Dear Career Advisor:

I would like to speak with someone regarding some issues I have been having with finding a job. I have a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering but I am having difficulty finding a job in my field for reasons related to my gender and lack of experience, among other things.

Please advise me how I can go about speaking with someone because I am now frustrated.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Regards,

Shawna F

Dear Shawna:

Allow me to redirect your mind to first give focus to the positive aspects of your professional development; to affirm you for the completion of a degree in electrical engineering. This is a significant achievement.

Without full knowledge of your specific circumstances, eg, how long has it been since you completed the degree, what job search strategies you have been utilising, etc, it is left to guesswork as to the extent of difficulties you have been facing. Let’s see how you might put things in perspective. Consider these steps:

1. Meet with a career coach – Make contact with and utilise the services of the career services department at your alma mater. Most universities offer this service for free to their graduates. Get assistance with:

a. Résumé review

b. Assessing and highlighting your technical and employability skills

c. Refining your job search strategies

2. Pen your job search strategies, which could include:

a. Networking

b. Social media and professional network sites, eg LinkedIn

c. Job boards, including the Ministry of Labour’s LMIS (www.miss.gov.jm)

d. Companies’ websites and published advertisements

e. Send, keep track of, and follow-up on your prospecting application letters

f. Attend employer-sponsored events and job fairs

3. Break free from the ‘gender victim’ mind set. Locally, there is little evidence to support the view that there is much gender bias for entry-level jobs. On the contrary, the best employers gravitate towards selecting enthusiastic talent who demonstrate excellent potential for growth, regardless of gender.

4. Gain additional experience. Your programme of study would have provided you with some level of practical experience. Seek out avenues to build on this through volunteerism, personal small projects, or by taking a graduate internship.

5. Seek ‘outside the box’. Most employers accept candidates from almost all disciplines except where job-specific skills are required, eg, nursing. Electrical engineers have found jobs in industries such as:

IT, manufacturing, finance, management, Power supply, transport, construction, telecommunication, teaching, quality management & quality control, project management, research, logistics and purchasing, etc.

6. Craft your elevator pitch. Always be ready to market yourself, highlighting how your skills and competencies can be of value to a potential employer.

7. Be bold and persistent. Don’t get discouraged. Let ‘finding a job’ be your job until you grasp the right opportunity.

8. Advertise your skills through a paid advertisement in the Jamaica Observer. Our readers cover a wide cross-section of industries.

I trust you will find these suggestions useful.

Sincerely,

Career Advisor

Carolyn Marie Smith is Interim Assistant Vice-President, Student Services at Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester. Submit questions to her at careeradvisor@ncu.edu.jm