YOU’RE AN ENGINEER? You’re hired!
Upon finishing a master’s in electrical and computer engineering at Georgia Tech in December 2011, Gaurang Narvekar, 25, had three job offers in hand. Environmental engineer Jade Mitchell-Blackwood went immediately to work for the Environmental Protection Agency after finishing a doctorate at Drexel University in August 2010. Even Todd Williams, of Flushing, Mich., a mechanical design engineer in the auto industry who lost his job during the doldrums of 2008, is back to work at an auto supply firm outside Detroit.
At its worst in September 2009, the unemployment rate for engineers reached 6.4 percent, versus nearly 10 percent for all occupations. By the middle of last year, it had dropped to under 2 percent.
Not everyone can work in STEM, of course, but worth noting.
UPDATE: A contrary report from reader A.H.:
While my situation is anecdotal this was not my experience after graduating with an Electrical Engineering Degree. I graduated last year 2011 in May. I applied to over 230 job openings was interviewed for 5, received 3 offers only two of which were apparently serious. I was not applying to any particular geographic area I just wanted to get to work. I wasn’t hired until November. I was a good student with an above 3.2 average out of 4. I had two years of applicable Engineering Co-Op experience as well as being a Military Veteran. I know students who graduated at the same time who are still looking for work and they had higher GPA’s than I. Again anecdotal, those who can’t find jobs are white males, such as myself, but all of the females, minorities and foreigners have found employment that I knew. I don’t know how much H1-B’s are playing a role but that term is popping up with frequency lately especially among the engineers who can’t find jobs or have been laid off recently. If you decide to publish please use initials.
On the other hand, reader Dwayne Kearns writes:
I can absolutely confirm that STEM jobs are hot. I run a office across from Iowa State University for a small consulting company that employs Computer Science and Software Engineering undergrad students part time while they are in school. Our students work 20 hours a week during the school year and 40 hours a week over summer break for various clients in the Midwest. I have had 32 students graduate while working for me over the last 3 years and everyone of them has been hired at least 3 months before they graduated. They are going to companies like Thomson-Reuters, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and HP. Starting salaries range from the mid 60s with companies in the Midwest and to the low 90s for the ones going to the Left Coast. These kids are recruited heavily and even the most socially awkward student can with little effort manage multiple offers.
And reader Peter Kalogiannis emails:
As a regular reader of your site, I appreciate your regularly talking about the importance of STEM education and showing that engineering doesn’t have to be boring.
I have to say I have one of the coolest jobs around as an engineer working at Scaled Composites, and hopefully I can somehow help convince kids that this is not only a good career path, but a great way to live your life.
I’ve attached probably my favorite picture of the program, taken at the Edwards Air Force base air show, where I had the opportunity to copilot WhiteKnightTwo as part of the show (that’s me in the middle) . By far the most rewarding part of the show was talking with the excited kids (of all ages) about what we do.
In a shameless plug, Scaled Composites is currently looking to hire a significant number of engineers of all experience levels.
I’d think a lot of people would want those jobs. Especially after seeing this pic:
