sjohan1
04-19-2010, 09:58 PM
Looking for career advice and maybe some suggestions on where to take the job hunt.
A little about me- I will be graduating in three weeks with a BSME from Minnesota State University. Aside from that, I have a graduating class of 30 and of those 30, two have jobs lined up - which means it is crunch time.
I don't want to waste any more time and money going to school. I did a two year internship at a company that manufactures generators and got laid off when things got rough. I also did ROTC and am in the Army Reserve- with the intent that those would also be good things to add to my resume and advance my career.
Apart from the usual applied thermo, heat transfer and labs I am taking a HVAC course where we learn all about manual J, CLTD, IAQ etc. and have taken an interest in these areas as well as LEED, because that seems to be the overall direction of the industry.
I applied for the LEED GA test, thinking it may give me a leg up on the competition and will hopefully take it within a few weeks after graduation but that's besides the point. I need to find an effective route to start a career.
I have had my resume reviewed and learned how to write a cover letter and all of the usual things that a person should do. Of the 20 or so jobs I have applied for recently, I have heard back from exactly two of them with a respectful no, stating they wanted someone with more experience.
So, for all of the Engineers out there, what would you recommend to someone just starting out, what avenues of approach have been the most successful? what companies or areas of HVAC&R do you think have the potential to grow and succeed and what areas or companies should I stay away from? I think I have found my niche in this area and would like to start being a productive member of society.
I appreciate any insight.
A little about me- I will be graduating in three weeks with a BSME from Minnesota State University. Aside from that, I have a graduating class of 30 and of those 30, two have jobs lined up - which means it is crunch time.
I don't want to waste any more time and money going to school. I did a two year internship at a company that manufactures generators and got laid off when things got rough. I also did ROTC and am in the Army Reserve- with the intent that those would also be good things to add to my resume and advance my career.
Apart from the usual applied thermo, heat transfer and labs I am taking a HVAC course where we learn all about manual J, CLTD, IAQ etc. and have taken an interest in these areas as well as LEED, because that seems to be the overall direction of the industry.
I applied for the LEED GA test, thinking it may give me a leg up on the competition and will hopefully take it within a few weeks after graduation but that's besides the point. I need to find an effective route to start a career.
I have had my resume reviewed and learned how to write a cover letter and all of the usual things that a person should do. Of the 20 or so jobs I have applied for recently, I have heard back from exactly two of them with a respectful no, stating they wanted someone with more experience.
So, for all of the Engineers out there, what would you recommend to someone just starting out, what avenues of approach have been the most successful? what companies or areas of HVAC&R do you think have the potential to grow and succeed and what areas or companies should I stay away from? I think I have found my niche in this area and would like to start being a productive member of society.
I appreciate any insight.