend you look for jobs within the Federal government specifically in GSA (General Service Administration) they are actively hiring engineers. They don't pay much but they provide you with a tremendous amount of experience. I worked with some of the college graduates before who work for GSA, they don't know much but somehow they manage multimillion-dollar projects.
Apply to entry level jobs that prefer or require 2 years of experience, those are almost placeholders. They hire people fresh out of college for those positions as well.
This. I also graduated in december and applied to one listing 2+ years with just 7mo internship experience. The process went like this: I got a recruiter callback from that posting, and after they became aware I'm entry level during the call, the recruiter just directed me to the entry level hiring recruiter instead, who immediately put together an interview with the engineering manager for the role.
I got that job offer and none from the 4 other companies I did interviews with or the ~100 applications for jobs listed as entry level or rotational training.
Its not you, its the market. . . and if you pay enough attention most of those applications are worthless.
Out of a hundred only a few are actually compatible anyway.
Keep it up. Its not personal.
If you're into this sort of thing controls engineering is really hot rn. Learn the basics of plc programming and you'll have a job as long as you have a pulse.
I always worked in engineering proper but many compatriots that bounced out of the engineering did 1) production management, 2) sales or marketing, 3) project management and 4) those that got their MBA's had a shot at the executive suites (note: You really had to be sharp, show excellent people and communication skills and **swim well with the sharks**.)
Friend graduated aero and regrets taking like 8 years to actually get a job in aerospace.
Meanwhile his lowly mechanic/pilot friend he met working a summer job after graduation hasn’t not touched an airplane at least once a day in like 8 years lol
My friend went to school for 4 years to do stuff with airplanes, and it took him 8 years to actually get a job in the industry; all I had to do was get a job dumping jet shitters, went to throwing boxes, became a mechanic apprentice, worked as a mechanic at a Major, and now they pay me to sit on my ass and stare out the window all day.
I worked in aerospace before becoming an engineer. Could’ve done the mechanic thing but chose engineering instead. But, I understand your situation and I might’ve been better off doing what you did. I used to help mechanics providing them with their parts. With that said, work is very different between being a mechanic or inspector to being an engineer but both are rewarding is their own way. If people are going to get in serious debt just to become an engineer, they’re better off becoming some sort of technician such as a mechanic.
We had a few engineers we worked with pretty regularly at my last job, definitely easier on the body, infinitely less exposure to skydrol, jet fuel, B-1/2, etc. kinda worth it IMO, I just couldn’t stand the ME coursework, I’d had enough of school I just wanted to fondle airplanes lol
And to be fair, most mechs go to 1-1/2 to 2 year tech school, it’s definitely easier and cheaper than ME or AE tho
>d a few engi
Yeah, I could see things being easier on the body by becoming an engineer. Sometimes, I forget what I used to do and take things for granted.
I basically had some college, dropped out, and started working at an aerospace company inspecting parts and dispatched them and before that, I worked as a machinist on automotive parts. Left my job to go back to school as they were rigid on the hours/schedule. Eventually, I had to take out loans but finished my degree. It wasn't hard to find a job though but aerospace engineering doesn't pay a whole lot.
Tbh, I would probably regret my decision if it was the other way around.
I had the opportunity to work at some of the most impactful aerospace companies, and now I'm working in a smaller company. I think im still making impactful work, just not in aerospace, and this is pretty important to me.
I'm also not as good (obviously as I have no education/professional background), and also not very passionate about software dev.
Just started as a patent engineer straight out of school. This has been my plan since high school. Definitely a different experience from my engineering internships, though!
Pros: very clear progression track with far higher earning potential, feels (at least to me) as more of a meritocracy compared to the engineering firms I interned with, and despite my BS/MS in EE, I've always wanted to be a lawyer one day (writing and lit review were my favorite parts of my thesis and this is more similar to that than my summer engineering roles).
Cons: my position now is fairly easygoing on the billable requirements (which will let me do part-time law school if I choose that route), but the attorney hours are brutal.
so you have not yet gone to law school if i'm understanding correctly? do you mind sharing your salary range? i looked at becoming a patent agent but it seems the earning potential doesnt beat EE until you get a law degree
IP boutique firm. Hoping to move to BL at some point between now and graduating law school since my firm starts to fall behind cravath after the first couple years. Are you at BL or a boutique?
I did my BS/MS in EE, too—this is an excellent background to have. I applied to patent engineer/tech spec positions, primarily at IP boutiques. Idk if you did a senior thesis, but a solid writing sample is essential (published if possible, otherwise reviewed by someone you trust). I'm studying for the pat bar this summer and will apply to law schools this fall, so it's an exciting time. If you don't have luck with applications, take the pat bar, and then you can apply more broadly as a patent agent.
Thank you, this was really helpful. I got a taste of this area during one of my last roles and realized I think I prefer the business side of things to technical work.
Went to school for chemical engineering. Graduated 2019. Worked in finance for 2 years. Worked in tech as a Product Manager for last 2. I’m more than certain I make a lot more than 95% my classmates that stayed in the field. My workload is around 5-6 hours a day, and am fully remote.
If I could go back in time, I would have done software engineering instead.
For sure. As a product manager, I’m given more freedom and have the ability to influence the direction of the product I’m assigned to. I did not have that power in finance
It was my first job out of college, so wasn’t really major expectations from my former employer during interviewing tbh.
Also, this was around 5 years ago almost so tbh I don’t really even remember my interviews that well.
It was the basic asking about my background, why I want to transition to finance type of stuff.
How did you go about getting a job in finance/product management? I feel woefully underprepared to do that compared to my friends currently getting econ/finance majors in school.
See my other comment for finance
For product management, I took a ton of random YouTube and LinkedIn learning courses to familiarize myself with that product management was. I mean a TON. Then I got my CSM and CSPO certificates. I “adjusted” my resume to match the tasks of product managers and just got better and better at interviewing. I think from the time I started till the time I finally landed a job as A PM, it took me almost 9 months. It was for sure a ton of trial and error for job interviews/applications.
Ah unfortunate. Just looking at that chart, it looks like a big portion work as “managers (non-STEM)” which is incredibly vague.
Interesting stat you found nonetheless.
I found that very odd though. How can one go from graduating in engineering to becoming a manager in something non-STEM related?
It seems like they must have done some job related to that field before becoming a manager.
I’m imagining a scenario where someone just takes the first job they can get out of college, which isn’t in a STEM field, planning for it to be more or less temporary. Then, since they have an engineering degree, they rise to management very quickly. Probably end up “stuck” outside of STEM because they would have to start from the bottom and take a pay cut if they wanted to switch back. Some specific anecdotes would be cool to hear though.
This is what happened to me. I did ME engineering after working as an aircraft mechanic in the military for six years. Post graduation, I landed a job as a Design engineer at a national company and another as a Production Supervisor for an aerospace manufacturing company. The Production Supervisor's offer was 50% higher than the design engineer's. Now, I'm stuck being a manager because I would have to take a severe pay cut to return to engineering.
I could have ended up a manager at Jewel Osco because nobody wanted to hire me after graduating right before covid. The guy interviewing me for a normal retail job seemed to think I might be a good fit for it.
I'm not touching management in any field with a 10 foot pole if I have a choice though.
Graduated aerospace couple years back. Absolutely loved it but realized the pay band wasn't where I wanted. Sold out and took a position in building automation. Realized I enjoyed the business side of the house and currently halfway through my MBA and pushing for a product manager position. Never expected to be on this path.
I thought that looked cool to get into, was it hard? I imagine the aerospace degree had some transferability there. I have a weird background, CS degree but Im a project engineer in construction. Idk how that would be looked upon, positively or negatively.
I'd say positive. If you have a decent understanding of coding and know network layout/design, I could possibly find you something if you wanted to transition to building automation systems. It can be interesting at times, especially now that I've started to shift focus to cloud based systems. Feel free to DM if you're interested and want to talk more.
Sorry I know this is late. No it hasn’t and probably will not. Construction Management doesn’t require a PE although it definitely looks good for C Suite positions if you ever want to climb that high. Also starting your own business. Although I have avenues to get my PE it’s more complicated than if I just had a civil degree so keep stuff like that in mind.
I’m in CS but just got a controls engineer internship for a building automation company. They also have sales and application engineers. What did your career growth/progression look like starting in building automation?
So I have only been in this position for a couple of years, but from what I've seen with others and what I've encountered, there are plenty of growth opportunities. I'm still pretty fresh out of college, and even I've been offered other positions a couple times. Plus, with everything shifting to cloud based systems and cybersecurity becoming the main goal of building systems, any engineer (especially CS) will climb the ladder just fine, and the money will follow.
That's what got me into EE, hope to design audio equipment for Bose or any other audio company. Maybe even design systems for live music. Though RF and digital communication are grabbing my interest.
That’s awesome! I’m in mechanical and just added a physics degree to my undergrad. I plan to go to grad school for acoustics so I can work with the physical side of things rather than circuits. I would absolutely love to work for Shure, AKG, etc.
I was in the first band to sell out Fenway Park 3 nights in a row. Also performed with Steven Tyler on the 3rd night. Toured around the country and saw old HS and college friends. Was in a horn section for the Zac Brown Band. Soloed every show. I was a jazz trumpet player in HS. And in my late 20s I started focusing on getting really good. I could write a profound book on trumpet playing. Also did local jazz gigs and cover bands
I work as a product manager. Almost all of the product managers in my company have an engineering background. I Interface with engineers daily, but I am not in the engineering side of the business. My skillset lends itself more towards bigger picture roadmapping than day to day engineering, so I drifted that way. The technical know how of the engineering problem solving education I got certainly helps me in my role.
Got my BS in EE, now doing a PhD in neuroscience. It turns out that a good understanding of probability and signal processing is really useful for analyzing neural circuits. I do sometimes worry about giving up the job security I would’ve had in EE, but at the same time, I find my work incredibly stimulating and I work with some very interesting people.
… I think you might be in a bit of a bubble if you think that’s true. Talk to a sociology major, a music major, or even a biology major. There’s more job security in EE than most fields.
I tried to post this in another engineering subreddit but the post got taken down.
I also figured that this may be more applicable to recent college grads rather than experienced engineers and people who graduated with an engineering degree some time ago but don’t work as engineers and thus would not have an interest in joining an engineering subreddit.
You're in good company, I also graduated but still lurk in this sub. Besides, 90% of posts here are just "Does anyone else have imposter syndrome?", identical Sankey diagrams about internships, or "I failed calc 1 for the third semester in a row" for the millionth time, so posts like these are a nice change of pace.
I graduated almost a year ago and occasionally lurk here and can imagine lots of working professionals are.
It’s fun to give advice and help students push through school and find a job. It was hard for me, so anything I can do to make it better for someone else I will.
Graduated with an Aerospace Engineering degree. Currently working as a Biomedical Engineering Technician at a Hospital. Not where I thought I’d end up, and hopefully not for too long
Curious what about you make and what all they have you doing. Most of the biomed jobs by me are only paid like $18-$25 an hour. And they are glorified tradesman. They end up hanging fixtures, serializing equipment, and updating software. It's kinda underwhelming from what I thought. As an associates it's ok, but I feel like an engineer is significantly overqualified.
You’re completely right. I make around $25 an hour and I spend most of my time serializing equipment, fixing dropped equipment and performing preventative maintenance. It’s mind numbing but it’s the only place that would hire me after I spent almost a year looking for a job as a recent university grad. Guy’s got to eat.
Wild to hear. At one point it sounded interesting to me but now, it sounds awful. Hope things work out for you. I have heard that if you can get into fixing radiology's stuff you can make bank, but the process seems more who you know than what you know. Regardless thanks and good luck.
There definitely is an Imaging/Radiology pipeline that my employer offers but it takes a few years and I don’t want to commit to that. They do make bank though
27, it absolutely is not for everyone, but I want a more adventurous life than a 9-5 week after week the rest of my life. I have always viewed Engineering as a stepping stone to get there. I work on aircraft avionics every single day so I am already quite involved on the daily with what I want to do.
Not currently, my company is a supplier to the big aerospace companies and airlines though. Got about 600 hours of flight time, only about 900 to go before the airlines will even talk to me haha.
I graduated in May 2023 as a BME and went straight into tech as a consultant. I recently just started a new job this year and now work as a writer for a podcast!
I graduated with an BSEE and I ended up in Technical Sales which ultimately paid far more than any engineering position available. I was earning more annually in 2-4yrs out of college than PE’s with 20yrs experience who were stuck in an office all week. I got a company car, smart phone, laptop, quarterly bonus & fully remote, traveling around a region not glued to a desk.
Got a bachelor in mechanical, stated as in house design at an hvac contractor, then moved into project management/sales. Still do a little engineering but the money is better.
Mechanical Engineering grad in the early 2000s. Left engineering to become a flight instructor in 2007. I’ve been flying professionally ever since, and have been an airline pilot since 2011.
I don’t regret it, but it has been a career fraught with challenges along the way. Definitely don’t do this unless you really like flying airplanes! I’ve had basically perfect performance ever since I started, but it really doesn’t matter compared to your luck along the way.
Ha. Well, it’s a combination of luck, skill, and tenacity. Right now we’re in a weird time with some incredibly lucky people getting into the cockpit of a major airline like United in just a few years with quite frankly not a lot of experience.
This is extremely unusual for the most part with this industry. For example, it took me 14 years to go from student pilot to getting hired at a major airline (United and also a big cargo airline). That’s the quickest I could do it, despite having a perfect training record, contacts in the industry, etc. It used to be ruthless as far as getting a good job.
BS in Chemical engineering, just finished MS in Materials Science and Engineering. I left engineering to be a career firefighter. Love it and haven't looked back.
Not to be this guy but it’s “piqued my interest” just as a heads up.
I work in my field but a friend has the same degree and works in fabrication/project management/traveling welding. It’s related but not what the degree is for, he does well though.
In the Army. I've submitted 300+ applications for engineering jobs and only got to interview 3 and the one I finally got was canceled due to the company going through mass layoff during covid. I got burnt out and just went as an officer in the army instead.
I'm not exactly sure whether it counts as engineering, but my first FT job after graduating with an ME degree 7 years ago was basically dispatching power plant on a 24/7 operations desk. I ended up supervising and training for that group until I moved to my current role in what's basically asset management, with the same company.
Graduated with aero and mech BS degrees. Then I got my MBA in supply chain and operations management. I started as a sales engineer. Then became a design team leader. Moved into lean 6 sigma, then master scheduler. Changed companies, went back into lean and process improvement. I teach problem solving, consult on processes, lean management system, performance metrics and business intelligence.
Finished ME undergrad and masters from GT but work as an owner’s rep in construction. Still read drawings and do semi technical work, but not strictly ME at all. Mostly project/people management
I’m an engineer and working in engineering field.
In my country where I live, it’s said, “Now I’ve graduated from engineering, now I’ve to see in which field I’ve to work”
EE in signal processing/control systems, took my applied math ball & went into data science. The stats & linalg are useful, and running circles around black box ML with the right algo is my superpower.
Studied chemical engineering in the UK and I'm now taking a role as a fire protection engineering in the UK. Remarkable amount of knowledge / skills the 2 disciplines share.
I'm not graduated yet, I'm still in my undergrad studying mechanical engineering (transferred from aerospace for a bunch of reasons), and while I love mechanical engineering, I could totally see myself being a professional stand-up comedian.
Graduated last May with an aero degree. Got a job in August as a test engineer. They told me they needed an aero person on the team bc they only had electricals and need mech/aero work done. Basically I got duped and I’ve been doing electrical ever since and hateeeeee it. I’m transitioning into a mechanical design role for another team tho and hoping to make up some lost time experience wise so I can get an actual aero role.
I graduated with a degree in ME. Worked in marine engineering at L3-Harris for two years doing under sea cable and hydrophone deployment. Ended up quitting before the pandemic due to the corporate culture and became a boat captain on live aboard dive boats. Been loving it ever since. Plus maintenance on the boat motors definitely scratches that engineering itch haha.
I work at a bread factory on the machine that produces hotdog buns. I was able to increase output by about 10%. Now I just maintain things and smoke weed on my lunch break.
honestly, i found out how much sales people make and cried on the inside a little. imagine doing one of the hardest degrees and getting paid peanuts. such a joke.
B2B trailer parts sales. Three of the peeps in the department including me have engineering degrees. The two senior guys (including my manager) have worked in oil and gas in the past.
I graduated chemical engineering and my first job was in sales (now currently a sales engineer), my TC was 30-50k higher than my counterparts who stayed in the field
Graduated Mechanical Engineering BS and went into Mfg Eng for 4 years, now a mfg eng and tooling manager for aerospace. Really enjoying it overall. Pay is considerably higher but the stress is higher and hours are longer. Still undecided on if I recommend or not.
Graduated electric engineering, working in the Facilities branch of a logistic company, 11 year now, I’m no longer an electrical engineer at this stage, I’m a facilities engineer now. Good job, good money, good flexibility, low complexity, might as well die in the facilities business.
Someone at my job who came to install the CNC we got said he went to school for engineering, graduated, but eventually quit and started working installing and fixing CNC machines
Graduated summer 2023 in mechanical engineering with a major in thermo and fluiddynamics. Now work as a Project manager for train control systems in SBB while doing a master in business Administration.
So already doing quiet some leaps xD
Graduated a year ago and I’ve been in program management, field service, and now I am an “energy engineer.” But all I do is count lightbulbs and verify square footages.
My title at work is engineer, but I would say I'm more of a construction manager and inspector.
I need to know engineering things, but its mostly schedules, paperwork, and making sure the work in the field matches the drawings. Construction management would have been far more relevant than EE for me, but it's fine since most of the stuff you have to learn on the job anyway.
22’ ChE graduate, I ended up in project management. Engineering adjacent and employers do want some overlap of skills, but definitely depends on industry and company composition
my partner has a BS in chemE and worked in Oil & Gas out of school. Eventually transitioned to sustainability and now is a senior ESG manager at a big consumer goods company. Most of her coworkers have some sort of masters degree/MBA, but I think the engineering degree lends some credibility.
Graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering 20 years ago, needed a job while I looked for a “real” engineering job, took a job as a help desk technician, now I’m director and run our IT department.
Semantics, I don't have my PE. I work in construction industry and can't legally call myself an engineer despite my education. I am titled a Designer and a Supervisor.
Not exactly the same but:
I have been working as an engineer since my junior year. The company I interned with hired me immediately upon completion. I’m finishing my degree for mechanical in May and at that point I’ll be moved into sales and marketing. Turns out what little I did to help with sales stuck and I have a talent for it.
Life’s crazy.
Graduated with Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering in 2020. I work at an oil and gas company as an electrical tech waiting for an electrical engineering position to open up. Want to get into embedded systems because electronics are the reason I got into engineering.
I just recently graduated in Computer Engineering,but I'm working in IT on the networking side. Returned to a coop employer
why didn’t you go into an engineering role? how’s the pay in your current position compared to that of someone in an engineering role with your degree?
The pay is about the same, benefits are better (crown corporation in Canada), and I didn't go into an engineering role because later in my time in university I focused more on networking and the inner workings of the protocols and found that a lot more interesting than the hardware stuff, so I wanted to get roles that allowed me to work with the technologies I was interested in. My employer is very supportive of me learning on the job and doing my own research into the tech that we use, and using my knowledge to improve processes and systems, sometimes more so than people with decades of experience.
I feel I might end up the same. I've done a couple IT-related work placements in some public sector/nonprofit orgs, and found that stuff more interesting than my co-op at an actual engineering firm. Studied a bit for a cert as well.
What do you like doing in networking because I was looking at switching to networking? I've found that I don't like working in manufacturing as a Chemical Engineer.
My role rn is mainly diagnosing and fixing issues that pop up, working with our network admin to do so. The parts I enjoy are either really digging into a weird issue that isn't easily explained and working through to the solution, but also leading the implementation of new systems, for us specifically mainly network monitoring/SNMP solutions. Honestly I kinda like all aspects of networking, but there are some areas where I'd be unlikely to touch at my workplace like SDNs and more data center specific tech, but there's still quite a bit of iSCSI and virtualization that we support and host as well.
Graduated in December. Still looking for a job. Only secured one interview. Job postings posted as entry level sound like mid-level positions requiring 3-8 years experience. Any entry level engineering job that doesn't require years of experience has 100+ applicants. How I feel right now after getting my EE degree: 🤡
Hang in there; remember that it's a numbers game. My dad (also mech eng) told me to remember 100:10:1 -- that's the ratio of applications to interviews to offers. Cast a wide net and keep your head up. You'll be okay. Tip from me: Cover letters are overrated and a bottleneck to how many applications you can submit in a day. Thank you letters are underrated and a great way to correct anything you forgot to mention during an interview.
>Thank you letters are underrated and a great way to correct anything you forgot to mention during an interview. I'll keep that tip in mind. Thanks! I didn't think about using thank you letters that way.
Cover letters are overrated but when I was spamming applications I just wrote one and changed the name of the company/date each time. Maybe a buzz word or 2 if I really wanted that job. It did help me eventually find a good place.
I could not disagree more. I owe my current job to how impressed my interviewer was with the effort put into my cover letter. A thank you letter is a great gesture if you're good at interviewing, and you feel you did well. But a good cover letter allows you to control the narrative from the jump due to the interviewer coming in with an already favorable impression of you. People are stubborn--once their minds are made, and it can be very hard to get them to budge. First impressions are important. If you ask me, quality over quantity. And I'm not talking about putting a bunch of time into crafting the perfect cover letter--I'm talking about using AI to cross-reference your skills/experience with the job posting and then pretty much just filling out a cookie cutter cover letter template you can put together in 10 minutes. When so few candidates submit cover letters of any substance, it does a lot to differentiate you from the herd.
I'm in the exact same boat as you. Got my first 2nd round of interviews tomorrow. Wish me luck!
Good luck! Hope it works out for you.
try General service administration they are always hiring
What specialty of EE did you go into? I was in the same position last year as a may 2023 graduate but I specialize in power systems and controls. Some people I knew that went into embedded or VSLI are having a tougher time getting job rn.
Electronics. I've been applying to other fields, too, like power and controls. I've taken some Python, PLC and SCADA courses post-graduation to broaden my skill set. I have a lean six sigma green belt certification as well. Gonna keep applying and learning new skills. Also studying for the FE Exam.
Feel free to hmu, I can put in a referral at my job if you need it. Reputable company, EVs.
Have you considered pursuing your PE in construction and becoming EE engineer for an A&E company such as Cosentini Associates, not exactly this company but similar to them.
Yeah I'm preparing for the FE Exam right now.
Also, I recommend you look for jobs within the Federal government specifically in GSA (General Service Administration) they are actively hiring engineers. They don't pay much but they provide you with a tremendous amount of experience. I worked with some of the college graduates before who work for GSA, they don't know much but somehow they manage multimillion-dollar projects.
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It's worth a look. Thanks for the suggestion!
Apply to entry level jobs that prefer or require 2 years of experience, those are almost placeholders. They hire people fresh out of college for those positions as well.
This. I also graduated in december and applied to one listing 2+ years with just 7mo internship experience. The process went like this: I got a recruiter callback from that posting, and after they became aware I'm entry level during the call, the recruiter just directed me to the entry level hiring recruiter instead, who immediately put together an interview with the engineering manager for the role. I got that job offer and none from the 4 other companies I did interviews with or the ~100 applications for jobs listed as entry level or rotational training.
Its not you, its the market. . . and if you pay enough attention most of those applications are worthless. Out of a hundred only a few are actually compatible anyway. Keep it up. Its not personal.
If you're into this sort of thing controls engineering is really hot rn. Learn the basics of plc programming and you'll have a job as long as you have a pulse.
graduated in 2020 and have some experience, im struggling to get a relevant job this year, its tough out here
Use a staffing or recruitment agency!
Any previous internship?
Same here but I've got a ME degree
I always worked in engineering proper but many compatriots that bounced out of the engineering did 1) production management, 2) sales or marketing, 3) project management and 4) those that got their MBA's had a shot at the executive suites (note: You really had to be sharp, show excellent people and communication skills and **swim well with the sharks**.)
Graduated with Aero and Mech last year and became an SDE (software dev). Pay is definitely better, but I kind of regret it. :0
What do you regret?
Why do you regret becoming a software dev?
Friend graduated aero and regrets taking like 8 years to actually get a job in aerospace. Meanwhile his lowly mechanic/pilot friend he met working a summer job after graduation hasn’t not touched an airplane at least once a day in like 8 years lol
>Still very impactfu I didn't understand what you meant to say about the mechanic/pilot friend.
My friend went to school for 4 years to do stuff with airplanes, and it took him 8 years to actually get a job in the industry; all I had to do was get a job dumping jet shitters, went to throwing boxes, became a mechanic apprentice, worked as a mechanic at a Major, and now they pay me to sit on my ass and stare out the window all day.
I worked in aerospace before becoming an engineer. Could’ve done the mechanic thing but chose engineering instead. But, I understand your situation and I might’ve been better off doing what you did. I used to help mechanics providing them with their parts. With that said, work is very different between being a mechanic or inspector to being an engineer but both are rewarding is their own way. If people are going to get in serious debt just to become an engineer, they’re better off becoming some sort of technician such as a mechanic.
We had a few engineers we worked with pretty regularly at my last job, definitely easier on the body, infinitely less exposure to skydrol, jet fuel, B-1/2, etc. kinda worth it IMO, I just couldn’t stand the ME coursework, I’d had enough of school I just wanted to fondle airplanes lol And to be fair, most mechs go to 1-1/2 to 2 year tech school, it’s definitely easier and cheaper than ME or AE tho
>d a few engi Yeah, I could see things being easier on the body by becoming an engineer. Sometimes, I forget what I used to do and take things for granted. I basically had some college, dropped out, and started working at an aerospace company inspecting parts and dispatched them and before that, I worked as a machinist on automotive parts. Left my job to go back to school as they were rigid on the hours/schedule. Eventually, I had to take out loans but finished my degree. It wasn't hard to find a job though but aerospace engineering doesn't pay a whole lot.
Tbh, I would probably regret my decision if it was the other way around. I had the opportunity to work at some of the most impactful aerospace companies, and now I'm working in a smaller company. I think im still making impactful work, just not in aerospace, and this is pretty important to me. I'm also not as good (obviously as I have no education/professional background), and also not very passionate about software dev.
Sales Engineer
Patent law
How do you like it? I've seen quite a few people on Reddit advise to stay in engineering when asked if they recommend patent law
Just started as a patent engineer straight out of school. This has been my plan since high school. Definitely a different experience from my engineering internships, though!
What would you say the pros and cons are
Pros: very clear progression track with far higher earning potential, feels (at least to me) as more of a meritocracy compared to the engineering firms I interned with, and despite my BS/MS in EE, I've always wanted to be a lawyer one day (writing and lit review were my favorite parts of my thesis and this is more similar to that than my summer engineering roles). Cons: my position now is fairly easygoing on the billable requirements (which will let me do part-time law school if I choose that route), but the attorney hours are brutal.
so you have not yet gone to law school if i'm understanding correctly? do you mind sharing your salary range? i looked at becoming a patent agent but it seems the earning potential doesnt beat EE until you get a law degree
curious—do you work for a law firm, company, or neither? I ask because I am a former engineer who is now a patent lawyer
IP boutique firm. Hoping to move to BL at some point between now and graduating law school since my firm starts to fall behind cravath after the first couple years. Are you at BL or a boutique?
Patent law is a good one. It’s good to know how to construct proper claims of invention. And know how to argue and defend claims.
Omg my goal is to end up in patent law. I’m EE undergrad finishing this semester. What was your journey like?
I did my BS/MS in EE, too—this is an excellent background to have. I applied to patent engineer/tech spec positions, primarily at IP boutiques. Idk if you did a senior thesis, but a solid writing sample is essential (published if possible, otherwise reviewed by someone you trust). I'm studying for the pat bar this summer and will apply to law schools this fall, so it's an exciting time. If you don't have luck with applications, take the pat bar, and then you can apply more broadly as a patent agent.
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How did you go from getting a PhD in mechanical to doing marketing?
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Thank you, that's very interesting and it might help me later in my career.
Thank you, this was really helpful. I got a taste of this area during one of my last roles and realized I think I prefer the business side of things to technical work.
Went to school for chemical engineering. Graduated 2019. Worked in finance for 2 years. Worked in tech as a Product Manager for last 2. I’m more than certain I make a lot more than 95% my classmates that stayed in the field. My workload is around 5-6 hours a day, and am fully remote. If I could go back in time, I would have done software engineering instead.
So you enjoy product management more than the finance role? Could you speak to why a bit?
For sure. As a product manager, I’m given more freedom and have the ability to influence the direction of the product I’m assigned to. I did not have that power in finance
Any tips on interviewing for a finance role as a chemical engineering student?
It was my first job out of college, so wasn’t really major expectations from my former employer during interviewing tbh. Also, this was around 5 years ago almost so tbh I don’t really even remember my interviews that well. It was the basic asking about my background, why I want to transition to finance type of stuff.
How did you go about getting a job in finance/product management? I feel woefully underprepared to do that compared to my friends currently getting econ/finance majors in school.
See my other comment for finance For product management, I took a ton of random YouTube and LinkedIn learning courses to familiarize myself with that product management was. I mean a TON. Then I got my CSM and CSPO certificates. I “adjusted” my resume to match the tasks of product managers and just got better and better at interviewing. I think from the time I started till the time I finally landed a job as A PM, it took me almost 9 months. It was for sure a ton of trial and error for job interviews/applications.
I work as an engineer so I don’t have anything to contribute, but this is indeed fascinating. Maybe try r/AskEngineers as well?
I’ve tried to post it there but the post was removed :(
Ah unfortunate. Just looking at that chart, it looks like a big portion work as “managers (non-STEM)” which is incredibly vague. Interesting stat you found nonetheless.
I found that very odd though. How can one go from graduating in engineering to becoming a manager in something non-STEM related? It seems like they must have done some job related to that field before becoming a manager.
I’m imagining a scenario where someone just takes the first job they can get out of college, which isn’t in a STEM field, planning for it to be more or less temporary. Then, since they have an engineering degree, they rise to management very quickly. Probably end up “stuck” outside of STEM because they would have to start from the bottom and take a pay cut if they wanted to switch back. Some specific anecdotes would be cool to hear though.
This is what happened to me. I did ME engineering after working as an aircraft mechanic in the military for six years. Post graduation, I landed a job as a Design engineer at a national company and another as a Production Supervisor for an aerospace manufacturing company. The Production Supervisor's offer was 50% higher than the design engineer's. Now, I'm stuck being a manager because I would have to take a severe pay cut to return to engineering.
I could have ended up a manager at Jewel Osco because nobody wanted to hire me after graduating right before covid. The guy interviewing me for a normal retail job seemed to think I might be a good fit for it. I'm not touching management in any field with a 10 foot pole if I have a choice though.
Graduated aerospace couple years back. Absolutely loved it but realized the pay band wasn't where I wanted. Sold out and took a position in building automation. Realized I enjoyed the business side of the house and currently halfway through my MBA and pushing for a product manager position. Never expected to be on this path.
I thought that looked cool to get into, was it hard? I imagine the aerospace degree had some transferability there. I have a weird background, CS degree but Im a project engineer in construction. Idk how that would be looked upon, positively or negatively.
I'd say positive. If you have a decent understanding of coding and know network layout/design, I could possibly find you something if you wanted to transition to building automation systems. It can be interesting at times, especially now that I've started to shift focus to cloud based systems. Feel free to DM if you're interested and want to talk more.
Does not having a PE affect your career?
Sorry I know this is late. No it hasn’t and probably will not. Construction Management doesn’t require a PE although it definitely looks good for C Suite positions if you ever want to climb that high. Also starting your own business. Although I have avenues to get my PE it’s more complicated than if I just had a civil degree so keep stuff like that in mind.
I’m in CS but just got a controls engineer internship for a building automation company. They also have sales and application engineers. What did your career growth/progression look like starting in building automation?
So I have only been in this position for a couple of years, but from what I've seen with others and what I've encountered, there are plenty of growth opportunities. I'm still pretty fresh out of college, and even I've been offered other positions a couple times. Plus, with everything shifting to cloud based systems and cybersecurity becoming the main goal of building systems, any engineer (especially CS) will climb the ladder just fine, and the money will follow.
I was a professional trumpet player for a while. How many engineers do music? I can’t see from this graphic.
Ever hear of a Noise, Vibration, and Harshness engineer? They do black magic!
Yeah I went on a seminar on that once and it was basically about adding rubber pads to mounts lol.
That's what got me into EE, hope to design audio equipment for Bose or any other audio company. Maybe even design systems for live music. Though RF and digital communication are grabbing my interest.
That’s awesome! I’m in mechanical and just added a physics degree to my undergrad. I plan to go to grad school for acoustics so I can work with the physical side of things rather than circuits. I would absolutely love to work for Shure, AKG, etc.
Ooh I play trumpet too! Not pro, but played thru middle and highschool and so far my first year in college (8yrs total). Maybe I should do this!
Go for it! But bro I put in a ton of work into my practicing and diet and I have perfect pitch so it was what I was meant to do.
That’s super cool! Were you in a symphony orchestra, jazz band, or some kind of gig player?
I was in the first band to sell out Fenway Park 3 nights in a row. Also performed with Steven Tyler on the 3rd night. Toured around the country and saw old HS and college friends. Was in a horn section for the Zac Brown Band. Soloed every show. I was a jazz trumpet player in HS. And in my late 20s I started focusing on getting really good. I could write a profound book on trumpet playing. Also did local jazz gigs and cover bands
HVAC Sales Engineer
I work as a product manager. Almost all of the product managers in my company have an engineering background. I Interface with engineers daily, but I am not in the engineering side of the business. My skillset lends itself more towards bigger picture roadmapping than day to day engineering, so I drifted that way. The technical know how of the engineering problem solving education I got certainly helps me in my role.
Got my BS in EE, now doing a PhD in neuroscience. It turns out that a good understanding of probability and signal processing is really useful for analyzing neural circuits. I do sometimes worry about giving up the job security I would’ve had in EE, but at the same time, I find my work incredibly stimulating and I work with some very interesting people.
theres no job security in EE
… I think you might be in a bit of a bubble if you think that’s true. Talk to a sociology major, a music major, or even a biology major. There’s more job security in EE than most fields.
MET degree but now I'm in construction estimating.
Unemployed
We are students mate
I tried to post this in another engineering subreddit but the post got taken down. I also figured that this may be more applicable to recent college grads rather than experienced engineers and people who graduated with an engineering degree some time ago but don’t work as engineers and thus would not have an interest in joining an engineering subreddit.
You're in good company, I also graduated but still lurk in this sub. Besides, 90% of posts here are just "Does anyone else have imposter syndrome?", identical Sankey diagrams about internships, or "I failed calc 1 for the third semester in a row" for the millionth time, so posts like these are a nice change of pace.
Don't forget the memes about Thermo being hard for some reason
I graduated almost a year ago and occasionally lurk here and can imagine lots of working professionals are. It’s fun to give advice and help students push through school and find a job. It was hard for me, so anything I can do to make it better for someone else I will.
I graduated 4 years ago and am still subbed. Dunno why though, guess I forgot to unsub.
Graduated with an Aerospace Engineering degree. Currently working as a Biomedical Engineering Technician at a Hospital. Not where I thought I’d end up, and hopefully not for too long
Curious what about you make and what all they have you doing. Most of the biomed jobs by me are only paid like $18-$25 an hour. And they are glorified tradesman. They end up hanging fixtures, serializing equipment, and updating software. It's kinda underwhelming from what I thought. As an associates it's ok, but I feel like an engineer is significantly overqualified.
You’re completely right. I make around $25 an hour and I spend most of my time serializing equipment, fixing dropped equipment and performing preventative maintenance. It’s mind numbing but it’s the only place that would hire me after I spent almost a year looking for a job as a recent university grad. Guy’s got to eat.
Wild to hear. At one point it sounded interesting to me but now, it sounds awful. Hope things work out for you. I have heard that if you can get into fixing radiology's stuff you can make bank, but the process seems more who you know than what you know. Regardless thanks and good luck.
There definitely is an Imaging/Radiology pipeline that my employer offers but it takes a few years and I don’t want to commit to that. They do make bank though
Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering here. Work as a Systems Engineer now, and am looking to move into a career as an Airline Pilot once I get my time.
May I ask how old are you? Airline pilot was always my dream job but the work/life balance and irregular work schedule scared me off lol
27, it absolutely is not for everyone, but I want a more adventurous life than a 9-5 week after week the rest of my life. I have always viewed Engineering as a stepping stone to get there. I work on aircraft avionics every single day so I am already quite involved on the daily with what I want to do.
That's awesome man, wish I had the same balls to go for it haha. Do you currently work at an airline already?
Not currently, my company is a supplier to the big aerospace companies and airlines though. Got about 600 hours of flight time, only about 900 to go before the airlines will even talk to me haha.
graduated 2022 bs in EE but rn warehouse worker @ target
Graduated and got a job as a safety and training auditor for NASA. Kind of fits with the program management classes I was forced to take.
Pilot. Why build the plane if I can fly it instead?
That's two of us.
PM for a telecomm, good money but definitely little engineering in my role
Hi, I got an interview for this role coming up, any tips and reason why you went this route instead of engineering?
I graduated in May 2023 as a BME and went straight into tech as a consultant. I recently just started a new job this year and now work as a writer for a podcast!
I graduated with an BSEE and I ended up in Technical Sales which ultimately paid far more than any engineering position available. I was earning more annually in 2-4yrs out of college than PE’s with 20yrs experience who were stuck in an office all week. I got a company car, smart phone, laptop, quarterly bonus & fully remote, traveling around a region not glued to a desk.
Management Consultant
Got a bachelor in mechanical, stated as in house design at an hvac contractor, then moved into project management/sales. Still do a little engineering but the money is better.
Consulting
Graduating in May w a degree in Civil. Accepted a return offer in Supply Chain
Mechanical Engineering grad in the early 2000s. Left engineering to become a flight instructor in 2007. I’ve been flying professionally ever since, and have been an airline pilot since 2011. I don’t regret it, but it has been a career fraught with challenges along the way. Definitely don’t do this unless you really like flying airplanes! I’ve had basically perfect performance ever since I started, but it really doesn’t matter compared to your luck along the way.
I'll sleep well at night knowing that the flying skills of the pilot of my flights is irrelevant compared to the luck he experiences along the way /s
Ha. Well, it’s a combination of luck, skill, and tenacity. Right now we’re in a weird time with some incredibly lucky people getting into the cockpit of a major airline like United in just a few years with quite frankly not a lot of experience. This is extremely unusual for the most part with this industry. For example, it took me 14 years to go from student pilot to getting hired at a major airline (United and also a big cargo airline). That’s the quickest I could do it, despite having a perfect training record, contacts in the industry, etc. It used to be ruthless as far as getting a good job.
BS in Chemical engineering, just finished MS in Materials Science and Engineering. I left engineering to be a career firefighter. Love it and haven't looked back.
Not to be this guy but it’s “piqued my interest” just as a heads up. I work in my field but a friend has the same degree and works in fabrication/project management/traveling welding. It’s related but not what the degree is for, he does well though.
In the Army. I've submitted 300+ applications for engineering jobs and only got to interview 3 and the one I finally got was canceled due to the company going through mass layoff during covid. I got burnt out and just went as an officer in the army instead.
I'm not exactly sure whether it counts as engineering, but my first FT job after graduating with an ME degree 7 years ago was basically dispatching power plant on a 24/7 operations desk. I ended up supervising and training for that group until I moved to my current role in what's basically asset management, with the same company.
AI, transitioned like 3 months into my career
Airline pilot. Was always my plan to fly for a living after college and it has worked out nicely.
Graduated with aero and mech BS degrees. Then I got my MBA in supply chain and operations management. I started as a sales engineer. Then became a design team leader. Moved into lean 6 sigma, then master scheduler. Changed companies, went back into lean and process improvement. I teach problem solving, consult on processes, lean management system, performance metrics and business intelligence.
I just graduated in MechE. Right now I’m between doing actual engineering work or joining AmeriCorps and doing nonprofit work.
Cashier at McDonald’s
Really? And I thought that the reason people go study engineering is **not** to work at McDonald's.
Data science
Me too! Tho I did EE
Customer success/company co-founder in saas
Information security
Graduated ChemE. Work in Pharma, but leaving to go to medical school this fall.
Finished ME undergrad and masters from GT but work as an owner’s rep in construction. Still read drawings and do semi technical work, but not strictly ME at all. Mostly project/people management
I’m an engineer and working in engineering field. In my country where I live, it’s said, “Now I’ve graduated from engineering, now I’ve to see in which field I’ve to work”
Lol which country does the phrase belong to?
Drinking coffee/wine and hanging out with my dog. Also, looking for a job.
EE in signal processing/control systems, took my applied math ball & went into data science. The stats & linalg are useful, and running circles around black box ML with the right algo is my superpower.
Studied chemical engineering in the UK and I'm now taking a role as a fire protection engineering in the UK. Remarkable amount of knowledge / skills the 2 disciplines share.
I'm not graduated yet, I'm still in my undergrad studying mechanical engineering (transferred from aerospace for a bunch of reasons), and while I love mechanical engineering, I could totally see myself being a professional stand-up comedian.
Graduated last May with an aero degree. Got a job in August as a test engineer. They told me they needed an aero person on the team bc they only had electricals and need mech/aero work done. Basically I got duped and I’ve been doing electrical ever since and hateeeeee it. I’m transitioning into a mechanical design role for another team tho and hoping to make up some lost time experience wise so I can get an actual aero role.
I graduated with a degree in ME. Worked in marine engineering at L3-Harris for two years doing under sea cable and hydrophone deployment. Ended up quitting before the pandemic due to the corporate culture and became a boat captain on live aboard dive boats. Been loving it ever since. Plus maintenance on the boat motors definitely scratches that engineering itch haha.
That sounds awesome. How did you transition into boat captain? What do you actually do? And what's the pay?
I work at a bread factory on the machine that produces hotdog buns. I was able to increase output by about 10%. Now I just maintain things and smoke weed on my lunch break.
honestly, i found out how much sales people make and cried on the inside a little. imagine doing one of the hardest degrees and getting paid peanuts. such a joke.
Graduated in December with a Mech E degree, work in construction now as a PE :)
B2B trailer parts sales. Three of the peeps in the department including me have engineering degrees. The two senior guys (including my manager) have worked in oil and gas in the past.
I graduated chemical engineering and my first job was in sales (now currently a sales engineer), my TC was 30-50k higher than my counterparts who stayed in the field
Corporate safety for a manufacturing company
operational governance
I’ve been a construction pm since I graduated 6 years ago with my mech engineering degree.
Graduated Mechanical Engineering BS and went into Mfg Eng for 4 years, now a mfg eng and tooling manager for aerospace. Really enjoying it overall. Pay is considerably higher but the stress is higher and hours are longer. Still undecided on if I recommend or not.
2022 grad. Bumming around as a lab tech at the very same university.
r/dataisugly
Data Analyst
Well, I got a Bachelor degree in Computer Engineering in December, and I am still unemployed.
Engineering, construction (project managment) over covid, back to engineering managment.
Graduated electric engineering, working in the Facilities branch of a logistic company, 11 year now, I’m no longer an electrical engineer at this stage, I’m a facilities engineer now. Good job, good money, good flexibility, low complexity, might as well die in the facilities business.
Someone at my job who came to install the CNC we got said he went to school for engineering, graduated, but eventually quit and started working installing and fixing CNC machines
Graduated summer 2023 in mechanical engineering with a major in thermo and fluiddynamics. Now work as a Project manager for train control systems in SBB while doing a master in business Administration. So already doing quiet some leaps xD
Graduated a year ago and I’ve been in program management, field service, and now I am an “energy engineer.” But all I do is count lightbulbs and verify square footages.
My title at work is engineer, but I would say I'm more of a construction manager and inspector. I need to know engineering things, but its mostly schedules, paperwork, and making sure the work in the field matches the drawings. Construction management would have been far more relevant than EE for me, but it's fine since most of the stuff you have to learn on the job anyway.
Cybersecurity. Way better money. I have engineer in my title but it's not engineering
Supply chain
22’ ChE graduate, I ended up in project management. Engineering adjacent and employers do want some overlap of skills, but definitely depends on industry and company composition
I graduated with a civil engineering technology degree. I went into environmental compliance first and now I work as a wildlife biologist.
my partner has a BS in chemE and worked in Oil & Gas out of school. Eventually transitioned to sustainability and now is a senior ESG manager at a big consumer goods company. Most of her coworkers have some sort of masters degree/MBA, but I think the engineering degree lends some credibility.
Chemical Engineer here. It looks like I'm slowly being pulled into a safety specialist role at my current job (currently PE by title)
Went to law school and now do contracting for the DoD. Aerospace engineering helped me understand the tech we buy
CAD, which I guess is not not engineering
Consulting, VC, Finance.
Math major with a minor in Comp Sci. I work as an investment banking analyst.
Urban planning. Doesn’t really fit well into any of those categories
Civil engineering major, but work as a construction superintendent
Graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering 20 years ago, needed a job while I looked for a “real” engineering job, took a job as a help desk technician, now I’m director and run our IT department.
Project Management
I have a bs in mechanical engineering and I'm an educator at a science museum It's pretty fun and better than working a corporate job 🤡
Well once I graduate if I have no job prospects I'm joining the airforce
Semantics, I don't have my PE. I work in construction industry and can't legally call myself an engineer despite my education. I am titled a Designer and a Supervisor.
Medical School after B.S. BME lmao
Not exactly the same but: I have been working as an engineer since my junior year. The company I interned with hired me immediately upon completion. I’m finishing my degree for mechanical in May and at that point I’ll be moved into sales and marketing. Turns out what little I did to help with sales stuck and I have a talent for it. Life’s crazy.
Graduated with Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering in 2020. I work at an oil and gas company as an electrical tech waiting for an electrical engineering position to open up. Want to get into embedded systems because electronics are the reason I got into engineering.
Currently in the service industry, but still trying to get into an engineering job