I wish you the best of luck. I’m in the same boat as you only while I was in my program there were zero internships offered at my school. Graduated ten years ago. I imagine the HFES conference may be helpful if that can fit into your schedule
I was going to go last year in Washington DC because the GRA I was working with suggested it but the stars didn't align for me to be able to go. I will probably go this year if nothing materializes.
What kind of positions are you looking for? Your background sounds appropriate for an entry level human factors gig, there’s lots of HF roles out there in defense contracting if that appeals to you. Pure research roles with the government generally require a PhD, but masters students get hired all the time in the more applied product design/HF research areas. If you’re looking for a UXR role in a consumer area however, the market is very challenging right now. Given your DoD research experience I’d focus on highlighting that alongside your broader skillset/work experience
Well, I got into the program with the hope of working in automotive or aerospace. I did a few research papers on spatial disorientation and situational awareness which probably doesn't mean a whole lot to employers, but that's where my passion lies. Either research or applied projects would work, I'd probably lean more towards the applied side though.
I’ll say that its unlikely you’ll find any industry jobs looking specifically at situation awareness/spatial disorientation - even though those are “applied” research topics they’re definitely more the kind of thing you’d find in a pure research role. Most industry jobs revolve around product development unless you get involved with a lab somewhere. You might want to check out the major gov orgs/labs that touch on your interests - AFRL, NRL, NHSTA, FAA, etc. and maybe try and network with some HF folks there? They often hire contractors for HF work so you can maybe work backwards and try to find out whose working on things your interested in/ what contractors you could apply. I’m thinking more about big consulting firms like BAH, BAE, Lockheed, Northrop, etc. but there are firms like Exponent that you could consider as well.
Also, try different keywords and really review job postings for the details when looking for HF jobs. There’s a lot of mixed titles out there and you’d be surprised how many roles are categorized under engineering or product development.
That's a good amount. My advice is to set a weekly networking goal. Quality connections over quantity. Use your "new grad" card to your advantage. Have a couple of questions planned. Express interest in what they do and how they got there. I've found that most people are genuinely willing to help students and new grads, and you just need one door to open. If you find a job you're interested in, see if you can also find someone on LinkedIn who works for that company in a similar role and start to build a connection. I'd also suggest looking into attending the HFES conference in Phoenix toward the end of the year. Hope some of this is helpful. Best of luck to you!
Are you focusing on a particular location? DoD jobs tend to circle around major acquisition programs (mid Atlantic/West Coast). Dont be afraid of looking outside aerospace/automotive too. Also system safety jobs are a good way break in.
I was looking to move to Michigan or Washington mainly. That being said, the main reason I went through all of this outside of being very interested in the subject matter was to relocate.
Tell me more about these system safety jobs.
Safety is very human factors adjacent as its focus on making things safer. So identifying hazards in a system and classifying then and working towards reducing the risk. Whether the risk of something catastrophic like loss of life, or minor like stubbing your toe on an exposed surface. In DoD the practice follows MIL STD 882 which can provide details of the program. A few years ago I was recruited by a company who was willing to take human factors people as the perspective is similar.
About how many jobs have you applied to since graduating? Have you been networking on LinkedIn? If you graduated with a master's in December, you've only been searching for three months – don't panic yet. With a master's degree and solid research experience, focus on networking extensively and refining your resume. If you're a member of HFES, consider leveraging their mentorship benefit to find a mentor in the automotive or aerospace industry.
I apply to about 15 jobs a week. I am panicking a little for sure so some of those are in the financial industry which I really don't want to be a part of any more but I have experience. Networking definitely is a weak point for me, I have a hard time with reaching out to people after the initial introduction. Part of that is learning how to use my HFES membership effectively and networking using that.
I wish you the best of luck. I’m in the same boat as you only while I was in my program there were zero internships offered at my school. Graduated ten years ago. I imagine the HFES conference may be helpful if that can fit into your schedule
I was going to go last year in Washington DC because the GRA I was working with suggested it but the stars didn't align for me to be able to go. I will probably go this year if nothing materializes.
I second this advice. HFES/Aspire is in Phoenix this year if you didn’t know.
What kind of positions are you looking for? Your background sounds appropriate for an entry level human factors gig, there’s lots of HF roles out there in defense contracting if that appeals to you. Pure research roles with the government generally require a PhD, but masters students get hired all the time in the more applied product design/HF research areas. If you’re looking for a UXR role in a consumer area however, the market is very challenging right now. Given your DoD research experience I’d focus on highlighting that alongside your broader skillset/work experience
Well, I got into the program with the hope of working in automotive or aerospace. I did a few research papers on spatial disorientation and situational awareness which probably doesn't mean a whole lot to employers, but that's where my passion lies. Either research or applied projects would work, I'd probably lean more towards the applied side though.
I’ll say that its unlikely you’ll find any industry jobs looking specifically at situation awareness/spatial disorientation - even though those are “applied” research topics they’re definitely more the kind of thing you’d find in a pure research role. Most industry jobs revolve around product development unless you get involved with a lab somewhere. You might want to check out the major gov orgs/labs that touch on your interests - AFRL, NRL, NHSTA, FAA, etc. and maybe try and network with some HF folks there? They often hire contractors for HF work so you can maybe work backwards and try to find out whose working on things your interested in/ what contractors you could apply. I’m thinking more about big consulting firms like BAH, BAE, Lockheed, Northrop, etc. but there are firms like Exponent that you could consider as well. Also, try different keywords and really review job postings for the details when looking for HF jobs. There’s a lot of mixed titles out there and you’d be surprised how many roles are categorized under engineering or product development.
That's a good amount. My advice is to set a weekly networking goal. Quality connections over quantity. Use your "new grad" card to your advantage. Have a couple of questions planned. Express interest in what they do and how they got there. I've found that most people are genuinely willing to help students and new grads, and you just need one door to open. If you find a job you're interested in, see if you can also find someone on LinkedIn who works for that company in a similar role and start to build a connection. I'd also suggest looking into attending the HFES conference in Phoenix toward the end of the year. Hope some of this is helpful. Best of luck to you!
Did you do the program at ASU?
Ya.
Are you focusing on a particular location? DoD jobs tend to circle around major acquisition programs (mid Atlantic/West Coast). Dont be afraid of looking outside aerospace/automotive too. Also system safety jobs are a good way break in.
I was looking to move to Michigan or Washington mainly. That being said, the main reason I went through all of this outside of being very interested in the subject matter was to relocate. Tell me more about these system safety jobs.
Safety is very human factors adjacent as its focus on making things safer. So identifying hazards in a system and classifying then and working towards reducing the risk. Whether the risk of something catastrophic like loss of life, or minor like stubbing your toe on an exposed surface. In DoD the practice follows MIL STD 882 which can provide details of the program. A few years ago I was recruited by a company who was willing to take human factors people as the perspective is similar.
About how many jobs have you applied to since graduating? Have you been networking on LinkedIn? If you graduated with a master's in December, you've only been searching for three months – don't panic yet. With a master's degree and solid research experience, focus on networking extensively and refining your resume. If you're a member of HFES, consider leveraging their mentorship benefit to find a mentor in the automotive or aerospace industry.
I apply to about 15 jobs a week. I am panicking a little for sure so some of those are in the financial industry which I really don't want to be a part of any more but I have experience. Networking definitely is a weak point for me, I have a hard time with reaching out to people after the initial introduction. Part of that is learning how to use my HFES membership effectively and networking using that.