[bribriagain]

I'm scheduled to speak at a graduation ceremony of control system engineers this week. I'm not sure what to tell them, given the automation/control industries current slump.

[Ed_in_NJ]

Tell 'em to stay in school and get a Masters in International Business -- that way they'll at least be able to go to whatever country is hiring at the time they get out.

[Incorrigible]

My suggestion.  Tell them not to artificially limit themselves to engineering.

After graduation, I swore I would never take another engineering class as long as I lived!  I didn't.  I got my MBA.

The cool thing about being an engineer in an MBA class is while everyone else is struggling with simple integration equations in economics, the engineer can breeze through much of the math requirements of an MBA.  In fact, I was allowed to get a pass on several of the more basic math class requirements.

In my 15 years since graduation, I've drifted between development, consulting, management and sales.  I'm currently in sales.  I'm feeling pretty secure at the moment until everyone is willing to accept tele-video sales calls from India!

Having the dedication it takes to become an engineer means you can exploit that perseverance in any line of work.  Don't let the current market get them down.

[SSN558]

"I'm scheduled to speak at a graduation ceremony of control system engineers this week. I'm not sure what to tell them, given the automation/control industries current slump."

You could tell them about the other side of outsourcing. It can be quite lucrative if you don't mind the 125 degree summers. An electrical engineer with a BS can make about $180k by expatriating to an Arab state for a while.

[RaceBannon]

Tell them to maximise their education in controls, PLC programming, and take side courses in mechanical skills, along with some machining curses.

I have seen a great need for people who can wear 3 hats nowadays, not just one.

and tell them to get a passport. They may need to move where the jobs are.