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About to graduate with an engineering degree with no job.

:frown: Companies stop asking for engineering work experience from students who can't even get an engineering work experience in the first place.:frown:

This is UNFAIR.
(edited 4 years ago)

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No, it's called competition. If what you say is true, none of your peers will have work experience either but I'm sure that's not the case...
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Reply 2
You could've taken a sandwich year and/or gain experience during summer/easter placements.

Did you?
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Original post by xdopaminex
:frown: Companies stop asking for engineering work experience from students who can't even get an engineering work experience in the first place.:frown:

This is UNFAIR.

Well why didn't you do an internship?
Womp, womp, life's tough.
Original post by xdopaminex
:frown: Companies stop asking for engineering work experience from students who can't even get an engineering work experience in the first place.:frown:

This is UNFAIR.
Original post by xdopaminex
:frown: Companies stop asking for engineering work experience from students who can't even get an engineering work experience in the first place.:frown:

This is UNFAIR.


There's nothing unfair about it, I'm afraid. If they discriminate based on protected characteristics, then yeah, it's unfair and they should be reported.

There seems to be some sort of myth going around that makes people think doing a STEM degree = guaranteed job (not saying you believe this), but it's entirely false. There are plenty of unemployed STEM grads.

What type of jobs are you looking for? Try to widen the net a bit and apply for anything with a description that fits your profile roughly.
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My primary qualification was achieved on block-release, 3 months college then 3 months work experience, repeat for many years, It was a good system!

Later, I was temporarily in-between engineering jobs, so I though, why not sign on for unemployment.
I went to the local place, signed on, didn't claim any money - just wished to register as not employed.

they actually phoned me up with three job offers, a) Electronix b) a display company c) can't remember
I passed the interview at Electronix (but I didn't take the job, as I'd never heard of them, they weren't actually called Electronix , but something similar)
I didn't like the contract, I turned them down - but they were doing something cool with mobile phone antennas.

Later I found out that they were a spin-off of Leeds University engineering/electronics department, and if I had joined them and stayed for their IPO and stock-market flotation, then I'd be typing this from my yacht (might be a small yacht)

moral: go soon to your local DWP Jobcentre Plus, they could help you!
or register online https://www.gov.uk/jobsearch

I didn't think that a job centre could actually find people an interesting and what looked like now it would have been a very profitable job, but it might be worth a try. Choose somewhere with very close access to your accommodation/parents place, nothing nicer than walking to work, especially if you only do it for 6-months as a sort of post-degree 'placement', then you can start answering jobs in the tech papers, Telegraph on Thursday, wherever Ove Arup advertises (prob https://www.arup.com)
Reply 7
Original post by thestudent33
Well why didn't you do an internship?


I did try that but most of the other people I was competing with had more engineering work experience than I do.
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Reply 8
i have an engineering grad scheme which is cool
but it's conditional and i'm worried about getting a 2:1
we all got something to worry about lol
Reply 9
Finally! Someone gets me.
Original post by aaaaa77
i have an engineering grad scheme which is cool
but it's conditional and i'm worried about getting a 2:1
we all got something to worry about lol

I really do think work experience > qualifications. I know someone who barely passed engineering and still got a job as an engineer in a brewing factory. But I'm still glad I studied my course because I learnt so many things from my lecturers.

I just think that companies should give us a chance to show them what we have to offer. Not just things that come out of our mouths but through our actions as well.
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How many applications / interviews have you had?
Original post by Student-95
How many applications / interviews have you had?


Over 500 applications sent/less than 10 interviews. I can't remember exactly though.
Original post by xdopaminex
over 500 applications sent/less than 10 interviews.


That's a pretty bad ratio. Your application probably needs work.
Original post by Student-95
That's a pretty bad ratio. Your application probably needs work.


I've been to my uni's career service. I sent my CV on here. I have looked up winning exemplary CVs online. I tailored my CV to their requirements. And I still don't know what else they want. Might as well send them a fake CV.
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Original post by xdopaminex
Over 500 applications sent/less than 10 interviews. I can't remember exactly though.


To use my own example, Arup's application took me 4 hours to write from start to finish. That's just one.

Say an average of 2 hours per good application, that's 1000 hours or 200 days @ 5hr/day. If you've managed to do that while doing your 3rd/4th year assignments, studying for exams and getting a high percentile first, then that's some achievement indeed.

If you're going for competitive positions then you need to go beyond just ticking the boxes on the CV - that just gets you through the first sift. You need to show passion for the field and desire to work at that specific company (even if you blag it).
that's a standard ratio in EU, (British) friend in Paris (doing masters) sent he claims a thousand applications and got three replies,
British friend in Osaka sent ten requests and received ten interviews (I think the Japanese are just more cultured, more polite, sensible etc etc)
he's now got a job working on the Japanese side of the OBOR one belt one road project...


looks like you need to send out another five hundred letters, or do a post graduate certificate in education and use your engineering skills as a maths teacher (another mate did Biology, then masters looked for a PHd for a year, with no luck, so was seduced by a very large welcome to teaching maths grant)

either way, keep going!
Original post by Moments
To use my own example, Arup's application took me 4 hours to write from start to finish. That's just one.

Say an average of 2 hours per good application, that's 1000 hours or 200 days @ 5hr/day. If you've managed to do that while doing your 3rd/4th year assignments, studying for exams and getting a high percentile first, then that's some achievement indeed.

If you're going for competitive positions then you need to go beyond just ticking the boxes on the CV - that just gets you through the first sift. You need to show passion for the field and desire to work at that specific company (even if you blag it).

The problem here is the fact that only some graduates will find a job. There are only limited spaces available out there for engineering graduates. Moreover, there will be more engineering students who will be graduating in the future plus the added bonus of jobless engineers who were left out in the past. Then if you understand statistics then you would have realized that the chances of me getting an engineering job will be slimmer every year.
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Reply 18
Original post by xdopaminex
:frown: Companies stop asking for engineering work experience from students who can't even get an engineering work experience in the first place.:frown:

This is UNFAIR.



back in the day with any jobs in general if you were wanting to work for them free [work experience] they didn't require much, just a keen attitude.

then some years later they started demanding references to work for them for free [work experience]

and now you're telling me they're demanding work experience to go on work experience? .... ridiculous!
Original post by ANM775
back in the day with any jobs in general if you were wanting to work for them free [work experience] they didn't require much, just a keen attitude.

then some years later they started demanding references to work for them for free [work experience]

and now you're telling me they're demanding work experience to go on work experience? .... ridiculous!

Let me ask you this. Do you have any evidence to back up your claim? Do you really think it's that easy to get a job even if you are offering your service for free? They will still think of me as a liability without work experience.
(edited 4 years ago)

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