| General > General Technical Chat |
| am i too "past it" to be an engineer? |
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| vixo:
I have a situation which has been on my mind for a while. Posted here as it's more a chat than jobs, but maybe one of the moderators will move it... anyway, i'm 34 now and although I studied EE and even have a PhD (they give them to anyone these days :)) I haven't held an industry job, ever. After finishing my doctorate I worked in a postdoc position briefly, then a (big) recording studio in a technical role, but owing to some unfortunate health circumstances I ended up leaving and pursuing a small business making kit electronics, as it allowed me the time I needed to manage my health. I'm better now and looking for a more serious job which challenges me that I can progress in - a career! There is one few complicating factor - I've built a life in the city I live in (Berlin) and I'm reluctant to leave. Fortunately there seem to be some pretty good jobs offer here, but I haven't had much luck with applications. My problem seems to be lack of experience in an industry role - I have gotten a fair few interview for positions asking for 2-3 years experience, only to be told I don't really have enough concrete experience for the role, however I have *never* got an interview for an entry level position, so I am led to believe that i am considered over qualified/too old for these. Most of the positions I'm applying for are related to products, but I have no experience with the emissions testing etc, or mixed signal board design. I'm pretty good with analogue electronics, with programming microprocessors, testing, debugging, mostly practical stuff. I don't have the experience of doing these things within a professional context. My PhD was related to NMR and sensors. My postdoc position was programming Monte Carlo models. I am interested to hear your takes on what my prospects are in this industry. I enjoy electronics a great deal, but is it unrealistic to expect employment at this point? What can I do to make myself more appealing to prospective employers? Are there areas of work to which I would be suited? Or do I turn my back and start something new? help/advice/tips much appreciated |
| Mr. Scram:
It sounds like you may be misrepresenting yourself. You do have experience but but you seem to mainly focus on what you don't have. Guess what, a lot of people don't have all kinds of things! They either omit those or fake it until they make it. I can only assume people are picking up on how you view yourself. You do have engineering experience in the electronics industry. You designed and sold kits. Instead of selling yourself as a recovered small time kit builder, sell yourself as an engineer with a strong grasp of both the theoretical and practical side of engineering. You have years of experience with dealing with acquisition and marketing. You don't have to lie but you can polish what you have to a shine. If you don't value your skillset others certainly won't. |
| rsjsouza:
100% above, with the added gift of entrepreneurship. You saw a life changing condition, analyzed your options and put together a small business within the limits of time, energy and knowledge resources you could muster. Not many people do that. |
| james_s:
At least for me, I've found the amount of enjoyment I get out of a job has a whole lot more to do with the company culture and the people I work with than the specific sort of work I'm doing. Anything gets boring after you do it for a while, but it's a lot more tolerable to do boring work in a pleasant environment with people you enjoy being around. List some personal projects or accomplishments and try to pick out a few good ones to outline. When I interviewed at the place where I currently work they were highly impressed that I had developed and shipped several commercial products on the side, taught myself VHDL and released a handful of open source projects written in that. Even though those particular skills have nothing to do with what my current employer does, it showed that I am self motivated, have an attention to detail, capable of learning new skills and following a project through to completion. Don't decide for yourself that you're unqualified for a job that sounds interesting before you even apply, let the people interviewing you make that decision. |
| m98:
Networking can go a long way, especially when you have an "unconventional" career path. You need to get past the usual HR :bullshit: to the people who can really appreciate your skills. Just ring up a few former colleagues from your university, maybe even the guy from undergrad you helped pass that calculus exam (or similar). Odds are, they'll remember you favourably and will be in a position to get you a relevant job. |
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