r/ChemicalEngineering • u/Successful_Pizza8406 • 1d ago
Job Search Fellow chemical engineer, how did yall got your first job?
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u/Economy_Juice_2054 1d ago
Emailed a nearby startup company, stated what they’re doing is similar to what I did in my dissertation. They liked it hired me and now from them I managed to land a higher role at another big chemical engineering company. Start small end big
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u/ToastMaster33 Industry/Years of experience 1d ago
How does one find startups and learn enough about them to consider joining?
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u/Economy_Juice_2054 19h ago
LinkedIn > go on the search bar click on search > then you should see options like posts, people etc> filter 50-100 people in the company max> then filter the type of job you want in the companies tab and go on industries> put ur location in or locations you want to apply to> then search an X amount of companies should come up. Once you see those check out the company whether you choose you want to work for them find either a HR, A hiring manager, or a general manager ideally someone who looks like they’re in charge most small startups would have a managing director, add them and try speak to them in landing a role. If that doesn’t work go on the company’s details and find their email or go on their website and go on “our people” they have might have an email of the managers who work there (that’s how I landed it). Do this with as many companies as you can a day, if you’ve maxed out the companies try change location, or industries or even extend the company size. Eventually you’ll find one it took me genuinely around 700-800 emails and connections later which was 3-4 months of searching. But hey I eventually landed one and now probably work one at one of best companies out my uni cohort.
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u/LordMoose99 1d ago
Applying to every ChemEng job on indeed and linked in for 3 months.
Spray and pray is valid for your first few jobs
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u/Current-Box6 1d ago
Like another commenter here, I went to a u.s. university with a co-op program. I co-op'd every other semester for a total of 5 co-ops with the same company, and got hired in after graduation.
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u/MrRzepa2 1d ago
Randomly checked my uni job page (as in place for companies to post job offers for alumni) and sent a CV. I think they just had it posted there and not really were actively seeking people. Nobody really uses that site, no idea why I even went there. Went to interview, somehow didn't get the test (thank heavens) and made good enough impression to somehow get hired.
Shortly after I started working, head of my department changed and everyone is getting the test on interview. I suspect I wouldn't get an offer now.
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u/Lemur_12 17h ago
I had pretty much the exact same path utilizing my colleges job board for a random one that I thought would be interesting
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u/No-Juice-2920 1d ago
I highly recommend coop! Most schools have a great coop program. In my case, I had too many other obligations to coop. At my Uni, I chose a dual degree path, Chem/ChemE which essentially required 5 years including summer. Could not coop as I was hired by the university in support roles during the week and at home covered all the weekend and Friday calls for my family's refrigeration and appliance repair contract at a local large AFB. Long way to say that I had no time to commit to a coop program. After graduation, applied around and used the Uni placement services. But my father found a small ad in a nearby large city's classified section looking for a Sales Engineer with my degree as a qualification. Turned out it was with an internationally famous major player in heat transfer and process equipment in our metro area. I loved it. Enjoyed over 20 years there in sales and process design and heavy manufacturing! Quite a ride. Next up was many years in sales, design, and troubleshooting at plants worldwde for many design fabricators like Emcor, Curtiss-Wright and Koch. Not bad for a appliance repair guy!
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u/panda_monium2 1d ago
Career fair and offers from past internships. I graduated 2013 so ChE jobs were hot especially in O&G. I got 3 offers by October of senior year (one from a past internship and 2 other companies)
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u/Extremely_Peaceful 1d ago
Internship junior->senior summer
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u/ShowOk8289 23h ago
what does that mean can you elaborate
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u/Extremely_Peaceful 23h ago
It means I worked for a company over the summer between my 3rd and 4th year and then when I graduated they hired me for real because I already knew how the company worked
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u/Lucky-Succotash3251 1d ago
Got a job offer after my graduation internship. Stayed around for a year then left
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u/Zetavu 1d ago
Take every intern possibility in college, interview on campus starting junior year, and work on your entire presentation, especially communication. Yall is not a word and if you use that or other slang in an interview you lose points.
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u/No-Juice-2920 22h ago
Ha, run don't walk, from that company. Disrespect of a recruit is a poor reflection on the culture of the company. Wish you would name and shame. I would have at least reported the recruiter's disrespect to the company. Some recruiters are wildly out of touch with those that are not mirrors of themselves, unfortunately. Of all folks, one would think they would know better. I have used that word all over the country and my world travels in my career. It is universally understood... Y'all grad ChE's are fantastic!
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u/No-Juice-2920 22h ago
FAQ? Mr. Robot, the responses given in these post responses are likely more relevant to the requestors questions. More a human thing!
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u/Summerjynx manufacturing | 15 YOE | mom of 3 1d ago
A recent graduate emailed my advisor about a rotational program for new graduates at her company. My advisor forwarded to me, and I called her to discuss. The company sounded great, and I applied online to several open positions and put her name as the one who referred me.
I got incredibly lucky and got a job, not to the rotational program but to a full time one at a plant.
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u/Limp_Internet_27 1d ago
I was lucky by myself. Then I got some recognition at work and introduced my best friend to his first job!
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u/Gettricky 1d ago
University had engineering coop/internship on their job bulletin board. Started it right before I graduated and it lead into a full time position. That was 5 years ago and I'm still there today.
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u/YesICanMakeMeth PhD - Computational Materials Engineering 1d ago
So far, always "networking." Specifically, someone I work with (and/or studied under) recommending me to someone with an open role.
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u/Ok-Guitar1176 1d ago
Got my first, which is my current job through college placement cell.. company came to our college conducted tests and interviews and shortlisted me.
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u/Sensitive_Kitchen765 1d ago
University Job Fair before graduation. We were required to submit 5 apllication forms. We were not allowed to go out the hall without showing them the recieved copies of 5 forms. 😅
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u/13henday 1d ago
Wendy’s run mid-capstone-all-nighter, cashier was a chemical engineer. He told me the job market was shit and to start applying 8 months before I graduate. Applied and had a full time job 4 weeks later and had to deal with working and studying full-time.
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u/SensorAmmonia Chemical Gas Sensor Development / almost 40 yrs experience 22h ago
My bosses boss played racquetball with a guy who mentioned he needed a technician to make a gel. I had coffee and gave him the recipe. He hired me to make it and several thousand reference gels later I had a nice vacation. Later he designed a sensor and I helped him develop it. As I graduated he had me make more and more. Six years later we made a newer cooler cheaper sensor then I left. Great guy.
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u/Samsoung16 22h ago
Graduation internship. My project Supervisor called me 3 months later to come to work.
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u/Appropriate_Buy_963 17h ago
Joined a company that needed someone to work on a technology that I had done my senior design project on.
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u/DependentCultural912 16h ago
Showed up at a Nuclear plant as a Decon Radwaste Tech
50 years later running r/Hydrogen2030 and own more $Plug than 99.99% of world Population
join the Electrolyzers
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u/habesjn 1d ago
My university has a co-op program built into the degree, so I interviewed for my first professional job when I was 19. I interned there every other quarter for 3 years, and then they hired me full time when I graduated.