Engineering is a profession that has not enjoyed great use of temporary staffing services in the past, but that situation has quickly changed in recent years. Now, due to a shortage of engineers in almost every region of the country, employers and recruiters are seeking specialists in nearly all areas of engineering and architecture, according to the National Business Employment Weekly for March 23-29, 1997. That report, by managing editor Perri Capell, concludes that larger engineering firms are "adding staff only to meet specific surgical-type needs so they won't have to lay off employees if business slows." Because of this change in dynamic, more and more professional staffing services are concentrating on the engineering profession.
It is just after 9:00 A.M. and Martin and other members of the development group are meeting to discuss a prototype for a new fast-food restaurant. Martin has been working on this project for two months and expects to complete his part of the work in a few more weeks. When this project ends, Martin will not only move on to a new project, he will be working for a new company. Martin is one of the growing numbers of engineers to join the ranks of temporary professional employees.
Martin, a civil engineer, had worked for a large regional grocery store chain headquartered in the Midwest. Martin's job involved evaluating sites for new stores and modifying the chain's standard store plan for local site conditions and building codes. With 10 years of experience and great performance reviews, he had felt pretty secure about his future. But that was before his company was acquired by one of its competitors. Instead of a job, Martin suddenly found himself with a severance package that included a few months of salary continuation and an appointment with an out-placement firm.
The outplacement firm hired by the acquiring company suggested Martin update his computer skills so that he would be more marketable. They also suggested he sign up with several staffing services to find temporary or temp-to-hire jobs. Martin was a little reluctant to go down this path at first because he thought it might hurt his chances of finding another full-time permanent job. This reluctance was overcome by the realization that his severance package would soon run out. He talked to friends, the outplacement firm, and even an adviser at the technical school where he was taking his computer classes to get information on staffing services representing the engineering disciplines. He ended up with a list of three companies that specialized in placing engineers. Two of the companies were national companies without a local office. Martin was able to send them his resume and application via the Internet.
Through one of the national staffing services Martin was offered a choice of jobs. The first was project work, which meant he would be paid a specific amount each month for a few months until the project was completed. This particular project was in his hometown and would require very little travel. However, it was a short-term assignment and provided no benefits. His other option was to join the staffing service as a consultant, or full-time temporary employee. The staffing service would pay him an annual salary, provide him with benefits (health and life insurance), and allow him to participate in a 401(k) retirement program. This option would mean he would be working for the service all the time on various civil engineering projects. The position would require travel and living out of a suitcase. When one job ended, he would receive training to enhance his engineering skills. Martin opted for the staffing service position, because it would provide experience and training to keep him in demand.
Engineering Skills Used by Staffing Services
Other disciplines of engineering covered by the staffing services are ASIC (application-specific integrated circuits), CAD (computer-assisted drafting) specialists checkers, RF (radio frequency), digital/logic, test, verification, QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control), chemist/chemical, mask, math and modeling, aerospace designers, industrial, metallurgical, mining, nuclear, and petroleum.
Some of the types of engineering positions that can be filled by the professional/technical temp involve several different disciplines. Mechanical engineers can include engineering, design, and technicians. Electrical engineers include design and technicians. There are also chemical, design, industrial, quality, and process engineers.
Some of those skills recruited for electronic engineers are network application, network systems, and hardware. Chemical engineers recruited are those with management backgrounds, and with process design, process control, infrastructure process, and production and process skills.
A process engineer who wants to work as a technical professional temporary could be asked for chemical, process design, and process control systems experience. Someone who has infrastructure and production experience as well may be recruited all across the United States.
Mechanical engineers may need maintenance, infrastructure, and process experience as well as mechanical design experience.
Drafters
As mentioned earlier, drafters work on many projects on teams together with engineers as well as architects. Computer-aided drafting and design or CAD will continue to be a skill that is in demand more and more.
Many of the staffing services that recruit and place engineers and architects also place drafters on jobs. If you are a drafter looking for work as a temp or want to find full-time work as a temp-to-hire, search the Internet for Web sites of staffing services that place engineers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists income for drafters who work year-round as averaging between $21,500 and $38,600, depending on experience, with the top 10% earning more than $50,200.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Salary Survey
There are many disciplines and industries that search for engineers. Engineers can work at jobs from individual projects where they work independently up though being supervisors of departments and companies. Someone with engineering experience who does a search of Web sites on the Internet will find there are many opportunities to choose from in engineering.
