Graduate Electronic Engineers

Dr. Bill · 24-11-2005 6:25pm #1

Any graduates having trouble getting a start??? What companies are recruiting graduate engineers at the moment?

OFDM · 27-11-2005 12:52am

Fierce difficult at the moment. I know a good few people who've had to go abroad to get anything.

Dr. Bill · 27-11-2005 3:05pm

Where abouts did they go .... Folks are driving me mad to get a job. I think they think I'm just a lazy gig .... but i've sent out about 50 CV since last July. Any suggestions???

poker_face · 28-11-2005 3:19pm

I'm in the same boat as yourself Dr. Bill. It's awful annoying, i might consider going back doing a taught masters of some sort nex year. Where are people looking for jobs abroad and has anyone any decent links to possible recruitment sites. I started looking into places in england but i reckon most recruitment agencies would be put off by the fact that I don't live there.

Dr. Bill · 28-11-2005 3:36pm

Totally agree ..... I've tried reeds.co.uk and monster.co.uk but as you say you'd have to move over there. Why would you bother bring someone over from Ireland when you have loads of graduates in England that are in the same boat.

I've tried www.gradIreland.com here but am getting nowhere. Its a joke. Don't know would a Masters make any difference. Its all about getting experience.

Wavey · 30-11-2005 1:22pm

Hi guys,
Was in your boat a few yrs ago. Mechanical engineering though.

Dont bother with agencies or web sites. They are a waste of time.

Get the Indo and the Times on Thursday and Friday and look for Company ads, not agency ads.

Join the IEI and ring them to get the names and phone numbers of Engineering Managers in suitable companies. Then get on the phone to them. Dont bother with email as you wont get a reply.

Best of luck.

Wavey

daveirl · 02-12-2005 6:47pm

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MisterAnarchy · 06-12-2005 2:29am

The government would have us believe there is a jobs boom...
What a joke.

daveirl · 06-12-2005 7:30pm

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Dr. Bill · 07-12-2005 1:01am

But for graduate engineers .... what hope is there??

MisterAnarchy · 07-12-2005 3:09am

Why we have pretty much 0% unemployment.

There is a jobs boom ;if you want to stack shelves,stack bricks and work in low paid jobs .
There are very few good jobs out there.
The building sector is booming and so is the low income market as seen by the negligible increase in tax income during the last year despite the large number of new jobs.
I have a relatively well paid job but most of the people I know across a wide range of disciplines dont have good jobs.
There is a big difference between having 'A' job and a 'Good' job.
Lots of jobs,very few good jobs.

Agent Smith · 07-12-2005 3:13am

MisterAnarchy wrote:

There is a jobs boom ;if you want to stack shelves,stack bricks...

tbh The building Trade is one of the best paid trades at present, a good labourer can come out with 500 a week,

a good qualified bricklayer can get up to and around 2000 a week

MisterAnarchy · 07-12-2005 3:33am

Yip Building is the place to be.

Fmicrochip · 07-12-2005 3:02pm

I think the situation is going to get worse.
Did anyone see the atricle in the current BusinessWeek magazine?
Basically saying how there are huge numbers of talented engineers in central Europe(i would have called it eastern europe), Poland,Bulgaria etc.
The wages are a good bit cheaper and will be for the next 10 years or so.
Alot of the big companies are setting up offices there.

The only thing they are missing in those countries is management talent.

Dr. Bill · 07-12-2005 4:14pm

So basically its been a waste doing engineering in college!!!!

MisterAnarchy · 07-12-2005 7:44pm

The Governmet have alot to answer for.
Blatantly deceiving young people into thinking Engineering/Computers is a boom area.
I recently received a circular plugging IT courses in a local college,stating 'that there is a huge demand for It personnel and will be for the next few years'
Thats disgraceful.

Boredinwork · 08-12-2005 1:06pm

Feel your pain guys, went through all that myself for a while. Did the postgrad thing and everything. Eventually got work but not entirely happy with it. If you want my advice, head to England for a while, how much is a Ryanair flight anyway!!! You will get paid better, get better work and experience that in Ireland. Also the car's are cheaper, houses are cheaper, drink is cheaper and women are easier. What more do you want. Actually thinking of heading myself at the minute!!! If not there Australia, Ireland is just to expensive. !!

Fmicrochip · 08-12-2005 3:21pm

I'm just not sure if Ireland is an 'engineering country'.
I think of Germany as an 'engineering country', Siemens,Bosch, big automotive industry etc. And the important point is that it is established there.
Compare this with Ireland...

Dr. Bill · 08-12-2005 6:38pm

But I'm sure England would have there surplace of engineers. Our college is always trying to promote electronics and computers ... for what I ask my self. Basically to keep the lecturers in a job ... thats all.

68 lost souls · 28-12-2005 9:27pm

I've had three jobs since graduating im 04

6 months contart with IBM as a test and Debug tech (over qualified, however good pay and experience) there alwasy looking fro staff cintact multiflex in blandchardstown

then a got a full time electronic design engineers job with Motorola. who pulled out of Ireland 6 months later making me and the rest iof the design house redundant.

now working as installation/service/desgin engineer with a tiny Irish firm.#

take what you can, it will open doors.

daveirl · 29-12-2005 3:24pm

This post has been deleted.

CathalMc · 29-12-2005 4:11pm

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Motorola SPS (EE IC design) were haemorrhaging money the last few years, there were pretty drastic overhauls needed which most likely resulted in the Motorola closure mentioned above, some considerable restructuring, and splitting off of the section to form Freescale. In this instance, your experience was just bad luck, albeit - I suspect - also a symptom of some of the recent depressions in the market.

Interesting perhaps: Analog Devices have a good reputation with regards to maintaining their workforce during poor market conditions - and are quite aggressive with hiring new grads recently.

spunkymunky · 29-12-2005 4:29pm

I got my degree in 2003 and found a job as a 'maintanence engineer' in Intel. Contractor at the time. The money was great but the job was sh1t. It was on shift, days and nights. Hard to have a proper life. So i decided to chuck it in. I looked for about 4 months before i did and then was unemployed for 2 still looking. Nothing came back. Most application didnt even get a reply good or bad!!!!
I took a job in a bank and am still doing it now, not looking so much for engineering jobs but am looking at the IT department. My foot is well and truely in the door and i have gone for aptitude tests regarding I.T.
Still waiting to here back.
Its not easy but might eventually lead to me using my degree!!

scorptech · 09-01-2006 1:53pm

Hi,

I hope someone can help in this forum.

I'm looking to speak to someone who is a electrical/mechanical engineer who knows about magnetics/motors in general.

I have an idea regarding free energy. I am an IT professional with a basic background in electronics and science. I have researched Tesla's theories in magnetics and would like to discuss my potential idea with someone who knows the theory and practical side of building a motor.

I'm not sure whether this will work, hence why I need to speak to someone who knows this area very well. If it does work, then the potential will be unbelieveable!!

Anyone interested in having a chat??

Scorptech

toiletduck · 09-01-2006 2:21pm

f*ck! i'll be sending off my CV shortly (im in final year electronic eng) and i didnt think things were so bad!

Tar.Aldarion · 09-01-2006 2:26pm

They had better be better in a few years :eek:

amistyfog · 09-01-2006 7:50pm

This topic is seriously leading me to question putting engineering as my sole option on the CAO application

Boston · 10-01-2006 10:45am

I honestly don't know. I'm in third year now, and we've had several companies in offering us job before we even take have our final results after fourth year. Intel being the only one that stood out in my mind.

Tar.Aldarion · 10-01-2006 4:05pm

amistyfog wrote:

This topic is seriously leading me to question putting engineering as my sole option on the CAO application

I was gonna do that too but you should have thrown something else down aswell. I put down law and theoretical physics just in case...then you can at least change your mind.

daveirl · 12-01-2006 10:06pm

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Teg Veece · 21-01-2006 9:54pm

What are the advantages/disadvantages of taking the Masters or PhD route after you graduate?

daveirl · 22-01-2006 8:03pm

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PDelux · 23-01-2006 11:16am

IBM was advertising for a good few positions in the Irish Times last Friday. worth a look.

theCzar · 24-01-2006 3:28pm

I think a lot of engineers, myself included expected to have companies falling over themselves to secure my signature... doesn't happen.

However for all the worriers, there's loads of jobs for grad elec engineers out there, but it takes time to figure out where to look. I graduated from UCD in 2005 with a 2.1, I was fairly picky about what I applied for and was unemployed until Christmas, I have since had 2 offers and I expect a 3rd in the next day or too.

Ericsson and Intel hire loads of people, but Intel are mostly mechanical/process engineer positions. I was the last of my friends to secure a full time position. I have 3 friends in Ericsson, maybe a 4th soon, another in Intel and several doing post grads.

I've seen people post here questioning the wisdom about doing elec eng, but I whole-heartedly endose it as a course because even if the elec jobs are there, theres loads of companys who love to hire engineers.

I'm taking a job with CGG, where I'll be working as a Geophysicist aboard a survey vessel, the position said it required a M.Sci but I got it with a B.E.

Teg Veece · 25-01-2006 12:13am

From what I can make out a masters is more industry focused where as a PhD would be leading you down the path of lecturer/researcher...
Does a PhD give you the "Dr." before your name our is that something separate altogether?

dingding · 25-01-2006 12:21am

Teg Veece wrote:

From what I can make out a masters is more industry focused where as a PhD would be leading you down the path of lecturer/researcher...
Does a PhD give you the "Dr." before your name our is that something separate altogether?

Yes

Teg Veece · 26-01-2006 10:53pm

Correct me if I'm wrong but do students taking a PhD course get paid for it?

copacetic · 27-01-2006 1:15pm

Teg Veece wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong but do students taking a PhD course get paid for it?

you don't take a phd course, you do a phd by research and often it is part funded by EU or industry or whatever..

dudara · 29-01-2006 6:04pm

Generally PhD and Research masters sutdents get paid somewhere in the region of €1k per month. This will last for about 3-4 yrs and 18-24 months respectively.

My PhD funding was cut after 3 years, and I spent the next 2 doing a succession of jobs, lecturing and tutoring in order to earn enough money to support myself while finishing it. It was worth it though. i've two generous job offers on the table at the moment ( in a different industry to my PhD)

Teg Veece · 01-02-2006 9:40am

Thanks for clearing that up.
Dudara, do you think doing a PhD is worth giving up 4 years of earned pay? Are the job opportunities that much better?

copacetic · 01-02-2006 10:35am

i'll chime in on that if dudara doesn't mind, I don't think it's worth it for the money, only if you really want to do what the phd is in. i have a couple of friends who did phds and they did get good jobs when finished, but I had 3-4 years experience in the meantime and done a funded masters. so at the end of the 4 years had got that 4 years of pay, 4 years of experience and was better off money wise in the job too.

Now they do have their phds and possible will overtake me as they build up experience to go with it, but all in all I would take my route again given the choice..

binaryboy · 09-02-2006 12:27pm

are things really that bad out there?

theCzar · 09-02-2006 1:31pm

binaryboy wrote:

are things really that bad out there?

no. Everybody I know of from my class is either in a good job or full time postgrad.

binaryboy · 09-02-2006 2:32pm

theCzar wrote:

no. Everybody I know of from my class is either in a good job or full time postgrad.

cool! just sent off a few cv's in the past week

themole · 09-02-2006 5:30pm

daveym wrote:

i'll chime in on that if dudara doesn't mind, I don't think it's worth it for the money, only if you really want to do what the phd is in. i have a couple of friends who did phds and they did get good jobs when finished, but I had 3-4 years experience in the meantime and done a funded masters. so at the end of the 4 years had got that 4 years of pay, 4 years of experience and was better off money wise in the job too.

Now they do have their phds and possible will overtake me as they build up experience to go with it, but all in all I would take my route again given the choice..

i would agree whith that.

i am doing a PhD now and it only worth doing if you want to really do it.

don't think of the money. money wise the best thing would be to do as said above, then if you still wanted a PhD you could have saved up money to stop working and do it , of even do it part time.

remember you can always start doing a masters by research and upgrade it to a PhD if things are going well.

i you do decided to do a PhD put a lot of research into it. choosing the right supervisor is very important. look into how regarded they are in their field, as well as how many students they have. if they have too much you may never see them, but if they don't have any, or very few it could mean they are only starting off themselves.

ardmacha · 09-02-2006 8:58pm

A elec eng friend of mine who wanted a change of scene did the Master of Management Science in the Smurfit Business School in UCD. This is a maths/computer type course and it leads people into the IT/Mangt consulting end of things.

dudara · 09-02-2006 11:11pm

If you do a PhD you have to be certain about it. You are going to have another 4 years of penury when compared to your class colleagues. i'm way behind some of the people who graduated in my class.

However, even though I'm leaving the area I worked in, I've learned loads from my PhD, ability to tackle problems, assign, delgate, and time manage. You will also be more mature than recent graduates when you enter the market, this is a plus You will learn lots in a PhD, just be sure about it. It's very easy to get discouraged when you don't have a lot of money.

Since I'm not continuing in research I'm going for jobs at graduate level, but the offers are 2-3k more generous than for a standard graduate. However, I expect my extra maturity to show faster and result in improved performance. Employers like the maturity angle.

68 lost souls · 10-02-2006 12:53pm

I was working fro Motorola ESG (Energy Supply group) who closed down, we were designing batteries for mobile devices.

Cork is mainly just software based place

blondie83 · 13-02-2006 6:15pm

theCzar wrote:

no. Everybody I know of from my class is either in a good job or full time postgrad.

Well I can think of one exception...but everyone else seems to be set up nicely! Well done on the job by the way - looks pretty interesting. Is it "few months on, few months off", or just constantly on board with 28 days leave, or what? I'm gonna have to think about looking for a job soon enough myself now :cool:

theCzar · 13-02-2006 6:53pm

blondie83 wrote:

Well I can think of one exception...but everyone else seems to be set up nicely! Well done on the job by the way - looks pretty interesting. Is it "few months on, few months off", or just constantly on board with 28 days leave, or what? I'm gonna have to think about looking for a job soon enough myself now :cool:

Ah blondie, long time no see, I hope your going to Edlad's birthday!

5 weeks aboard ship, followed by 5 weeks leave in the country of my choice. I get ferried back and forth by chopper. :v:

finnpark · 03-03-2006 1:05am

Electronic Engineering jobs are few and far between at the moment.

As far as a taught masters it is a waste of time.

The government are pulling the wool over our eyes. Its easy to gloss up the figures. Engineering is the worst area to pck at the moment if yo want a job. Without a good 1/1 degree then your chances are between 0 and none. The best you can expect is a technician job.

Graduate Electronic Engineers

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