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The job monster
Looking for a new job? Check the Internet
By Terry Persun, Contributing Editor -- Design News, October 15, 2000
Most Internet sites provide a link for job openings within the company. This article will explore possible uses for such links as well as engineers' views concerning the availability of jobs through these links.
The job market for engineers is hopping. High-tech products and services are being designed and manufactured like never before. Plus, Internet positions that require some technical understanding of computers and the ways they work are also opening new doors for engineers. Therefore, job openings are cropping up everywhere. Sites need engineers to answer technical questions, to facilitate collaborations, and to monitor on-line forums and chats.
The use of the Internet to search for components, get training and perform the design function has increased over the past year. Engineers use their computers and the Internet every day, and many of them do the same in the evenings while at home. Engineers are typically first to use any aspect of the Internet because they're familiar with the medium.
Most engineers interviewed for this article were hesitant about having their names mentioned. As one said, "I wouldn't want my present employer to know I'm looking for a new position." This fear provided a major problem in approaching this issue about on-line employment, yet most of those interviewed agreed that the subject needed to be discussed. Perhaps future salary surveys could offer insight into how the Internet affects engineering opportunities and salaries. The truth is that hiring the right people is a key issue for manufacturers. Of even greater importance is working for a respectable company, which is a key issue for design engineers.
Finding work
Engineers interviewed for this piece agreed on the fact that Internet job searches were easier than simply "blast mailing" a resume. One says, "The only place I look for a job is over the Internet. In fact, I go straight to the company I want to work for and continually monitor their job openings." Others monitor the sites of their competition, because they already understand the products being designed. Few of those interviewed send out resumes wholesale to hundreds of sites.
Because most manufacturers have a jobs link on their site's home page, it is easy to check for openings on a daily basis. This method is perfect for bypassing the usual employment agencies, as well as the kind of cold-calling that went on in the past. New graduates can begin their job search long before the school's annual career days and on-site interviews.
Another advantage to job listings on the Internet is the specific details available. An enthusiastic young designer made no excuses for wanting to further his career. He said, "Internet job links provide all the specifics concerning the background and training needed to fulfill a particular position. I use this information as a personal guide while building experience that will help me achieve my future career objectives." Not only can an engineer monitor a company he or she wishes to work for, but she can work to obtain the skills necessary to secure the desired position.
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your web experiences This article is part of a continuing series of monthly pieces on "E-services and the design engineer," sponsored by Hewlett-Packard. Design News will continue to report on the latest developments on the web, and how new web-based products and services make life easier for engineers. Please share with us your experiences with websites that help you do your job better and faster. |
In addition to supplying an engineer with the specifics of a company's needs, the Internet is also a great place to acquire training (see Design News E-services 04.17.00). Once an engineer understands the company's needs, she can easily focus her resume in such a way as to expand on the required issues for a particular position. With the advent of on-line training, on-line design forums, collaborative design opportunities and numerous newsletters and Internet sites at an engineer's fingertips, the actual design of one's career becomes a serious and potentially satisfying possibility.
"I make sure I belong to the right industrial groups where I can meet other engineers who are experts in the field I'm interested in," says one engineer. "This includes on-line communications with the key people in the industry as well." An important aspect of the Internet is that it has literally opened the door for those who wish to meet and communicate with some of the brightest minds in the world. As a one-on-one medium, the Internet allows conversations to become specific and private.
Hiring from the masses
With the Internet, your job listing is open to the entire world of engineers looking for a job. Aguila Technologies, Inc. San Marcos, CA, uses the Internet to hire engineers for key positions. According to M. Albert Capote, President of Aguila, "We use Internet postings frequently and have hired most of our staff that way." The Internet has removed the concerns of where to advertise for a position and whether to use an employment agency or not. Using your own site to solicit resumes means you reach the people who know something about your company. Engineers can quickly and easily familiarize themselves with company philosophy, pro- ducts, and services prior to applying for a job.
"We would use no other system for hiring. It [the Internet] works better than any other method I have ever used, including hiring headhunters," says Capote. When asked if there is any downside to hiring through the Internet, he says, "You get a lot of resumes that you have to sort through. You discard most."
Several engineers admitted to a fear of losing their jobs, particularly in this fast-paced job market. "I monitor my own company's site to make sure they're not looking for someone who has my particular talents," one said. "I know that's not a very confident outlook, but in today's crazy world, it is a possibility." Although this attitude is not typical, the hope is that the best engineers will rise to the top. It's a great opportunity for talented, dedicated professionals.
| Job hunting? Here are some of the hottest sites for engineering jobs on the Internet. | |
|---|---|
| Jobteam.com | www.jobteam.com |
Career Park |
www.careerpark.com |
Net Temps jobs |
www.net-temps.com |
The Space Careers Jobs Store |
http://www.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/spacelinkslimited |
EJ Network Inc |
www.ejnetwork.com/ |
Employers Online |
www.employersonline.com |
Nation Job Network-Engineering and Manufacturing Jobs |
www.nationjob.com/engineering |
Questlink Career Circuit |
www.questlink.com/ |
American Engineering Jobs |
www.americanjobs.com/ |
Engineering Job Source |
www.engineerjobs.com/ |
Best Jobs USA |
www.bestjobsusa.com/ |
1—Jobs.com |
www.1-jobs.com/ |
Engineering Job Postings |
www.listfoundation.org/engineering-jobs.html |
Interactive Engineering Job and Career Center |
ww2.itoday.com/jobs-careers/engineering/ |
Technical/Engineering Jobs |
www.advancedsearch.com/neweng.html |
Monster Board |
www.monster.com/ |
Dice.com |
www.dice.com/ |
Technisource |
www.tsrc.net/tsrc |
A whole new way of computing
By Hewlett-Packard
Engineering design teams are increasingly looking for ways to compute capacity based on changing project/job requirements. Especially within manufacturing companies, a design and development team may find its application usage varies. Some of the computing challenges that design teams face today include:
Flexibility, cost effectiveness, high availability, and scalable capacity.
Reliability and high-performance.
Hosting platform that allows independent software vendors (ISVs) to provide network-enabled software applications to their end-customers.
A flexible/collaboration and virtual private network environment to serve design teams working on complex engineering projects across an organization's supply chain.
These requirements can be effectively addressed by implementing a system in which compute power is delivered based on usage. For engineering and discrete manufacturing companies that need an approach to managing peak processing and storage needs during a design life-cycle, taking an E-services approach can be the most effective path to a common design goal: superior results in the least amount of time for the lowest cost.
In June, 2000, HP introduced HP E-utilica, an E-services platform that is the first cost-effective, secure, network-enabled compute solution for service providers.
In August 2000, Cohere Networks, Inc. (Englewood, Colorado) became one of the first commercial users of HP E-utilica. The platform gives Cohere's customers instant access to applications and compute capacity over the Internet in a secure and scalable way.
HP E-utilica lies at the heart of a new paradigm: comprehensive network-enabled services and technologies that support enterprise-wide collaboration involving very large data files and multimedia applications. The ability to execute against scalable bandwidth, the access to appropriate applications and built-in security are elements that support a new way of working together. Teams in geographically-dispersed locations can easily collaborate on projects without compromising speed, accuracy or security.
For more information, contact: www.hp.com/go/e-utilica .
