Getting a job after grad school.

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I'm about to graduate with a Masters of Engineering degree in three weeks, and was curious as to the experiences other folks with graduate degrees have had in getting a job.

I was somewhat freaking out at first, since a friend of my who graduated two terms ago was offered a job before he had even started his final term, whereas I haven't even obtained so much as a callback (to be fair, I've only found three jobs for which I'm properly qualified to apply). I calmed down a bit when I found out that a non-aspie classmate who's graduating at the same time as me hasn't had any luck either, and wasn't even planning on applying to anything until this summer.

Have you been applying for positions out of state? Oregon doesn't have jack in terms of good jobs.

Try to ping-pong it.

Send out some resumes, talk to people about what areas may be opening up, send out more resumes, etc.

It sounds like your doing pretty good in talking to people. Any professional associations you might be able to join?

Good luck. It is a tough economy, but it's still just a numbers game.

My advising professor has been sending me any job he catches wind of that would be good for me, so I probably have a pretty good chance because of that (this is a guy that has a LOT of connections and influence), and I have a few prospects through him that came up in the past week.

Try applying to jobs you think your not completely qualified for. Now im not talking about jobs where they are looking for 5+ years of experience (assuming you have no experience) and/or you have no clue about more than half the technologies in the posting but hear me out. I know it sounds counter-intuitive but from talking to technical professionals they say job postings intentionally list more requirements than the job actually requires. More often than not, job posting list everything they would want in a PERFECT candidate but even the most highly qualified candidates are not PERFECT and dont know about or have experience with EVERYTHING a posting lists as requirements. Just use your judgement (unless its explicitly stated) for what you think you must absolutely have in order to have a chance. Assuming you have no experience, I would apply to anything looking for up to 2-3 years experience and/or you know at least ~60% of the technologies in the posting. Good luck buddy and keep us posted!

I'm actually NOT looking for advise on getting a job (thank you those who gave it, regardless), I'm more curious to the experiences other people had getting jobs post grad school.

I too am a fellow engineer who is looking for to starting off his career. I suggest you take some time off from school to go on a trip or something to recharge the batteries and the do some job hunting. I am doing some job hunting as of now and i had a few responses here and there.

What kind of engineering? I agree with cyberfox take some time off and go on a vacation, unless you cant do it financially. No matter what kind of engineering I'm sure you wont have a problem finding a job. You might have to be move though.

If you have as much difficulty as me, you'll have a 3 year holiday without the slightest hint at being able to get a job whilst applying for jobs anyway. I would suggest to start applying ASAP. I graduated 2008 and had no luck anywhere. Not even minimum wage.

My degree's in Chemical Engineering, with a focus in Polymer and Biomedical Engineering. I'm mainly applying to PNW jobs, but whenever I see a good job elsewhere, I apply to it (currently applying to a job with Dow in Massachusetts).

I am taking a semi-vacation, I'll still be working part time in my lab over the summer, mostly writing up manuals on how to use the equipment and run the Polymer Engineering class's labs, while training the new lab manager that's replacing me.

And booyah, a company that works with polymers in Portland wants me to come in for an on-site interview ASAP (they've been looking to fill the position since February).

I'd rather start working immediately after school than spend another two years unemployed like I did after my undergrad degree.

Okay, wow, that was probably the worst interview I've ever had. Even including the ones I had during the two years after my B.S. degree, before I knew I had AS or had the amount of work/lab experience I do now. Basically the interviewer was intent on disliking me, to the point where it was so bad it got to be funny, even though it was really sh***y and I've never been treated so badly by an interviewer before.

My favorite part was when he got mad at me for my phone ringing, and on the 4th ring angrily asked "Are you going to answer that?!" I then pointed out that my phone was shut off (I had made sure to turn it completely off before the interview started), and that the ringing was coming from the phone in his pocket. He turned it off then proceeded to still act like it had been my phone.

What a douches bag. Clearly he has issues of his own.

The HR lady did love me, but even if I manage to get offered this job, I'm not going to take it because:

1. The interviewer would be my direct supervisor and I don't think I could handle working for him.

2. Despite what I was told beforehand, the job has almost no work with polymers, and working with polymers is my goal for my degree.

3. They make gun parts. I know some people are perfectly okay with doing this, but one of the very few things that I absolutely refuse to do is use my knowledge to make weapons.

After getting my master's, I was out of work completely for 16 months. Then I got a couple of jobs, but neither one worked out (already posted about it here). Now I'm back where I started.

The good news for you though is that your degree is in something lucrative while mine isn't