Tag Archives: Engineering Jobs Northern Illinois

Goals To Set For 2015: Where To Take Your Engineering Career

With the new year fast approaching, now is a great time to sit down and think about where you want to take your engineering career in 2015, especially if you’ve been feeling stalled in your current position. Goals give you something to strive for throughout the year, and help ensure you’re constantly pushing yourself to achieve more.

Every engineer will have his or her own unique recipe for success. Whether you are a new engineer or a seasoned professional, it’s important to set goals that will keep you moving forward, and goals that are realistic and attainable. While your overarching goal may be to land a new job, it can help to set smaller goals to create the forward motion that will set you up for success. Goals to consider to help you advance your engineering career this year include:

  • Getting out and meeting people in your industry is critical for professional success. Whether or not networking results in a job offer, expanding your professional network is always a good idea. Attending professional networking events, industry association events, conventions, and other functions will afford you the opportunity to meet new people and learn new things in 2015.
  • Document your accomplishments. The most effective resumes quantify achievements. It can be difficult to pull all of your accomplishments out of your memory when you decide it’s time to revamp your resume. If you keep a running list of those achievements as they happen, and update your resume accordingly, you can be sure none will get left out. This year, make it a point to track and document your accomplishments on the job.
  • Know your value. Engineers should always be aware of their value in the marketplace. Research local engineering salaries online so that you know where you fall in terms of your experience and education. You don’t want to find out the day after you accept a job offer that you’re actually getting paid $20,000 less than what you’re worth.
  • Learn something new. The one constant in the world is change. What can you do this year to keep your skills sharp and learn something new? Whether you take a class or attend an industry conference, do something to enhance your skills this year.
  • Focus on work-life balance. Engineers work hard, and getting ahead in the field can mean clocking long hours, often to the detriment of personal time and family time. What can you do this year to give yourself more time for the people and hobbies you love?
  • Partner with a recruiter. Searching for new opportunities can be difficult for busy engineers. Partnering with a recruiter can help you connect with exciting jobs that aren’t necessarily posted on public job boards. A recruiter can also help you set goals, polish your resume, and perfect your interviewing technique so that when the right opportunity comes along, you are prepared to rise to the challenge.

If you are an engineer in northern Illinois looking to grow your career in 2015, the engineering recruiting consultants at The Prevalent Group would love to meet you. We work with market leaders in a variety of industries that are always on the lookout for strong engineering talent.  Our recruiters can connect you with  engineering jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills and qualifications, and we can work with you to help you achieve your career goals in 2015.

Are Young Engineers Taking Over Manufacturing? What Does this Mean for Your Job Search?

The manufacturing sector has been a hotbed of hiring activity for young engineers in 2014. According to TimesJob.com, 12% of the total demand for engineers with less than two years of experience came from the manufacturing sector.

The increase in demand for recent engineering graduates is due, in part, to an increase in global manufacturing. US manufacturing has also been on an upswing in recent years.  In fact, the US remains the largest manufacturing economy in the world, producing 21% of all manufactured products. The National Association of Manufacturers reports that US manufacturers annually contribute around $1.7 trillion to the economy.

Even with new money flowing into and through the manufacturing sector, companies have to stay on their toes. Competition is steep, especially among companies in Asia and those in emerging markets. Business leaders know that the only way to stay on top is to innovate. Young engineers in the sunrise of their careers are often seen as prime candidates for driving organizational innovation.

What Does This Mean for Established Engineers?

Engineers who are established in their careers may take this as a sign that they are being edged out by Millennials. This is not necessarily true. While technical skills are of the essence, employers are also looking for:

  • Adaptability
  • Willingness to learn
  • Collaborative experience
  • The ability to work as part of a team

As long as established engineers can show that they have both the technical chops and the soft skills to drive innovation, they can stay relevant in the marketplace.

These jobs are not a sure thing for younger workers, either. Though they may be seen as innovators, Millennials often have to fight against stereotypes, and in many cases it can be difficult to compete in the job market without valuable hands-on experience.

Gaining an Edge in the Marketplace

Whether an engineer is a recent graduate or has been working for many years, competition for jobs in the manufacturing sector is fierce and it can be difficult for engineers at any career stage to shine among a sea of hopeful and qualified candidates.

One of the best ways to gain an edge in the engineering marketplace is to partner with a recruiter. A professional recruiter will have a wide network of industry contacts and will know about open positions long before the general public. They can match their candidates to open positions based on skill sets and career goals, so that job seekers aren’t spinning their wheels and wasting time going after jobs that might not be a good match.

If you are an engineer in northern Illinois who is seeking new opportunities in the manufacturing sector, contact The Prevalent Group today. Our team of recruiters can help you locate   engineering jobs in northern Illinois that align with your skills, qualifications, and your long-term career goals.