Chicago area tech sector (Rockford, Elgin: fit in, sale, insurance)

[Jennibc]

Greetings,
I did a search on this site and only found a few threads about the tech sector in the Chicago area. Googling "chicago tech sector' isn't giving me much either.

We are moving. My husband is an embedded software engineer originally from the Midwest. We like Austin TX but also are considering Chicago. Nobody needs to sell us on Chicago, we've been there, know it's great and think the area would be a better place to raise a family than the PNW. I am sure there are some people that will argue with me on that but we have determined our personalities fit better in the midwest. (We are friendly and direct)

I am trying to get a sense of what the market is like for someone looking for an embedded software position working with engineering applications. In other words, he would not be someone looking for a corporate IT job. I know Motorola is in Schaumburg but my understanding the company is not doing well so I imagine jobs there would be nonexistent. Are there any other big engineering companies in the area that are worth investigating?

Thanks for your help!

[chet everett]

Motorola is the BIG boy, but they aren't the only game in town for embeded systems. There are tech recruiters that specialize in those areas. A whole range of firms need the skills your husband has. Even though Motorola is not doing well they ALWAYS need quality people for the specialized stuff. If he posts to Career Builder , Dice, Monster his mailbox ought to get quite a few hits...

If he has skills that would be useful to the financial markets that is the hottest sector in Chicago, very different than Austin, but a lot reflects the "money' here vs there.

[CrazyJay]

I know there is a ton of small engineering firms scattered about.

GE is also in town, so is siemens, and Northrop gruman. You also have RFMD, and freescale. IBM is also in schaumberg (though i think it's just a sale office). you also have Bosch and Kraft. dunno how many engineers they hire though.

Abbot labs is also in CHicagoland (i'm sure they would have some need for computer software people)

Motorola will always need quality people so long as it exists.

[chet everett]

GE presence in Chicago is largest in the finance/insurance arena, the old Heller and other similar firms that GE rolled up.

Siemens has some operations for the buidling controls/fire monitoring division. Might be worth pursuing.

[Lookout Kid]

There are probably thousands of smaller companies out there as well. And web developers are always needed in support of the large advertising presence in Chicago.

[paramour]

My partner's in a similar position now (and has been in the past in other locations). There are allegedly plenty of available jobs in the Chicago area but they either (a) tend not to fit in with what you want (e.g., people will start giving you advice on general IT positions, web developers, design, etc., basically anything that's not directly related to your actual position) or (b) tend to be with companies that do not want to actually pay you for your experience (i.e., they try to pay 'experienced' individuals what they would pay someone fresh out of college or with minimal experience). Your husband's best bet is to hook up with the recruiters/head hunters in the area as many of the positions they know about are not posted and they can typically give you a variety of options (usually with considerably better pay). G'luck.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by paramour

e.g., people will start giving you advice on general IT positions, web developers, design, etc., basically anything that's not directly related to your actual position

Guilty!

I just looked up what an "embedded software engineer" actually is, and I'm not sure where to look other than Motorola... And Motorola isn't actually doing too well right now. Does the job have to be in consumer electronics?

[Jennibc]

No, doesn't have to be consumer electronics. In fact, right now he works for a company that designs and manufactures products for industrial use. Because he is a former military officer and used to work for the DOD, he also has some experience with defense applications.

[Lookout Kid]

MPC in Skokie does defense work. Textron is in Elgin. And there's also the giant Hamilton Sundstrand in Rockford, so you could split the difference and live between Rockford and Chicago.