What do you do?

[Arthur Dent]

I graduated college with about a 2.6 GPA and no work experience in my field. So, for six months after graduation, I couldn't get a job. I had a lot of interviews where I thought I nailed the job only to lose out to someone with a higher GPA and work experience. Very discouraging. I mean, I was well spoken, confident, personable, intelligent, all the things they look for and got a great reaction, but couldn't nail the job. And some of them were really sweet.

So, I found a headhunter that would take a recent college grad. Not easy in engineering. EVERYBODY wants experience. Even the headhunters. But, the headhunter got me an interview with a manufacturing company and I took the job as a temp. For over a year. Liked the job and it was full time, but the pay was below average for my degree, there were no benefits because it was temp, no room for advancement, and my boss had problems with his boss which affected me not getting hired permanent.

The whole time I was looking for something else. Nothing better was coming along.

Then I was talking to a friend and he said there were openings in the company that hired him. So, he gave me a recommendation and handed my resume to his boss. That was my entrance into the world of being a consulting engineer. Unfortunately, the company was being led by a moron of a president, my friend left for greener pastures and I was watching the company fall apart around me.

It was three months later my friend was established at the new company, gave me a recommendation AGAIN, I moved over again, just before the old company completely collapsed.

Now I couldn't be happier. I work with a VERY good friend, a guy I knew from college who graduated a year earlier than me, and a great boss.

So, hang in there. And network with people. It'll work out in the end.