How did your professional integration as a technician in a design office go?

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Hello

As a young graduate , I am currently looking for a job as a draftsman. Except that I come up against a small problem, on each job offer I find it is required between 3 and 5 years of experience. So I have a few questions for people who work in this field: 

- Was it also systematically required for you to have so many years of experience? Or is it only because of this difficult period that it is like this? 

- If so, how did you go about acquiring this experience, knowing that all job offers require experience? 

Thanks in advance 

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Hello

Indeed it was very difficult to find a position in a design office.

For an accepted place I had to send 300 letters, even though he had no seizure.

At the time they asked if we had done our military service, ... So you see all these periods before and now, it doesn't change, the problem is the same, you need experience, the best is the work-study program, done there at a higher level (Engineer) than what you are looking for, So applying for a work-study program is also hard to find.

For my part, I stopped my studies at the baccalaureate, I found a job in BE and I resumed my studies in BTS CPI in Alternance, hard but it's doable.

I advise you to persist, not to stop looking, think of changing region or country if you have the language (English preferably).

That's it, if you want to succeed in this BE way, go through a small permanent contract if possible and then the work-study program, it works in this direction if the company wants it.

There are also many design offices in service or temporary work specialized in construction sites, again it's a good opportunity to have experience

This is my experience, I wish you a lot of courage, hang on, if you want you will get there, that's my motto.

@+.

AR

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Hello

From experience as a BE engineer, but it's the same, go through the service to gain experience, see several companies and make an opinion. Then later you will have the experience to apply for permanent contracts directly or be offered a contract by the client company with which you are working.

On the other hand, I don't recommend you to do an engineering work-study program just to gain experience, unless that's the job you're aiming for. Too many technicians coming out of DUT/BTS do a work-study engineering without wanting to be an engineer, just because it's a possibility, as a result the market is saturated, we hire engineers to do the drawing and no one understands anything about the qualifications anymore!

That's my opinion, in any case I think that the performance in these times is a good way to get in.

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Hello

Yes totally agree AGrd, it's the reality I experienced it personally without being an engineer (Thank you for this clarification Agrd). But the service is the best solution.

@+.

AR

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Performance and temporary work are indeed the best way to create an experience.
You just have to know that in this situation you are often considered as cannon fodder...

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Hello

As already stated:

- Work-study program (which was my choice).

-Benefit.

-Interim.

In the BE where I am we find the 3 cases, more or less equal, which have turned into permanent contracts.

Kind regards

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For my part, I didn't have any problems to start with, because my 1st boss was the examiner of my diploma and I caught his eye.

Over time, what I can tell you is that years of experience depend on the person.

My first company was a small structure where you are quickly confronted with reality, you have to develop the sensors yourself, see the machine assembled, and sometimes even machine when it's in a rush... But all this makes you draw much better afterwards because you realize your mistakes (the ones you don't learn at school).

Whereas then I was in a big structure where I couldn't see further than 3D.

For a beginner, the first company is much more formative, I would even say that 1 year = 5 years in a large structure.

Afterwards, without experience you have 2 points that can put you forward: Show that you want to, being a cartoonist is a job of passion. If your future boss doesn't feel passionate, he won't take you. And you also need a strong character. And then you have to reassure about your basic knowledge, show that you know how to score, because you'll start by doing details and small subsets.

And I can tell you, that even guys with 10 years of experience don't know how to force a functional dimension or choose a subject.

 

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Thank you for all your answers, it confirms the impression I had in view of the available job offers. So I'm going to try to apply for jobs in service companies or on a temporary basis.

In fact, a person I know who works in a design office advised me to avoid service companies because the working conditions were not always very good. But in view of the job market at the moment, I have the impression that to be able to hope one day to find a permanent contract in a design office, there is no other choice than to go through this. But hey, it's okay after that, it's like all jobs, you always start with the things that no one likes to do before you can do what you really want. 

So I have two other questions: 

- What is the difference between temporary employment agencies that offer positions in BE and service companies in BE ? Because it's still a bit unclear for me.

- As I plan to perfect my knowledge of mechanical design while looking for a job, what do you think are the things you really need to know how to do to be a good technician in a design office?

Thanks in advance

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Hello

Indeed it's almost the same thing because a temp agency can also do a permanent contract, and yes I can say it because I've been there.

Let's say that it's the salary that is higher in temporary work than in service. For my part, to get some experience, it's better to go through this, you have no choice unless you have a piston...

Come on, good luck, go now, don't be afraid, you're young, go for it.

@+.

AR.

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You did not specify your geographical area and your mobility possibilities.
Nothing prevents you from applying for a job that requires an experienced person. You just have to aim to pass the first filter:
- no recruitment agency advertisements;
- no announcements from large companies;
- give priority to SMEs that come directly and, if possible, even travel to establish a first contact by giving the CV.
Obviously you have to have something to offer to compensate for the lack of experience...

One option, if you are in France, is the status of auto-entrepreneur (contact the local CCI for more information). You will do service on your own if the opportunity arises and this does not prevent you from doing temporary work alongside or between 2 "classic" service missions.

In temporary work, the contract is a fixed-term contract between you and the agency. Sometimes, temporary work allows people to be tested over a longer period than the simple conventional trial period.

In service, there are several types of contracts, but in general it is a form of permanent contract. In my case, I was on a traditional permanent contract and it was up to my employer to find me assignments or make me work on his premises. The service, for the end customer, allows them to have the flexibility of temporary work without the constraints.

For you, this translates mainly into visibility (or not) on your short/medium/long-term future, you have (or not) notice to change companies (/!\ you can only "break" a fixed-term contract for a permanent hire).

Being on a permanent contract makes it easier to find a place to live, to be better seen by your banker.

That was for the first question!

For the second it's simpler: unless you're looking for a design student working in a particular field, you have to be versatile (flexibility of mind), have general knowledge (it's better to know nothing about everything rather than know everything about nothing).
My point of view is certainly guided by my experience: subcontracting of studies (therefore only service), you have to be able (to image) to design a semi-trailer as well as a household robot!

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As far as what you said your knowledge about service companies is concerned, it's partly true: from experience, and from the experience of classmates, etc., avoid large service groups: I'm thinking of Alten with whom I "collaborated" for a few months, nothing went well, I think you have to live it to realize it. Favor small firms, personally I'm happy with that!

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The same goes for the large service groups from the customer's point of view, we are sent people with 5 years of experience and in the end you end up with a person who knows almost nothing about software or drawing because he has just come out of training, the small service companies are on the other hand more honest

For my experience (BTS boilermaking in 96), I started by doing preparation (2D plan) for the launch (sheet metal development, cutting...)

Then after a year I was lucky enough to find my 1st position in a design office after a month of construction and one in the workshop in order to train myself in the requirements of the profession.

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