posted
I’m asking for advice from all engineers (and heck, from anyone who feels they have good advice to give) but hopefully from a few of our CEs here, the closer to my field the better.
Basically I’m wondering about planning, what to spend my time on, what people look for when hiring, what will help me most once I get a job, that kind of thing.
I’m getting my degree in Civil Engineering, emphasis (that’s Purdue’s system of doing things) in structural/structures, and a minor in Computer Science (mostly as a fall back type of thing). I have had an internship in Mechanical when I was in high school (I did some work with MEMS at the local University Engineering department) and I’ve been working for around 9 months now as a programmer for a research corporation (entirely government/NSF funded), but I’ve had no CE experience whatsoever outside of class (unless you count putting up a fence in a youth program one summer).
Now I know here at Purdue it’s typical to start getting internships or even just summer jobs even after Freshman year, and certainly after Sophomore year. Last summer was after my Freshman year and that’s when I got the programming job, and here’s where we start running into problems.
This summer I’ll be leaving, and I wont be back for two years, now of course when I get back I doubt anyone will be interested in hiring me since I wont be able to do interviews, I wont be back until probably early June, and I wont have done anything engineering for two years. So I’m thinking of going to summer school instead, but this means that I have only one summer to get CE experience before I graduate (I’m on the four year plan, if I go to summer school it’s remotely possible I’ll be on a 3.5 year plan).
I’m hearing from people who have a vested interest in telling me this but seem honest enough that getting a graduate degree (Masters is what I’m thinking here) is becoming more and more important. So I figured with this push, the fact that I will have little to no experience beforehand, and the fact that I vaguely would like to someday teach (this is all very foggy) going straight into grad school after college. But this still wont solve the experience, since I’ll still only have that one summer in which to get an internship or job of some sort related to CE.
Anyways, that’s what I’m thinking, any advice or thoughts? Any other suggestions for doing well in structures? Specifically large scale projects like bridges?
posted
I plan to go for a graduate degree because I believe it will allow me more flexibility and more interesting jobs. I'm not sure what to say on the internships, but experience is always nice on your resume when applying for grad school. I assume that the two years you'll be away is for your mission? Can you do service projects then that will give you good experience? Or will you be required to spend most of your time proselytizing?
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I have to put Christmas decorations back in the attic, so this will be short.
From my understanding, Structural Engineering is one of the disciplines that almost requires a Masters before getting a job. You might get a job with a firm, but you would likely be confined to doing grunt work until you got your Masters.
I'll post more tomorrow.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
My hubby, with a CS degree, decided grad school was a waste of time and money. He did an internship during the summers and then had several job opportunities when he chose to graduate a semester early. Of course, he did go to a prestigious engineering school, so I don't know how much influence that had. But he wanted to get started with making money as soon as possible, instead of waiting around. This was about 10 years ago, though. Don't know what the job market is like now.
Posts: 3141 | Registered: Apr 2000
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posted
Getting experience is important, but it doesn't necessarily have to be in structures. When I look at resumes, I want to know that the person is experienced in working in a real world environment.
It is definitely preferable that the work be in the engineering field, but I think your work as a programmer will still count for quite a bit. Experience wise, it's better than being a waiter or working in the mall.
I spent several summers working at a traffic engineering firm, a far cry from geotech. The main thing I learned there was how an engineering office functions - interaction with clients, budgets, time constraints, etc. The best engineering solution isn't always the best when you factor in money, time, constructability, etc. These are things you don't always pick up in school, but will learn at a good company. It doesn't matter whether they are structures or not. I also learned that traffic engineering was incredibly boring.
Why are you going to be gone for 2 years?
And I think if you're going into structures, you should let me live my dream vicariously through you. Get a job designing roller coasters. Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Getting experience is important, but it doesn't necessarily have to be in structures. When I look at resumes, I want to know that the person is experienced in working in a real world environment.
It is definitely preferable that the work be in the engineering field, but I think your work as a programmer will still count for quite a bit. Experience wise, it's better than being a waiter or working in the mall.
Hmmm, OK, like I said, I've had work as a programmer, and as kind of a research assistant like position in a MechE lab, and then some menial labor jobs. So that would count for something, but still CE experience would be a big bost, right?
quote:Why are you going to be gone for 2 years?
And I think if you're going into structures, you should let me live my dream vicariously through you. Get a job designing roller coasters.
Mission.
And if you can find me that job I'd be glad to send you daily photos and plans and explenations of how incredibly cool it all was.
posted
Most state DOTs have internship programs that are fairly easy to get into. I'd reccommend one of them when you get back from your mission. It will help you decide if you really want to be a civil and go on to grad school or if you want to go more the programming route.
posted
Purdue has an excellent placement program, internships and jobs, the reason I haven't gotten a CE internship so far is because I haven't tried (I think I could if I did try, maybe not, but the first barrier to break is the applying one ). The one problem with getting an internship when I get back though is that I will have been gone for two years, if I have to interview (not to mention apply) to a position that's often a couple of months, and though certainly it can happen faster than that, I only have so much time until regular school starts again, and if I miss that ... well, then I'm behind by a semester ontop of the two years. That plus someone would have to want to hire me despite my not having done anything CE related for two years. :-/
posted
Are you a sophomore right now or a Junior? I thought you would have two years left when you get back? I was thinking internship between junior and senior year, that's when it will matter the most.
For what it's worth I never had a traditional "engineering" internship either though I did work at "engineering" jobs as a student researcher at the university itself.
posted
Ohh, I see, yes, that's what I've been planning I guess. Is there a reason you choose DOT, like you think it would be superior to most other internships?
Ohh, right, and I'm a sophmore now, I do have the advantage of being about a year ahead of average, but with CS minor and a significant number of "average" people requiring 5 years it'll still take me 4 years of schooling (though I haven't figured out what impact taking summer school will have on that).
posted
Well there are a couple of things. Generally State Department of Transportations are always shorthanded. This means they hire as many summer interns as they possibly can get away with in their budget. (so your hiatus won't count as much against you) This also means that your odds of actually doing "civil engineering" are significantly higher than at most other short term internships. Also many states will view internship with another DOT positively, Steve actually got credit for his summers working with the DOT in Oklahoma and it bumped him up a half a pay grade in IL.
Also though it depends on your specialty, many engineers go into the public sector before the private sector and the DoTs tend to have a very good networking for future jobs.
quote: Also though it depends on your specialty, many engineers go into the public sector before the private sector and the DoTs tend to have a very good networking for future jobs.
Yes, because it is assumed that all your contacts at DOT will get us more jobs. Of course, we have to deal with the fact that you were "trained" in the public sector and it will likely take years to break you of the bad habits you will have formed.
Tell Steve I'm kidding, AJ.
My company hires interns year round. As long as your schedule isn't too screwy, we're willing to work around it. If your classes are MWF, you can work Tues and Thurs. If your classes are all in the morning, you can work afternoons. Is Purdue in a big enough place that there are some decent sized engineering firms around?
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
Hobbes, Consider leaving on your mission at the end of summer rather than the beginning. Logistically, this could work out much better. You could work a CE job this summer and then return in time to start fall semester. Most engineering schools don't offer their upper division engineering courses during the summer so attending summer school might not be all that useful. This will also put you graduating in the spring which has several advantages particularly if you are thinking of attending grad. school. Most grad schoolsare set up to admit students only in fall semester. If you graduate in the fall, you could end up with little to do until the following fall.
When I served my mission, I planned to leave so that I would be back shortly before the start of fall quarter. It was a good choice. A mission is such an intense experience that it can be a brutal shock to come home and have nothing of importance to do for months. My brother, who turned 19 in Oct.. was able to pursuade the church to let him leave for his mission in late August so that he could return in time to start school. The timing of your return is more important the the timing of your departure.
Also, request that your department write you a letter guaranteeing that you will be able to re-enter the program when you are leaving off. I don't know how it is at Purdue, but many engineering programs require some sort of admission into official major status before you can take the upper division course work (its a way of meeting acreditation requirements). If their policies change while you are gone, you could end up SOL unless you have this kind of letter in your file.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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Rabbit, I'm going to make absolutley sure about coming back to school, don't worry about that; I'm going to have a talk with one of the CE advisors before I leave and work everything out (hopefully just a little before everyone else signs up for next semester's classes). That's a very interesting idea, leaving at the end of the semester. There are a few ... ummm .. interpersonal reasons for wanting to leave at the end of the semester instead of end of the summer. I'll certainly think and talk it over though, thanks.
Zan, to be honest, I don't really think so, but I don't know for a fact. It's a big school but I just don't remember seeing any CE firms around here (by which I mean, e-mails about jobs for CEs right in the city) but I certainly never looked into it, so I'm not sure.
AJ, I'll keep that in mind when looking for jobs/internships.
posted
My diploma is equal to a master degree, But for your problem, i can't help you 'cause it's different in France. Sorry. Posts: 1189 | Registered: Dec 2004
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). The one problem with getting an internship when I get back though is that I will have been gone for two years, if I have to interview (not to mention apply) to a position that's often a couple of months, and though certainly it can happen faster than that, I only have so much time until regular school starts again, and if I miss that ... well, then I'm behind by a semester ontop of the two years. That plus someone would have to want to hire me despite my not having done anything CE related for two years. :-/![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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