Non-academic jobs for a GT Ph.D in the ATL? (Atlanta: sales, rentals)

[gog8rs]

Wasn't really sure where to post this on the internet, but a forum dedicated to the ATL seems like the best place. Maybe someone has a friend/relative who was in this situation before and made it work?

I have less than a year left on a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering at Tech. Upon graduating, most of my cohort will get industry jobs outside of ATL, usually out West. Thing is, I've lived (and currently live) out West and have decided that I would be much happier staying in the South after graduation. Easier said than done though. Atlanta doesn't have many Ph.D-level tech jobs (R&D, senior level design, etc.), and I've eliminated the idea of working in an academic environment, so I've embraced the idea of working in any field that could benefit from the kind of general skills implied by a Ph.D in engineering: problem solving, numeracy, etc. Along that line of thinking, I have a few friends who ended up at the Atlanta offices of consulting firms, but being on planes twice a week doesn't sound like something I could sustain. That said, here is a basic outline of what I'm looking for in a job, from least flexible to most flexible:

-Involves some kind of problem solving (doesn't have to be anything math or science related)
-Pays at least roughly what I would make out West. My current salary, in what is basically my dream job, is about $90k, adjusted for ATL's cost of living.
-Less than about 33% travel time
-Isn't entry-level (i.e., requires more than an undergraduate degree in a relevant field)

I know that list sounds picky to the average person, but I have decent qualifications by Tech standards. Does a job like this exist in Atlanta, or am I just dreaming? I would love to stay in Atlanta after graduating for many reasons.

Oh, and to preempt any suggestion that I talk to a career counselor at Tech, I will just repeat that I don't currently live in Atlanta. It's on my list of things to do when I get back for sure.

[MathmanMathman]

A detective at the APD?

[Nanosolar]

GTRI, Suniva, Lockheed, but your best bet may be the TIGER program at GT in your final year. It takes 2 GT MBAs, 2 Emory Law students, and a GT PhD and makes them a team for a year to start a company. Atlanta also has a growing technology startup sector, try looking into ATDC, the Edison Fund, and Flashpoint. Making your own job is 100 times more fulfilling, and if you do it right you'll make a lot more money.

[bellhead]

Check out usajobs.gov

USAJOBS - Search Jobs
USAJOBS - Search Jobs
USAJOBS - Search Jobs

All are GS-13 or higher or have the ability to be promoted to there. The wage scales are listed on the sight. Also if you tire of Atlanta transferring jobs is possible. Another perk is 15 Vacation days straight out, all federal holidays, and a great retirement.

[Mishap]

It's true that many consultants travel frequently but money-wise it can be a lot better than 90k especially at the PhD level. For me, I'm about to fall off Delta Silver Medallion (only flown 3 trips this year) since my client is 3 miles from my home. There's also consulting firms w/ the local model where your clients are always in the same city although your client could potentially be on the other side of town making the commute worse than a 3hr nap each way on a plane. The primary advantage of consulting is they generally value IQ/credentials vs. tons of work experience. The industry does have high attrition due to the travel/pressure but usually what you find is many people use consulting to raise your profile and then take a middle management role within industry. You get to bypass a lot the normal bureaucracy for promotions and wind up in a good position at a local firm.

The fall recruiting cycle is starting up so I'd gather as much info/interviews as I can at the various career fairs for the general and the CS/EE/CE specialty one they used to have. There are some tech companies w/ R&D/Prod Development still done in town but I don't know if that's really the path for a PhD unless you have solid industry experience as well. Not a ton of companies will give you the keys to the architecture straight out of school unless what they're making is directly based on your academic study.

What precisely about going back out west has given you reservations about it? Seems to me just on the scale of things in Silicon Valley and having a terminal degree would put you in a very good position to find a solid role out there.

[roadtrip75]

Originally Posted by gog8rs

I have less than a year left on a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering at Tech.

My current salary, in what is basically my dream job, is about $90k, adjusted for ATL's cost of living.

I don't currently live in Atlanta.

You're working on a degree at Georgia Tech even though you aren't in Atlanta and you are simultaneously working at a high-paying job. I am having trouble wrapping my head around this scenario.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by roadtrip75

You're working on a degree at Georgia Tech even though you aren't in Atlanta and you are simultaneously working at a high-paying job. I am having trouble wrapping my head around this scenario.

Online courses are a common thing these days....

[Mishap]

^If you look at his post history since it is fairly short, he mentions short term rentals in Portland. That'd suggest an internship or co-op which is fairly common in engineering.

I'd definitely get back into town for the career fairs that start in Sept even if it means flying in specifically for it. It's your best shot at seeing every company that recruits from Tech including the local firms that you may not have known of. They are generally looking for all levels of recent graduates including PhDs so it's your best shot at lining up multiple interviews/offers which puts you in a very strong position. As a fresh grad, I'd be much more about being flexible for the best career path vs. a single geographic region. You'd be surprised how much an extra 20-30k and a great company name on the resume will do for your future earnings/options.

[researchnerd]

Originally Posted by gog8rs

I have less than a year left on a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering at Tech. Upon graduating, most of my cohort will get industry jobs outside of ATL, usually out West. Thing is, I've lived (and currently live) out West and have decided that I would be much happier staying in the South after graduation. Easier said than done though. Atlanta doesn't have many Ph.D-level tech jobs (R&D, senior level design, etc.), and I've eliminated the idea of working in an academic environment, so I've embraced the idea of working in any field that could benefit from the kind of general skills implied by a Ph.D in engineering: problem solving, numeracy, etc.

Good luck with that, but I don't think you will find it in Atlanta. My DH has an electronics/electrical engineering degree + nearly 20 years of engineering design, R&D and sales experience. He was laid off in 2008 and has not been able to find work in his field since. Most of those engineering jobs have been shipped off to China. The ones that remain in the US are in Dallas or Silicon Valley, and the competition for them is super tough.

[dividedDawg]

You could also check Tech's career website. They tend to have a few technology companies that are from atlanta listed