I don't know where you're getting this info from, but it's just not true (I worked in various areas of telcom R&D in the US for 20+ yrs). Some jobs do require security clearance (e.g., for military and government clients), but most? No.Most jobs in the US related to communications require security clearance, so citizenship. At least that's nearly all of the jobs related to communications/signal processing in the US when searched*.
That's not a fair question. A PhD program is not necessarily a means to land a job. You could similarly ask why are there PhD programs in string theory (anywhere).I have to ask- why is the Canadian government these highly specialized PhD programs in dead-end fields? Surely there could be a better way to use smart, dedicated students and 4+ years of funding.
I don't know where you're getting this info from, but it's just not true (I worked in various areas of telcom R&D in the US for 20+ yrs). Some jobs do require security clearance (e.g., for military and government clients), but most? No.
Do you have people close to you, that you trust, who you can ask this question to? Classmates, professors/advisors?This is what I want to know. There is something very wrong, but I don't know what it is!
That's four negatives/hedges in one short sentence. It makes it sound like rationalization. Are you being honest with yourself about whether you are a fit for the jobs you are applying for?I don't think I am not that unqualified to do anything.
How do you know? How can you be so sure? Let the new employer find just one slip-up you do in your new job, and POW! More than just one reason to fire the new person.FYI you can always not put down your more advanced degree and if someone ask say you worked for the university as an assistant during that time period. Once you're hired it's unlikely they will fire you if they find out.
Do you have people close to you, that you trust, who you can ask this question to? Classmates, professors/advisors?
There is something just...off...about what we are seeing from you here. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, but it is quite possible this issue is coming through in your interactions with others and approach to your job search.
In the US anyway, the unemployment rate is about as low as it ever gets (not sure about Canada). I would think you should be able to walk down a city street holding a sign that says "PhD Electrical Engineer" and have people fighting each other to offer you a job. Seriously, if you are qualified for the jobs you are applying for (you may not be) your job search should take days to weeks, not months to years.
That's four negatives/hedges in one short sentence. It makes it sound like rationalization. Are you being honest with yourself about whether you are a fit for the jobs you are applying for?
Do you have a portfolio?
Do you have people close to you, that you trust, who you can ask this question to? Classmates, professors/advisors?
There is something just...off...about what we are seeing from you here. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, but it is quite possible this issue is coming through in your interactions with others and approach to your job search.
In the US anyway, the unemployment rate is about as low as it ever gets (not sure about Canada). I would think you should be able to walk down a city street holding a sign that says "PhD Electrical Engineer" and have people fighting each other to offer you a job. Seriously, if you are qualified for the jobs you are applying for (you may not be) your job search should take days to weeks, not months to years.
That's four negatives/hedges in one short sentence. It makes it sound like rationalization. Are you being honest with yourself about whether you are a fit for the jobs you are applying for?
Do you have a portfolio?
.
I once met with the CEO of a small startup company, and he told me that PhDs go "like that", but "like that" has been so long for me (this happened two years ago). What I do is I apply for jobs online mostly: I use LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Indeed ... etc. This is my approach. I am trying to connect with my professors' previous PhD students who work in the industry, and see what they will say.
Yes, I apply for jobs where I think I fit. I read the description, and if I am familiar with most of the requirements, I apply. Otherwise, I don't. For example, some data science positions focus on Big Data tools. I don't know much about that, so I don't apply. Or if they require 7-10 years of experience. I don't apply. But if it is about finding insights from data or make predictions, and requires using SQL, Python and/or R, and Tableau with no mention to ( or stress on) experience, I would apply, because I am familiar with these.
I have a LinkedIn profile, and my personal projects are on GitHub. I share all of them in my resume. This is my portfolio.
Is my approach not effective?
My best guess is that there's a weird mix of under/overqualified going on here. People see a PhD in Electrical Engineering, and assume you're going to be a highly trained specialist. Unfortunately it sounds like yours was in a really niche field, so you've started applying to a lot of jobs outside of that specialty. That's not unreasonable, but it also means you're competing in areas that aren't your strongest suit. Python + SQL is a good start, but there's a lot of undergrads learning that stuff too, so companies might not know what to do with this weird PhD resume.
I want to point out that I am not a Canadian Citizen, but an immigrant, and maybe this explains (at least part) of what is going on. I have a different background culturally and linguistically. This article from 2016 sheds some light on this issue for people who immigrate to Canada and have experience and degrees from outside Canada. The only difference for me is that I have a Canadian degree (with no experience from Canada or elsewhere), but still have the same problem. I think recruiters/employers have some preconceived perception about immigrants that prevent them from seriously considering them, like they won't fit culturally, they won't be able to communicate with others, ... etc. I am maybe wrong, but at least this makes sense over all other possible explanations for not even be called, not be interviewed and rejected.
I don't know any perfect solution, sorry. All I can think of is things that are worth trying:So, what can I do? I am looking for solutions. I know I am not the best in SQL and Python, but I know statistics/mathematics better than most CS graduates. So, maybe this equalizes that, I thought, for data science positions.
I don't know any perfect solution, sorry. All I can think of is things that are worth trying:
-Show one of your resumes/cover letters to someone who works in EE or CS. Might be worth hiring a professional resume service too. As an immigrant, maybe you're not hitting the right notes. For example, in American business culture, it's expected that you kind of brag about yourself in a job application and make yourself look as good as possible, and I've seen international candidates come across too humble.
-Look for jobs in EE, but outside of wireless. You mentioned cloud computing and image processing, which sound like they might be hotter fields.
-Get any kind of job in the short term, just to take some of the pressure off. It's hard to come across well in an interview if you're too desperate.
-There are other sites that might be better for getting advice in data science type jobs.
-For EE wireless, try applying to the US. There's usually a question on the job application asking if you'll need visa sponsorship, so they won't waste your time if they can't do that.
-Mostly just don't give up, and keep trying. It's a stupid process with a lot of randomness, so you never really know what will lead to a job.
Software developer. Going on 7 years of job experience. I can't say that I'm any kind of all-knowing career advice guru but... who is?@pi-r8 , as an aside, if you don't mind my asking, what do you do for a living? In your earlier posts you state that you have a physics degree, but make no mention of your work experience.
Besides some of these results have been there for weeks or even months, which means they most likely have been filled.
After being on both ends of job search (hiring and trying to be hired) for many years now in Silicon Valley, I might have something useful to say. I also switched fields in my past, from electromagnetic physics to electrical to mechanical engineering and finally to software program management.... I had my resume critiqued by a senior data scientist. He said he thinks I know data science from my field, but I don't know how. I edited my resume accordingly, but still not getting responses (to be completely honest, I got one phone interview after I edited it, but not sure if it was a coincidence, or because I edited it, because I applied to tens of positions after editing it, and the responses were negative if there was a response at all).
..I can't tell you how many times I've seen academics try to write a resume, and fail. They go on for pages, listing every publication, and none of it is relevant to the questions that I, as an employer, am asking while I read it: "What's in this for me? What pain points will this candidate resolve?"...
List the skills you have and the things you know how to do. You can include within your listing of employment, achievements or things you accomplished; as brief, precise descriptions.Can I ask you how they need to answer these questions in their resumes? Can you give an example of this, because I am not sure how applicants should know what problems are facing employers? All they know is the job description, and a background about the company.
List the skills you have and the things you know how to do. You can include within your listing of employment, achievements or things you accomplished; as brief, precise descriptions.
I do list my skills in different areas (programming, software, ... etc), but for the accomplishments, for me they are irrelevant, because I have accomplishments in a field, and I am trying to break into another field. So, I list my employment history only (years, company, location) without any further details.
An interesting observation is that, if the job poster is a manager or a CEO, or any other technical person, and this normally happens with small startups, I get a response to schedule a phone interview, more than if the job poster is an HR person. I haven't done on-site technical interviews yet, but I did some semi-technical phone interviews.
Interesting. The HR probably is afraid to forward a not-so-good applicant to the manager, because they want to look good themselves. So, I understand why they play it safe with the word matching technique. But that is why, I think, someone technical should be involved in the filtering process, and who can make a decision on the potentials rather than the exact requirements and experiences.
That's an interesting problem. Those two should not be taken as if to be in conflict.... which in my experience won't work either because I am overqualified (and don't have experience), and ...
EngWiPy comments:
That's an interesting problem. Those two should not be taken as if to be in conflict.
What do you mean?
If you are overqualified, then you have the education and experience for the job in question. If you don't have the experience then you are underqualified for the job in question. One cannot be both underqualified and overqualified for the job at the same time. Try to look at the logic there. At times, some employers might give comments or messages to you - saying you are overqualified because of having a degree or having advanced degree in desired subject; but they may be both more interested in experience in the field and are afraid your level of education would allow you to change to different company too fast ...which in my experience won't work either because I am overqualified (and don't have experience),
I know this is an old thread. This question was directed to me and I missed seeing it. In my experience as a hiring manager, if you're trying for a job in which your skills may not be a match, I would want to know how you approach and solve problems, but even more, I would want to know if you can even identify problems that you solved.Can I ask you how they need to answer these questions in their resumes? Can you give an example of this, because I am not sure how applicants should know what problems are facing employers? All they know is the job description, and a background about the company.