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My guess is (and of course this is a guess) is that if your old company really wanted you back they could certainly hire you. It can't hurt if your old company was hiring and they knew you were looking for work.
They have a LONG history of not hiring older workers unless they have a specific skill they can't get anywhere else. Dh once interviewed for a job with them and was told that he ..."wouldn't track right". They like new grads. Fresh ideas, high energy, some stay, some move up and some leave but they have no shortage of older workers so they don't go looking for them. I would have to have some skill they can't find or there'd have to be a shortage of workers to get back in. I don't and there is a glut of workers. My best bet is a company that would see my automotive experience as a plus. Perhaps a second tier supplier. I do have some experience in manufacturing but most of my experience is in testing and design. I'd be looking for companies that would consider that kind of experience a plus.
I think I'd like a smaller company anyway. The problem with big companies is you get stuck in a corner and there you stay. I like new challenges, I like getting my fingernails dirty, I like working with the people out on the plant floor, I get tired of same thing different day. I really miss being on the plant floor. Paint engineering was never boring. If there were lull times, that's when I got to optimize the paint paths for the robots to save paint/improve throughput. There was always something to do.
Product design was a challenge too...from concept to customer your job changes a lot. Lots of challenges there too.
Automotive is still doing good. The big three always seem to have job openings on the engineering side. You probably would find luck working for a supplier. Really depends what your background/experience is. A lot of the automotive engineering firms are having a hard time finding engineers, but a lot of that is due to them wanting very specific skill sets and experience levels. It might just be your best bet though.
You can get notifications every week or so from General Motors about job openings. Just sign up at Jobs at GM. Ford has listings on their web site that are always being updated. But if you're just interested in finding a job, and nothing more, the suppliers are busy these days. Many are reporting difficulty hiring for many positions, including engineering.
I can understand your apprehension though. A lot of engineers, including my father got laid off early in the recession. Many of them never were able to get back in. This ain't the good ol days, and the companies go through engineers like crazy. Chew them up, spit them out, replace them with some cheaper 20-somethings, rinse wash and repeat.
You can probably get back in the game if you're willing to digest some of the latest tech toys being used. There are plenty of classes and cert programs available if you're interested in brushing up and updating your skillset. The engineers that remain viable today are constantly retooling and upgrading. The one's that wait for the company to teach them new tricks often find themselves obsolete. You might have to start for a modest salary, but it's better than collecting unemployment, that's for sure. Good luck.
Your 17 year job makes you seem old. Trim it down to 8 years and only focus on the later job title/project at that job(surely you didn't do the exact same thing for 15 years).
You could have been doing something different for the same company (more junior role or different job duties) for the first 9 years and that is reason enough to leave that other job title off the resume. So what if it was with the same company. Your resume is specifying how long you were in that 8 years role at the company.
This is a better technique than leaving dates blank. Pros say to only leave the past 10-15 years of job experience on the resume. You would be following those rules.
Well, I was given the news last week that my position is being eliminated so I'll be unemployed as of June 15th (the end of the school year).
I've been looking for work in engineering but not finding. I've had a couple of responses when I sent out resumes without dates but they were to ask for a resume with dates and then they went away never to be heard from again. I've been teaching chemistry and physics for the past 5 years. Prior to that I had a 17 year career as an engineer with the same company. I really need to find something before this job ends. Finding another teaching job will be difficult because I have chemistry, math and physics certs instead of the coveted general science cert that allows the holder to teach any science grades 6-12 (it's actually a lower certification but desired by schools because of its flexibility).
What strategies would you use if you were me? I've exhausted my contacts. Everyone is either retired, unemployed or employed by my previous employer. Even if they were hiring, the terms of my severance package state that I will not seek reemployment (for $38K at termination, I signed).
I have a masters in chemical engineering and 17 years experience in automotive engineering in addition to 5 years teaching experience and two years co-op experience when I was in college. How would you play the teaching experience. I went into teaching, at a time when engineering was tanking in this country, because they wanted subject matter experts only to find that subject matter expertise is the last thing you need to be a successful teacher. Skills as a stand up comic or entertainer will serve you better as, today, it is the teacher's job to make the material entertaining and fun to learn. Failure to do so results in kids refusing to learn and that is considered the fault of the teacher. While I'm learning, I'm not a natural here and finding that teaching isn't a good fit for this reason.
Do sites like linked in help? Job fairs? I need to develop some new contacts.
teaching today in the USA is glorified babysitting. you are spot on about content knowledge. it doesn't matter much. being a entertaining clown does.
Well, I was given the news last week that my position is being eliminated so I'll be unemployed as of June 15th (the end of the school year).
I've been looking for work in engineering but not finding. I've had a couple of responses when I sent out resumes without dates but they were to ask for a resume with dates and then they went away never to be heard from again. I've been teaching chemistry and physics for the past 5 years. Prior to that I had a 17 year career as an engineer with the same company. I really need to find something before this job ends. Finding another teaching job will be difficult because I have chemistry, math and physics certs instead of the coveted general science cert that allows the holder to teach any science grades 6-12 (it's actually a lower certification but desired by schools because of its flexibility).
What strategies would you use if you were me? I've exhausted my contacts. Everyone is either retired, unemployed or employed by my previous employer. Even if they were hiring, the terms of my severance package state that I will not seek reemployment (for $38K at termination, I signed).
I have a masters in chemical engineering and 17 years experience in automotive engineering in addition to 5 years teaching experience and two years co-op experience when I was in college. How would you play the teaching experience. I went into teaching, at a time when engineering was tanking in this country, because they wanted subject matter experts only to find that subject matter expertise is the last thing you need to be a successful teacher. Skills as a stand up comic or entertainer will serve you better as, today, it is the teacher's job to make the material entertaining and fun to learn. Failure to do so results in kids refusing to learn and that is considered the fault of the teacher. While I'm learning, I'm not a natural here and finding that teaching isn't a good fit for this reason.
Do sites like linked in help? Job fairs? I need to develop some new contacts.
Where are you in the country? Can you consider relocating? How about community college? You'd be a good fit for that.
Ivory, just a comment and a question. I happen to know an older engineer who was laid off. He finally found work, but it took him about a year to do it. He is in his 50's and I'm guessing you are about the same. What he related was concern about his computer skills. He got his education before computers were even using windows.
How are your computer skills? Have you kept up? I'm thinking possibly if you could demonstrate good computer skills during the interview process that this might make finding a job easier for you.
I have to admit this gives me an uneasy feeling. I always thought engineering was a career where you could always find a job. My own son is studying computer engineering right now.
Ivory, just a comment and a question. I happen to know an older engineer who was laid off. He finally found work, but it took him about a year to do it. He is in his 50's and I'm guessing you are about the same. What he related was concern about his computer skills. He got his education before computers were even using windows.
How are your computer skills? Have you kept up? I'm thinking possibly if you could demonstrate good computer skills during the interview process that this might make finding a job easier for you.
I have to admit this gives me an uneasy feeling. I always thought engineering was a career where you could always find a job. My own son is studying computer engineering right now.
Yes, I'm in my 50's but my resume looks like I'm in my 40's due to having started college in my mid 20's instead of at 18 and working my way through school. I also know several engineers who were let go years ago and have not been able to get back into the field.
My computer skills are ok. While computers weren't big when I was in college, they were coming into use in inustry just as I entered the field so I learned a lot and I happen to be married to a database programmer so I use the latest and greatest at home. I'm a great computer user but I haven't programmed in years. About the time they went windows based, I checked out of programming and just started using what was out there. It's been a long time since I did anything in CAD (do they even use Pro-E anymore? That was the last CAD program I was trained on.). Back when I worked in design, I had designers who did the actual drawings. My job was to understand them and the drawings of our mating components, make sure everything fit together and no one invaded anyone elses space.
As to teaching at a CC, I'd love to. The problem is you don't get full time jobs teaching at CC's and I need a full time job. I plan on teaching at a CC part time once I find a full time job. I really do like teaching. I just don't like what teaching in public schools has become. I think I have a lot to offer as well. I really am a content area expert. Unfortunately, that ACE is in a suit that isn't in the deck you need to be a successful teacher. Being an entertaining clown who could read the book would serve me better. I had no idea how broken education is until I became a teacher. Now I realize I can't even make a positive impact let alone fix this. The only thing to do with education is wait for it to implode and it will. It's insane when kids have more control than teachers do and they do. All it takes is one false accusation to ruin your career and they know it.
It used to be engineers never had to worry about losing jobs. Unfortunately, most companies hire right out of college or specific skills in older engineers. Now we have a lot of engineers in their 50's out of work. Too young to retire but too old to get hired. It is scary. My choice to start a second career was based on the perception that it would be very difficult to restart an engineering career and in response to the government stating they needed subject matter experts to raise the bar in education (if they really needed me and really were raising the bar, I'd be happily teaching, they don't and they aren't so I'm miserable teaching.). Unfortunately, teachers are now public enemy number one and powerless to actually educate. I can't remember what it was called but back in the old west movies but they'd shoot at someone's feet to make them dance. That's what I feel like they're doing to teachers only we have everyone gunning for us. Politicians, John Q Public, parents and administrators while the students know that all they have to do is make one well placed accusation and we're done. Having seen teaching from the inside, I couldn't recommend the career to anyone.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 03-31-2013 at 02:46 PM..
Your 17 year job makes you seem old. Trim it down to 8 years and only focus on the later job title/project at that job(surely you didn't do the exact same thing for 15 years).
You could have been doing something different for the same company (more junior role or different job duties) for the first 9 years and that is reason enough to leave that other job title off the resume. So what if it was with the same company. Your resume is specifying how long you were in that 8 years role at the company.
This is a better technique than leaving dates blank. Pros say to only leave the past 10-15 years of job experience on the resume. You would be following those rules.
No I didn't do the same thing for 17 years but I did do the same thing for the last 10. I'm afraid I let myself get mommy tracked. Seriously, it was a great job for a mom with young kids. Unfortunately, it left me no where to go when they started laying people off. I made it through the first 4-5 rounds of lay offs then got let go in the second to the last round. Fortunately, I was ready to start teaching at that point. Unfortunately, teaching has not turned out to be what I hired into. It has meant I've been employed, which I am thankful for but, unless I can find a position with a principal who will cover my back and let me teach, I really don't want to stay in teaching. I'm tired of people shooting at my feet.
Your 17 year job makes you seem old. Trim it down to 8 years and only focus on the later job title/project at that job(surely you didn't do the exact same thing for 15 years).
You could have been doing something different for the same company (more junior role or different job duties) for the first 9 years and that is reason enough to leave that other job title off the resume. So what if it was with the same company. Your resume is specifying how long you were in that 8 years role at the company.
This is a better technique than leaving dates blank. Pros say to only leave the past 10-15 years of job experience on the resume. You would be following those rules.
Could you combine engineering background with education background? Many engineering companies have departments that handle training customers on their products.
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