# Almost Grad in need of advice



## pchiu325 (Feb 22, 2012)

Hey guys, this is my first post to this forum. I am an Environmental Engineering major at UC San Diego with a GPA of 3.0. I'm graduating in the Spring and would like some advice on what jobs I should apply for. The thing with my major is that it falls under the Mechanical Engineering department because our school doesn't have a CE degree. So my major is a hodge-podge of mechanical, chemical, and environmental classes.

I've taken classes in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, flow in porous media, matlab, thermo etc as well as design courses in mechanical engineering. I feel like i'm in between a civil and a mechanical degree and it's been tough finding opportunities. I interned at a civil engineering design firm last summer but that's it as far as my job experience goes. What jobs/companies should I look into? I also plan to get my EIT this fall. Thanks for any input.


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## CbusPaul (Feb 22, 2012)

What is it that you want to do? Jobs at environmental consultants are a good place to jump in and get your feet wet, and they always seem to be hiring. However, the pay isn't usually great. Figure out what you want to do, then try to get in there. The classes you took really don't mean very much as you will learn what you need to learn when you get into the position. Find a field that interests you that your degree fits into and pursue it.


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## guitarjamman (Feb 22, 2012)

CbusPaul hit the nail on the head...do what you want to do. It is tough to find a firm to work at where you will do your dream job everyday, you will do things that interest you mixed with tasks that are for the birds (to begin with). The key is to start directing your career now towards where you want to end up.

Your classes do not mean much in the working world. I came out of school with all these classes and theories under my belt, ready to show the profession how much I knew and could contribute. Didn't happen.....The theories are not real world applicable, the job related knowledge you gain is more valuable than any class you ever took. You have to do the grunt work for a few years and then you can get some wings on your resume and let your work history guide you into your dream job.

Good luck out there.


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