Career Advice for an Engineer Earning an MBA

Summary: This article gives an engineer earning an MBA advice on landing a job at a venture capital firm.

Question: I’m an engineer with 10 years’ experience, and I’ll finish an MBA in management and finance at the end of the year. Although I’m currently well paid, I’d like to get into a more interesting, lucrative field. With my experience and new degree, I think I could work in the venture-capital field. I don’t know much about it, but I suspect that by making controlling investments, VC firms want to make sure the new technologies they’re investing in are developed right. Is it common for these firms to hire engineers to help guide projects along? If so, how do I locate and contact them?

— Jim, Washington, D.C.

Jim: The rapidly rising number of venture-capital firms has created demand for talented technical pros who can help evaluate potential investments and vendor agreements. VC firms typically behave like search firms, using networking and research to identify hires. You should tap the same methods to find VC firms that would value your engineering skills. If you have trouble reaching potential contacts by phone, send them targeted letters and a resume. It’s a shotgun approach, but less work than networking for contact names. There are several good directories you can use, including one from Kennedy Publications.

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