<p>Actually I tried to find work in the US. I found a directory of chemical firms in the US and must have sent out some 400 or 500 resumes. I focused on small to mid firms just to get plant experience. Out of that I got 2 or 3 interviews but no takers. I had stacks and stacks of rejection letters. </p>
<p>I contacted some recruiters but they were not interested because I had no plant experience. Apparently, consulting experience is not viewed favourably for new grads. And my consulting work was not even chemical related, rather more hydraulics based, basically mechanical engineering. </p>
<p>I was taking instrumentation courses at night at a community college to try land a controls type job in a plant/operations setting. I was never able to. </p>
<p>After 4 years, I quit engineering altogether.</p>
<p>Toronto guy is obviously legit, what kinda grades did you have, toronto guy? </p>
<p>I don't like how some people here will get all ****ed when they don't like what some might have to say, like some people getting all over my nuts just because I think biotech is garbage.</p>
<p>Well, there <em>is</em> something to be said for tact and diplomacy, subject. If you've just gotten through several years of all-nighters trying to study a particular field and someone cavalierly trots onto a forum and says that all your work is for a "garbage" field, you wouldn't take too kindly to that.</p>
<p>Sure, express your opinions, but don't be an ass-hat about it.</p>
<p>Observe:
"I'm skeptical as to the ability of biotech to stand the test of time as a field of engineering"</p>
<p>As opposed to:
"Despite your having worked your butt off, you're never going to get a job, you're a failure, and everything you've been working for is garbage"</p>
<p>I had good grades, certainly above average but not outstanding (i.e. 3.5+). I don't think the difficulty I experienced was related to grades. It is simple supply and demand. Too many students chasing too few jobs and the result is very fierce competition for entry level process positions. In Canada we have a documented oversupply of engineers which is acutely worse here in Ontario. I guess there are only so many operating (i.e. process engineering) positions available each year and the competition is intense. Most people who graduated (and wanted to work in the field as opposed to sales, grad school etc) had as a goal to land a process operations position. I conclude that the supply of grads simply outstripped demand. Basic economics I guess.</p>
<p>A friend of mine is graduating with a double major in BioChem and BioChemE, which is a branch of ChemE, she was offered over 60,000 starting for her job, with a nice $5,000 signing bonus at some pharm company. ChemE majors do well here.</p>