I am a recent mechanical engineering grad (December 2017), but I have had trouble locking down a full-time position out of college. Originally, I was working for a small-time engineering company part time out of college, but they did not have enough work to hire me on full-time. Recently, I passed the mechanical FE exam on my first attempt and subsequently gained my EIT license in late February of this year.

I have tried my best to set up meetings with family friends (etc.) to gain as much advice as possible and to understand their own individual career path. I am curious if anyone else has any helpful advice or knows of any openings in the Houston or Dallas areas.

https://texags.com/forums/18/topics/3026493

Did you email this guy?

Look for openings along 225 in Pasadena. I cut my teeth as a maintenance engineer at Lyondell, they hire a lot of new graduates.

bump

Midland is hiring

I should have an opening soon in Fort Worth.

https://careers.us.hilti.com/en-us/jobs/technical-support-engineer-5

Interested?

Ragoo said:

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Young engineer career path:

Path A:
Work at EPC doing detail **** data sheets for a couple of years
Go somewhere else

Path B:
Do **** field work for a service company away from home and friends for a couple of years
Leave for an operator

Path C:
Stay unemployed

---

This. I tell my kids to be prepared to work their ass off the first 5 years of college because experience is becoming more valuable than that damn degree.

Ragoo said:

---

Young engineer career path:

Path A:
Work at EPC doing detail **** data sheets for a couple of years
Go somewhere else

Path B:
Do **** field work for a service company away from home and friends for a couple of years
Leave for an operator

Path C:
Stay unemployed

---

Product of path A here.

working through A..

My point was that a new mechanical engineer needs to find to most grunt type engineering work possible. It may be in the office it may be in the field, it likely won't be glamorous.

I'm graduating in May in mechanical engineering and still looking for job opportunities. Is there anyway I could get in contact with you or get more information on the job opening?

We just filled two positions, but most firms in the MEP industry are hiring. If you have any interest in large scale HVAC and plumbing design/construction/sales focus your search there. You should be able to find something in short order if you are a decent interview. The industry is booming and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

YNWA_AG said:

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I am a recent mechanical engineering grad (December 2017), but I have had trouble locking down a full-time position out of college. Originally, I was working for a small-time engineering company part time out of college, but they did not have enough work to hire me on full-time. Recently, I passed the mechanical FE exam on my first attempt and subsequently gained my EIT license in late February of this year.

I have tried my best to set up meetings with family friends (etc.) to gain as much advice as possible and to understand their own individual career path. I am curious if anyone else has any helpful advice or knows of any openings in the Houston or Dallas areas.

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Shoot me a message, I may have something for you.

Ragoo said:

---

Young engineer career path:

Path A:
Work at EPC doing detail **** data sheets for a couple of years
Go somewhere else

Path B:
Do **** field work for a service company away from home and friends for a couple of years
Leave for an operator

Path C:
Stay unemployed

---

Currently going through Path B with an independent. So far so good

Non engineer here - but old guy advice to all of you younger kids that are smarter than me:

Spend as much time in the field as possible when you are young. Few things will teach you better than either fixing your own FUBARs or fixing somebody else's FUBARs. CAD is a great tool, but simply because you can draw something on a computer screen and print it out does not equate it to being a practical design in the real world.

Listen to operators and end users, pay attention to ergonomics and access as much as you do worrying about stress analysis, hydraulics, heat transfer, etc. Listen to contractors that build things. Get your hands dirty - you aren't above that, and honestly you'll likely find that you learn more from that experience than you ever did in school and you'll be a much better designer because of it.

Ragoo said:

---

Young engineer career path:

Path A:
Work at EPC doing detail **** data sheets for a couple of years
Go somewhere else

Path B:
Do **** field work for a service company away from home and friends for a couple of years
Leave for an operator

Path C:
Stay unemployed

---

Path D:
Bust ass in school and use the Aggie Network to help land a non-grunt work engineer position.

It may not be common but there are a few of us doing essential work for our companies.

OP, I landed my job by reaching out on LinkedIn to a current employee for the company I wanted to work for (didn't know the guy before). He helped secure an interview for the position and the rest was up to me.

Texasaggie2016 said:

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Ragoo said:

---

Young engineer career path:

Path A:
Work at EPC doing detail **** data sheets for a couple of years
Go somewhere else

Path B:
Do **** field work for a service company away from home and friends for a couple of years
Leave for an operator

Path C:
Stay unemployed

---

Path D:
Bust ass in school and use the Aggie Network to help land a non-grunt work engineer position.

It may not be common but there are a few of us doing essential work for our companies.

OP, I landed my job by reaching out on LinkedIn to a current employee for the company I wanted to work for (didn't know the guy before). He helped secure an interview for the position and the rest was up to me.

---

if OP fell into your Path D they wouldn't have started this thread.

IMO being in the field early in your career doesn't necessarily make you a better engineer but does improve your soft skills and empathy for those doing the grunt work everyday.

There is a reason SLB sends all of their new engineers to the field.

I no longer work for SLB.

Ragoo said:

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Texasaggie2016 said:

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Ragoo said:

---

Young engineer career path:

Path A:
Work at EPC doing detail **** data sheets for a couple of years
Go somewhere else

Path B:
Do **** field work for a service company away from home and friends for a couple of years
Leave for an operator

Path C:
Stay unemployed

---

Path D:
Bust ass in school and use the Aggie Network to help land a non-grunt work engineer position.

It may not be common but there are a few of us doing essential work for our companies.

OP, I landed my job by reaching out on LinkedIn to a current employee for the company I wanted to work for (didn't know the guy before). He helped secure an interview for the position and the rest was up to me.

---

if OP fell into your Path D they wouldn't have started this thread.

IMO being in the field early in your career doesn't necessarily make you a better engineer but does improve your soft skills and empathy for those doing the grunt work everyday.

There is a reason SLB sends all of their new engineers to the field.

I no longer work for SLB.

---

I agree with the notion that being in the field is valuable, but at all stages of your career. I am fortunate that I spend about 25-30% of my time in the field (industrial plant) with operators, contractors, and maintenance persons. Just noting their are other paths than what you outlined.

My point is the OP should reach out to current employees about specific positions at the companies he is interested in. Soliciting advice from friends and family can be useful but networking is more important in the job search.

Little late to the show, but came searching specifically for this kind of post. I have an ME entry level or minimal experience role I am trying to fill quickly.

https://nov.taleo.net/careersection/1/jobdetail.ftl?job=1900625&tz=GMT-05%3A00

This is in the Conroe area, which is what is making it difficult to fill.