Success Story: Talent Connect Matches GE Global Research Engineer’s Spouse with Engineering Lecturer Position at Rensselaer

In spring 2015, Mahmood Hameed and his wife, Aqsa Patel, were preparing to receive their doctorates from the University of Kansas. Both would get doctorates in electrical engineering, but Mahmood’s focus was on fiber optic telecommunications whereas Aqsa’s was on radar.

That May, Aqsa got a job offer for an ultrasound hardware engineer position from GE Global Research in Niskayuna. She graduated in August and a month later she moved with the couple’s six-year-old son to the Capital Region, leaving Mahmood behind in Lawrence, Kansas as he completed his schoolwork.

Mahmood would not graduate until October 2015, so that summer he began aggressively searching for a job in the Capital Region. He knew the odds were against him when it came to two married, recent doctorate program graduates finding jobs in the same region in a short period of time. But shortly before Mahmood graduated, Talent Connect  program manager, Joanne Bucher, contacted him after he was referred to the Center for Economic Growth (CEG) program from GE Global Research for career support.

Within a few days of contacting Mahmood, Joanne arranged informational interviews at the University at Albany, Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Joanne also helped Mahmood understand what his options in industry in the Capital Region would be as an alternative to working in academia. He was particularly interested in working for Rensselaer, but he was not expecting the informational interviews to yield job offers, at least not in the short-term.

However, during Mahmood’s informational interview with Rensselaer, school officials invited him to an alumni event that weekend. Within a few weeks after that they were able to offer him a lecturer position in their Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering Department.

“This match was very good and it happened so quickly,” Mahmood said.

The offer saved Mahmood from having to spend more time away from his son and from having to make the hard decision of working in Lawrence until a job in the Capital Region solidified or moving to New York without one. He started teaching at Rensselaer in January and lives with his family in Niskayuna.

“It was like the best-case scenario working out for us,” he said.

All CEG members have access to Talent Connect services. To schedule a New Hire Navigation, or to learn how Talent Connect can help your business attract or retain skilled workers, call Program Manager Joanne Bucher at 518-465-8975, ext.222 or email her at joanneb@ceg.org. Learn more about Talent Connect here.