Need advice on career as fresh graduate
 

Hi all,

I am a fresh graduate from NUS Mechanical Engineering this year May/July. The reason why I studied Mechanical Engineering in the first place was because I was not sure what I wanted to do in the future and people said that Engineering was the broadest discipline, and Mechanical Engineering was the broadest engineering discipline also.

But after graduating, I found that this is not really the case. I have not had much luck in getting interviews in non-mechanical engineering fields, even fields like mechatronics and industrial automation seem to prefer EEE grads over Mech.

Personally, I feel myself more interested in IT-related stuff like desktop support/servers/IP/LAN (not programming) and have tried to apply to this kind of entry jobs where the job description states it is open to all degrees. But as most of them are diploma/nitec level, some of them told me that I am overqualified for the position and they don't want to consider me at all even when I said that I do not mind the pay at all.

So, I am not sure what I should do if I still really want to do IT. Do I really need to take up any further diplomas/degrees/certs to get into the IT line? Or maybe I should just stay in the engineering field? I don't really have much interest in M&E stuff like thermodynamics/fluid mechanics, my interests are more towards mechatronics and automation stuff which is covered by EEE grads.

Lastly, I haven't got an offer at all after 4-5 months. (I've been applying to both engineering fields and IT diploma entry level jobs) Is this normal ? Some people say it's normal but when you see everyone around you getting jobs one by one, it is a bit demoralizing. I've been to 7-8 interviews already, mostly SMEs and know where is my weakness and trying to improve on it (some interviewers are very frank and say that I am too soft-spoken and don't show enough confidence). Also, my grades are not good either, I was in a direct honors program but my GPA was not good enough, my GPA is only less than 3.

My dilemma is that when I apply for degree level jobs, I lose out to my peers based on my grades and interview skills, and when I do not mind the pay and apply for diploma level jobs, they think that I am over-qualified (most of them would rather prefer diploma holders with experience), or am I thinking too much ?

You are lucky, I am free now so I give you some advice.

When you go for an interview, first thing you see the interviewer is SMILE and say HELLO! If they ask you how are you, just say I'm GOOD. Then you proceed to the room right. LOOK the interviewer in the eyes for 80% of the time, meaning the whole duration of the interview, 80% you must give eye contact, 20% of the time you can look at the ceiling, or the window on the left. Mind you, do not stare!, just give a neutral, calm and steady gaze.

Whatever they ask you, just be honest but not too honest, do not take too long to answer their question, dare to clarify some questions if you are unsure.

Do not be scared of the interviewer, just think: they are also regular jobbers like you and me, striving for a bowl of rice in a company. when they leave office, they are also talking COCK to their friends. YOU should strive to make an impression on them, you are already spending time there, make it a GOOD one, don't waste your time and theirs.

If you try to make an impression on them, you have a CHANCE. if you appear low confidence and self-esteemed, you automatically dead.

you have stated so many reasons why a hiring manager would reject you based on the roles you are currently interviewing for

but you have not stated any strengths at all on why you should be considered over your competitors (whether in dip IT roles or graduate positions). contrary to popular belief, the low baller doesn't always get the job, stating you are willing to take a lower pay isn't a strength, its an obvious sign you are desperate and might not have the skills required to fit the role (thus you have to make it up by getting paid less)

even while reading your thread it feels like you have no idea what you want to do and i bet its showing blatantly in your interviews

its time to build up that confidence and think about why you should be considered despite all your weaknesses you have stated

you have can't think of any reasons, fake the confidence and passion or you are likely going to end up jobless for an extended period...

Thanks very much for your advice, but I've been doing that most of the time. There's just sort of like a "unconfident aura" around me, which you probably understand when you see someone like me out there.

But my interviews now are definitely better than my first 2 or 3, and actually now thinking back, the hardest interviews and the ones I learnt most were the ones where the bosses interviewed me directly instead of the interviewer/hiring manager. So, for some of them, they aren't really regular jobbers.

Hi, actually what I really want to do is either PLC-related stuff/wireless comms/security or data analysts in IT

But sadly, sometimes it's not like you can always get the dream job you want at your first shot, so of course I have to try for 2nd best, at least in the areas I am interested in. So far, all the jobs I have applied for I definitely have some interest in it because I was a little picky. How do I know that? Because when my friends found out about how little applications I sent, they asked me to just spam instead of being so picky. Maybe I just need to work on showing my interest more.

As for trying to state my strengths instead of lowballing, I have tried to do that whenever there is a chance to use a cover letter, but for most applications in that field I can only send the resume directly (either the job portal or company website does not use cover letters). The problem with dip IT roles is not that I did badly for the interviews, is that I didn't even have any success in getting any interviews with them at all. It was a close friend in that line who told me that for such jobs, they would rather hire diploma/nitec holders with some experience rather than a graduate, for fear that the graduate might disappear suddenly after getting a better offer elsewhere while still working.

Put yourself in their shoes. The real reason why they don't hire you is because they are worried you are not passionate about the job and will waste their money hiring you.

You need to prove that you really want that job. That means talking to people to know more about their job.

I think you've got to strike a good balance between what you like as kind of general hobby interest and what the actual labour market realities are. I am a recruiter in the IT industry and I can tell you with confidence you continue like that almost guarantee you will still not have a IT job even if given 1 more year.

First let's start off with your actual interest:

IT-related stuff like desktop support/servers/IP/LAN (not programming) - Quite honestly this kind of stuff is considered in the market as super low skilled even by offshore BPO standards. What this means is most of such jobs have either been offshored to BPO vendors in India/Philippines and are generally entry level even for them.

Of the few such roles still remaining in Singapore, most are also taken by expereinced Indians and Pinoys S-Pass holders with degrees from third tier university where standards are about par with our higher NITEC. The market is so depressed with supply far outstripping demand that even our local dploma and higher NITEC folks are avoiding this space as it's hard to compete with the foreigners on these low wages.

My advice for you is if you are interested in this kind of general IT hardware stuff, pursue it as a hobby and not as a job.

Secondly, on the matter of should you study more certs to pursue IT jobs:

You gotta be more specific what sort of IT jobs you are really interested in. Most are now in the doldrums and with only specific pockets still commanding marketability. A lot of the higher value add jobs would be out of your reach even if you go about studying/buying some IT cert now.

If those general hardware jobs is the extent of your interest, then I suggest you better not waste time & money getting a cert, it won't help. All you will end up is some old diploma guy who is fighting for freshie jobs with the Indians and young locals, won't get anywhere.

So what's next?

To be real candid about it, a GPA < 3 the chances of joining a technical role in large companies is almost zero. Even SMEs would not consider unless they are really desperate or you were real impressive during interview.

The only realistic option I can think of for you is to look for corporate function jobs like administration, customer service, sales & marketing analysis, hr etc in SMEs. You might still have a decent chance in this kind of jobs and they being less technical, most employers will not put so much emphasis on your poor academics.

No doubt you will say these jobs are not your interest, but I think it's also a good wake up call for you. A job is not a hobby, being able to work in what you like is akin to striking a lottery. If your acadmic and presentation skills are not there, you find jobs that you have a realistic chance of getting, not what you feel like doing.

below 3 for GPA is really jialat, cannot even get 3rd class honors, think is just pass with honors

if i were you i will just apply any job i can find posted and just pray hard that someone will make offer. u still got time to think about only apply jobs in fields u like har.

Start with your own social circle, relatives, friends etc.

Build strong rapport , do not underestimate the power of word of mouth and recommendation. Modern hiring manager do not just hire base on paper cert alone, they hired because they trust that you can perform, which you probably have 3-6months probation period to prove them right, else, you are probably gone.

@froth_lord

Thanks, that is really helpful. You are right, after a few days of researching and asking other people for advice, most people advise me to purse that IT stuff as a hobby rather than trying to make a career out of it.


Nope, its just pass, not even pass with merit. not exactly fields that I like, just that as long as I don't hate the job completely, its ok with me. So far I have 10 interviews out of around 90 applications (I didn't put that I have honours in my resume nor indicated my GPA there), so I think its still not too bad, except that running out of coys to apply to soon.

But I don't think GPA below 3 is as jialat as you say, I have a few friends GPA below 3 but they managed to find jobs with decent pay for fresh grad (>2.5k), they are of course a little more confident than me but not really that good either.. because when I tried to ask them for advice during interviews, they couldn't tell me much, a lot of the questions I faced they never got asked before

yea.. connections and word of mouth this day is impt.. I had a fren with 2nd lower honors but couldn't find a job either.. until someone recommended him directly to a MNC company hiring manager and just skipped the HR completely.

so far, I've taken up a temp job which there is chance to get a perm position after the assignment is over, but they told me last time that I was overqualified for the position and they would have to consider.. also looking at taking up internships.

worst comes to worst, I would just take up temp $7-$10/hr jobs which are in abundance and then try to improve myself (in terms of both presentation skills and technical knowledge) during that period of time!

I have GPA < 3 for local mechnical engineering degree. Starting pay is pathetic at 2.4k close to 5 years ago. Now is drawing decent salary close to 100k pa.

Just lower ur expectations and work diligently to show ur employer that u are keen to learn and improve.