OT: US Market Job Search Tips

Hi all!

In the next few months, I immigrated to the United States and I want to ask your advice on job search. I have not yet decided on the state, as yet I not fully understand which ones are more suitable for the job.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and I've been working for systems integrator company for last four years. It's a pretty small company (actually 5 people only ), so we do not work in one particular industry. Our major projects are for Pulp and Paper (paper machines, rewinders, roll handling systems etc.) and Metal-processing industries (slitting lines, roll grinding machines). All of them made with Siemens equipment, so I'm most experienced with Siemens.

We made some Poka-Yoke systems for Automotive industry (Nissan, GM, Toyota) with Omron and Panasonic PLCs. Several Amusement rides projects with Siemens, Sick and Unitronics. And a bunch of simple projects from small water treatment plants and ending with the winch for huge chandelier in the theater. Most of them use PLC running CoDeSys. Our current project involves train automation and I work with pretty specific PLC from Selectron.

Also I have experience with VFC (Siemens, SEW Eurodrive, Schneider-Electric etc.). Experience with industrial networks such as PROFIBus, PROFINet, MODBUS, CAN. Experience with a variety of HMI panels and a little experience with Siemens' WinCC.

So, all my experience tend with "european" equipment and AFAIK here in NA Rockwell is dominating on the market. I have no any hands-on experience with Rockwell and it's networks. I'm starting to learn RSLogix software but how to convince an employer to hire me w/o hands-on experience (with my communication skills it's may be a big problem ).

Another thing that confuses me is when I try to searhc ads wich keywords like 'controls engineer','plc programming' on sites such as Monster, Craigslist or Dice, most of them are maintenance jobs. And those few that related to engineering, look a little bit frightening. It requires to design drawings, AutoCAD knowledge, control panels design and many others things! At my current place my main responsibilities include software development and its commissioning on the customer site. Sure, I also make some wiring, troubleshooting and other similar staff on a site but I don't design control panels drawings. We have another guy for it.

What do I really can expect with a such experience as my in the US?
How is the job interview usually going? What kind of questions? Any tasks?
How to search system integration ads?

Any advice would be really really appreciated!

--
Kind regards,
Roman

Honestly, I've had a lot better luck with recruiters and Craigslist than the big job sites (especially since my wife isn't open to relocation). I would spend some time on LinkedIn looking for recruiters that operate in the region you are looking to move to. Plus, with recruiters I haven't needed to write cover letter!

This guy needs to hire you:
http://control.com/thread/1465567172

Zes said:

I have not yet decided on the state, as yet I not fully understand which ones are more suitable for the job.

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Hi Roman,

Welcome to the States.... see the link below as it may help

http://www.bls.gov/sae/

For me the biggest is climate factor, I have been to just about every state and lived in most, SC is warm and humid and that is what I like, I lived in western MI and can not handle the snow, I did love central cost (Cayucos) of California and lived there for a couple years but way to many liberals and not very much work, the coast of Virginia and NC are both nice, stay out of Chicago

Good luck!!

I would say good English skills is 50% of success. As far is what is a better location: hard to say. California is nice climatewise, but the job market is not so great and living is not cheap. I suppose Midwest is the best as far as the job propects if you don't mind snow in the winter and humid heat in the summer...

You may also consider a technician position as a start with an eye to an engineering job in a couple of years. As it was suggested above, working via an agent is a better bet, especially when you do not have any US job history yet. And most places today do require controls people to do the schematics as well. If you can show you can do it on a piece of paper and are willing to learn, many companies would train you to use CAD software or some electrical design package, like EPLAN.

I should probably add this: you engineering diploma is just a key to a door; what matters is what you know and what you can do. And not many places would expect an MIT-level education from you.

Another thing to consider: in the US, Allen-Bradley/Rockwell rules the PLC market. If you find some way to at least get familiar with them, it would be a huge help.

Paper indrustry

There is allot of siemans in the US also. Many paper converting machines use siemans. Many tube fillers and packageing machines also.

good luck

check out indeed.com, lots of controls engineer job postings there.

If you have a Siemens background, and don't mind snow in the winter, Michigan might be a good place to be. Rockwell is definitely the biggest player, but Siemens has a bigger foothold in the automotive industry than most others, and there is a ton of it centered in the suburbs of Detroit. As long as you stay out of Detroit city, the suburbs are quite nice. There are a ton of system integrators, and most of them are always hiring.

One note: I assume you already have the visa stuff straightened out? Most companies won't try to get visas for employees, they only hire people that already can work.

mk42 said:

One note: I assume you already have the visa stuff straightened out? Most companies won't try to get visas for employees, they only hire people that already can work.

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+1, if you don't already have a work visa it will be a challenge. From what I have heard these have been harder to get the past few years.

+1 for Indeed, and Inceed as well. Some of their staff are not very knowledgeable about technical jobs, but they seem to have plenty of listings and have helped me in the past.

Above that, Welcome to the USA! We need more help in this field. All the young'ns wanna do is fiddle with their phones. They don't even care about cars any more! There are a lot of really talented people in our field dropping out of the job market, and too many people with a very low "give a chit quotient" entering it.

I blame a lot of it on the proliferation of the round bale. When teenagers hauled hay for $0.03 a bale, the work ethic in this country was so much better. I only did it a handful of times but that was enough to teach me the real meaning of hard work and minimal wages.

I'm a little biased, but look into Michigan. There's a lot of work here. People are screaming for experienced automation engineers, and your degree plus experience will get you a foot in the door in many places.

Cost of living is fairly low, and if you like craft beer, Grand Rapids is about the best city in the country for that. There's also the Great Lakes, and plenty of outdoor activities. Only downside is our crazy weather and sometimes-harsh winters. We're one of the few places in the world that gets lake-effect snow, but as a trade-off our winters tend to be warmer than Wisconsin's. I'm sure being a Russian you could handle it.

FactoryTalktotheHand said:

I'm a little biased.....

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TalktotheHand, where in MI do you live? I was born in Detroit but lived in White Hall to Silver Lake (still a lot of family there) until we moved to CA, its is a very nice area for a couple months out of the year.... in Arizona they have retired people called snowbirds, someday soon thats going to be me, driving around chasing the nice weather

Thanks for all your replies, links and area recommendation!

Honestly, I've had a lot better luck with recruiters and Craigslist than the big job sites (especially since my wife isn't open to relocation). I would spend some time on LinkedIn looking for recruiters that operate in the region you are looking to move to. Plus, with recruiters I haven't needed to write cover letter!

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To me hiring via recruiter is a brand new thing. Is any recruiting agency suit? Should it be local? Countrywide?

And most places today do require controls people to do the schematics as well. If you can show you can do it on a piece of paper and are willing to learn, many companies would train you to use CAD software or some electrical design package, like EPLAN.

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Can you tell a little bit more about schematics? Is it P&ID? Electric schemes? Pneumatic/hydraulic schemes? All of them?
I did P&ID for few projects. Perhaps, I could make schematics for simple applications (couple motors, couple sensors and valves), but make such design for rolls transportation and package line... Whoah... I'm not sure...
CAD software not a big deal IMO. I'm familiar a little with AutoCAD and EPLAN, but those are just tools.

One note: I assume you already have the visa stuff straightened out? Most companies won't try to get visas for employees, they only hire people that already can work.

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I have won GC. Does it make any sens to try get job offer before I move to US? In IT "skype interview" is a common practice. And what about our field?

Zes said:

Can you tell a little bit more about schematics? Is it P&ID? Electric schemes? Pneumatic/hydraulic schemes? All of them?

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It has been electrical schematics, some pneumatics, panel layouts, cable/connection diagrams and bills of material in my experience. However, I have never worked in a place where P&IDs or hydraulics are used so I cannot speak for everyone. I guess it would depend on what area of controls you would happen to work at: it could be different in assembly, in packaging, in food, in chemical etc.

A good 'headhunter' (i.e. a job agent) is usually found via a word of mouth. A caution for a newcomer: if a recruiter is asking you to pay for his services - walk right away. It is the hiring company that pays his fees upon successful hiring and if someone tries to tell you other wise, he is just trying to scam you.

I think you can try to start job search as long as you can confirm that you do have a green card and can legally be employed. Don't know how many places in US would be willing to do a remote interview with someone abroad...