| General > General Technical Chat |
| US Student Seeking Education Advice |
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| dannyf:
--- Quote ---In such a situation how big of a factor is a person's degree? --- End quote --- Practically none. What matters if which program you come from? how's your program, not even your school, viewed? What interesting things you have done, and your personality / chemistry. Obviously, your technical capabilities, particularly math, are presumed there. |
| tggzzz:
--- Quote from: Spilly on September 20, 2014, 08:38:57 pm --- --- Quote from: tggzzz on September 20, 2014, 03:29:40 pm ---Whan I've been an interviewer, I've always looked for someone that asks interesting questions, goes out and does more than necessary simply because they enjoy it, has understood the practice and theory of whatever they have done, worked out what they would do better next time. Note that the specific technology isn't mentioned in there, because all specific technologies have a finite lifetime that is shorter than your career. --- End quote --- In such a situation how big of a factor is a person's degree? For example a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering vs Electrical Engineering Technology? --- End quote --- I don't understand that distinction - it is unknown on this side of the pond. The best advice I can give is to do something that (a) interests you (b) is practical/possible for you (c) within a reasonable timeframe. Many employers moan about new graduates not understanding the real world. That's a stupid, myopic, ignorant attitude, but the sooner you can lay it to rest - by getting a (relevant) real job - the better. It is a balancing act and ultimately a judgment call. My experience is that once you are talking to the engineers, they will judge you on how your experience and ability meets what they need. If the engineers are competent they will find ways to allow you to (a) show what you've achieved in the past (b) quiz you on your expertise relevant to the job. Having the ability to talk about (a) helps the interview along no end! However, the problem can be getting to that stage, and that is where a competent recruitment agent might be helpful. The key problem is that technically ignorant HR-droids get a large stack of applications, and their first job is to decide which 90% to ignore. Degree/school/age can all become "discard" filters. My daughter has just graduated in a non-technical subject. In her case it has been critical to do jobs (some paid some volunteer) in a area which is relevant. Through that she built up sufficient contacts and experience, and has ended up working in the same university department on a one-year contract. That's a good example of why "doing more than necessary" for your degree can be so helpful. But I suspect you already understand that. BTW, "doing more than is necessary" is deliberately vague - all that matters is that you show an interest beyond gaining bits of paper, and that you have the gumption/ability/perseverance to complete something above and beyond the call of duty. |
| EEVblog:
--- Quote from: tggzzz on September 20, 2014, 03:29:40 pm ---If your location is fixed, it might be helpful to find out what local employers value. --- End quote --- If they are anything like Australian employers, then they value one thing above all else - can you do the job? If you can do the job, and they like you, then you are hired. It rarely matters what qualifications you have, or where you got the experience. In fact on a professional resume you put your experience and skills first and your qualifications become just a small footnote at the end. But even here there are some regulated industries where you most often can't get the job without the appropriate level of qualifications. E.g. government department, medical device industry etc. Sometimes you don't need a certain qualification, but you do need membership of the relevant professional body (IEA here). It's just that the qualification gives you instant membership. And it is sometimes possible to get that membership if you don't have the appropriate level of qualification by means of a lengthy vetting process. It's common to see in such job ads in Australia - "Must be eligible for membership of the IEA", and nothing else. Of course it's very wise to get your 4 years bachelors if at all possible. |
| EEVblog:
--- Quote from: Spilly on September 20, 2014, 08:38:57 pm ---In such a situation how big of a factor is a person's degree? For example a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering vs Electrical Engineering Technology? --- End quote --- It usually only matters when you are going for your first job, because usually that's all that sets those with no experience apart. As an employer, when looking at graduates or entry level positions I will always pick the person I think has the best attitude and potential. Only if I liked two people equally and couldn't decide would I let the better qualification be the deciding factor. If you have that honors degree from MIT and seemingly little personal interest in the field, and someone with a 2 year or 3 year technical Diploma comes waltzing in and shows me all the projects they have worked on in their spare time and is really enthusiastic - too bad for the MIT kid, go work for IBM in upper management. And if I'm hiring an experienced person, well, experience and likeability is all that matters. |
| nctnico:
Unfortunately sometimes it is hard to tell whether someone is interested in electronics or not. At one point my boss promised an internship to one of his relatives. The young man in question didn't make much effort to sell himself (rather the opposite) but I soon discovered he had a real talent for electronics. |
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