Can't get a job. What now? - RF Cafe Forums

RF Cafe Forums closed its virtual doors in late 2012 mainly due to other social media platforms dominating public commenting venues. RF Cafe Forums began sometime around August of 2003 and was quite well-attended for many years. By 2012, Facebook and Twitter were overwhelmingly dominating online personal interaction, and RF Cafe Forums activity dropped off precipitously. Regardless, there are still lots of great posts in the archive that ware worth looking at. Below are the old forum threads, including responses to the original posts. Here is the full original RF Cafe Forums on Archive.org

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Lost Soul

Post subject: Can't get a job. What now?

Unread postPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 7:16 pm

Was employed in cellular about 2 years ago. No engineering work since then and only 2 interviews during that time.

I was hoping to get into RF circuit design, but it looks like I'm either overqualified (already have an MS in semiconductors, which I was laid-off from 5 years ago), underqualified (all job ads say "5-10 yrs exp" and I have 0 doing circuits), or been out of circulation too long. One prof recently told me that only techs and guys with BSEEs do circuit designs, and that any moron monkey can do circuit design these days because it's all done through software (is this true??).

Any advice? I don't even know what to re-train into if I was to go back to school. Is anything hiring out there other than nursing and pharmacy? I like computers to some degree -- is it wise to get an MBA or an MBA with a computer systems specialization??

Any help appreciated, thanks.

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hfserran

Post subject: don't lose hope

Unread postPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:04 pm

Congrats on the MS. I feel you on the 5-10 yrs of experience (or lack of). Luckily I am currently employed, doing design work (CADD), but have been hoping to turn that into an RF/MW design gig for some time. Well, even though there's lots of software that can do alot in a little time, you still need to understand what it is/is not doing... they're just machines, man, just machines (that goes for the software too). Most of my EE friends turned MBA. They are all doing well. I feel the need to design.

I saw this on monster, haven't tried it, yet.

Best of luck.

hfserran

>>>The two most effective resume formats for entry-level workers are functional and combination. Steer clear of strictly chronological resumes, which place emphasis on your work history.

Functional resumes emphasize your related skills while downplaying your work chronology. Rather than citing dates of employment, this format uses categories to highlight your aptitudes. For example, if you're seeking a secretarial position but don't have any related experience, you may create the following categories: “Computer Skills,” “Interpersonal Communications” and “Office Management Abilities.” The latter may refer to managing your own home office, for example.

A combination resume is a chronological resume that leads with a Qualifications Summary, in which you emphasize the credentials that most qualify you for the job you're trying to land. Strategically order the sections in your resume to best suit your qualifications, placing more relevant categories, such as Education, Key Skills, Volunteer Work, etc., before your work history.

from https://resume.monster.com/articles/not_enough/

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Ralph Zappa

Post subject: Re:

Unread postPosted: Sat Aug 30, 2003 6:46 pm

Offline

Lieutenant

User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 6:43 pm

Posts: 3

Location: U.K.

Hang in there old bean, things always get better. We're just beginning to experience what you Yanks have been feeling for the last couple years. I say let's get that oil flowing in Iraq to get oil prices down and lower transportation costs. It will help us all, don't you think so?

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wmm92467

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 29, 2004 4:23 am

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Lieutenant

Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2004 4:18 am

Posts: 1

The only individual who does not have the right experience is the one who is not used to a potential employee who is willing to work. Keep the faith.

_________________

Always remember - math is YOUR friend;-)

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Julius

Post subject: Lost Soul

Unread postPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 3:53 pm

Lost Soul

It is hard to get back into design after 5 years. In this day and age companies only hire candidates with a track record in exactly the same design area. And it is NOT an easy stuff for the techs and Bs (not where I am working). Where are the most senior and experienced engineers if not in design????

Your best bet is Application or Field Engineer etc... Where you can practice engineering without designing directly. Why not try WLAN field engineer? (See the other thread)

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Guest

Post subject: Re: Lost Soul

Unread postPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 4:51 pm

BUT "Application or Field Engineer " also needs 5~10 DESIGN experience!!! What's next?

Julius wrote:

Lost Soul

It is hard to get back into design after 5 years. In this day and age companies only hire candidates with a track record in exactly the same design area. And it is NOT an easy stuff for the techs and Bs (not where I am working). Where are the most senior and experienced engineers if not in design????

Your best bet is Application or Field Engineer etc... Where you can practice engineering without designing directly. Why not try WLAN field engineer? (See the other thread)

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Guest

Post subject:

Unread postPosted: Fri Mar 05, 2004 7:18 pm

Well if any moron monkey can do RF design work, then a moron with a Master of Science should do that better. So you can proclaim yourself to be the king of the moron monkeys.

Enjoy your lost career and future and go make a Ph.D maybe it will help you be more educated looser than you are already now.

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Yank

Post subject: Re:

Unread postPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 8:46 pm

Lost soul, have you thought about relocating? I was unemployed for almost a year, but then decided to pull up stakes and relocate. Found a job in a few months after that.

Ralph Zappa wrote:

Hang in there old bean, things always get better. We're just beginning to experience what you Yanks have been feeling for the last couple years. I say let's get that oil flowing in Iraq to get oil prices down and lower transportation costs. It will help us all, don't you think so?

Hey Ralph, you've got a good point there. Now we know the real purpose of the war in Iraq. Somebody put the squeeze on our friends in DC to lower transportation costs. Not only can we export our jobs for the corporate traitors, but now we can sacrifice our beloved troops (spouses, parents, children) as well.

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mehdavis

Post subject: Looking

Unread postPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 9:18 pm

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Lieutenant

Joined: Sun May 23, 2004 4:09 pm

Posts: 4

Location: Pasadena, MD

Lost Soul,

Over the pass 3 months I have been hitting the market hard and now it is paying off. I have 2 back to back interveiws next week in Maryland with others being set up in VA. Now my goal is to move out of this area but the market is hot here (MD, DC, VA). If you're willing to relocate send me your resume and I'll pass it throughout the RF Engineering community here. BTW my company may be looking for a new one if all goes well. hahahaha

Send it to mehdavis@yahoo.com I hope I can help. Also look at Civil Service...

Marc :-D

_________________

Marque Davis

Sr. Communications Analyst

Pasadena, MD

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Gguest

Post subject: lost soul, keep up your spirit

Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 1:38 am

Yappp. It is "all done in software"... Obviously it does not work. When the utility programmers do not know what to do, here is a nice chance for you.

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DW

Post subject: beg to differ

Unread postPosted: Fri Jul 09, 2004 2:38 pm

Quote:

One prof recently told me that only techs and guys with BSEEs do circuit designs, and that any moron monkey can do circuit design these days because it's all done through software (is this true??).

I had to chime in here. There is a lot more involved in a design than just a simulation. Realizing a concept from idea to manufacturable product takes a myriad of skills and analysis techniques and hardly has a closed form solution. It sounds to me like your prof has never done any real circuit design and is speaking out of ignorance. A calculator made doing simple math easier. It is now a standard tool to do bigger and better things. RF simulation is the same with the caveat that the simulation is as only as good as the models.

This is where your semiconductor experience comes into play. Getting an accurate model that can predict DC, small signal, noise, and nonlinear effects is the holy grail of RF simulators. Semiconductor physics is the fundenemental basis for these models. A lot of effort goes into developing these models to realize a first pass design sucess AND predict statistical variations in the manufacturing processes involved.

Send your resume to DocWebster@comcast.net and I'll pass it on to our modelling group.

BR,

DW

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Guest

Post subject: DW

Unread postPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 4:48 am

Are they hiring anyone else where you work ?

RFIC/MMIC ?

Posted  11/12/2012