Is it acceptable to apply to graduate positions as a professional in a related field?

Question

I am an electronics design engineer with 3 1/2 years experience mainly focussed on circuit design at the PCB level who is interested in getting into digital design/VHDL. There is a fair amount of overlap in these industries but it would be very noticeable if someone started in a non-entry level position without professional experience.

The majority of entry-level jobs in this industry are advertised as Graduate Positions. I have a applied to a few but heard absolutely no response.

Is it acceptable to apply to graduate positions as an experienced proffesional in a related field?

Answer 1

This is the sort of thing where I'd strongly recommend trying to talk to the hiring manager, as your skills are going to be different from their typical applicant: you've quite possibly got less actual VHDL experience than a typical graduate, but on the other hand you've got PCB design experience, but perhaps more importantly you've got real-world commercial experience.

For some companies, your different experience might be a deal-breaker: if what they need is someone who can do routine VHDL design tasks, you might not fit. On the other hand, if what they need is someone who can straddle the boundary between VHDL and circuit design, you're the ideal candidate - but there's no real way to know what a company is looking for without talking to them.

If nothing else, talking to the hiring manager lets you sell yourself, and you can minimise any worries they may have about your differing experience.

Answer 2

Is it acceptable to apply to graduate positions as an experienced professional in a related field?

Sure you can apply for any position in any industry. You're less likely to get the job if you're not qualified or have some other non standard issue. But nothings stops you applying. Just keep trying if you want to get into that field. Perhaps do some specific training as well to make yourself more appealing.