Comments on: No Experience? No Problem. How 4 Pros Landed Their Dream Gigs

By: jrandom421

jrandom421 — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 03:18:00 +0000

The only ways to get an engineering job without the schooling are either you’re the 1 in 100,000 who is a “natural” engineer, or you’ve worked at least 15-20 years as a technician and have learned enough to pass the state licensing board and the interviews.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 12:42:00 +0000

I personally thought it was a very well written article with highly valuable points to be considered. I especially enjoyed Tom’s story (a friend of mine). His experiences are extremely valuable and can easily be used by any/all veterans transitioning out of the military (I had to do the same thing in 2002 when leaving the Marine Corps).

Well done Charley.

By: Charley Mendoza

Charley Mendoza — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:53:00 +0000

@jrandom421– Yes, as mentioned in the article these tips won’t work for every job there is. And you’re right, for the kind of job you’re targeting, none of the strategies here will work. But how about reaching out to someone who’s already an aerospace engineer, preferably someone who got the job without the necessary education as well? Maybe they can tell you what they did to get their foot in the door.

By: Charley Mendoza

Charley Mendoza — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:50:00 +0000

@tyler_hull:disqus–Glad you liked it. Yeah, the strategies here really won’t work for every occupation, such as police work or medical work perhaps.

By: Charley Mendoza

Charley Mendoza — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 14:48:00 +0000

@Trendycheapo:disqus — Thanks! Glad you found it inspiring. I’m a freelance writer and like you, I have no journalism degree. And I know many successful writers who don’t have one as well. So yeah, just keep going. Read some writing blogs and join a writer’s support group.. that should help you kick off your freelance business

By: Taylor

Taylor — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 02:29:00 +0000

This is so inspiring.. Verda’s story hits home for me especially since I’m breaking into freelance writing without a Journalism degree. I’m determined to make it and seeing success like hers keeps me chugging along.

By: Tyler Hull

Tyler Hull — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 15:21:00 +0000

Great article.. As pointed out already… though It may not work for every occupation, It certainly will work for a lot of them! These are some great ideas for how to do it!

By: jrandom421

jrandom421 — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 19:35:00 +0000

Nice idea, but for an art major graduate applying for an aerospace engineering job, it’s a recipe for humiliating failure. The reason such employers want some experience or some background knowledge, is that the price of failure is prohibitively high. For instance, if a plane crashes and kills hundreds of people, and a part designed by an engineer who has no engineering background is pinpointed as the catastrophic point of failure, the criminal and civil penalties will mean the end of the company, and probably long jail terms for the individuals involved. And, as crass as it may seem, most companies see this as a scenario to be avoided at all costs.