Helpful Tips for Finding Summer Internships and Permanent Jobs

Finding a job can be an intimidating process for students. Your job search actually begins back in high school, where you have your first opportunity to begin building your "brand." However, if you were not that forward-thinking, not to worry. This web page summarizes some resources available to you to help you find jobs.

Let's start with the basics. Before you begin your job search, you should have a nice resume, a LinkedIn profile, and a GitHub page. Once you have completed these things, then you need to study the College of Engineering's Pathways to Success guide. Next, you need to make an appointment with Career Services in the College of Engineering located on the third floor of the Engineering Building. Now we are ready to begin your job search.

There are several important resources available to you: Your job search needs to begin early, particularly if you want a job in the government. You should start applying for jobs in September if you want to be employed in the following summer. It takes a long time to get a security clearance, so jobs in the defense sector are often filled by mid-October. Similarly, because of the competitive job market today, companies are recruiting students much earlier than before. It is not uncommon for a job offer to be extended before the end of the calendar year for the following summer.

Many of you are wondering how to get your foot in the door as a freshman or as a student with no significant job experience. That process is easier than you might think. Begin the summer after freshman year by working in a university research lab where you can develop valuable skills. Then you can parlay that into your first summer internship after sophomore year. Not surprisingly, you can leverage your first internship in industry into a better internship the following year (typically the summer after junior year). This last internship is very important because if you perform well, you will be often be offered a permanent job. Most good students have job offers in hand before they begin a formal job search process in senior year.

There are also lots of interesting summer research experiences available through the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. This is another excellent way to build your "brand" and improve your chances of being accepted into a top gradate program.

If you are a good student, you need to plan on getting a Master of Science (MS) Degree either while working full-time (your company will pay for this) or as a full-time graduate student. An MS degree is required if you want to get a really interesting job where you play a central role in the future of your institution. We often joke that the MS degree is the new BS degree, because a BS degree is no longer a differentiator in the job market. One efficient way to get an MS degree is through our College's +1 Bachelor's to Master's Accelerated Degree program. Your academic advisor can tell you more about this program.

Finally, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your College of Engineering academic advisor, your faculty mentor (you really need to have one!), or your course instructors. Career Services is dedicated to your success in finding an exciting job. Job experience is a critical part of your education, and in the ECE Department we are committed to helping you with this process.