How to Use Networking to Find Engineering Projects

Well, yesterday's post about emphasizing the quality of your interactions in your job search over the quantity of interactions certainly went wider than I expected. I got 320+ inbound connection requests, and over 100 DMs. I'm not going to be able to get back to everyone individually, but I am going to try, just might take some time. In regards to the topic of "quantity of interactions", I mentioned I had applied through LinkedIn and other job boards for about 10 weeks. I learned there is just too much noise in the market right now, a lot of "mass migration" due to forced RTO, layoffs, and GenAI both on resume creation as well as resume review are making the "numbers game" an unwinnable strategy at worst, very unlikely at best. I relayed my experience shifting to "quality interactions" over quantity interactions, and most of my direct messages were "how do I do that". So let me share some tips on this. 1/ Get involved in local communities, the one I got involved in was https://elc.community/ (ELC), which is a community of 1000s of engineering leaders. You vocation likely has some professional communities with chapters near you. If you are an engineering leader this is the FIRST place you should start looking to get involved in. I attended their annual event in San Francisco this year, and attended two local chapter events in Seattle. Look for your local chapter leader, they can guide you to get involved. 2/ I used ELC as a starting point to make additions to my network. Through national and local events I was able to add 100+ high quality connections to my network. Many of those folks were happily employed, so when they got a recruiter reaching out to them, they referred that executive recruiter to me. I found three of my five recent opportunities this way. 3/ I didn't forget about my existing network. I started posting about my journey and invited people to reach out to me if they wanted to connect. I got at least a dozen virtual and in person coffees through this. I also spent a lot of time reading linked in and when I saw someone on my network post, or comment, I was able to re-establish some old relationships. Of those activities, one opportunity surfaced (the one I actually ended up accepting, in fact). 4/ If you DO see an opportunity through an online job board, find someone at the company that knows the hiring manager. Have them refer you. I did not utilize this as much as I could have, but if I had to go back to four months ago I would have NOT applied, but instead been referred to an open role I found on a job board through my network. As a hiring manager, I know HUMANS make the hiring decision. HUMAN connection is the most important thing in the hiring process... and at work... and at home... and in your community. Even if you still want to play the numbers game without leveraging your network, I suggest you activating your network to help you in addition to the numbers game you might otherwise be failing at.

Engineering grads -- This job market is not exactly what you were expecting after 4+ years of diligent and focused academic work. It's rough out there right now. I believe we're in the midst of a rebound, and things will look much better in the coming months. But if you're on the hunt for new opportunities, here are three tips to consider: 1. Build a portfolio Sure, you need a resume, but if you bolt a portfolio to your resume, you'll set yourself apart from 99.9% of the other candidates out there. Catalog your design projects, internship experiences, and personal projects. Add prototype photos, sketches, CAD screen grabs, analyses. Show employers not only what you have done in the past but also how you think and how you work through a process. Also, let people know what makes you - you. Attach your portfolio to the same PDF as your resume, so it won't get lost in the sorting process. 2. Target companies and find warm leads Rather than chasing job ads, where thousands are applying, target the companies that are within your area of interest. Find 2nd degree LinkedIn connections of people that work there. Then, ask for intros from your 1st degree connections. Serve it up as interest in learning more about XYZ company and building your network -- nothing more. Many will say yes. Use this as an opportunity to learn from these individuals about their own career paths and the target company. Consider these people parts of your growing network. As they say, "your network is your net worth.." Start building your network early. 3. Ask for advice, not jobs There's a saying in startup investment world: "When you're seeking investment, ask for advice. When you're seeking advice, ask for investment." Same is true when you're hunting for new opps -- don't ask your networking nodes for jobs. Instead, ask them for advice -- Career pathways, skills in demand, emerging / growing fields, etc. If you are genuine in gaining new perspectives and learning from the experience of your networking contacts, then this will come across in your conversations. The people giving advice will see you as a coachable and growth-minded person -- attributes they'll likely be seeking in their future hires. The most important thing -- keep your head up. This job market will change. Soon, you'll land an amazing job and launch the career that you deserve and have been working so hard to achieve. So, keep going. And for the rest of us.. take the time to meet, guide, and grow the next generation of engineering talent. These young engineers are the future of our industry. And it could be your kid or your grandkid in the not-too-distant future -- pay it forward.

🛠️ Network by Sharing Field Lessons, Not Job Requests One thing that changed my entire networking experience: I stopped sharing my resume, and started sharing my field lessons. What surprised me? Technical people respond to technical stories. Here’s how to use this: 📌 Step 1: Find People Who Appreciate Field Insight Look for: • Plant Operators • Senior Technicians • Shift Supervisors • Maintenance Coordinators These people understand real work not buzzwords. 📌 Step 2: Choose One Field Lesson You’ve Learned Examples: • How you avoided a breakdown • A mistake that taught you something • A safer way to perform a task • A technique that improved alignment Small stories = big impact. 📌 Step 3: Send a “Field-Lesson” Message Example: “Hi [Name], I saw your team works on [system]. We learned that doing X prevented a near-miss during maintenance happy to share details if helpful.” That’s mentorship-level value in a single message. Takeaway: Your field stories are more powerful than your qualifications. 👉🏼 Try it just once this week send someone a single field story instead of your CV. Watch the difference in response. Happy weekend guys❤️ #EngineeringNetworking #FieldLessons #TechnicalLeadership #EngineeringCareerTips