Graduate Electrical Engineer-Can't able to find any Job. Please guide me.

[VictoryRider1 3]

Dear All, 

I have moved to USA from Pakistan two months ago on IR-1 (immigrant visa). I am graduate Electrical Engineer, having seven years of work experience for Construction of Grid Stations & Transmission Lines in Pakistan. Now want to discuss following problems that I am facing in USA regarding Job search: 

1- Almost every company here have requirement of "Engineer in Training License (EIT)", after passing Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. I didn't have "EIT" License as I am new here. Or if I pass FE Exam by doing too much study, can I get Job in Engineering field as I have Pakistani Engineering Degree.

 

2- If I try to find any Technician/Lineman or Supervisor level job in Engineering Companies then in those jobs they have requirement of "Journey man Linemen Certification" or "Journey man Electrician Certification". Both these certifications required three/four years of apprenticeships. 

 

3- Also in most of Engineering jobs companies have requirement of Autocad and so many other designing softwares. I also don't know any designing software but only know few basics of autocad. Should I get Certification or Certificate of Autocad?

 

4- If I think to do Masters then for Masters I have no Finance. 

 

I am currently in New York and willing to move to any state for Job or for affordable studies. I need guidance & advises to start my career in USA.

 Thanks all

 

 

 

[Roel 7,192]

That's the thing about immigrating to other countries. Sometimes you need to start from zero.

Means.

- Work on your certificates.

- In the meantime, pick up other jobs. Jobs below your educations or skills - if that what needs to be done in order for you to have a job.

- If employers require those specific certifications, then sorry but you gotta adjust.

 

Sad things is, often education you get outside of the US - doesn't matter in the US.

[Alabamak1 688]

have you tried to see what equivalence your degree has in the USA first. That might spare you some time on getting different certifications with prior experience. 

[TBoneTX 45,536]

After doing the above, search for "electrical engineering societies in the U.S." for professional organizations in your field.  They might have job boards or supportive counseling.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Autocad certification is probably the easiest of the options you mentioned above. If you want to work as an “engineer” then as I understand it you need to get the licensing done, same as a medical or accounting or law professional trained elsewhere needs US certification to practice.

however engineering degrees can be used for many other things than just “being an engineer”. You can spend the time and $ to get the certification, or you can take a step back to start lower down the ladder in a field that isn’t what you have experience in if you don’t want to go the licensing route. As roel said, many immigrants with experiemce and training have to start in the US at a lower level than what they had back home. This is especially true for people from countries with skills shortages where you’re used to more easily being able to find work /higher level jobs because there isn’t as much competition at that level of the jobs market as in the US.

Re a masters, the most affordable colleges will be public colleges on in-state tuition, most of those require you to be resident in a state for a year before you qualify for that.

You might be lucky and find a company that will both give you a job and pay for your tuition. In this vein, a serious questIon - no idea if you have any issues with it - have you considered joining the military? I’m not entirely sure what the army corps of engineers does, for example, but it may be worth finding out. You also get citizenship faster through the military. And they love paying for education. I met a bunch of US military people on a masters course I did - all paid by the military. I guess you’d need to be there a while first for that but don’t really know.

 

its a pity you didn’t research this before you moved so that you could land with an action plan rather than trying to work it out on the ground.

 

[yuna628 9,680]

I'd actually recommend a good community or technical college or a college that is specifically for linemen. My husband's campus has many such students training and earning their certificates, including autocad which is one of the basic courses to do. Engineering is a broad field. You may find if you want to start a career here in the same field you'll need additional lengthy training or starting over. There are also many lineman specific colleges throughout the US. That's how one of my cousins got his start.

 

There is a tech college in NY that does lineman training and stuff. Perhaps they could help answer some questions. http://www.hvcc.edu/eit/lwc/index.html

[CEE53147 559]

Info about sitting for the FE exam is here:

 

https://ncees.org/engineering/#new-york

 

The exam is computer based ad available all the time at the test facility.  It will be easier to qualify if your university is a member of the Washington accord.

 

You may find some career paths in engineering that do not require you be an EIT but expect to start at the bottom like a new graduate. The power industry is very particular about professional registration. In the US an engineer in that field with 7 years experience would likely be registered profession engineers. You are unqualified for a position based on your home country experience until you pass the other exams and meet the qualifications to even sit for the exams.

[databit 328]

If you live in New York and are willing to stay there, did you know there is a FREE program that will pay for college for you?

 

https://www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship

[acajim 16]

You can look into apprenticeship if you don't mind starting from the very bottom, at least that'll get you started earning money while you can find other options. Find out if there is a IBEW office in your area, or any other electrician's union, they can give you the information you need to start.

 

[SB5130 88]

9 hours ago, VictoryRider1 said:

Dear All, 

I have moved to USA from Pakistan two months ago on IR-1 (immigrant visa). I am graduate Electrical Engineer, having seven years of work experience for Construction of Grid Stations & Transmission Lines in Pakistan. Now want to discuss following problems that I am facing in USA regarding Job search: 

1- Almost every company here have requirement of "Engineer in Training License (EIT)", after passing Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. I didn't have "EIT" License as I am new here. Or if I pass FE Exam by doing too much study, can I get Job in Engineering field as I have Pakistani Engineering Degree.

 

2- If I try to find any Technician/Lineman or Supervisor level job in Engineering Companies then in those jobs they have requirement of "Journey man Linemen Certification" or "Journey man Electrician Certification". Both these certifications required three/four years of apprenticeships. 

 

3- Also in most of Engineering jobs companies have requirement of Autocad and so many other designing softwares. I also don't know any designing software but only know few basics of autocad. Should I get Certification or Certificate of Autocad?

 

4- If I think to do Masters then for Masters I have no Finance. 

 

I am currently in New York and willing to move to any state for Job or for affordable studies. I need guidance & advises to start my career in USA.

 Thanks all

 

 

 

I was in the same boat. I had Bachelor's Degree-Magna Cum Laude and I couldn't find a job. Nobody bothered with my resume even if I had 5yrs+ experience. 

I felt that they don't recognized the school I graduated from and so I wasn't given the opportunity to be interviewed. After all, even if you have transferred credits, none of the employers really looked at it prior to interview. I could understand the frustrations. 

 

I honestly felt that the root cause was the school. What I did was, I enrolled for Masters at a local University. Spring started January. After a month (February), I started applying with updated resume (MBA In Progress). Guess what, I got back to back interviews. I got a job out of it and I had already declined 2 job offers. I dropped out and withdraw from the university after that one semester. The enrollment to Masters at a 'US' university gave me the 'break' to prove myself. 

 

Also review the license requirements for your state. 

Edited June 3, 2018 by SB5130

[Rocko20 159]

My fiance and I have talked about this. She'll be educated when she arrives on the K1 but we doubt any employer will recognize it, once we get the employment authorization.

 

We plan to do an education equivalency evaluation to see what "sticks and what doesn't"

Quote

If you are a foreign student seeking to further your education, enlist in the military, or gain employment in the United States, the accurate evaluation of your foreign educational credentials is essential. You need an equivalency evaluation service that you can trust.

https://www.spantran.com/equivalency-evaluation/

[Sweetamooni 70]

10 hours ago, databit said:

If you live in New York and are willing to stay there, did you know there is a FREE program that will pay for college for you?

 

https://www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship

Wow this is awesome! 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

5 hours ago, Sweetamooni said:

Wow this is awesome! 

It is, but you need to be a resident. In one of the links above that states residing for 12 continuous months in NYS prior to starting college. OP has only been there 2 months so has to figure out what to do for the next 10 months even if he can get this.

Edited June 3, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[VictoryRider1 3]

Thanks all for reply.

@Roel  Yes agree with you, I have to start from zero and have to work on certifications.

@Alabamak1 I still didn't get equivalence, soon I'll get equivalence of my degree. 

@TBoneTX  I'll join Electrical Engineering Societies. 

@SusieQQQ  My family will not allow me join Military, I will search for public colleges for Masters.

@yuna628 Thanks for telling me about college.

@CEE53147Thanks for telling me about FE Exam.

@databit Thanks for giving information regarding scholarship.

@acajim Thanks for IBEW Office.

@SB5130 Thanks for giving me information regarding Masters.

@Rocko20 Thanks for telling me regarding equivalency of Degree. 

 

I am thinking to start Computer Aided Design-Certificate (Auto Cad) in Community College in NY in September and will do preparation for Certification of "Engineer Under Training". In addition to that I'll do part time Job. For scholarships I didn't qualify as I have arrived in US two months ago and for Masters I have no Finance. I am upset that I have to start from Zero. Thanks all again. God bless you all. 

 

 

 

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

17 minutes ago, VictoryRider1 said:

 

 

I am thinking to start Computer Aided Design-Certificate (Auto Cad) in Community College in NY in September and will do preparation for Certification of "Engineer Under Training". In addition to that I'll do part time Job. For scholarships I didn't qualify as I have arrived in US two months ago and for Masters I have no Finance. I am upset that I have to start from Zero. Thanks all again. God bless you all. 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like a plan.

By the way there are certain loans you are eligible for as a permanent resident that can help you finance your masters if that’s the way you want to go.  Check the FAFSA website for details.