Engineers Hardest Jobs to Fill in U.S. in 2008

At least here in western PA, some of this "hard to fill" is because the employers want to qualify foreign (can you say lower salary) workers on H1b visas. The job descriptions are so detailed, nobody but the foreign engineer they already have in mind could ever fill it. Then, the so-called shortage causes more people to study engineering and that further depresses the salary levels and allows companies to throw out older workers. I constantly hear complaints on the news about these shortages and I daresay I know at least three dozen skilled engineers over the age of 50 who would do about anything to become employed again.

How's that for a rant?

Agreed. I'll believe there is a shortage when salaries start rising.

Then you can believe that there is a shortage of petro/chemical engineers down here in Houston - those kids are getting money thrown at them.

Fair enough.

Yeah! It is an amazingly good market for engineers (in and around Houston) when the local rock n roll radio stations routinely advertise engineering and tech position at the local companies.

I also know my salary has benefitted....

But do they advertise on the Polka stations?

all the polka here is tejano

Hey, if they use accordians and dance in a line, that's close enough.

We have regular polka as well. There is a large population of Germans and Czech's between Houston and San Antonio...

Amen!!

In our china there is also such resemblance investigation.

but most of such investigation is not true. very side.

I feel there will be a high demand in skilled employee in future. There's also a reason the increasing salaries also not able to meet the daily requirement of the employee.

What job description are they delineating to Machinist these days?

I feel there is some communication gap between job seeker and employers. Last week I saw a thread where a Auto Chassis designer was desperately seeking a usefull employment.How such thing can happen?

Must be the area I'm in, but calls for Engineers / Technicians are few and far between. Plus there are danged few entry-level positions for young-uns just out of school. Usually the requirements are so specific that you're amazed anyone ever does qualify. Seriously...who has 37+ years experience working with Crudco CRP-00 whoodizzle systems? They've only been making whoodizzles for 5 years.

But by the same token I've seen companies hire people with zero technical training whatsoever into technical jobs. I've even seen candidates honestly say "I can't do that" and still be hired. Partially I attibute this to management that doesn't fully understand the needed skills of the positions they're filling. On more than one occasion when I've been asked to hire / interview technical workers, I've gotten blank stares from management when I try to explain this.

Actual examples I've had to explain:

A man who's good at tinkering with farm equipment isn't the same as a machinist.

An IT guy isn't the same as an electronic engineer.

EXACTLY!

Companies do, in fact, write enormously specific job postings; something I've written about:

http://www.asktheheadhunter.com/gv060106.htm

I agree with many above. Here in Houston, the demand for experienced engineers is off the chart, particularly in Oil & gas, chemical, petrochemical industries. Apparently they must be getting harder to find, at least experienced ones. Of course the area (Houston) is historically a vast producer within such industries, but the recent upsurge in demand might be more related to the need to develop abroad. It's a combination of that plus the fact that many of the leading E & C firms with the expertise have large operations here and there are many producers (customers) here.

I have recently benefited from a job change due to this demand. I am a mechanical/controls type engineer with 24 years of experience. I think that companies look at experienced engineers not so much worried about the salary it takes to attract/keep them. If they have the necessary skills, companies know that they will pay for their own salaries many times over by projects not having to be re-worked, reduced labor costs, less downtime, more designs approved and the list goes on. Houston is one of those markets where many firms recognize these benefits of experienced engineers as well as the fact that savings in the way of lower salaries for fresh graduate engineers does not really compare to the other savings.

Not to worry for young engineers however. The market is ripe for them as well and always will be, here in Houston and elsewhere. But when experience is needed, experience will be sought and rightfully rewarded. All experienced engineers were once inexperienced ones. They paid their dues. We all have to.

I'm afraid I dont agree.

To say that when the experience is needed it will be sought and rightfully rewarded ASSUMES that the business will always be there and that is not a valid assumption in the US market at this point.
If a manufacturer or engineering firm screws you over by outsourcing your work to Asia(or elsewhere) you might sing a different tune. Especially if you were required to train people in Asia (as part of your job).

You may disagree but you misinterpret to an extent as well. In saying experience will be sought when needed does not suggest that the market will always be there. Companies do that of their own perogative meaning seek experience. They would only do that when the market IS there. I also know that they do many underhanded things. I have been the victim of layoffs backstabbing and the like so we are not naive. And if you are an experienced engineer and know your stuff you will sell your services for what you and the company agree to be your value Rightfully So. That is all I was saying. Its all there. No hidden messages just straight talk. I really was not addressing or even thinking about the issues you mentioned so you shifted gears completely on me. My comments have to do with the hiring of experienced vs inexperienced engineers particularly in the present Houston market. But good point. Sounds like you know what you are talking about. I have trained a young foreign national over here who was going to college to beome an engineer. That young man is a class act. And Ive trained many young engineers over here. I have never worked or trained anyone abroad as I suppose you say you have. Everyone has had different experiences. The fact that a company has outsourced or otherwise mistreated you is definitely the fault of the company. I stopped looking for a perfect company a long time ago. Maybe only law will stop some of that.

I think with respect to machinists the problem is only going to get worse. If you walk into any typical machine shop you'll be hard pressed to find anyone under the age of 40, especially in a large, well established (perhaps even unionized) shop. I'm the son of a machinist, the grandson of a machinist, and I know my way around a bridgeport and a lathe, as do my uncles and siblings. But without that exposure growing up, being a machinist as a career path would have never been a thought. Many american high schools are phasing out or under promoting its shop classes where kids gain an appreciation for the profession, and push the seemingly more glamorous (and better paying) professions out there. I remember taking drafting in shop class as a kid. Actual paper and pencil drafting, where we even had to measure out and draw our own borders and title blocks. When we finished the drawings, we then had to produce our part, and from that experience go back and revise our drawings. Does this even happen anymore?

Machinists and engineers often go toe to toe and butt heads, but its important to realize that a good machinist is a very practical engineer at heart, and thier intuition about things can be more valuable then calculations and books of tables. For example, I've known many engineers who have designed things for best possible performace, and a machinist will go in and say "You know, you really dont need certain features for this to work adequately, and removing them will save a significant amount of money". Perhaps its time machining be recognized as a subset of the larger engineering field (mechanical, chemical, industrial, electrical, etc.). Then the job would seem less of a drudge, pay better, and earn more respect. Otherwise as the generations progress and the older machinists retire, the profession will all but die out.

Avery Montembeault

I realize this post will be off topic but I felt compelled to reply. What you say/feel is mostly correct. I'm a fourth generation mechanical engineer and currently run a maintenance department. I'm also the only engineer in the entire facility. I feel I have a leg up on anyone my age though due to one sole fact. My father (no degree, just years of experience) taught me that no matter what you do, everyone will have some subject matter expertize and as an engineer, it's your duty to extract that and put it to good use. What exactly does that mean? I utilize my mechanics and electricians daily to make informed decisions regardless of subject. (financial, engineering, repair, etc..) Because of that relationship and mutual respect, there's nothing we can't accomplish. What does need to happen is for both parties to loose the chips on their shoulders and work together. My success has not come easy and I had to work my butt off to gain the respect of my department. I'm 31, their average age is 40+. The wage difference will always be there, engineers are saddled with more responsibility and are therefore compensated for that. BUT, everyone should be compensated for their contributions to the company, something most employers overlook.

Mike

I know I live in the rust belt and that makes me cynical, but I'm an OF and I've been through several cycles now. While I don't doubt that demand outstrips supply in some fields in some areas, there are no guarantees for the future.

I remember the electronic engineers straggling out of Florida in the late 60s like a bunch of dust-bowl Okies.

I remember mid 70s aerospace engineers lying on their resumes, saying they were mechanical engineers.

I remember late 70s electronic engineers in the Long Island/New Jersey area giving birth to the phrase "wagebusting" and the joke: What do you call a 40 year old engineer? Hey, cabbie.

I remember early 80s nuclear engineers deciding to look for their life's meaning elsewhere.

I remember mid 80s steel manufacturing engineers simply giving up and leaving the work force.

During all of these times, colleges were cranking out lot of new engineers and everybody was selling the idea of "shortages". I think the idea was that it was cheaper to just hire new graduates than to retrain older engineers.

Cripes man! You ARE old!

Dang it all. Now I'm going to have to treat you with more respect and everything.

I'm not old! I'm a hormone-challenged 16 year old idiot trapped in an old body. Help!!

oh, different group conclude in different result.