If you’re frustrated by endless days performing a job search, to be blunt: you may be doing it wrong. The engineering industry is positively booming, unlike other sectors, and while it’s not an overnight process, you should be seeking some contact with recruiters or interviewers. If you’re simply going to a job board and searching for “engineering,” your results will be about as creative as your approach. Instead, try these:
1) Revamp your resume. If you’re using the same resume you used fifteen years ago, albeit with your latest employer, you’re overdue for a new one. Resumes, like anything else, change with the times – search a few templates and consider something that highlights your skills or accomplishments and the benefits they’ve brought to your employer . Also, skim it with fresh eyes. A potential employer will spend about thirty seconds looking at it (on a good day) before making a decision. Consider using a professional company to write your resume, or at least have a few friends and/or mentors look at it.
2) Consider other forms of engineering. Even with the improving economic climate it may be difficult to you will find your best results will come from seeking opportunities that most directly utilize your education and experience. However, a civil engineer and industrial engineer will have different experiences, to be sure – but also consider that those experiences in a different capacity may provide you with a competitive edge and a fresh approach. If you’re adamant about a specific project or niche, it will decrease your chances of finding what you’re looking for. Reciprocally, there are a plethora of industries that need experienced engineers which are coping with shortages – and would rather have experience in a different field over inexperienced in the same field. If you decide to pursue a new path keep in mind this could lengthen your search and decrease your value in the marketplace.
3) Use LinkedIn. Many people use Twitter or Facebook – that’s their prerogative. Twitter and Facebook, however, are not geared towards a professional online presence. LinkedIn, on the other hand, is specifically geared towards job hunting and recruiting, with none of the stigmas of social media. Make sure your profile is catchy and unique, your picture professional, and add as many connections as you can. The more you can add (and actually know) the higher your chances of success. Most recruiters and employers will find your LinkedIn profile prior to extending an invitation for an interview.
Finally, as you continue your job search, consider a staffing agency. We know the tips and tricks, and we have the connections. At Dunhill Staffing, we have placed thousands of professionals in engineering jobs in South Carolina and across the nation. We work with a number of companies, from temporary to contract, sales to engineering. Contact us today to find out how we can best serve you!
