In a so-so market, the first job for an engineer is always the hardest job to get. Based on my experience, I would take the antenna job. The direct subject matter may not be your first choice but you will learn how the commercial world operates. Most schools don’t teach you about ISO processes, documentation, budgets, estimating, customer service, etc., etc. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to get your feet wet and get some positive cash flow at the same time.
When your 2 years are up, you will be a vetted engineer which is a lot more appealing to most companies and you’ll find many more opportunities as a result. With the exception of research facilities which demand higher education, you will find that proven experience is arguably the most desirable trait of an engineer.
Good luck with the job hunt. I went through it about 12 years ago and things have gotten much better since then.
There are several dimensions to career choice. While I do not disagree at all with what phalanx posted, I will add…
Beware of being pigeon-holed as an “antenna guy”. The corporate electronics world has become highly specialized and with the number of resumes floating around, hiring managers sort resumes by keywords and quickly divide applicants into buckets. Don’t get stuck in a bucket you don’t want to stay in. I suppose (and hope) that this applies less to smaller companies than to larger ones.
Do what you love. You have invested in the training and skills that will pay the basic bills so find a job that gets you out of bed in the morning and race to it. You will perform better at such a job and grow faster. After a point experience and money are not the motivators that people think they are.
You’ve got two great view points coming out of Phalanx and uChip. These guys both make really good points. Personally, I think that for an initial position, I would take the job. You sound like it’s something you can do and enjoy until you can get into the field you want to focus in.
The comment to be cautious of being pigeon holed is valid too though. If you don’t want to be an antenna guy your whole life, you may want to continue working in your personal time on projects that support your real interest. When you’re ready to move to a new position you will have real world work experience on top of a personal portfolio of projects to show your skills.
Those are great point to consider and one more I would like to toss in (mind you this is coming from a hardware guy rapidly approaching 20 years in the biz)…
KEEP LEARNING.
I cannot emphasize that enough. I have seen many engineers work themselves out of a job because they didnt make the effort to keep learning or take advantage of an opportunity presented to them at work to learn something new.