When would it be appropriate to stop trying to find an entry level engineering job?

  • Context: Job Skills 
  • Thread starter Thread starter nnjoo
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Career Job search
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges faced by individuals with engineering degrees in securing entry-level positions or internships. Participants explore the implications of perceived "expiry dates" on degrees, the value of continuous skill development, and the potential job opportunities available to those who feel their education has become "useless."

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the notion that an engineering degree becomes useless after a certain period, arguing that skills may stagnate but the degree retains value.
  • Others suggest that continuous skill development is crucial, recommending activities such as volunteering, participating in projects, or networking to maintain and enhance skills.
  • One participant expresses concern that the original poster (OP) may have limited their job search to a narrow range of acceptable positions, which could hinder their opportunities.
  • There is a suggestion that the OP may benefit from counseling or therapy, indicating that their mindset could be impacting their job search.
  • Participants note the importance of clarifying the OP's situation and experiences in their job search to provide more tailored advice.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the validity of the "expiry date" concept for engineering degrees. While some argue that degrees retain their value, others acknowledge that skills may atrophy without practical application. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach for the OP's job search.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying opinions on the impact of time on the relevance of an engineering degree, with some emphasizing the need for ongoing skill development. The discussion also highlights the OP's potential misconceptions about their qualifications and job prospects.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals with engineering degrees facing challenges in securing entry-level positions, as well as those interested in understanding the dynamics of job searching in the engineering field.

nnjoo
Messages
6
Reaction score
0
If you had no luck securing internships, or entry level work in engineering with an engineering degree when would it be reasonable to stop looking for an engineering job. I know degrees have expiry dates and after a certain period of time your education becomes useless. And if so what jobs are you able to get with a useless engineering degree if one has zero skills and zero aptitude in anything.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What engineering degree do you have and what job locations are of interest to you?
What kind of job are you interested in?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Lnewqban
nnjoo said:
And if so what jobs are you able to get with a useless engineering degree if one has zero skills and zero aptitude in anything.
You never stop looking for an opportunity.
No engineering degree is useless.
With the proper attitude, you constantly develop your skills and aptitude, regardless the job your luck has put in front of you.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters
Hello @nnjoo :
The way you have phrased your OP, it is unclear if you are talking about yourself or some you are trying to help.
Until you state otherwise, I will presume that we are discussing your own situation and I will address you that way.
nnjoo said:
I know degrees have expiry dates and after a certain period of time your education becomes useless.
Since you are new to this engineering field (whatever it is), I suggest you stop worrying about "expiry dates" until more senior engineers pick up more information on your situation and tell you to worry about it - and I'm not predicting that will happen.
With regard to your "education becoming useless", in the engineering fields I am familiar with, that doesn't happen - new stuff just piles on. For example, having spoken to EE professors on these forums, the college curriculum is designed for adaptation to the workforce - where you will likely specialize. Certainly as a Software Engineer, it is rare for me to complete a workday without learning something new.
nnjoo said:
And if so what jobs are you able to get with a useless engineering degree if one has zero skills and zero aptitude in anything.
This is probably the biggest tipoff that you are talking about yourself. Who else would describe you that way? You need to convince me that your engineering degree is useless. There's such a thing as a "Chocolate Engineer", but if you were willing to relocate, I'll bet you could still land a job. As far as "zero skills and zero aptitude", I hoping you aren't putting that at the top of you resume. Convince me you have zero skills and zero aptitude.

In later posts, I will be asking about what you have done for your job search. But first we need to figure out what you should be searching for.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters, Tom.G and Lnewqban
nnjoo said:
If you had no luck securing internships, or entry level work in engineering with an engineering degree when would it be reasonable to stop looking for an engineering job. I know degrees have expiry dates and after a certain period of time your education becomes useless. And if so what jobs are you able to get with a useless engineering degree if one has zero skills and zero aptitude in anything.
I disagree with the general assertion that after a certain period of time an education in engineering becomes useless. It is true, however, that your skills will stagnate or atrophy if you don't use them, and if you're say five years past your graduation date have no experience and haven't done anything at all in your field, you're likely to be passed over for more recent graduates.
The key though is to figure out how to keep your skills up and even grow them. There are perhaps more qualified people on these forums to speak to specifics depending on the flavour of engineering you're in, but think about volunteer opportunities, projects, robotics or other competitive engineering teams, teaching/tutoring, etc. Build up your network. Try to get in for job shadows.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: russ_watters and Lnewqban
Based on the various threads, I think the OP may need to seek counseling/therapy.

Engineering jobs vary wildly, and it may be that the OP has limited himself/herself to a very small subset of "acceptable" jobs. That could explain the difficulty in finding a job.
 
CrysPhys said:
It was closed for moderation and then remained closed.
CrysPhys said:
Also closed.

vela said:
Based on the various threads, I think the OP may need to seek counseling/therapy.
Yeah, I think that PF has done all that we can to help this OP, and the counseling suggestion is a good one.

As with the others, this thread is now closed.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 80 ·
3
Replies
80
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
4K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K