How to Land a Job with an Engineering Degree

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How to Land a Job with an Engineering Degree  

by Skylar Waters – Engineer in Training at XRG 

After long nights, lab reports, endless exams, and four (or more) years of studies, you’ve finally obtained the magic piece of paper. Now what? The quest begins not only for a job, but for the vibrant, fulfilling career you’ve worked so diligently to attain. Throughout your studies, professors and mentors have promised that your sacrifices would bear fruit. Yet, stepping into the professional world can feel like venturing into uncharted territory, armed only with an engineering degree and a dream. You build your resume and apply for jobs on LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter but never seem to hear back. How does one stand out from the crowd and build the career that they’ve dreamed of?

 

            

Pre-Graduation Preparation

The task of landing a job with an engineering degree begins well before graduation. While your engineering degree is a critical cornerstone, it is but one piece of the puzzle. Employers seek candidates who bring more to the table than academic credentials. Prior work experience, even in fields seemingly unrelated to engineering, is a beacon of interest for hiring managers. Whether you’ve flipped burgers, tended bar, or managed a retail counter, these roles demonstrate your capacity for growth, responsibility, and punctuality—qualities no employer wishes to gamble on with an untested graduate. So, embrace your summer stints in food service or hospitality; they are badges of your reliability and work ethic.

During my years in school, I was able to gain around half a decade of work experience. My time spent as a hostess, server, and housekeeper taught me valuable lessons and built my confidence in a professional environment, even allowing me to hold a management role while in the midst of my senior year of college. This was a big topic of conversation during my hiring process, and I did not feel as if any of my time spent in these part-time roles went to waste.

Moreover, your scholastic achievements can set you apart. Research projects, scholarships, or academic awards signal not only your competence in meeting expectations but also your drive to excel beyond them. These accomplishments hint to employers that you’re not merely content with checking boxes—you strive for distinction. When crafting your resume for that first engineering role, don’t hesitate to showcase these experiences. They collectively paint a portrait of a candidate who is both capable and eager.

 

Crafting a Professional Resume

Next, it is crucial to tailor your resume for your audience. At the resume stage of the hiring process, hiring teams and recruiters may be looking at dozens or hundreds of resumes a day, and may sometimes use software to filter resumes for certain criteria. Ensure that your resume focuses on your technical skills, employment history, and educational milestones, omitting extraneous details about hobbies or personal anecdotes. Save those charming stories for the interview—your resume’s role is to open the door, not narrate your life’s saga.

Earning my degree without falling into student loan debt was a personal goal that I was able to achieve throughout my time in school. In order to do this, I strived for and earned a large handful of scholarships that were able to cover the majority of my financial responsibility for my engineering degree. I was afraid that listing these scholarships on my resume may be perceived as haughty or even ridiculous, as the list seemed long. However, I learned through the interview process that this was a wonderful way for my personal goal to be brought into conversation, and the door was opened for me to discuss the goal that I had set for myself and the steps that I had enacted to make it happen. I believe that this conversation built confidence and repour with my employers.

Ensure your contact information exudes professionalism. An email address like jane.doe.engineer@gmail.com is far more likely to inspire confidence than coolguy123@yahoo.com. Similarly, once you’ve begun applying, answer calls from unknown numbers with poise; a hiring manager may be reaching out for a preliminary chat to gauge your demeanor before scheduling a formal interview. A polished first impression, even over the phone, can set the stage for success.

 

 

Interview Preparation and Execution

When the interview invitation arrives, it’s time to shine. Preparation is your greatest ally. Researching the company at which you’re applying is a critical step in the process of landing a job. A quick dive into the company’s website can help you understand the types of work you may be doing and help to develop a list of questions to ask your potential employer. You may even be able to research the hiring team that you’ll be speaking with in your interview to develop a more personal conversation and ease nerves.

Entering an interview with questions in mind and a knowledge base of the company is another good sign of your interest and attention to detail. Candidates who ask the questions necessary to make sure the job is a good match for them as well as the company are more likely to be a successful fit. Some topics that I inquired about during my interview included company dress code, company culture, and opportunities for growth and advancement.

Ensure to reflect on moments when you’ve demonstrated leadership or navigated conflict with finesse, as these interview topics are sure to arise. Brush up on your engineering fundamentals; be ready to discuss your favorite (and perhaps least favorite) subjects from your studies, as these reveal both your passions and your resilience. Above all, keep in mind that hiring teams aren’t just evaluating your technical ability—they’re envisioning you as a colleague. A candidate who is personable, collaborative, and eager to learn is as valuable as one with a first-class transcript.

 

Landing the Job

Dress the part, exude confidence, and approach the interview as a conversation rather than an interrogation. Employers seek individuals they’d enjoy working alongside daily, so let your warmth and enthusiasm underscore your qualifications. Your degree and experience are vital and a testament to your intellect and perseverance, but your ability to adapt, collaborate, and grow is the true currency of a successful engineering career, and will propel you forward. So, polish that resume, embrace each interview with confidence, and approach this transition with the same curiosity and grit that carried you through your studies. The career you’ve dreamed of awaits.

 

 

Bachelors of Architectural Engineering

Skylar Waters

Engineer in Training at XRG Technologies

Bachelor of Architectural Engineering – Oklahoma State University, Class of 2024

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ERWIN PLATVOET
As CTO of XRG, Erwin is a true innovator, whose career spans more than three decades in heat transfer and combustion industries. Erwin is a graduate of Twente University in the Netherlands with a MS in Chemical Engineering. Erwin has served the industry around the globe in a variety of roles including Research and Development Engineer, Cracking Furnace Specialist, and Director of Engineering, and now CTO. Erwin holds eight patents in fired heat transfer and emissions control technology, has published numerous papers, and co-authored the John Zink Combustion handbook and Industrial Combustion Testing book. Erwin has been an active member of the API 560 and API 535 subcommittees and taken an active role in revising these standards.
BAILEY HENDRIX
Bailey graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, she joined the private sector as an Applications Engineer in Tulsa, OK at a local combustion company where she managed the sales activities for the process burner refining market. She quickly accelerated her career, becoming the Refining Account Manager responsible for all business development and sales of process burners in North and South America. Her strong leadership skills and interpersonal qualities led her to a position as the Western Hemisphere Sales Director for the process burner business, leading a group of sales engineers in the areas of new equipment, retrofits and burner management systems. Her financial and commercial acumen drives the success of XRG Technologies’ business development.
ALLEN BURRIS
Allen’s background includes 10 years of experience in designing and selling process burners. Allen is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is a licensed professional mechanical engineer in the State of Oklahoma. His knowledge and superior customer focus led him to a career change to process design, custom-engineered fired heater sales, and associated sub-systems for the petrochemical, refining and NGL industries. With more than two decades of experience in the combustion and fired heater industry, Allen has what it takes to overcome challenges associated with complex projects and possesses.
TIM WEBSTER
With over 25 years of experience in the combustion industry, Tim brings a wealth of industry experience and technical expertise to XRG. Tim graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from San Jose State University and received a Master of Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. Tim began his career engineering custom combustion systems for a wide range of applications including boilers, heaters, furnaces, kilns, and incinerators. Tim is a licensed professional mechanical engineer in the states of California, Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, has authored numerous articles and papers, and has co-authored several combustion handbooks.
matt martin
As the Lead Scientist at XRG, Matt has over 30 years of experience in the combustion industry. He specializes in CFD of fired equipment, including UOP platforming heaters, burners in process heaters, thermal oxidizers and flares with over 300 simulations of installed, field-proven equipment. Matt received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Tulsa. He has written numerous publications, is listed as inventor or co-inventor on 27 patents and was awarded the title of Honeywell Fellow in 2011 for technical excellence and leadership.
gina briggs
Gina is a native Oklahoman and attended the University of Tulsa, graduating with a BSBA in Accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Management Accountant. Gina began her career with the Tulsa office of Deloitte Haskins and Sells, providing audit and tax services. Since leaving Deloitte, she has held CFO positions with privately held companies in the manufacturing, construction and distribution industries. In 2013, she began a consulting practice providing contract CFO services to companies, one of which was XRG and joined XRG as CFO in 2019. Gina has always enjoyed working in the small business arena, helping business owners to profitably grow and manage their businesses.