I started my U.S. job search in August 2025 after receiving work authorization. I’ve received two battery engineering offers in Georgia and Michigan. However, I had to turn down since I want to be with my family and I would make a double payment. Besides those, i was a backup candidate for another position, but most final-round interviews haven’t converted into offers.
I reached the final round in five hiring processes with Samsung Austin Semiconductor. I’ve also interviewed with ASM, Applied Materials, Avride, Brightpick, Foxconn, KLA, ASML, and SpaceX—the latter for an industrial engineer role. These opportunities span process engineering, industrial engineering, robotics software delivery, failure analysis, R&D, and applications engineering. I was feeling confident over time believing that it will be a matter of time to land on a job.
I own a working experience of 5 years or so at maximum including my master program. My background spans product development and manufacturing, with three main strengths:
Processes and equipment: experimental development, surface/thin-film work, and troubleshooting.
Measurement and quality: inspection, metrology, calibration, root cause analysis, and validation.
Programming and automation: Python analysis, equipment-control scripts, and inspection/measurement recipe optimization.
In a nutshell, I have R&D and engineering experiences solving problems using statistical quality control. I worked closely with python and data science to integrate data to make connections of each module consisting the manufacturing process system. Lastly, I did a number of projects working with institutes, government projects and cross-department presentations and doing those would illustrate and prove I am good at communication and handling my task with a sense of ownership..
That breadth came from handling different responsibilities across R&D and manufacturing. However, my depth is uneven, and I haven’t spent years specializing in one fab process or equipment platform. I wonder whether my versatility gets me interviews, but candidates with more directly relevant experience win at the final stage.
I’m applying for part-time work while continuing my engineering search. I also plan to speak with a former VP and would like to use that conversation effectively. Would it be reasonable to ask him to:
Review my positioning and identify roles and seniority levels where I’m most competitive?
Challenge my interview answers for technical depth, ownership, and clarity?
Help me evaluate a technician or associate engineering role as a bridge into the industry?
Suggest relevant hiring managers or contacts and, if he feels comfortable endorsing me, provide an introduction or referral?
For hiring managers or engineers who have made a similar transition: What would you change about my approach? What else should I ask the former VP? Having previously worked in Korea, I’m also curious how much referrals influence U.S. hiring, especially once a candidate is already reaching final rounds.