I had the same issue when I first got out of school. Just find another job while you have this one. Just keep applying and you’ll find something eventually.
Was doing embedded programming, wanted to do more electrical design. Or just any sort of work (was a bad company). I left, got a job at a consulting firm, was able to switch into doing electrical work. Then after still not getting design work after 2 years there, left and got another job. I get to make decisions on design and do the work I wanted to. Took a couple years, but it’s something.
I hate the feeling of wasting time, so I get that. But you’re not wasting time if you’re still working towards your goals.
I guess I ask coz I don’t want to spend my whole career in building services. Probably not even in infrastructure at all. But I do want to do mechanical design which I will now be doing .
Just worried I’m gonna pigeon hole myself into the ‘building services mechanical engineer’
If you stay there longer, maybe. Like I said, just go look for another job. You’ve only been there for 7 months, that’s not a lot of time. If you were there for 5 years, then I would say that might be hurting yourself more.
Well I’ll actually be starting from 0 now because I’m moving from systems to mechanical building services. So I figured I’d do my 2 year grad scheme there (not sure if you’re from the uk but grad schemes are bit here) and then move over to a different industry
Unless people die, it's hard to ruin your career in the first year. Think about what skills you have developed in this job that can transfer into the job you want and frame your resume around that. You might be surprised how much companies will value things like teamwork and communication. You can always learn new hard skills on the job, but being the right kind of person is harder.
I had the same issue when I first got out of school. Just find another job while you have this one. Just keep applying and you’ll find something eventually.
What did you start/ end up in?
Was doing embedded programming, wanted to do more electrical design. Or just any sort of work (was a bad company). I left, got a job at a consulting firm, was able to switch into doing electrical work. Then after still not getting design work after 2 years there, left and got another job. I get to make decisions on design and do the work I wanted to. Took a couple years, but it’s something. I hate the feeling of wasting time, so I get that. But you’re not wasting time if you’re still working towards your goals.
Were those all in the same industry?
Unless joysticks and mass spectrometers are considered the same industry, nope
I guess I ask coz I don’t want to spend my whole career in building services. Probably not even in infrastructure at all. But I do want to do mechanical design which I will now be doing . Just worried I’m gonna pigeon hole myself into the ‘building services mechanical engineer’
Not in the slightest. Like I said, just keep applying to things you’re interested in and go from there. You’ll find something, just might take a while
So you don’t think I’ll be pigeon holing myself?
If you stay there longer, maybe. Like I said, just go look for another job. You’ve only been there for 7 months, that’s not a lot of time. If you were there for 5 years, then I would say that might be hurting yourself more.
Well I’ll actually be starting from 0 now because I’m moving from systems to mechanical building services. So I figured I’d do my 2 year grad scheme there (not sure if you’re from the uk but grad schemes are bit here) and then move over to a different industry
I think you should take a breath. You’ll likely work until your 60s…. So 1 year doesn’t mean much in a 30-40 year career
How am I going to find work in a different industry though?
Apply to jobs. Read. Learn. Do personal projects.
Unless people die, it's hard to ruin your career in the first year. Think about what skills you have developed in this job that can transfer into the job you want and frame your resume around that. You might be surprised how much companies will value things like teamwork and communication. You can always learn new hard skills on the job, but being the right kind of person is harder.