Job change for recent college grad

[start-fresh]

I've been at my current position, my first job out of college, for nearly a year now. I feel like the company has pigeonholed me in a path I really don't want to take, so it seems like every day that goes by is a another day getting me farther from what I really want. I sent out a resume for a job that I would love a few days ago and haven't heard anything back.

 

I've gotten to thinking, if I send out a bunch of resumes to large companies - casting a large net if you will - will it hurt future chances with that company if they feel it is too soon for me to start looking for a new job now? Will they make notes about me in a potential employee file that could be detrimental?

 

I guess for a little context, I went to school for engineering and am now in more of a construction role than a design role. I know I would be more successful in a design role because I hate construction and have been doing pretty well at it anyway. How do I show this through my resume and how do I show that my skills making me successful in construction would be the same skills that would make me successful in design?

 

I feel like the laundry list of technical skills desired for entry level positions are going to be impossible for me to get at my current job so I don't want to keep wasting time here. Thanks!

[norajane]

I've gotten to thinking, if I send out a bunch of resumes to large companies - casting a large net if you will - will it hurt future chances with that company if they feel it is too soon for me to start looking for a new job now? Will they make notes about me in a potential employee file that could be detrimental?

No, that won't happen. They only keep resumes for a limited amount of time, and they certainly don't make and keep files on people that don't work for them.

 

The first thing you can do is speak to someone in your company, maybe someone who has a role in design, and ask them what they would need you to do in order to move you into a design role. You've already proven yourself to them in one way, tell them you believe it was valuable to you to learn the construction side of things and that knowing that end would make you a better designer (in order to design a better mousetrap, it's good to know how mousetraps are built and how they work, right?). Ask to be given the chance to prove yourself in a design role, which is what you aspire to. Ask if you can do extra work with someone in that role so you can learn from them.

 

Second, can you go to your engineering school and talk to someone in their career placement office? They can perhaps give you advice, and maybe they have alumni who are willing to speak to people and give them advice on getting into their field.

 

Third, start networking. Find out what engineering societies are out there, and see if they have conferences and events that you can attend so you can meet people in the industry.

 

Fourth, is there anything you can do on the side to develop your design skills? Maybe take a class or get a certification? That is something to add to your resume to show you are still focused on design.

 

As for your resume, you do have an option of adding an Objectives statement at the top. In that statement, clearly and simply lay out your career goal in a way that highlights your current experience too...something like "leverage foundation in construction and design education to ___" with the ____ being the role you are applying for.

[start-fresh]

Lots of really great advice norajane. Thanks!

 

The first thing you can do is speak to someone in your company, maybe someone who has a role in design, and ask them what they would need you to do in order to move you into a design role. You've already proven yourself to them in one way, tell them you believe it was valuable to you to learn the construction side of things and that knowing that end would make you a better designer (in order to design a better mousetrap, it's good to know how mousetraps are built and how they work, right?). Ask to be given the chance to prove yourself in a design role, which is what you aspire to. Ask if you can do extra work with someone in that role so you can learn from them.

 

I've talked to them about it at my review. It seems like my interests and aspirations went in one ear and right out the other.

 

Second, can you go to your engineering school and talk to someone in their career placement office? They can perhaps give you advice, and maybe they have alumni who are willing to speak to people and give them advice on getting into their field.

This is a good idea as well. I really need a mentor in the field that isn't at my current employer that I can talk openly to about things. I've thought this before, but I'm just not close enough with any of my professors to really bounce things off of them.

 

Third, start networking. Find out what engineering societies are out there, and see if they have conferences and events that you can attend so you can meet people in the industry.

The problem is, the membership costs are so high and when I asked about the company sponsoring it, they kind of hemmed and hawed and said we have others in our office with memberships already... But good advice nonetheless.

 

Fourth, is there anything you can do on the side to develop your design skills? Maybe take a class or get a certification? That is something to add to your resume to show you are still focused on design.

There is one particular software package that a lot of companies seem to want experience in. I think I'm going to have to buy a book about that and a trial version of the software and teach myself to be proficient with it.

 

As for your resume, you do have an option of adding an Objectives statement at the top. In that statement, clearly and simply lay out your career goal in a way that highlights your current experience too...something like "leverage foundation in construction and design education to ___" with the ____ being the role you are applying for.

I've got an objective on there now, but your suggestion sounds a little stronger. I will probably adapt mine some.

[Cinnamon2000]

As long as you have a good reason to leave, you should be fine with regards to future employers.