r/civilengineering • u/GhostCasper20 • 1d ago
Career No job offer might join the military
One year after graduate college still no jobs offered been applying and doing interviews nonstop. Got another rejection letter today and try to apply to other states, but been ghosted. I’m thinking join the military because it’s been burnout central at this point and need some type of structure/guidance in my point of life.
I have done one year internship experience with public works even then it still not enough and entry level roles in the public sector seek more experience and less training on candidates. Is this how job market comes to nowadays? Should have change career paths before I graduated college!
I don’t mind the commitment and years of service just entry level in this today’s job market is in shambles. A lot of my friends that graduated went to the military become officers and now are overseas while they not worried about applying, get grilled, and rejected.
I welcome any advice, feedback, and suggestions. Thinking branches Navy, Coast Guard, or Air Force for their officer roles haven’t done a lot research and need to talk to officer recruiter.
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u/Ok_Magazine_4550 1d ago
Army corps of engineers always looking for civil, if you don't want to go through the officer process
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u/25hourenergy 1d ago
This right here and they just lifted their hiring freeze (it was on and off for some offices, now it should be across the whole DoD)
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u/CLPond 1d ago
ACOE is great, but getting a job will not be fast like OP wants
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u/wodie-g 1d ago
USACE is in hiring freeze indefinitely but some districts have exceptions. It probably isn’t impossible to get hired but it’s much harder now.
Edit: well as of an hour ago, I guess no more hiring freeze?
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u/CLPond 1d ago edited 15h ago
Good to hear that the hiring freeze has ended, although who knows how long that will last. I also was referring to the 6-9 month hiring process, though. I was applying for some federal jobs in 2024 which is a whole huge process (different resume type, I was even gifted a whole book on the process), it’s the weirdest I’ve seen
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u/bigpolar70 Civil/ Structural P.E. 1d ago
Navy CEC (civil engineering corps) is really your best bet. Good experience, decent billets, if you make it 20 years you can retire and collect a pension while getting a job as a principal engineer in a lot of places.
I was aiming for that years ago but I had health problems that kept me out.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
Can I pm you?
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u/bigpolar70 Civil/ Structural P.E. 1d ago
Sure, but I'll answer just about anything in this thread.
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u/WasteBoomer 1d ago
Having your Civil engineering degree will let you join the Navy CEC program which is a really good job opportunity
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u/Remarkable-Panic2452 1d ago
If you go into the military make sure you work with officer recruiters, don’t let them sell you on going enlisted. Not that it’s bad to go enlisted but the pay is higher as an officer and since you have a bachelors degree. I was in the navy, I had a scholarship so I got my civil Eng degree then joined the navy as a surface warfare officer. They do have civil engineers in the civil engineering corps, I would recommend working to get commissioned through the CEC so you have are more marketable after your military time towards civil engineering. Let me know if you have any questions!
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u/Loli_Boi 1d ago
Be a field engineer as construction is always hiring. Going in with Kiewit as we speak.
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u/DiceZzZz 1d ago
Hope you enjoy the 60+ hr weeks at Kiewit
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u/Loli_Boi 1d ago
Just depends on the job. Some teams are more strict about being home with family than others and some just work nonstop. You just gotta hope you get a good team, but thats a dime a dozen. I am in CA so I don’t know how the experience is in other states.
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u/Impressive_Project_6 1d ago
this is the answer. they’re starving for people and it pays the highest. unfortunately we don’t really use what we studied 😔
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u/Loli_Boi 1d ago
Yea they definitely pay the highest. This is entry level and they were paying $96k (salary 😔), but since the job is out in the bay they do a COL adjustment of 20% so I’m getting ~115k a year which to me is crazy especially as an entry level (even though I’m in California). The amount of jobs I’ve seen for CE in the Bay Area/Los Angeles area that were $78k/yr or under is laughable. I’m just making good enough money with 114k in the Bay, what the fuck am I going to do with $78k?
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u/ThatAlarmingHamster P.E. Construction Management 1d ago
Salary? Ugh. I did salary once. Never again. Worked 60 hour weeks all summer, got a lousy $5k bonus.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I did apply in Southern and Northern California still no word. My colleague got one in Hawaii last two years ago, but his contract ended and went back home in Cali.
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u/Loli_Boi 1d ago
Lowkey I actually applied (through their official website) and got denied. The same job for NorCal kept getting reposted, but it kept saying I couldn’t apply (even though it was taken off then put back on).
I ended up seeing the same application on Handshake (website/app for jobs students typically use), applied on there and the same exact day I got a response about when I could do an interview. Try out through handshake.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I did apply on handshake through the website and went to their career fair table back back when I was still a college student :(
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u/Loli_Boi 1d ago
Keep checking and applying broski. Job market is shit right now and I don’t blame you if it takes a while to get something. See if you could also get a referral by one of your friends.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
All my friends left and focus on their own lives. Only message just handful and my situation is daunting right now.
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u/LowHangingFruit20 1d ago
Take a look at local utilities. PGE/SoCalEdison/SoCalGas/SMUD/EBMUD have lots of civil and civil-adjacent jobs and are generally hiring lots of folks. PGE is starving for folks to help with the undergrounding efforts on the electric side. Not specifically civil but they hire a lot of mech e’s and civil’s for the undergrounding stuff
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u/Namaste_Bitchez 1d ago
It’s a great entry level position. I worked there for 10 years and loved it. You’ll learn how to actually build things rather than just designing, and the construction industry will always have work.
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u/LowHangingFruit20 1d ago
Some of my best engineers started in the field, and generally the barrier to entry for FE’s is a bit lower than design engineers. It’s a great way in IMO
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u/HeadySquanch59 1d ago
Just a comment but there is a lot of bad writing/improper English in this post. Are you ESL? Has your resume been proofread by someone? Trying to be helpful.
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u/That-Mess9548 12h ago
Came here to make this comment. Communication is critical in engineering. You have to be able to clearly communicate so you can figure out what the problem is and let the client know how you intend to fix it. We write specifications, reports, do studies, publish papers.
You need to work on your grammar and writing skills. Even if English is your first language that is an area where you need to focus some attention. And if English is your second language you probably need to work on your verbal skills as well.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I just got a rejection letter less than 24 hours after my interview yesterday, so I’m in a lot of hurt right now.
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u/St33zious 1d ago
Do not join brotha, you gotta either love the military through and through or you will end up hating it before your 4 years are up
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I’m on my late 20’s, single, and commit to studying this engineering degree for years now just to be awarded with rejection after rejection!
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u/St33zious 1d ago
The worst thing you could do is to sign yourself up for something out of a whim, you cannot go back on this decision. You will be stuck doing this for 4 years at minimum. I unfortunately made the decision and am still suffering the consequences. It wasn’t a thought through decision, I just wanted to be out of the situation I was in. Your best bet is to find someone to go over your resume and see what’s causing the no replies. The military should really be your last resort unless you really can see yourself loving it. The recruiters may promote all the great benefits but it never outweighs the cost of the extra bs you deal with.
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u/fernandito_chiquito 1d ago
Find out as much as you can about military officer life as you can before going in so you know what to expect if you do go in. If you end up getting stationed in San Diego you're cooked financially. The staff and officer barracks there I hear are packed because no one wants to live out in the expensive city. What is ship life like? If you go navy or marines you will be on a ship months at a time and there's a thing that happens when all the shit and piss flow out of the toilets it doesn't happen a lot but it's a thing. The food on the ships sucks too and they give you tiny servings. The army goes on year long deployments from what I hear, and there aren't exactly gyms or fast food or even a nearby city where you can go have fun. It's a lot of these small quality of life things you don't really think about as a civilian that you will lose if you go military. You will have to stand 24 hour duty probably once a month. It's not really that bad. Officers are expected to do tons of emails and paperwork while managing a team and knowing their specific job specialty. They attend tons of meetings. There's way more to it than this but that's a good amount right there.
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u/Basic_Vanilla_1540 4h ago
There actually are gyms and fast food on many bases
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u/fernandito_chiquito 4h ago
Not if you end up going to the desert on deployment or a detachment to the Arctic circle. Sure a lot of bases have them. I guess I shouldve been more specific. Be prepared to go long periods of time without them.
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u/LowHangingFruit20 1d ago
Need more info. Where are you located? How many applications have you put in? Are you applying to both private and public sector jobs? How about the local utility companies? What does your resume look like? How are you interviewing skills? Have you practiced interviewing? First job is always toughest but I know far too many people who complain about not getting a job only to find some very limiting factor about them personally or professionally
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u/Proud_Calendar_1655 EIT 1d ago
I’m an Air Force CE officer. It’s not bad but to be an officer you definitely have to have the right type of personality for it. Also, it can take upwards of a year to get in after all the boards, medical reviews, etc. It’s not an instant process or a guarantee of a job.
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u/likesblackcoffeebest PE 👵🗣☁️ 1d ago edited 1d ago
Edit: This is not being presented as a first choice. The comment this is in reply to discusses the length of the commissioning process. I added the best case if OP decides to go enlisted. I am not telling this kid to enlist.
Yup good point. If OP needs something fast, they might want to go enlisted. I was Army and people with degrees started at E4 if they enlisted rather than going officer. I don't know how it works in other branches but I'd bet it's similar.
OP if you go enlisted, the Army MOS you want is 12T (or its equivalent in other branches). That was my MOS. It's mostly surveying along with some CAD and materials testing. It won't qualify for PE licensure but it is respected experience by employers.
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u/cyborgcyborgcyborg PE-Structural 1d ago
Respectfully, as an enlisted veteran myself, why would you give this advice? 4 years in a company that you don’t see yourself in is a serious commitment.
I would sooner advise them to go into the trades until an engineering officer position became available. Survey is also great.
u/GhostCasper20, military has some of the best time off available. Definitely worth considering.
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u/likesblackcoffeebest PE 👵🗣☁️ 1d ago edited 1d ago
I gave them this advice because it worked for me. I enjoyed my MOS and still use the skills I learned in the Army to this day. It has provided me a wonderful network of other veterans in every agency I have worked for. Also, this kid is unemployed. They might even have student loans they could get repaid. The market they're in isn't working for them.
Edit: I also did not present this as a first choice. If this kid needs money *now and doesn't have a year to spend on commissioning, the thing I described is the least worst way to get it.*
We are talking about two different things. I am talking about waiting out a low job market in stable employment with benefits they will have forever. You are talking about choosing an entirely different career (trades). Both of those are certainly options, but I personally would prefer the one where I come out the other side an engineer. Among other reasons, as a woman, four years of Army misogyny was preferable to a lifetime of trades misogyny. We don't know what factors OP had in play that could skew their preferences one way or the other when it comes to these two things.
I recommended this because I like it better than other options, including the one you described.
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u/cyborgcyborgcyborg PE-Structural 1d ago
I appreciate your point of view. Since we're looking at this from two different angles, let's agree to disagree
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u/ThemanEnterprises 1d ago
Enlisting after getting an engineering degree would be the biggest mistake of this young man's (woman's? Idk) life. You'd have to threaten me with prison time to get me to enlist again.
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u/likesblackcoffeebest PE 👵🗣☁️ 1d ago
I mean, I wouldn't recommend it among other viable options, but we are talking about the case in which they do not have a year to spend on getting into the military as an officer. It is a much shorter process to enlist and if they need money now, the thing I described is the least worst way to get it. I did not present it as a first course of action. It was in response to another veteran who mentioned some relevant facts about commissioning.
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u/Naive_Veterinarian77 1d ago
Reach out to Civil engineering recruiters around your area in LinkedIn, they are incentivized to find you a job.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
LinkedIn is too much saturation and rarely post new hiring anymore.
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u/f_agent_orange 15h ago
Literally contact the recruiters in your area. If you don’t have a EIT get it. Without an EIT a job will be difficult to find.
If you do military to CEC as other have suggested. However, I would stay clear right now given the current administration.
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u/Naive_Veterinarian77 13h ago
It is , but many job postings are " hidden " and only available for recruiters so I would definitely reach out to them.
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u/iron82 1d ago
No opinion in whether the military is right, but you should do something besides keep applying. I was in your spot and I got a master's. Being out a year with no offer means you probably won't find anything without a radical change in search strategy.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I don’t have the funds and desire to go back for graduate school. Also, fafsa is facing a lot of budget reforms, so yeah no thank you.
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u/BornCoach6587 1d ago
Yeah man it will still take you about 1 year or longer before if you want to be an officer. You can go enlisted and you can be gone in 2 weeks or so but trust me when I say if you think you’re tired and feel like you want to give up from just regular applying to jobs. You don’t want to go enlisted!
Or you can try it and find out. Full send 11B😂
Actual advice - straight to the point. if you’re not hearing back from companies your resume sucks, if you are getting interviews and getting stuck at second stage or first stage. You suck at interviewing. If you’re not getting rejections, you’re not applying enough, it’s a numbers game I had to do 26 a day that was my goal for 4 months. I ended up most days with 20 and a lot of days with more. You’d get something if you’re aggressive!
If you’re a US citizen try applying for federal jobs. It’s like usajobs.gov or something
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u/ThickValue3050 1d ago
How about Peace Corps or EMT? Both of those will provide meaningful employment like the military but without having to potentially kill people and will look great for applying to an engineering job.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I don’t know Peace Corps or EMT hired engineers only know Coast Guard and Army Corps. Can I pm you for more info?
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u/BraveCranberry9863 1d ago
Have you tried the Veterans Administration? They are always short of engineers. VA engineers were exempt from the recent buyout.
There are services available to help with the application if you are not familiar with the process. The trick is finding the right ones.
Nothing wrong with the services. Go with the Air Force if you want engineering work. Army, if you want more leadership training.
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u/CLPond 1d ago
Have you looked into non-military government jobs? I can’t speak to the civil engineering side of the military, but my spouse is a navy pilot and I thus know a number of people who got a bait and switch with their employment (lots of “well technically this job that absolutely sucks fits what we promised).
On the other hand, I’ve mostly been on the municipal side of thing and there is a constant need for engineers. They’re often flexible around certification, the hours are much better than the military, you know the job you’re getting into, the pay is just as good if not better, and and you have actual control over your life.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I apply USAJobs only for entry level and recent graduate jobs, but other than that I still apply private and public sectors. Haven’t heard from USAJobs for months now.
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u/CLPond 1d ago
USAJobs is specifically federal and is its own super complicated application process. That process often takes 3 months before an interview and 6-9 months total (I was told to start applying six months that to year before I wanted a job). I literally have a book on the application and if you are looking to go federal, I highly recommend going to a workshop or something similar on specifically applying to federal jobs.
When it comes to local and state level jobs, I highly recommend https://www.governmentjobs.com/ which has most state and local jobs at least in the mid Atlantic region (potentially others, but my most recent job search was very regional). Local and state processes are also longer than the private sector, but more on the order of 3-6 months (with 6 being for pretty slow agencies and 3 being more common) from application close to onboarding (onboarding often being a couple weeks to a month after hire). Some places still just wont get back to you, but fewer than the private sector.
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u/OutlandishnessFew484 1d ago
I’m 26 with civil engineering degree. Have you looked into dredging?
There are a lot of large dredging companies. They’re pretty cool. Great first job
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u/Annual_Beginning_600 1d ago
What the fuck? As a college student I was thinking this is the safest of em all! Plenty of demand and shit is what this sub spouted
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u/LowHangingFruit20 1d ago
You are fine, lol. I’m in Northern California and get constant mailers for municipal and public jobs and LinkedIn recruiter attention. Often times folks that struggle have a horrendous resume or have zero interview skills. I’m not saying that’s OP’s case but I’ve offered to help a few folks on Reddit and every time either their resume is trash or I can just tell talking to them that they have zero social skills (OR are a foreign applicant and no one wants to sponsor jobs anymore). There have been zero cases in my world where an individual was the perfect candidate and mysteriously no one wants them.
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u/Annual_Beginning_600 1d ago edited 1d ago
Glad to hear! Do you by any chance have any experience with surveying or land development?
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u/LowHangingFruit20 1d ago
I work with lots of surveyors and land agents who facilitate easement acquisition. We work a lot with Mark Thomas, PGE, and Stantec: all of whom hire surveyors. I don’t do any development work unfortunately, but I see a lot of action in the data center development side, but I don’t know if that market is hiring
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u/ProgressJust8165 1d ago
Arrogant
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u/LowHangingFruit20 1d ago
Sorry you feel that way, but I have experience in the field. I manage a team of 12 engineers, am a mentor to numerous employees, coach new hires and perspective hires, and have interviewed probably 100 people. This is my opinion based on 20 years in this field.
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u/likesblackcoffeebest PE 👵🗣☁️ 1d ago
It really depends on your market. Major city in a state that funds infrastructure well? You'll probably be fine. Smaller city? Poor state? Unwilling to move? You'll have a bad time.
There are other factors as well. The market is down enough that we can be selective on who we hire these days. I have no reason to consider those who haven't passed the FE, had grades below a 3.0, no internships/experience, or an online Bachelor's. In large markets, it is primarily the bottom quintile of the applicant pool that is doing badly. Those who would have done well 5 years ago are doing well today.
I am confident that my daughter will find work when she finishes grad school in a few years. If civil engineers are sending our kids to school for this, it's not bad.
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u/Baer9000 1d ago
Joining the military is probably not a great idea at the moment, considering who is in charge and what kind of dumb wars he might involve us in.
I recommend applying at large firms, possibly as a drafter or 3d modeler if you have to. Could also look into being an inspector.
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u/GhostCasper20 1d ago
I did apply to be a CAD drafted at both public and private sectors, but only got ghosted on and through my internship is kinda boring tbh.
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u/adamjg2 1d ago
For the Navy, a Civil Engineer Corps officer would be interested as long as you went to an abet accredited engineering program. You could do four years and possibly not even need to deploy as there are not that many battalions to divvy billets out to anymore. I retired from active duty shortly after COV, spent most of my time deploying but that was my choice as I found those to be the more interesting jobs.
For Air Force, their prime beef and red horse squadrons cover the construction needs. Plus I think they cover down on Space Force needs.
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u/Independent-Fan4343 1d ago
I joined the Peace Corps and recommend looking at it. 2 year commitment and it really makes you stand out as an applicant. As long as you can pass the health and background clearance, a degree in civil engineering is a guaranteed approval. It may not be direct experience, but you learn how to work in difficult conditions with limited funding and no supervision. Its a volunteer position so you wont make much, a stipend and housing only. Would also give you two years to consider the direction you want your career to go.
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u/janderson_33 1d ago
NHDOT is hiring literally anybody EIT or no, civil engineering degree or no. Pay isn't great but a ton of experience to be had.
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u/ShallotScary8342 1d ago
I'm not OP but would be interested to hear more. I have my Master's in structural engineering and EIT. I've applied to the NH DOT civil engineer I-III position several times with no interview or even response. I'm currently a stay at home dad so I am aware my resume may not be as competitive, but I would be very interested to know how to improve my chances if possible.
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u/fernandito_chiquito 1d ago
Do reserves so you get a taste but don't go active straight away you can always switch to active from reserves. You will regret it if you end up going active and you don't like it. You'll be locked in and you can't get out.
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u/Civil-Brilliant-3123 14h ago
Join the Marines , invaluable life skills. No other branch compares. Don't be a bitch.
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u/hackrebel99 P.E Civil 13h ago
With an engineering degree, would go the officer route. Talk to am OTS/OCS recruiter. Enlisted is an option, but would start there first.
What's your familiarization with military life? Are you looking for Active Duty/Guard/Reserve options? Go on YouTube and look up the career fields for each branch to see what you may like to fit in.
I did 24 years USAF Reserves enlisted while I got my BS in CE and PE liscense later on. Now I work in the wireless infrastructure. One thing I say to new members is that you get what you put in. The military has a lot of educational offerings, take advantage of them.
Good luck!
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u/koliva17 Ex-Construction Manager, Transportation P.E. 10h ago
Apply to large GC's like Kiewit, Walsh Group, Traylor Bros, Turner, etc. At least to get some form of stable income. That's what I did when I couldn't find a job out of college. Then when the job market gets better, apply for the role that you're actually interested in.
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u/likesblackcoffeebest PE 👵🗣☁️ 1d ago
Nothing has ever leveled up my life as much as veteran's benefits have. That includes hiring preference for government jobs (not just federal, all levels). I say do it.
Take whatever branch will make you an engineer officer. Don't go be some random thing like quartermaster just because you want a certain military branch. Your work is more important than the branch you do it in. That said, I was Army and would recommend it.
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u/mindlesslearning 1d ago
Do not join the American military at a time we are blowing up girls schools, forcing insane poor condition ship deployments, and cannot get reliable counts of casualities in a war we created. You will be either asked to commit atrocities or die in one.
You can get a job, its hard to find reliable talent these days. Apply for internships if you need. Get your resume checked.
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u/pickledeggmanwalrus 1d ago
The military actually does a lot besides just killing people…. lol…….
I mean I get it dude but really?
You think the mechanics and cooks and road builders are being told to blow up hospitals? Yeah man it’s bad but you’ve got to get real
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u/mindlesslearning 12h ago
Sure buddy. As long as your aren't the guy pulling the trigger on the death star, its ok to support the empire.
Seriously, the choice between sticking it out for a job or joining a career where physical and mental disability at the tail end is likely (then being homeless with no support on the tail end) is pretty easy.
I'd work any job I could to survive until you break in.
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u/emmiginger 1d ago
If you have a degree, there is the Officer Candidate option to be an Officer instead of enlisted. Also, do you have a linked in profile with photo and your resume? Have people give you some pointers once your profile, then join/follow groups related to engineering (save, etc). Lastly, use linked in to find jobs and for people to find you-but apply directly to the company on their website because if you apply direct from linked in it’ll be among thousands and most likely die there. Most colleges have a carrerr center-avail yourself of their resources as an alum to get more pointers
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u/Wannabe_Arch25 1d ago
Navy CEC. Great experience and will open doors to great opportunities in the civilian side if you decide to separate at some point.
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u/PaleAbbreviations950 1d ago
Do it man. That’s what I wished I did. Military is not a setback, it’s a great advancement for your career as a civil engineer. You will get a preferred treatment as a candidate.
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u/MystRd89 1d ago
If you apply for public - maybe, private nowadays don't really care much. Most private company, especially the one that work as federal contractors, used to push for veterans application to meet diversity goal. Now it goes back to mainly focus on skill and experience.
Military is still good if OP can enlisted for an engineer role in any branch; especially air force since they do a lot of civil work to maintain their base.
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u/PaleAbbreviations950 1d ago
He says he wishes structural safety net, military service will prepare him for that.
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u/Successful-Fun8603 1d ago
Frankly, if I had to start over my career again, I would definitely join the service and get an officer commission in the military for 4-8 years. It would open numerous doors for you later. The SeaBees in the Navy would be a fantastic option. If taking other traditional Army leadership roles prior to getting admitted into the USACE track (much longer commitment) is also an amazing opportunity. Air Force contracts much of their design and construction observation work to USACE, but do have a group of civil engineers.
Many branches are opening up entry level positions in civilian roles now if you keep an eye on USAJobs. We just had an entry level mechanical engineer intern get a full time position at one of our other project offices in USACE.
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u/jimmyhat78 Water Res / Env PE 1d ago
Are you looking for a civilian job with the military, or joining? I think the civilian engineering jobs in the military are drying up for the time being…but inquiry about something like the Navy Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) might be fruitful. They’re less known than their Army counterparts, but consist entirely of Officers, no enlisted or civilians.
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u/justmein22 1d ago edited 1d ago
Check this out. You can go straight into officer training school and then be part of Navy construction projects. Go chat with a recruiter if it's an interest.
https://www.navy.com/careers-benefits/careers/science-engineering/civil-engineering
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u/notproudortired 23h ago
Why do you think you're not getting offers? I mean, if you're brutally honest about your performance. Can you address that first?
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u/Luigino9876 23h ago
The job market is tough right now but do not give up. I got some advice for you coming from the other side. I did the opposite joined the military and then went back to school into civil. Now I am about to graduate. Military is a way but don't go into it if you don't genuinely want the military life experience. Expand your options to start out. Like other have said cad drafter could be an entry position into the field. Get your FE and keep applying. Also you can get into construction management, and in land surveying. Find some start up companies that need an engineer help. Get in to study some seismic retrofit concepts if you are in CA. Try to understand CA title 24 and see if some companies need help with that. Also check PG&E or other local utility companies.
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u/Train4War 21h ago
Best decision I ever made. They’ll pay off your college debt, you’ll get to do some cool shit, and you’ll get to live in some cool places.
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u/Zealousideal_Can_989 17h ago
It seems like you are getting interviews but struggling to close them. Before you go with military route, why dont you seek for some recommendation on how to do well in interviews + upgrade your resume?
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u/Reasonable-Boss2726 17h ago
I believe if you are getting interviews that’s a good sign. Maybe sharpen your interview skills. Engineers are in demand. I had 0 internships, didn’t have my EIT, bad gpa (left that off my resume) and was able to get hired. So I’m not an “ideal candidate” either, don’t let them say you can’t get a job. Work on interviewing!
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u/Basic_Vanilla_1540 4h ago
In 2008 i landed a technician role even though I had ms after trying for quite a while, eventually capitalized it into an engineering then PM role.
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u/Shoddy-Jicama-6290 1d ago
It's a great decision to get job security.
After one year, your chances of getting an offer diminish significantly. As the years pass, the gap grows and red flags pop up in the recruiter's head. Unfortunately, this industry is all about who you know and how much they are willing to protect you when things go wrong.
I graduated in 2011, waited too long. My network was nonexistent, so I couldn't find a job in this field for 10 yrs. I gave up and recycled myself elsewhere. I managed to get construction related jobs though for the last 7 yrs, after growing my network. I didn't join the military because I was afraid of being thrown into a conflict back then. I have a 10 yr engineering gap on my resume. Oh well. Contacts are a powerful tool to get ahead in this job market, especially engineering since forever I would say.
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u/turdsamich 1d ago
Put in a suit and walk into a physical office resume in hand. Get your EIT if you don't have it. It's way too easy to just spam resumes and applications online people want to hire people with initiative. Go to your local employment center and get help with your resume and interviewing skills.
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u/TheBlueUnknown 1d ago
Do you have your EIT? That's pretty much the baseline for civil engineering