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I've been hunting for jobs in the automotive field for quite some time now, and things are definitely starting to improve. I do not base my opinion on callbacks from applications and resumes, because I haven't received many noteworthy callbacks. I did get some calls from head hunters, which is definitely a move in the right direction. However, those calls didn't land me the engineering position that I am looking for. They were mostly just calls to touch base with me before they threw my resume into their filing systems.
I base my optimistic outlook largely on the chatter that I hear from other people. I have family and friends that work in the automotive industry, and they tell me that they are working a lot of overtime. This means that the work is there, but companies have not made the complete commitment to hire new employees just yet.
I plan on keeping my eye out for job fairs that will hopefully pop up in the future. I think that the face-to-face interaction at job fairs is a huge advantage over just submitting my resume. Sometimes I wonder if my resume is even looked at, or if it is simply just another piece of paper in the stack. I keep on sending resumes out while staying hopeful that one of these days I will get the big call.
After learning of the announcement by the Federal Reserve that unemployment is dropping, I am even more hopeful that my job search will turn around sooner rather than later. This announcement is big news since it signifies the lowest unemployment rate in three years.
I may have to lower my expectations or become an entrepreneur, but I will definitely not lose hope for my employment future. If it means that I need to continue networking and branching off into different fields, then I am willing to do that. I am trained as an engineer, but I realize that not everyone stays in the career in which they received their degree. I have seen a lot of ads lately for electrical vehicle battery technology engineers. I may try to pursue those positions more seriously, since the U.S. government is pumping a lot of research money into the alternative energy fields. If nothing comes from that pursuit then I need to keep the option open for a possible move out of state.
Again, with this big Federal Reserve announcement, I am definitely going to keep my hunt going. I am aware of the fact that my home state of Michigan has been hit extremely hard by this recession. Knowing this fact about Michigan means that I need to take the announcement with tempered excitement. I will be realistic, but stay diligent with my job search.
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