Hot Spots in Cyberspace 8766

Count on us

For those who are not looking for another engineering job, but do want to improve on their current one, visit www.designnews.com. The 'Find a Supplier' area in the top navigation bar is a helpful tool in which users pick a category (one of ten) and then narrow the search down further in choosing a subcategory. The supplier search then presents a list of possible suppliers in the chosen field with direct links to company profiles. If you're a supplier, rather than a seeker, take five minutes to fill out an online form to include yourself in the list.

The search is over

National Engineering Search (www.nesnet.com) is a leading technical recruiting firm for the electrical, software, RF, mechanical, and manufacturing engineering industries. The site offers a resume wizard and career advice section, as well as a salary calculator. Visitors may search for jobs by state or region, category, or keyword.

Talk is cheap

Don't be turned off by the name. Roadwhore (www.roadwhore.com) deems itself "an interactive site for engineering contractors." Stress the 'interactive.' The site provides a BBS section with links to industry questions and jobs both offered and needed, with an e-mail reply link, saving visitors a step in the communication process. The chat area may replace a long-distance phone call for discussions with engineering- and overseas contractors. The Postbox section also posts visitors' e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and occupations as a means of contacting industry peers.

Simply the best

Now that we've moved into the new millennium, it seems everyone has a "Best of" list for the past 100 years. The field of engineering is no different. At www.greatachievements.org, the site celebrates the top 20 greatest engineering achievements of the twentieth century. Sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering, it offers the history and timeline of such groundbreaking inventions as the automobile, nuclear technology, and the Internet.

We do need some education

The American Society of Engineering Education (www.asee.org) is a great website to learn how to promote and take advantage of engineering education. It provides a review of the latest news in engineering education, as well as a thorough review of conferences, call for papers, and calendar events. With information on fellowships, international societies, and engineering resources, the site could serve as a springboard for more specific engineering information.

They're in the money

How do you compare? The aggregate results of our latest career survey are in this issue, but have you ever wondered about the young college kid, recently out of one of the most prestigious engineering schools, sitting in the cube next to you? To take a look at what recent MIT grads have made in their first job out of college, visit http://web.mit.edu/career/www/salary/salary.html. The salary survey dates back to 1996 graduates and organizes the salary comparison by department, degree, job function, and employer type. Petty, yes, but interesting all the same.