Being an engineering student at SF State has its advantages when it comes to the arduous chore of finding a job after graduation.

Thanks to recruiting tip-offs from their engineering professors and one-on-one counseling on how to tackle the interviewing process, Crystal Vines and Mark Coats have been hired to work at local engineering companies upon their graduation in May.

Vines got a job at Quantum Consulting at the beginning of March. Two weeks after she graduates she
will be commuting to Berkeley on BART five days a week and putting her mechanical engineering skills to use.

At her new job Vines said she will be working as an energy analyst. She will be monitoring the use of energy in Quantum’s commercial space buildings in northern California and searching for ways to conserve the energy.

“It’s kind of scary (because) I will be on my own 100 percent," said Vines. “I am also afraid I won’t make it past the first 90 days.”

After several offers from different engineering companies, Vines chose Quantum Consulting, she said, because they offered her the highest salary and best benefits.

“My salary will be between $45,000 and $55,000 a year with benefits,” said Vines.

Vines attributes her hiring to the confidence she exuded at the job interview. She said she also came prepared for the interview with samples of her work. Her professors had prepared her with hypothetical questions she might be asked and helped her spruce up her resume.

“The engineering department at SF State is unique because the faculty is extremely close with their students,” said Shy-Sheng Liou, director of the engineering department. “We have a reciprocal (relationship) with local companies. They are pleased with our recommendations and we appreciate them for hiring our students.”

Coats is another civil engineering student who has a job lined up for him right after graduation. Coats will be working for the San Francisco branch of MWH Engineering Company. He was hired in March to work in their water-vision department overseeing municipal projects for San Francisco.

“I went to an engineering career fair in March and I gave MWH my cover letter and resume at that time,” said Coats. “I made a point to wear a suit and tie, (and) the companies that I was trying to get hired at were all impressed by my work experience.“

The companies Coats was most excited about were the companies that called him back from the career fair.

“I turned down three jobs and chose the job at MWH because of the location and flexibility of the job,” said Coats. “I also got a good feeling about the people who work there. They seem like people that I would work well with.”

A typical interview at some of the engineering companies where Coats was trying to get hired would consist of being questioned for a brutal eight to 10 hours. The interviewing process took a huge toll on Coats' schoolwork, though. Often companies would ask him to come back for two to three follow-up interviews.

“The whole process was so distracting, and took up so much of my time,” said Coats. “I have to play catch-up in all of my classes. Thankfully, most of my professors are forgiving about me missing their classes to do job interviews.”

The first big investment Coats plans to make is purchasing some new work clothes to replace the hoodies and jeans he has been wearing to school the past three years.

Vines said a part of her will be relieved to be working instead of taking engineering classes.

“Working will be a break," said Vines. "I won’t have to do homework or pull 14-hour days at school, studying.”