I have a vast technical background in medical devices serving as a biomedical equipment technician, 6 plus years, and would like to expand my opportunities in research and design, product development, and/or quality utilizing my skills and education, B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. I struggled finding an engineering role coming out of college so I utilized my time developing my technical expertise. I am still currently struggling to advance my career. A lot of engineering roles are hard to come by in the biomedical engineering field with out applicable experience. I've applied to numerous positions that seem like they are entry level with 0-2 years of experience. At times I don't have direct experience but years of relevant experience but I feel discouraged because I don't hear back. These includes positions I am fully qualified for. What can I do to get over this barrier and kick start my career as an engineer?
Answers
Good Morning David,
As a Marine for Life Representative, I would encourage you to reach out to me on LinkedIn as I would love to help you think how we can best get your foot in the door somewhere. I am also happy to hop on a call or review your resume - whatever you think would be most helpful.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansenfweaver/
S/F,
Jansen
The key may be finding a way to get past being a piece of paper (resume) and have them get to know you more, and about your actual experience. I agree with Henry that informational interviews are a great way. Having a good LinkedIn profile is a place to start and allows you to look for folks to approach (beyond just your personal network). I'm not sure if the "Informational Interview" term is used much any more, but you could take a more causal approach with something like "I am a recent graduate of a BS in Biomedical Engineering, but come from a background of 6+ years of experience as a biomedical equipment technician. I love this field and am drawn to your company because of XXXX, but would like to learn more about what it is actually like to work there. Would you be free for a short phone call? Thanks for reading."
This can be done via LinkedIn messaging and/or cold calling (which may be a bit harder with covid do to people working remotely).
Best of Luck!
-Paul
How about asking for an informational interview with your local hospital's bio-medical department? Perhaps more to the point, you may have been overlooking the application of your skill-set to the medical delivery system; I.E., hospital employment.
Dr. Hank
Hi David,
Thank you for your service and for your question. I am very sorry to hear that you are having a hard time finding a Biomedical Engineering role. To gain experience, you may want to consider applying for internships. This can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Also, below are a couple of articles that speak to breaking into the field and following a path.
https://www.biospace.com/article/opinion-honest-tips-on-breaking-into-the-biomechanical-engineering-market-/ from BioSpace
https://www.zippia.com/biomedical-engineering-major/ from Zippia
I hope this helps!
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