The fact that the economy is tight right now is no surprise to anyone anymore. But there are jobs still available. I found my job at the end of the year when the economy was going south. I have several friends that have found jobs recently and I have several that are look. I’ve compiled a list of the things that I’ve seen, experienced and heard from others about finding jobs in this market.

Employers want to see experience
There are not as many jobs as there were a few years ago. Because of that, employers can be more selective. One friend of mine told me that several companies weren’t interested in talking to her until she told them about her experience. This is why internships in college are so important. If you don’t have work experience then talk about the projects you worked on in school that relate to the job you are applying for.

Find out where the customers are
People are still spending money. Find out who is still spending money on engineering services and apply to the companies that work in that field. For example, city and county budgets are set at the beginning of the year. In part it’s based on tax money they have already received. They will spend that money on projects. Engineering companies that cater to municipal clients are still doing well in this economy.

Learn people skills
This is an area that engineers typically don’t do well. Engineers work in teams and work with many different types of clients. The ability to talk to people is a valuable skill. When you talk to hiring managers and recruiters talk to them. Don’t just give them your resume and run away.

Do your homework
Know something about the company that you are applying to. Ask questions that directly relate to what they are doing. Use your answers to show how your skills relate to what they are doing.

Focus your resume
Make adjustments to your resume based on the job you are applying for. Each company has their own unique needs. Make sure that your resume shows that you meet those needs. You can find out those needs by reading the job description or by spending a few minutes on their website.

Differentiate
Use your resume, cover letter and face time to show how you are different. If you have more education than the next person, show it. If you have experience that the prospective employer could use, tell them about it. Make sure the employer knows why you are the perfect person for the job.

The basics matter even more
Since there are fewer jobs right now it is more important than ever to follow the basic rules when applying for a job. Make sure there are no typos in your resume or cover letter. Dress properly for an interview. Talk to your references so they aren’t surprised when they get a call. Be positive. Send thank you cards after an interview.

I could go on and on, but this covers the basics. What are some other important things you’ve found?

Whether you are interviewing for a full time job or an internship the basics are the same.  Here’s a few notes, tips and things to keep in mind for interviews.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Everybody Has The Internet

Clear off anything that you posted on the internet that you wouldn’t want the interviewer to see.  Many companies regularly do a Google search before an interview.

Dress The Way The Boss Would

Guys, you should wear a suit and tie.  If it’s a hot environment or in the summer you can probably get away without a coat, but wear the tie.  Ladies, dress equivalently.  The civil engineering world is fairly conservative.  Dress professionally and at least one level higher than you think the job would generally require.

Prepare Answers for Questions

I’m planning an entire post on interview questions.  But have answers to typical questions ready.  Know a few strengths, at least one weakness, some goals, how you’ve handled difficult work situations in the past, etc.

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Qualifications

The interviewer knows that you are probably qualified or they wouldn’t take the time to interview you.  So during the interview, when they ask you about your qualifications, give them examples of specific things you have done in the past.

The Interview is Not About You.  It’s About How You Can Help the Company.

The interviewer wants to find out how you can help them.  The questions they ask will be geared toward this.  Tell them about your accomplishments and how you can use your accomplishments and skills to help them.

Part Of It Is A Personality Test

Whether or not they give you a written test interviewers will try to find out if you will fit in with the team.  The civil engineering field is very team oriented.  Engineers aren’t stereotypically know for there interpersonal skills.  Being able to work well with people is very important.  That is true for your coworkers as well as internal and external clients.

Ask When You’ll Here From Them

When the interview is winding down ask when you can expect to hear from them or when you should call them.  This will set your expectation.  Some places will take months to get back to you.  Some, just a few days.

Don’t Lie

Just like on your resume, don’t lie.  Tell the truth.  If you don’t know the answer then say so.  If the answers looks negative on you, then say what you’ve learned from the experience.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Say Thank You

Send a thank you note, or call the interviewer and thank them.   Not a text message or email.  Write the note by hand, or call them.  As old as this advice is it is amazing how few people do this and how effective it is.

Follow Up

If you say you’ll follow up with them at a certain time, then do it.

That’s a few key points.  What are some that you’ve run into that others should know?

This goes along with my post the other day.  Not only should you check your project site regularly, because things can change, but you also need to try to make sure that anyone that might need to know what is going on knows what is going on.

For one of my projects we are redesigning an intersection.  The intersection will be completely rebuilt to make it more efficient and bring it up to current standards.  Both the city and the department of transportation are involved.

The DOT has a program where they go around the state adding ADA ramps at intersections.  It’s a good program.  Many intersections are not currently accessible.

The other day I saw this DOT crew building ADA ramps at this intersection.  The DOT spent thousands of dollars building these ramps that will be torn up in a few months.  If both departments had been talking, they would have spent the money on other intersections that aren’t scheduled to be torn up in a few months.

This also applies within our own companies.  Talk with people working on similar projects or in similar locations.  That can help you pass on lessons learned as well as reduce the possibility of wasted effort and double work.

I’m no fashion expert.  Far from it.  As far as I’m concerned, Jeans and a t-shirt will work for most occasions.  Work is one of the occasions when jeans and a t-shirt are generally not recommended.  Even on casual Friday.  When you’re new to the office environment, figuring out what you should wear can be a bit confusing.  This is especially the case when you’re given vague terms like casual Friday or business casual.  I may touch on other situations later, but since today is Friday and I’m getting ready for casual Friday myself right now, I’ll just go over that.

One Step Down

The general rule for casual Friday is to dress one step down from what you normally wear.  For example, if you generally wear slacks and a button up shirt, then casual Friday could be jeans that are in good shape and a polo shirt.  Generally you would still wear dressier shoes, not tennis shoes.  For the different firms that I’ve worked for and with, that seems to be the most common situation in the civil engineering consulting industry.  That also seems to be fairly common with the municipal clients.

Following the one step down rule, if you generally wear a tie to work, then casual Friday may simply mean that you don’t have to wear a tie.

The same concept works for both men and women.  The whole point is to be a little more relaxed, while still looking professional.

This is a general rule.  The details vary from one company to the next.  They also vary between different parts of the country and within different industries.  When in doubt, ask your boss.  They know us new engineers have a lot to learn.

How does your company do this sort of thing?

In this economy everyone is looking to save money.  That means not only us, but the companies that we work for as well.  Being able to save your company some money while still getting everything done properly, shows that you care about more than just yourself.  It also shows that you have an interest in helping the company.  That makes you more valuable in your boss’s eyes.

Here are two things that I’ve done recently that helped my company save money.

Rent a car for business trips.

Civil engineers sometimes have to travel for projects.  We can’t always work on projects just down the street.  One place I have to travel to occasionally takes about 4 hours to drive to.  Because of time at the airport, flight time, luggage, car rental, etc. it takes about 4 hours to fly there as well.

The company reimburses me for those costs.  So to drive the company spends about $250 in mileage.  A little more than that to fly with the plane ticket and rental car.  However, I’ve learned that if I rent a car and drive the rental instead of my own car, then the company pays for the rental and gas instead of mileage.  That comes to about half the price of me driving my own car.

Granted, I don’t get that $250 mileage reimbursement, but the company still pays for the gas and I don’t put hundreds of extra miles on my own car.  It saves money for both of us in the long run.

Become a member.

Civil engineers have to constantly take classes.  We have to keep up with the latest laws, technologies, and standards, not to mention learning new areas of civil engineering.  Most companies see the value of taking these classes and are willing to pay for them.

If the class is offered by an association, the association will usually give a discount to its members.  Frequently, the discount is more than the price of membership.  This is especially true if you take more than one class.  Your company may be willing to pay for the membership if you can show them how much it will save them in the long run.

These membership can also connect you with other professionals to help you network.  The organizations also provide a lot of resources to its member that you wouldn’t have otherwise.  Those are side benefits that can help both you personally and your company.

Has anybody else used these methods?  What are some ways that you have saved money at work?  Both for you or your company?