The last four years have certainly been a difficult time. All
over the UK it has been the same story - engineering teams being
cut, consultant work drying up and a distinct lack of opportunities
for electronics professionals.
I have seen this both in my capacity as a designer - having
taken jobs which I know are not suitable due to circumstances. And
currently as a recruitment consultant - through the volume of
applications I receive every day and in the voices of candidates
who have not worked for months on end or have lost faith and left
the industry altogether.
I will not discuss the state of the market nor the reasons
underlying it which are unfortunately out of our control. Neither
do I intend to give interviewing hints as these are readily
available from various sources. What I want to do is give a few
pointers to make finding the right role for you easier by using my
experience from both sides to discuss those things that others have
found to be useful in successfully securing interviews.
To begin with it is absolutely crucial that you believe in
yourself and your reasons for choosing your electronics specialism
- those companies who have invested so heavily in specialised teams
throughout their business certainly do.
Now take a good look at your CV.
If you make an application to a specific job your CV should have
a comparable theme running throughout. For the graduates amongst us
this may not be as big a concern, but your CV should still have a
relevant theme to the nature of the company's business.
Some organisations put a lot of effort into their job
specifications and expect to find somebody who fits as closely as
possible, so make sure you are the right profile for that job. If
the position is, for example, an Asic design role, then modify your
CV to expand on your relevant skills by losing information such as
the two years post graduate you spent working in CAD support.
The days of a single source CV are gone but having multiple
copies of your CV is not cheating or being dishonest - as long as
it does not contain anything that is untrue.
In the current market conditions, employers are not only being
selective on the type of experience you have but also the type of
organisation you have worked for. It is worth including somewhere a
short sentence about the type of applications or designs your
previous employers have worked on.
A proactive approach also really makes all the difference.
A colleague recently encountered a candidate whose CV was
considered average and who was lacking knowledge for a particular
electronic design position. But what she lacked on paper she
certainly made up for in enthusiasm, belief and willingness to do
'whatever it takes' to get a job.
With a little help from her recruitment consultant, who
convinced the client he had nothing to lose by giving her a ten
minute telephone interview, this candidate spent a week reading as
many books as possible on Asic design and the semiconductor market.
The ten minute interview lasted nearly an hour and within a week
she had started at one of the world's leading edge Asic design
groups.
Of course things do not always work like that, but she got what
she wanted because her recruitment consultant had helped her to
understand exactly what the client wanted from her. After that it
was simply a matter of hard work.
Obviously a good recruitment consultant has a lot to offer,
however not every business is enlightened enough to use one, which
is why I suggest you employ more than one approach in your
search.
For those of you not familiar with cold calling it can be a
daunting prospect. However if you really feel that working for a
particular company would be right for you then why not approach
them direct? You will need a bit of luck to call at the right
moment but it has been known to work many times - and what have you
got to lose?
Ongoing research is essential so use the business sections of
the media to see where the hot market areas are. This will help you
to focus the search and give you a better market understanding on a
day-to-day basis; 'semiconductor boom, defence down, public sector
busy'.
Markets change rapidly and you will increase your chances if you
keep on top of industry media. You will also gain a wider
appreciation of your market that can be used in more informal parts
of your interview.
Finally, I would ask and encourage you to be patient. In my
position I meet a lot of worried people but it is a positive
attitude and clear vision that get them through. Think ahead and
plan both career-wise and financially. As long as you do not give
up you will get the role you deserve.
Even when the market is poor, quality electronic professionals
will always be needed.
Lee Tedstone is head of the electronics division at
recruitment consultant firm Huxley Associates.