Are you an upcoming mechanical engineering graduate looking for work in the Salem MA area? Are you a mid-level or senior engineer, a managing engineer or a project manager in the middle of a job transition? If these categories describe your career and your job search will take place in the northeastern region of the country, the tips below can help you find your way off the market faster.
Tips for New Grads
1. Don’t wait.
You still have a few months before graduation, and if you plan to take a break before starting work, that’s fine. But if you’d like to join the workforce right away, act now. Mechanical engineering degrees are in high demand, but competition in this field is tight. Start leaning on your connections, setting up a Linkedin page, and laying the groundwork. If you wait too long, you may be trapped in a low paying internship for the summer, or worse.
2. Polish your presentation and communication skills.
Yes, you have a degree. But so does every other person in the applicant pool, so you’ll need to polish your other skills in order to stand out. Practice writing, speaking, and presenting yourself professionally. And think about the traits and experience you may have to offer that other candidates don’t (business skills like scheduling, budgeting, marketing and programming are always a plus.)
Tips for Mid-Level Job Seekers
1. Emphasize your leadership skills.
Your technical abilities are great, and you’ve proven that you can work with a team to execute a project. But what else do you have? Let potential employers know that you can lead and manage as well as follow (even if you haven’t officially held a management position yet).
2. Show ambition.
You may be looking for a junior level or non-management role, but you have experience. So what would you like to do with that experience? Explain to potential employers where you’d like to be in three to five years. Are you reaching for a PE? Would you eventually like to run your own firm? Will you be pursuing a graduate degree?
3. Cultivate a brand.
You’ll need to find a specific angle that sets you apart from every other mid-level applicant in the area. Start by thinking about the combinations of skill and experience that make you unique. Everyone has an engineering degree, but how many of them are also bilingual, or HTML experts, or community volunteers? Show off whatever makes you stand out.
For more on how to set yourself apart and gain an edge during you engineering job search, reach out to the MA staffing pros at Techneeds.