Is it hard to find a job when you get out of university ?

[LapX]

Hello, as a college student currently in a science program focused on mathematics and computer science, I finally decided what to choose between electrical engineering and computer engineering.

 

I chose computer engineering but there is still a big unknown to me, which is finding a job. I can't figure out where I could search, or if I will even appeal to companies without experience.

 

Keeping in mind that I would ultimately like to get a PhD in computer science and conduct research about processor architecture, is this kind of job hard to get ?

 

Please correct me if I am planning to study the wrong thing for what I want to do It is still a bit confusing to me.

 

My intentions will probably change as I get further into my classes, but I would like a bit of insight right now.

 

Thank you

[jslane21]

I thought ahead, I'm currently in high-school and I enrolled in a technical trade (HVAC/R) where I am guaranteed to get a job making 20-30 an hour starting off. I do plan to further my education into a field such as computer engineering. Photo and Video production has also been a growing interest for me. As for a job the first place to start is the web, you have the world at your fingertips though you may need to move a bit to get the job you want. Good luck!!

[Oshino Shinobu]

Computer engineering and similar career paths are probably the best to go for right now. The industry is growing at a very fast rate, so there should be plenty of jobs coming up. 

 

The issue is getting experience in a relevant placement. I finish my HND in Computing and Systems Development this year, so I have the option to either go into work from here or to do another year and get a full BsC.

 

I'm leaning towards going straight into work, even if it's just a work placement for a year, as a lot of the jobs available say they would want experience if possible. 

 

I plan on applying for a job at AWE (Part of the Ministry of Defence) when I finish my course. 

[LapX]

Computer engineering and similar career paths are probably the best to go for right now. The industry is growing at a very fast rate, so there should be plenty of jobs coming up. 

 

The issue is getting experience in a relevant placement. I finish my HND in Computing and Systems Development this year, so I have the option to either go into work from here or to do another year and get a full BsC.

 

I'm leaning towards going straight into work, even if it's just a work placement for a year, as a lot of the jobs available say they would want experience if possible. 

 

I plan on applying for a job at AWE (Part of the Ministry of Defence) when I finish my course. 

 

Thanks for your answer, but I am curious, why would some experience not be relevant ? 

[Faceman]

You have a very specific and specialized major. Getting a job with your degree should be easier than if you had something more obtuse like Business Management or Marketing(my major). There is likely a high demand for your specific field, but it is never too early to network. Talk to your professors, get their opinions and their contacts. Work on specific skills and programs that translate to the real world, your profs should be able to point you in the right direction. Join clubs, do freelance work, intern.

The biggest obstacle coming out of college is getting your foot in the door. You HAVE to have prior work experience. It's rare to find someone willing to hire someone with no experience. There are so many candidates, and experience sets you apart from the others. You also have to know someone. Hoping to find a job on monster, indeed, or craigslist is next to impossible. Those postings are usually obligatory because they have to make it look like the position is open to everyone, but 9 times out of 10, it is someone with a contact at the company.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Thanks for your answer, but I am curious, why would some experience not be relevant ? 

Well, having experience in a bakery isn't relevant to computing (:

 

I mean that it's good to have some experience in some placement that could be applied to a job you may want. Even if it's unpaid, it's a good idea to try and get some work like that. 

[LapX]

Well, having experience in a bakery isn't relevant to computing (:

 

I mean that it's good to have some experience in some placement that could be applied to a job you may want. Even if it's unpaid, it's a good idea to try and get some work like that. 

 

Oh, know I get it. I misunderstood, I thought I could get irrelevant experience even when working in the general field of what I am studying.

 

You have a very specific and specialized major. Getting a job with your degree should be easier than if you had something more obtuse like Business Management or Marketing(my major). There is likely a high demand for your specific field, but it is never too early to network. Talk to your professors, get their opinions and their contacts. Work on specific skills and programs that translate to the real world, your profs should be able to point you in the right direction. Join clubs, do freelance work, intern.

The biggest obstacle coming out of college is getting your foot in the door. You HAVE to have prior work experience. It's rare to find someone willing to hire someone with no experience. There are so many candidates, and experience sets you apart from the others. You also have to know someone. Hoping to find a job on monster, indeed, or craigslist is next to impossible. Those postings are usually obligatory because they have to make it look like the position is open to everyone, but 9 times out of 10, it is someone with a contact at the company.

 

I guess you are right, I have the tendancy of thinking that things which are interesting to me must be interesting to many other. Looking at it this way, there is probably few people going into this exact field.

 

However, I also feel like the number of companies who would need me is very limited. Only Intel, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm comme to mind directly. Oh, right, some companies may have proprietary processors to developp... I really have to investigate further, but I am not getting a degree that will allow me to work in that field for at least 6 more years. I have time to search

[soup]

 

I plan on applying for a job at AWE (Part of the Ministry of Defence) when I finish my course. 

I thought (following a 'transfer to mangement' in 2000) that AWE was a public company not Ministry of defence.

Mind you who else would buy British nukes apart from the British government?  Does it really matter what the management structure is for these single supplier~single customer outfits?

 

QinetiQ too is one of these companies that used to be ministry of defense (DERA) until privatisation in 2001

[Luckylock]

I always recommend people to work in the field at least a year or two after college.

 

Experience gained from actually working in the field is invaluable. It gives you motivation, knowledge, and it will make your classes in university that much more interesting.

 

It will also make it that much easier to get picked for a job you apply to, trust me. You will have the confidence and experience when faced during interviews since you've worked in the field already.

 

Good success my friend!

[Victorious Secret]

I'll give you good advice:

Real life ≠ school unless your trade specifically requires you to actually know shit from school. Since you're not going into medicine, suffice it to say that your actual career will give no fucks about your formal education. 

 

Go out there and make connections NOW. Meet up with industry types. Get to know managers and VPs and CEOs of local companies. Be proactive and get your name out there BEFORE you start applying to co-op positions or graduation. 

Its as much what you know as who you know. I walked out of school with a senior position at a research institution and it wasn't because of my GPA. It was becuase I knew half the docs at the office and the manager specifically who offered me the position because they knew me outside of school and work. 

[LapX]

I always recommend people to work in the field at least a year or two after college.

 

Experience gained from actually working in the field is invaluable. It gives you motivation, knowledge, and it will make your classes in university that much more interesting.

 

It will also make it that much easier to get picked for a job you apply to, trust me. You will have the confidence and experience when faced during interviews since you've worked in the field already.

 

Good success my friend!

 

What kind of job can I get in the computer engineering field without a degree ? Also, what keeps me from working after I get my degree while I wait to get a real job that I'll keep ? Are we talking basic Best Buy customer support  ? Because it's very different from what I would be doing as an engineer/researcher.

 

I'll give you good advice:

Real life ≠ school unless your trade specifically requires you to actually know shit from school. Since you're not going into medicine, suffice it to say that your actual career will give no fucks about your formal education. 

 

Go out there and make connections NOW. Meet up with industry types. Get to know managers and VPs and CEOs of local companies. Be proactive and get your name out there BEFORE you start applying to co-op positions or graduation. 

Its as much what you know as who you know. I walked out of school with a senior position at a research institution and it wasn't because of my GPA. It was becuase I knew half the docs at the office and the manager specifically who offered me the position because they knew me outside of school and work. 

 

Yeah but, doesn't computer engineering require maths skills and a whole bunch of other knowledge I couldn't learn on my own while working ? Like differential calculus for example, what I am learning right now and discreet mathematics, which I will learn in a year, or how to undestand, make and use floating point equations. This isn't IT where, while talking with a friend who currently studies it I learned that within a month I could probably learn the few more specific skills I would need aside from what I already know by doing reseach on my own based on simple curiosity.

[Victorious Secret]

What kind of job can I get in the computer engineering field without a degree ? Also, what keeps me from working after I get my degree while I wait to get a real job that I'll keep ?

 

 

Yeah but, doesn't computer engineering require maths skills and a whole bunch of other knowledge I couldn't learn on my own while working ? Like differential calculus for example, what I am learning right now and discreet mathematics, which I will learn in a year, or how to undestand, make and use floating point equations. This isn't IT where, while talking with a friend who currently studies it I learned that within a month I could probably learn the few more specific skills I would need aside from what I already know by doing reseach on my own based on simple curiosity.

 

Oh don't get me wrong, fields like that you still need to know your things but what they teach in school is often overruled by what a company wants you to do, they don't always line up. 

Schools don't do enough to tell you that for every 10 hours of academics you do, an hour of social connecting is required too. Companies are more likely to talk to you about offers and straight up hire you if they've heard of you before, if you'r done your summer internship or even a proper project before. 

Myself and a lot of friends got offers out the door from execs who simply knew us during our earlier years, we kept in contact and kept up the personal/professional relationship and made them like us enough to give us first crack at the position. You need to make yourself seem "wanted". 

[LapX]

Oh don't get me wrong, fields like that you still need to know your things but what they teach in school is often overruled by what a company wants you to do, they don't always line up. 

Schools don't do enough to tell you that for every 10 hours of academics you do, an hour of social connecting is required too. Companies are more likely to talk to you about offers and straight up hire you if they've heard of you before, if you'r done your summer internship or even a proper project before. 

Myself and a lot of friends got offers out the door from execs who simply knew us during our earlier years, we kept in contact and kept up the personal/professional relationship and made them like us enough to give us first crack at the position. You need to make yourself seem "wanted". 

 

Oh ! I get it now ! I'll sure try my best to stay in touch with the people I meat at my internships thanks to you. It all make sense with this explaination

 

It is true sadly that you often get further in life because of your connections, not necessarily your skills.

[Solrix]

I thought ahead, I'm currently in high-school and I enrolled in a technical trade (HVAC/R) where I am guaranteed to get a job making 20-30 an hour starting off. I do plan to further my education into a field such as computer engineering. Photo and Video production has also been a growing interest for me. As for a job the first place to start is the web, you have the world at your fingertips though you may need to move a bit to get the job you want. Good luck!!

Trade school FTW. Worked a little HVAC with family friend but decided on NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) Didnt enjoy the hot attics down here in Louisiana