Angry, need to vent

[sarasbluegroove]

Hi,

I went looking for this forum so that i could talk to similar people and get some feed back. My boyfriend and i (both chemical engineers) graduated in May. I would say we have pretty good resumes, i have research and 1 internship experience, and he had 2 internships plus all 4 years in school he did research plus he tutored for 3 years in the academic enhancement center and ran study sessions for exams. I was able to get a job as a process engineer at a small company within 2 months of graduating, but he is still looking! We've edited his resumes and cover letters numerous times, he's taken advantage of every job help resource our school offers, plus outside resources (AIChE). Did i mention we both have international experience? We both went abroad for a year in Germany as part of our school. I have a bachelors in German also, but he opted out, but i have a feeling not having a German degree is NOT was is keeping him from getting a job as a chemical engineer!

What topped it all off for me was that a guy i know from school who was a mechanical engineer just got a job as a mechanical engineer. (mind you, my boyfriend has only been interviewed for jobs not engineering related, i.e. associate, technician, etc.). This mechanical engineer is a sorry excuse for an engineer, he has a 2.5 gpa (my bf has 3.1) and it took him 7 YEARS to finish his engineering degree! My boyfriend is not only 10 times better than this guy socially, but also grade wise and human interaction wise! This makes me so angry that companies will overlook a good engineer because we are the wrong kind, or you don't have an IN somewhere. Any feedback as to why this is happening? I am so disappointed in the hiring skill of some companies, i even think my boyfriend would have been a better candidate than i am for the job i was hired for...

Sorry, i am just very upset right now.

 

[snickerd3]

I know exactly what you are talking about and it happens all the time it is just the way the world works. It pained us all when the guy who by all rules should have been kicked out of the Chem E program because he was failing his classes got the job with the company we were all applying and interviewing for because his Dad was friends with management at the company. he didn't keep quiet about that part either they only did the interviews for appearances.

Patience. Something will turn up eventually it may not be the best situation but it a starting point.

 

[roadwreck]

My advice, dump your boyfriend and date the guy with a job.

 

[knight1fox3]

My advice, dump your boyfriend and date the guy with a job.

LOL

No but seriously, have you tried going through any local head hunter agencies and linking up with them in LinkedIn? I had trouble finding an engineering position right out of school and just took an inside sales position. But I put my name in to about 5 or 6 head hunters and they basically put the word out with my resume to lots of employers. After a couple weeks being "on the market", phone calls and emails began to roll in with resume and interview requests. Everyone's situation is different though, it can take longer. Be patient but remain determined. Good luck.

 

[envirotex]

You didn't mention whether or not you are willing to move...I would think that there is a pretty strong market for ChemE's in Houston and Louisiana...

 

[Road Guy]

Every business is contacts and work experience, our field is not that different from other jobs in that aspect. Keep on bugging people for internships and the like so your experience level doesnt get stale.. I dont have any clue about the Chem E. world at all though... the linked in and headhunter thing is a good idea.. have him keep having stuff to put on the resume thats relevant..Good Luck!

There is a headhunter here that I allow to post for free so maybe you can hit him up (initech or something?).....

 

[Master slacker]

Market in Louisiana... let's just say head hunters are calling me weekly...

I'm an ME, not a ChemE. However, a chemical plant is a chemical plant is a chemical plant. We all do the same stuff.

 

[sarasbluegroove]

We want to move so badly!!! I would love to move to Louisiana, north carolina, texas, WE WANT OUT. However, no one ever responds to any kinds of applications that we send in for jobs out of state (besides MA and CT). We've gotten the most luck locally. He's ready to move to Cali or VA and live with one of his brothers just so he can say his address is there. How else can you apply to jobs that aren't nearby besides sending in your app and resume? Most of the time they don't give a number to call.

He's already been through the head hunters, that's how i found my job. They call him and say we totally have jobs for you, then they don't call back. So he calls them, and they say the same thing again, then he bugs them after a day or so, and they never get back to him, or say they don't have anything. he's gone 2 hours out of his way to "interview" with the head hunters, only to have them not be ready for him and shoo him out after 15 mins because they have a meeting. He gets calls from headhunters frequently, but nothing ever comes of it, they just waste his time. They did the same thing with me for a while, i don't even know how my current job went through because i was getting contacted and then never hearing from them again A LOT.

 

[snickerd3]

the out of state companies may be leary of out of staters because they don't want to pay relocation expenses. It might be tacky or not professional but maybe adding a line about willing to relocate to the resumes or cover letters might help.

 

[mizzoueng]

+1 for the Houston market, there are tons of jobs there. I've heard Alaska too.

Has he looked into the consulting world? There is always a need there, but you usually have to have experience. I say usually, there seems to be a hiring trend, so he could get in on the ground floor.

 

[maryannette]

Good luck with it, sara. It's a really tough market now. Be patient and don't lose hope. Meanwhile, have you taken EIT? That would be another credential for your resumes.

 

[Fed EE]

Don't put much stock in a GPA. I've hired lots of entry level engineers over the last 15 yrs and I can honestly say, GPA was not a factor as long as they had their degree. For me as a hiring manager, I always looked for actual work experience over GPA.

But yeah, go to Houston or south Louisiana for chem eng jobs.

 

[cdcengineer]

That's brutal. But not unexpected in a bad economy.

 

[ElCid03]

DuPont has a large chemical plant in Richmond, VA with an aging engineering staff; I would be shocked if he couldn't get hired there; especially if he doesn't need relocation paid.

 

[sarasbluegroove]

Could he be doing something wrong? Why is he more qualified than me and struggling so much? why are morons getting hired over him? I'm not glorifying him, i worked with him a lot, i know how smart he is, and i also know he has people skills that a lot of people lacked in our class that now have jobs. Why did people from the class before us who have equal qualifications get jobs faster than him?

 

[ElCid03]

As long as he wasn't a gun runner to Central America in a previous life then this problem should work itself out. Don't forget utility companies either, they always need engineers.