Engineering MBA + Engineering: Job Prospects & Benefits

[EngWiPy]

I guess the problem is that I'm still not determined what to focus on. I mean I'm reading about different programming languages such as C++ and C#, and hardware programming languages such as Verilog HDL. I'm applying to all related positions, and the first one I get I will focus on. Does that sound right?

Also, I think the CEO mentioned above wasn't convinced that I want to switch to the industry, and I'm really interested in his company. He asked me why I didn't go to the industry immediately after I finished my PhD, and why I chose to continue my postdoctoral fellowship!

 

[russ_watters]

I've been applying for about a month now for several jobs in my city and neighboring cities, and two applications got declined immediately, and one I did an interview with a small company's CEO and he declined me, too. Things don't seem that optimistic as I thought it would be.

How many is "several"? You listed three outcomes, so if "several" means three:
1. One interview out of three applications is an exceptionally good result.
2. Three applications in one month is an exceptionally poor effort.

 

[EngWiPy]

How many is "several"? You listed three outcomes, so if "several" means three:
1. One interview out of three applications is an exceptionally good result.
2. Three applications in one month is an exceptionally poor effort.

I applied for more than 20 positions, but I got responses from the above mentioned three only, at least so far.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Also, I think the CEO mentioned above wasn't convinced that I want to switch to the industry, and I'm really interested in his company. He asked me why I didn't go to the industry immediately after I finished my PhD, and why I chose to continue my postdoctoral fellowship!

That's a question that you will be confronted with most likely in every interview you will face. Of course your actual answer is that "There are no other positions if I want to break into academia", but that's not how you want to answer this question.

The key is to answer the question in a way that you express genuine interest in the company you're being interviewed for. If I was confronted with this question, I would reply something along these lines:

"When I initially finished my PhD and continued with my postdoctoral fellowship, I had the intention of expanding my horizons within the field of ... However, over the past while, I've become increasingly interested in working on the frontlines of technology and I see exciting things related to that within industry, and especially within your firm."

If you answer that question as above, you are turning a potential negative (i.e. continuing in your postdoc) and "spinning" it into a positive (i.e. expanding your horizon, expanding your desire to learn and explore), and demonstrating both an ability to communicate and an interest in the company at hand.

 

[russ_watters]

I applied for more than 20 positions, but I got responses from the above mentioned three only, at least so far.

OK, good. 1 interview in 20 applications is part for the course. You are on the right track. Work on adjusting based on the feedback you got.

 

[EngWiPy]

Thanks all for you replies. I just wanted to mention that the company that is run by the CEO I saw is a very small company with only 7 people working on it. I thought I had my best chance there as a start up company that needs to expand, but I was wrong. I'm not sure how 100+ employee companies would even consider my resumé! I might be negative, but I'm discouraged from all these requirements. I'm not even master in the two programming languages I know.

 

[StatGuy2000]

Thanks all for you replies. I just wanted to mention that the company that is run by the CEO I saw is a very small company with only 7 people working on it. I thought I had my best chance there as a start up company that needs to expand, but I was wrong. I'm not sure how 100+ employee companies would even consider my resumé! I might be negative, but I'm discouraged from all these requirements. I'm not even master in the two programming languages I know.

First of all, you only applied to ~20 positions, out of which you had 3 interviews (which is not a bad response rate -- that means that out of the total # of positions applied, about 15% of which resulted in interviews). So you haven't really applied to that many positions. As I have stated earlier, you really should be applying as someone relatively new to industry to something like > 100 positions to really feel confident that you can land a position.

So you need to keep at it, and don't be discouraged. Also take every interview you have had so far as a learning experience on how to conduct yourself in future interviews.

Best of luck!

 

[EngWiPy]

I've noticed that interviewers keep asking if I have questions from the first interview. Sometimes I ask about the company, but I feel they want me to bring up the benefits details and working hours, which don't feel right to ask in the first interview. Am I right?

 

[StatGuy2000]

I've noticed that interviewers keep asking if I have questions from the first interview. Sometimes I ask about the company, but I feel they want me to bring up the benefits details and working hours, which don't feel right to ask in the first interview. Am I right?

It depends on who is conducting the first interview. If someone responsible for payroll or HR is available, then I think it's fine to bring up benefits details or compensation. But if it's only the primary hiring manager involved, I would agree with you that in general, I would not immediately bring up questions about benefits or working hours.

Normally, the interviewers want to see if you have questions as a means of both answering any specific questions you do have about the company and the role, as well as determine your level of interest in the position and the company. After all, if you ask questions during the interview, the interviewer will certainly think to himself/herself, "Hey, this person seems really engaged and interested in us and what we do" and thus leave a positive impression about you.

So I think it is important that you have a few questions available to you. IMHO, the best questions to ask in the beginning are those directly tied to the company and the job position (e.g. type of work, organizational structure, what tools/resources are available for work, etc.) I would also spend type doing research on the company in advance so that you have specific questions in mind when you arrive at the interview. Any questions about benefits or compensation should be asked at the very end of the first interview, or better yet, wait until the second interview.

 

[EngWiPy]

I usually ask general questions about the company.; what they are doing and they focus on, like this. Once an HR person asked me if I have questions, and I said not really, because I knew exactly what role I have to play, and some background on the company. But I think you are right, I need to show that I'm interested by asking questions, or revealing what I know.

The last interview I had, the interviewer asked me what I know about the company directly, so I answered him (of course I do my research on each company I'm interviewed by). But the one before, the person from HR (the one I mentioned above) asked me only if I have questions for her, and I said no. In retrospect, I think that wasn't the correct answer. I hope they will follow up with me, because I'm interested in what they do. By the way, she said I was one of the first candidates she interviewed by phone, so, I'm not sure if that's a good sign (as if they want to let me know that they are interested, especially she mentioned if I have interviews with other companies) or a bad one (as if they want to eliminate me from the beginning).

 

[EngWiPy]

Another question that I encounter is: why our company? This question confuses me. I'm interested in the position more than the company to be honest, but that obviously not the answer they're looking for. If the company offers benefits, I wouldn't know at that stage. So, I'm not sure what to answer them, and I pause a lot in answering this question

 

[Nidum]

why our company?

Your first response is to the direct question : ' because you seem to do the kind of work that I would be interested in and because I feel that some of the technical subjects that I have studied would have a direct application '

In the discussion which will follow you find an opportunity to say something like ' I see from your published product information that you are using xyz systems . Have you ever considered using abc systems instead ? I've studied some of the (eg) control theory which would be involved and I'd like to work on developing a practical system ...

 

[EngWiPy]

Does anybody else think that the process of applying to jobs is a tedious process? I mean some require just the CV on LinkedIn, but most of them require you to apply on their websites, and they need you to fill much information, like experience, education, address, ... etc. I cannot do this all day

 

[Vanadium 50]

the process of applying to jobs is a tedious process?

So is "work".

 

[EngWiPy]

What I meant in applying for jobs is that you fill the same information over and over again, and probably you won't get any feedback (I've applied probably for 150 positions by now, and got only three responses). At work at least you are getting paid if your job is that repetitive and boring