What would realistically happen if I decided to forget engineering and go to IT?

[SeductivePig]

I graduated with my BS in EE from Purdue and I'm just thinking in the longterm.. it's been 6 weeks and I don't have a job yet. I have a low gpa with no experience but I know what I want and I'm a hard worker when it comes to money, but I'm not sure if it's worth waiting half a year just to break into the industry.. my resume and cover letter are as good as they get, but I'm just not sure how much longer I can take being unemployed (I work at home making $14/hour at my own leisure but that's not what I went to school for)

I coincidentally have a ton of connections to people in the IT industry.. from senior managers to senior software developers (my own dad is a senior software developer) to just pretty much everyone my parents know.

I could easily spend a couple months learning some programming languages and database type stuff, possibly networking/security administration of some sort and get certifications.


My question is, would I be stuck in a low level entry position for a long time or would I get a respectable position once I start working? I ask because my friend keeps saying IT is a shit job and you're basically doing easy outsourceable work for someone and that there's no fulfillment in it.. I live in a pretty upper class city and everyone I know, even EE's, work in the IT industry.

Yet my dad would be extremely pissed if I did that because I spent so much time and money getting my degree, and he feels that in IT it's too easy to be replaced whereas in power engineering I wouldn't be easily replaceable.. and fyi power engineering is pretty much my dream career.

 

[janas19]

Have you seen the movie Dead Poets Society, where Neil hangs himself because he tried to pursue theatre?

Don't worry, that won't happen to you.

 

[Bignate603]

You're going to give up after 6 weeks? That would be crazy. It can take months of looking to get a good job. Apply like crazy and sooner or later something will work out unless you've got horrendously bad grades and absolutely zero experience.

 

[SeductivePig]

You're going to give up after 6 weeks? That would be crazy. It can take months of looking to get a good job. Apply like crazy and sooner or later something will work out unless you've got horrendously bad grades and absolutely zero experience.

I don't even care if it's a good job, I'm willing to work unpaid.. I do not give a single f*ck about money.

To put it into perspective.. my overall gpa is a 2.5. The only true reason why it's low is because I started off in chemical engineering and messed up several classes and never retook them.. in reality my overall would be a 2.8 if I started off as electrical, but it doesn't matter.

Furthermore I'm definitely not a 2.5 student in my opinion.. had a damn good final semester with 21 credits. Regardless, employers will not care.

Even if I pass the FE exam this April, I can't say for sure that it would help much.. it seems like engineering jobs take a lot more effort to acquire than other jobs simply because of the sheer scrutiny of each potential applicant.

My dad was saying how IT was so easy to get into..

 

[Matthiasa]

Everyone I knew that was an EE that took the FE said it was joke. Without, or with minimal, studying they passed.
However unless your going to power stuff, and only a few things at that, you don't actually need it. Just do a job check to see if you really need it.

But yeah given a lot of EE stuff is really just programming getting better at that, doing IT stuff, while trying to find something in it would most likely help.

 

[SeductivePig]

Everyone I knew that was an EE that took the FE said it was joke. Without, or with minimal, studying they passed.
However unless your going to power stuff, and only a few things at that, you don't actually need it. Just do a job check to see if you really need it.

But yeah given a lot of EE stuff is really just programming getting better at that, doing IT stuff, while trying to find something in it would most likely help.

I'm sure most jobs won't need it but I was told by a hiring manager that an FE would assuage a potential employer's concern about my low gpa. And the only jobs I'm applying to are power related so it can't hurt to have it considering I might need it in the future if I pursue an EE job..

 

[Bignate603]

I don't even care if it's a good job, I'm willing to work unpaid.. I do not give a single f*ck about money.

Most places doing internships aren't looking for people that have graduated but I guess you could still try a few and see what happens.

To put it into perspective.. my overall gpa is a 2.5. The only true reason why it's low is because I started off in chemical engineering and messed up several classes and never retook them.. in reality my overall would be a 2.8 if I started off as electrical, but it doesn't matter.

You're right that it doesn't matter. Most employers don't care about the difference between 2.8 and 2.5. Both are going to make it tough to find a job. Your best shot to get around your GPA is to start networking. Try to find somebody that does what you want to do and make sure the know you're looking for a job. If they like you it's far more likely that they'll overlook the fact that your GPA is pretty bad.

 

[masteryoda34]

Software Development != IT

 

[SeductivePig]

Software Development != IT

I agree, was just giving an example. If I went into IT I wouldn't want to get into software development.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Someone has to die or retire for a job to open up in power engineering it seems. I too graduated with an EE degree with a power specialization. I ended up going into software development since I couldn't find a job in power.

The people I know that did end up getting jobs in power all interned for 1-2 summers for a company. Pretty much if you didn't intern with them, you weren't getting a job.

 

[burr4392]

If you are still in the Lafayette area, I would recommend that you attend the Greater Lafayette Startup Weekend event next weekend (Feb 10-12). Its $30 and you will meet a ton of great contacts in the community which could lead to a job or your team could continue on from the weekend and create a company. If you are no longer in the area, find one near you. I went to one back in November and it was the best $50 I ever spent.

http://greaterlafayette.startupweekend.org/

 

[Hacp]

Haven't you heard? All the engineering jobs have moved out of the country.

 

[Fritzo]

IT sucks. I've been in it for 15 years and just got out of it. The real fun is in development. App and web development are in demand fields and are actually very rewarding.

With development, you create something that large numbers of people use to make their lives easier. With IT, you listen to people complain about problems and try to fix them.

IT will really bring you down over time. Avoid it.

 

[Ninjahedge]

6 weeks is nothing. It took me 3 months to get a callback for Structural Engineering when I got out with Honors from Stanford on a research Assistanceship.

You will have problems with a GPA below 3 though, regardless of what may have caused it.

Also, saying you are "Dedicated and willing to work hard" and still have a crappy GPA and want to look for something else at 6 weeks does not lend credibility to your statement. You can start sending out feelers if you want, but IT has also had a downfall since its heyday in the 90's. You can no longer be a garage tweaker with a love of components and become the manager of a medium sized firms IT department in 5 years (which was startlingly common when I was coming up through the ranks).

You have to realize that your job as "IT" may not be what you want, but you will get "experience" and some cash. Apply for both if you want, but keep applying even after you get interviews.

 

[Bignate603]

Haven't you heard? All the engineering jobs have moved out of the country.

Wow, somebody should tell the two companies I'm interviewing with for engineering jobs. They must have missed the memo!

There are plenty of engineering jobs around. Some specific areas have more opening than others but engineering is one of the fields where we really aren't graduating enough to meet demand. They've outsourced some stuff but two things are happening. The first is that companies are getting wiser about the true cost of outsourcing those jobs. The second is that the people in foreign countries have realized that they can demand higher wages. At my current position they were saying that the cost of an engineer in India was rising well over 10% a year.

 

[SeductivePig]

Someone has to die or retire for a job to open up in power engineering it seems. I too graduated with an EE degree with a power specialization. I ended up going into software development since I couldn't find a job in power.

The people I know that did end up getting jobs in power all interned for 1-2 summers for a company. Pretty much if you didn't intern with them, you weren't getting a job.

What were your credentials when you graduated? Gpa, experience, and how long did you search for a job in power? When did you graduate?

And what did you have to do to get into software development?

IT sucks. I've been in it for 15 years and just got out of it. The real fun is in development. App and web development are in demand fields and are actually very rewarding.

With development, you create something that large numbers of people use to make their lives easier. With IT, you listen to people complain about problems and try to fix them.

IT will really bring you down over time. Avoid it.

My dad says the same thing, he works with Cognos and has been doing it for 22-23 years and he always tells me not to go into it. IF I do, I think he'd be severely disappointed.

6 weeks is nothing. It took me 3 months to get a callback for Structural Engineering when I got out with Honors from Stanford on a research Assistanceship.

You will have problems with a GPA below 3 though, regardless of what may have caused it.

Also, saying you are "Dedicated and willing to work hard" and still have a crappy GPA and want to look for something else at 6 weeks does not lend credibility to your statement. You can start sending out feelers if you want, but IT has also had a downfall since its heyday in the 90's. You can no longer be a garage tweaker with a love of components and become the manager of a medium sized firms IT department in 5 years (which was startlingly common when I was coming up through the ranks).

You have to realize that your job as "IT" may not be what you want, but you will get "experience" and some cash. Apply for both if you want, but keep applying even after you get interviews.

When people say they've been searching for months, how much of that time is spent really searching? 5 applications per day? Networking every day? What do they spend their time doing?

I realize I won't get what I want in IT because there are people with much more experience, but I'm trying to understand if the fact that I have an EE degree combined with some programming knowledge will set me apart from people who have no degrees and the same knowledge, or people who have non engineering degrees with the same knowledge.

 

[misle]

I have a BSEE and my GPA wasn't much better than yours. Took me 4 months to find a job, but it was well worth the wait.

My recommendation would be to leave you GPA off of your resume. Really brush up on your interview skills and apply everywhere that's remotely interesting. Hopefully, they will like you enough that by the time they ask about your GPA, they will already be sold on you.

I took a job, worked there for 2 years then applied to a place that wouldn't even look at me straight out of college (due to my GPA), I was hired almost immediately and I've been there for 4 years now.

Edit: By the way, I work in Power and never did any internships. If you go to a small local utility, then yes, you have to wait for people to retire, but if it's a large utility or a consultant that does work for utilities (like Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Power Engineers, etc), they are always hiring.

 

[alkemyst]

I'd go Cisco Certifications while you are waiting. UC/Voice or Security are HUGE right now.

If you can get to a Voice CCNP level and speak to it (easy in about 1 year of dedication) you should be able to get a $80k position or better with a nice bene package.

IMHO going CCIE is the biggest bang for buck right now.

 

[quikah]

It is pretty stupid to give up after 6 weeks.

I have a BS in Aerospace Engineering. Looking back, it was a mistake, never got good enough grades and didn't pursue internships to get into the field.

I started doing phone support for an ISP (that SUCKED) then switched to a QA position for a small but growing outsourcing company. I spent a LONG time there (~7 years), the pay was mediocre, but I was able to get a lot of really good experience (also the people there were a lot of fun) and I now am working at a major software company making very good money. It took a long time to get to a good place in my career, I think I could have avoided a lot of the crap if I had some sort of CS degree. Of course I was also a lazy shit when I was younger, which probably was the major cause of being stuck at the lower levels for a long time. 🙂

 

[SeductivePig]

I have a BSEE and my GPA wasn't much better than yours. Took me 4 months to find a job, but it was well worth the wait.

My recommendation would be to leave you GPA off of your resume. Really brush up on your interview skills and apply everywhere that's remotely interesting. Hopefully, they will like you enough that by the time they ask about your GPA, they will already be sold on you.

I took a job, worked there for 2 years then applied to a place that wouldn't even look at me straight out of college (due to my GPA), I was hired almost immediately and I've been there for 4 years now.

Edit: By the way, I work in Power and never did any internships. If you go to a small local utility, then yes, you have to wait for people to retire, but if it's a large utility or a consultant that does work for utilities (like Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, Power Engineers, etc), they are always hiring.

Very interesting.. wouldn't larger companies have more competition though? And how many companies do you think you applied to before getting an offer in those 4 months?

I'm getting discouraged because I had a call this morning, she called twice, left email and a voicemail. Once I talked to her it seemed to be fine, but then she asked my gpa and literally said I'll see what I can do, thank you kindly. Pretty sure I won't be getting a call back, and this was for a small family owned company too.

 

[SeductivePig]

I'd go Cisco Certifications while you are waiting. UC/Voice or Security are HUGE right now.

If you can get to a Voice CCNP level and speak to it (easy in about 1 year of dedication) you should be able to get a $80k position or better with a nice bene package.

IMHO going CCIE is the biggest bang for buck right now.

Right now I'm making $14/hr working at home for a small company that deals with google. I could be terminated at any time. I am not sure if what you suggest puts me in a position for the long term; is there any job security or room for growth in what you suggested, if it's possible to make that much money after one year?

 

[Wyndru]

Hopefully you won't end up like me. I just found out today I'm being laid off from my 3rd IT job in a row 🙁 (network and desktop support tech for a school district).

I can't stay put in a job long enough to build seniority, so I'm always the first to go when finances are bad.

I'm going to try getting back into application or web development again, I hated it out of college, but it seems a bit more in demand.

 

[alkemyst]

Right now I'm making $14/hr working at home for a small company that deals with google. I could be terminated at any time. I am not sure if what you suggest puts me in a position for the long term; is there any job security or room for growth in what you suggested, if it's possible to make that much money after one year?

We are hiring at those salaries. I'd expect the minimum to be $60-65k in most markets for a fresh CCNP that didn't braindump his tests and can actually talk about arp, spanning tree and how switching and routing work. I had a ton of IS/IT experience but nothing really in network engineering and was able to make a 'step up' move.

CCNA/CCNP can be accomplished in a month. In reality if you dedicate 8 hours a day everyday, CCIE is doable in 18 months or so and pretty much guaranteed to put you at six figures....I know of no CCIE that has ever been unemployed for more than a week or two.

It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

jeez,

glad I got out of school when I did. When I graduated in 99 with a Construction Science & Management degree I had 6 job offers before graduation...

 

[Stuxnet]

My question is, would I be stuck in a low level entry position for a long time or would I get a respectable position once I start working? I ask because my friend keeps saying IT is a shit job and you're basically doing easy outsourceable work for someone and that there's no fulfillment in it.. I live in a pretty upper class city and everyone I know, even EE's, work in the IT industry.

First let me say that when you say "IT," I'm assuming you mean software development. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

If you're good at it, no, you won't be stuck in a low level position. Good developers are difficult to come by because the market is saturated with mediocre people. If you're assertive and you're not afraid to move around a bit to elevate your career, you could be in a senior (aka Senior Programmer / Analyst) position within 3 or 4 years, give or take. From there you can go on to be some flavor of a lead, management, a mixture of both, whatever. There are plenty of options.

As for the outsourcing concern, this has been something developers have been worrying over for a decade, yet demand is as high right now as it's ever been (at least in my area). Yes, companies are outsourcing some of their work, but it's also biting them in the ass over and over and over again. Many are learning that it's cheaper to just have it done right the first time and not deal with the associated headaches of offshore workers. In fact, a few months ago I finished a project where my team was enhancing some online offerings for a major credit card company and my team had to work with their team, but their team was offshore. Total nightmare and they eventually dismissed the offshore component and replaced them with in-house developers. Smooth sailing after that.

Yet my dad would be extremely pissed if I did that because I spent so much time and money getting my degree, and he feels that in IT it's too easy to be replaced whereas in power engineering I wouldn't be easily replaceable.. and fyi power engineering is pretty much my dream career.

It's probably true that developers are more easily outsourced than power engineers (depending on how close to the manufacturing process you're talking about), but demand for developers is ridiculously higher than just about any other field. Seriously, it's almost stupid - I'm turning away work because I can't find enough good people at times. I don't know what salary expectations are for power engineers, but good developers can get into six figures. But I mean it when I say the good ones. Not that $50k - $60k is a bad salary, but that's where the bulk of developers end up. Top ones can make $130k - $150k (which is about where things top out, at least from what I've seen), but demand is much lower at that end because for every Architect position there are 50 developer positions.

BUT...

If power engineering is your dream career, then I can't recommend it enough that you pursue it at extreme costs. 15 years ago I followed the money and now I'm in the process of doing what I should have done in the beginning. Money is nice, but it isn't everything. Plus, you're young: no house, no kids... you're free to take your time and make choices that will make you happier in the long run.

I agree, was just giving an example. If I went into IT I wouldn't want to get into software development.

😳