Why can't I land a job interview?

[ModusPwnd]

You acknowledge some of them are contradicting. Experienced recent graduates. I am not saying there is a law against it just that as advice it is cliched to the point of not being useful.

I don't see the contradiction. Some recent graduates are experienced. Others are not. I am a recent graduate, (or I was a year or two ago) and I have no relevant experience. Just irrelevant research experience. Entry level jobs often require years of experience or specific skills. The electrical engineering program I am working for now will give me the opportunity to have about a year and a half of actual work experience (via paid internships) when graduating.

 

[caldweab]

No. I have several points to make:

• What the professor thinks it is important to know may be different from what you think it is important to know. Your tuition paying him for this judgment.
  
• Deciding now that you want to do just one thing - in this case reactors - is a little like a mechanical engineer deciding he only wants to work on marine diesel engines. The field is much broader than that. If you decide you are only willing to do one thing, that's your decision, but a consequence of that decision is that it's going to be harder to find a job.
  
• If something is used in the field, but not directly for the one thing you have settled on, complaining about learning other things is a little like "When am I going to use geometry in real life?"
  

I wasn't complaining, nor did I state I was uninterested in learning new or different things. I stated I have no interest in doing research, he used accelerators extensively in his research so he would always talk about doing research using accelerators. I have no interest or motivation to do research or pursue a phd.

 

[a_potato]

I tend to agree with the OP. Kind of the same with maths and physics. You can teach a mathematician to add units but you can't really go the other way...

 

[ModusPwnd]

I tend to agree with the OP. Kind of the same with maths and physics. You can teach a mathematician to add units but you can't really go the other way...

Why not? I don't think anybody here doubts that your average engineering, math or physics grad could be taught in a different major if they spent the time needed. The idea is that a physics grad can do engineering right out of the gate, without being taught engineering principles. That idea is false in my opinion and, in my experience, in recruiter's opinion.

 

[Chronos]

This is another reason why internships are so important. You learn many of the desired skills by being involved in a real world environment where you are forced to interact with competing interests. The kinds of success that impresses recruiters include securing funding for your projects, achieving results, and writing good papers.

 

[CWatters]

I don't know if it's the same in the USA but in many countries to be an Electrical Engineer you also need to be a member of a trade body which might require further study and practical experience.

"Engineering" is also a very wide field. I'd be thinking about fine tuning each CV you send out so that it matches the job advert. eg If the advert is for an Electrical engineer with experience of xyz you need to echo back to them that you covered xyz on your course and that it's an area you are interested in. Cite any relevant experience of xyz etc.