Lack of Jobs in Aerospace Industry?

acc182 · 10-03-2012, 08:46 PM

I recently got done with school and haven't been able to land a job. Believe me, I've been trying. I have no internship experience, but I've tried to apply each year when I was a student with no luck. I know a few people that haven't been able to find a job either. They graduated last winter and they've been looking for almost a year. I am worried I might be in the same situation as them. Not sure if I should just go back to school for a master's or just keep applying till an opportunity comes up, but for how long? Maybe I'm doing something wrong? lol

Chucktown · 10-03-2012, 10:40 PM

Grades? Do you have any experience? Are you limited by location? I would be looking at more than just Aero if I was in your situation, there are a lot of positions that just want an engineer, at least that is experience that you can work with and work yourself into a future role.

fractalmstr · 10-04-2012, 01:22 PM

Try getting in touch with friends who have engineering jobs and ask if they can help by spreading your resumé around where they work. Not the most reliable way of job hunting, and it can be a little humilating for some, but it can be very effective. If you choose to go at it alone though, just remember, unless your credentials are well above average, your chances of getting hired are much lower if you simply submit your resume through the company's website, or sites like Monster.

Also try contacting the career services at the school you graduated from. They are usually pretty effective. They'll even do things like tweak your resume, share tips, and give you mock interviews.

Have you had any phone interviews atleast?

archiemom · 10-04-2012, 01:53 PM

Keep trying and perhaps expand your geographic location. I know of one woman who graduated in May 2011 and was hired by Boeing in April of 2012. A 2012 ME/Space Physics grad also just landed a position at Boeing in the Seattle area. I believe both were assisted by the Career Center at their college.

acc182 · 10-05-2012, 10:34 PM

I've been applying to jobs that are in California. I prefer to stay in California due to my situation, but I'll consider applying out of state whenever I get my braces off. lol My stats aren't really eye-popping. I have a solid GPA around 3.28 and just class projects at my college. No relevant internship or work experience just a part-time job I held on campus since my freshman year. I've had a few phone screen interviews, but not enough to get a call back for another interview. It's just disappointing that the numbers of jobs I've applied, most of them are rejected. I'll keep on trying though. Thanks for the advice and tips!

NeoDymium · 10-06-2012, 02:09 AM

You're not an especially impressive candidate in an industry that is on the bottom end of its business cycle. You're going to have to try harder.
If you get rejected after an interview, more likely than not that's your fault. They were probably unimpressed. This isn't a reason to give up though. Ask someone who could explain to you where you went wrong and fix your mistakes in the future.

boneh3ad · 10-06-2012, 10:39 AM

If you are still able, get in touch with the career center at your university and go through some mock interviews. They can usually coach you to improve your interview skills.

rogracer · 10-07-2012, 11:51 AM

We are understaffed 25 engineers in my department (mech eng) and that is projected to go to 80 by march. The only reason we are not hiring is because of the uncertainty surrounding sequestration.

There is work out there, but the uncertainty of the business climate makes hiring difficult at the moment.