<p>I'm graduating with B.S. in ME this May from U of Maryland.
I'm currently looking to get a job and the job market apparently is really in bad shape.</p>
<p>The reason I'm posting is that I'm not getting any interview calls from positions that I'm applying to. I have had experiences working in the lab and doing undergraduate volunteer research but didn't get any internship in engineering. I do have a solid 3.5 GPA but it seems
like nobody cares about grades, because industry experience is more valued.</p>
<p>I'm also not a U.S. citizen so I don't have that many options in companies that have government contracts. </p>
<p>Can I get any advice on how I can go about getting an entry level position as engineer?
I'm taking FE exam in two months to give a little boost to my resume, even though I'm not really interested in civil/field/project engineering positions. To be honest I'm not sure what I really want to do, but I like to work in a engineering related field.</p>
<p>Should I stay in the lab and apply for grad school? (it's too late for the next fall, I have a semester to waste if I choose grad school, that's a problem too)
Even if I wanted to fined an entry level, am I doomed because I didn't have any internships? Are there any ways that I can explain that I'm competent candidate even with no internship experience?</p>
<p>Thank you for reading, I really hope someone in this forum gives me some advise(or constructive criticism.)</p>
<p>I am going to venture a guess (which may not be correct, I realize): are you not looking for jobs nationally, and limiting your search to your geographic region? This thread reminds me of another thread a few weeks back where someone had, I believe, an economics degree (which is a decent degree, though not the greatest when from a non-ivy school) and an excellent GPA but could not find a decent job for two straight years. It turns out he was only looking in his particular geographic area (but planned to change that soon). In this bad economy, jobs are not plentiful and only those that aggressively search across dozens, if not hundreds of companies across the nation are going to get a good job offer (unless we’re talking about the best of the best among students). In all probability, the lack of internship experience will definitely make it a lot harder, but with an engineering degree and a 3.5 GPA, I don’t see how in the world you will have <em>serious</em> trouble unless you limit your search or have a poorly formatted resume. Be cautious of going back to graduate school and incurring more debt though when you are already having a hard time finding a job - that is a decision that should not be taken lightly.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. I really appreciate your input.
I was focusing on my area but I’m also applying jobs in other parts of the country.
But here in Maryland almost all companies require citizenship…
I’m kind of depressed because I’m not getting offered any interviews while it seems like everyone is going for couple of interviews per week… Even without internship experience, I thought I could get at least a chance to show my potential at interview process…</p>
<p>My resume’s format is fine I think, I checked with the career service and with my friends, they all told me format-wise it looks professional. </p>
<p>Do you know of any respectable engineering firms that don’t require citizenship? I know I may not stand a chance for big companies but still I feel like I should give a shot. I have applied so far over 50+ positions and no one called me back… what is wrong with me?</p>
<p>Do you have the ability to work in the US without going through any visa hassle like H1-B? Dealing with visa hassles may deter some employers even if there is no reason for them to require citizenship.</p>
<p>A green cold holder is essentially the same as a citizen in the eyes of an employer. If you are filling out the application forms wrong and do not know a green card holder is “permanent resident” then that is your fault for not doing the research.</p>
<p>You need to be more aggressive in your approach and start asking friends and family and your college alumni network.</p>
<p>thanks comment. But im well aware that im a permanent resident. It was just that types of jobs i was looking (system engineering, defense jobs, government contractors) mostly required citizenship for the clearance. im now being more aggressive in a way that im now also applying to non technical jobs. Thanks guys but im just shocked to find how difficult it is to get even one interview, i thought engineers were in demand but apparent not for entry levels. :(</p>
<p>I believe anything that does not require a security clearance for the government is open to green card holders. You can do some research on that. Some engineering jobs are actually within range without a citizenship.</p>
<p>Check this out: [China</a> Internship programs](<a href=“http://www.china4future.com%5DChina”>http://www.china4future.com). You will find great internship opportunities in China! China is growing and needs many knowledge workers.</p>