| Topic Name: |
Pulling My Hair Out - Need Advice |
| Message Name: |
update, and some good news |
| Date Posted: |
03/20/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
I'm feeling like I'm at the end of my rope, so I thought I'd post here and see if anyone has any ideas for me.
Here's my profile:
*BS Mechanical Engineering, GPA: 3.5
*MBA (entrepreneurship concentration) from a regional program with a top 20 entrepreneurship program
*MS Telecommunications from same regional school, Telecom program is ranked in top 5
*Combined grad school GPA: 3.8
3 years of engineering experience in the automotive industry prior to grad school, great experience with a lot of management responsibility and international customer contact.
3 good internships during grad school, including one that was a full-time product management position for a start-up Internet infrastructure company
2 product management offers when I graduated, I declined both because I really wanted to be in the Telecom industry (and they weren't). Yes, in retrospect, turning down these offers was a huge mistake.
Those job offers were in December 2000.
Since then I've been job hunting, networking, and running repeatedly into a brick wall. Luckily I've been able to live on my savings and the occasional business plan consulting gig. I've also had the opportunity to do some international travel, so the time off hasn't been completely bad. But now as my savings dwindles, I'm getting desperate. I originally focused on Product Management positions, but it seems like I'm not seeing any that dont want at least 3 years of experience in a Product Management role. Funny how quickly that tune changed from the time when I had 2 offers to do the same work. So lately I've been looking for anything, Telecom industry or not, and I'm still coming up empty. I'm basically willing to do anything, relocate anywhere, just as long as I'm getting good experience. But I'm not finding anything. my confidence is shot, I'm depressed, sheesh, re-reading this I realize even my writing abilities have gone downhill.
I've been job searching using Internet job boards, personal contacts, and a lot of researching (newspapers, etc). I've tried sending cover letters and resumes, and also sending introductory letters listing acheivements with no resume. Neither seems to get much response.
Does anyone have any ideas or advice? I feel like some sort of leper. |
| Message: |
Here's an update on my status:
At the end of February I found a temp/contract position with a company that I had interned with back in undergrad. They needed someone with some Mechanical Engineering experience and also some IT knowledge, so I fit nicely. It pays a little better than a normal temp job, although still below what I was making as an engineer and with no benefits at all. Also, they want me to work graveyard shift starting next week. That will not be pleasant.
I'm also in the end stages of interviewing with a computer peripheral company for a product management position. It's not Telecom, but it'll be a good job with good experience and the compensation will be great. I'm hoping to have an offer this week so I can give notice to my current boss and not have to switch to the graveyard. I'm hoping that very soon this unpleasant chapter of my life will be over and great new things will be in store.
I wanted to also say thank you to everyone who posted kind and encouraging words. It was really helpful to me to get kind of a sanity check from you all.
To everyone in the same boat as I am, keep plugging. More jobs are starting to show up as the year continues, and I've really not had any problems explaining the gap in my resume. In fact, I've been explaining it as a much needed break after completing my MS while also working full-time as a Product Manager, and my interviewers have been very sympathetic (and a bit envious of the time off).
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