How to get Engineering Internships (From No Experience to $63/hour)

Summary

The video script outlines a step-by-step guide for engineering students to secure internships despite having no experience. It emphasizes the importance of understanding job requirements through research, building relevant skills, crafting a strong resume and portfolio, networking on LinkedIn, and acing interviews through preparation and mock interviews. The speaker shares personal insights and strategies, encouraging persistence in the face of rejection.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Start by identifying the type of engineering job you want and the skills it requires.
• 🔍 Research job descriptions on platforms like LinkedIn to understand the key skills employers are looking for.
• 🛠️ Learn and develop the necessary skills through online tutorials and resources.
• 🏢 Participate in engineering clubs or student design teams to gain practical experience.
• 📄 Create a resume focusing on skills, experience, and education, tailored to the job you're applying for.
• 📑 Build a portfolio showcasing your work, especially for roles requiring a practical demonstration of skills.
• 🔎 Use LinkedIn to find and apply for jobs, and to connect with alumni from your university working at potential employers.
• 💬 Network by reaching out to professionals working in your desired field for advice and potential referrals.
• 📞 Conduct informational interviews to learn more about the job and company.
• 💡 Prepare for technical questions in interviews by reviewing your academic knowledge and conducting mock interviews.
• 🚫 Embrace rejection as part of the job search process, and stay focused on securing one job offer.

Q & A

What is the main challenge faced by engineering graduates with student debt?

The main challenge faced by engineering graduates with student debt is finding a job, especially when they lack practical experience and internships, which are crucial for landing high-paying jobs in the field.

Why are internships important for engineering students?

Internships are important for engineering students because they provide practical experience, help build relevant skills, and increase the chances of securing a job after graduation.

How can a student with no experience start building their resume?

A student with no experience can start building their resume by identifying the skills required for their desired job through job listings, learning those skills independently using online resources, and participating in engineering clubs or student design teams to gain hands-on experience.

What are the key components of an effective resume for engineering students?

An effective resume for engineering students should include a skills section highlighting relevant abilities, an experience section detailing personal projects and team contributions, and an education section with the university and program details.

How can a portfolio help an engineering student in job applications?

A portfolio helps an engineering student by showcasing their practical work, designs, and projects, providing tangible evidence of their skills and experience, which can increase their chances of landing job interviews.

What is the recommended approach to networking on LinkedIn for engineering students?

The recommended approach to networking on LinkedIn for engineering students is to search for job titles and companies of interest, connect with alumni from their university, engage in informational interviews to learn about the company and role, and potentially receive referrals or invitations to networking events.

What should an engineering student do to prepare for technical questions in a job interview?

An engineering student should review their resume bullet points, understand the technical aspects of their projects and experiences, and practice mock interviews to be prepared for technical questions in a job interview.

How can an engineering student handle the rejections during the job application process?

An engineering student should view rejections as a normal part of the job application process, focus on improving their resume and interview skills, and remember that only one job offer is needed to achieve their goal.

What is the significance of personal projects for an engineering student's professional development?

Personal projects are significant for an engineering student's professional development as they provide an opportunity to apply newly learned skills, create tangible work that can be included in a resume and portfolio, and demonstrate the student's initiative and passion for the field.

Why is it beneficial for engineering students to join clubs and teams at their school?

Joining clubs and teams at school is beneficial for engineering students because it allows them to work on real-world projects, collaborate with peers, learn from experienced members, and gain valuable experience that can be highlighted on their resume.

What is the role of an engineering student's university and program in their job application strategy?

The university and program play a role in an engineering student's job application strategy by providing a network of alumni and professionals, opportunities for networking and mentorship, and a foundation of knowledge and skills that are relevant to the industry.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Navigating the Engineering Internship Hunt

This paragraph discusses the challenges faced by engineering graduates, particularly the difficulty of securing internships without prior experience. It emphasizes the importance of internships as stepping stones to high-paying jobs and suggests that students should seek opportunities beyond their academic curriculum. The speaker shares their personal experience of securing five internships and outlines a step-by-step plan to help others gain initial experience, build a resume, create a portfolio, get noticed, and excel in interviews. The focus is on identifying the skills required for desired jobs by researching job descriptions on platforms like LinkedIn and then acquiring those skills through personal projects or joining engineering clubs at university.

05:00

📄 Crafting the Perfect Resume and Portfolio

The second paragraph delves into the process of building an effective resume and portfolio. It advises on structuring the resume into three sections: skills, experience, and education, providing tips on what to include in each. The paragraph underscores the importance of showcasing personal projects and involvement in engineering teams to demonstrate acquired skills. It also suggests networking on LinkedIn by connecting with alumni from the same university who work at desirable companies. The speaker shares a personal example of how they improved a smart home device design, highlighting the need to articulate actions, methods, and results in the resume. The paragraph concludes by encouraging the creation of a portfolio to visually present one's work, which can increase the chances of landing job interviews.

10:00

🤝 Leveraging Networking for Internship Opportunities

The final paragraph focuses on the power of networking in securing internships. It outlines a five-step strategy for networking on LinkedIn, which includes applying directly through the company's website, researching and connecting with alumni from the applicant's university who work at the company, engaging in informational interviews to learn about the company culture and job expectations, and reaching out to professionals in the desired job role to understand the path to success within the company. The paragraph also emphasizes the importance of preparing for interviews by being able to explain every point on the resume and being ready to answer technical questions. It concludes with encouragement to persist through rejections and a promise of support, urging viewers to share their success stories on social media.

Keywords

💡Debt

Debt refers to the money that one person or entity owes to another. In the context of the video, it relates to the financial burden of student loans that an engineering graduate may have accumulated over the years of their education. The script mentions '60,000 dollars in debt' to illustrate the pressure and challenges faced by graduates when they enter the job market without immediate high-paying job prospects.

💡Internships

Internships are temporary positions within a company or organization that provide work experience and often serve as a stepping stone to full-time employment. In the video, internships are crucial for engineering students to gain practical experience and enhance their resumes, which is essential for securing high-paying jobs after graduation.

💡Resume

A resume is a document that summarizes an individual's professional experiences, skills, education, and other qualifications relevant to a job application. In the video, creating an effective resume is highlighted as a key step for engineering students to showcase their skills and experiences to potential employers.

💡Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of an individual's work, projects, or creative output that demonstrates their skills and accomplishments. In the context of the video, having a portfolio is recommended for engineering students to visually present their practical work, which complements their resume and increases their chances of getting job interviews.

💡LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social networking platform primarily used for professional networking, job searching, and career development. In the video, LinkedIn is presented as a valuable tool for engineering students to find job openings, research companies, and connect with professionals who can provide insights or job leads.

💡Job Description

A job description is a document that outlines the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills required for a particular job. In the video, analyzing job descriptions is a strategy recommended for identifying the skills and experiences that employers are looking for in candidates.

💡Networking

Networking refers to the process of building and maintaining professional relationships to gain access to potential job opportunities, information, or support. In the video, networking is portrayed as an essential step for engineering students to connect with professionals, alumni, or hiring managers who can provide valuable advice or job leads.

💡Interview

An interview is a meeting between a potential employer and a job candidate to assess the candidate's suitability for a position. In the video, acing the interview is the final step in the job application process, where the candidate must demonstrate their qualifications, answer technical questions, and show confidence in their abilities.

💡Engineering Clubs

Engineering clubs are student-led organizations at educational institutions that focus on specific engineering disciplines or provide a platform for students to engage in engineering-related activities, projects, and competitions. In the video, joining engineering clubs is recommended as a way for students to gain practical experience, work on projects, and build skills that are attractive to future employers.

💡Technical Questions

Technical questions are inquiries related to specific knowledge or skills required for a job, often used by employers during interviews to evaluate a candidate's expertise in their field. In the video, being prepared to answer technical questions is crucial for engineering students to demonstrate their qualifications and increase their chances of getting hired.

Highlights

The importance of internships in securing high-paying jobs after graduation.

The challenge of accumulating debt without a job prospect.

The necessity of gaining experience outside of school for internships.

The strategy of using LinkedIn to research job descriptions and required skills.

The process of identifying key terms in job descriptions to understand skill requirements.

The approach of self-learning skills through online resources like YouTube.

The recommendation to join student design teams or engineering clubs for practical experience.

The structure of a resume with three sections: skills, experience, and education.

The importance of detailing personal projects and engineering team work on a resume.

The suggestion to create a portfolio to showcase work, especially for engineering roles.

The five-step networking strategy on LinkedIn to increase visibility and connections.

The method of reaching out to alumni from your university for advice and potential referrals.

The approach of messaging professionals in the desired field for insights and guidance.

The preparation for interviews by explaining every bullet point on the resume and answering technical questions.

The value of mock interviews to acclimate to the interview environment and reduce anxiety.

The mindset of embracing rejection as part of the job application process.

Transcripts

picture this you just graduated

engineering after spending the last four

years studying and accumulating

60 000 dollars in debt but you can't get

a job

you see that would suck and let's be

honest here we also get engineering for

really

one reason get sick high-paying jobs

after you graduate

and to get to that point you need

internships and sadly studying and doing

school work won't help you land

internships

so you need to do more outside of school

now that you know internships are

important you get excited at the

possibility of working at some pretty

cool companies like

apple uber facebook etc now you create

your first resume slapping on whatever

experience you come up with

then using that resume to apply to your

favorite company's website

you wait wait and wait hoping to get an

email saying they want to interview you

but you just get faced with rejection

after rejection after rejection

feeling lost and hopeless you start to

wonder if engineering is even for you

i was there and i get it but i've

managed to get five interships

throughout my time in engineering so in

this video i'm gonna

lay out a step-by-step plan on how you

can get internships even though you may

have no experience starting out

i'll break down this internship guide

into five steps get initial experience

build your resume build your portfolio

get your resume seen and finally ace

the interview let's start from scratch

you're in your first year of freshman

year of university and you're saying a

blank piece of paper

to figure out what you should put on

your resume for it to be successful you

first need to figure out what kind of

job you want

what skills does the job need and how

you can build those skills

so to figure that out we're gonna start

off by going to linkedin for example

let's say you're interested in a

mechanical design engineering role

so you're gonna go to the job section on

linkedin and search up mechanical design

engineer

and see what jobs are available and if

you're interested in let's say working

as a software developer or firmware

engineer then you're going to search up

those job titles as well

anyways once you search up your desired

job title start looking at the job

description for all the jobs that come

up

for every job description you read

through highlight the key terms that

this job is looking for

for example this particular job is

looking for someone familiar with 3d

printing

cad tools sensors injection molding so

highlight these terms and look at the

next job description

here's another mechanical engineering

job and they're also looking for someone

experienced with sensors and cad design

and after you do hundreds of these job

descriptions you start to develop an

idea of the kind of skills that are

needed for the jobs that you want

i've personally looked through hundreds

if not thousands of different job

descriptions

and i've basically developed a list of

things that my particular job that i

like

is looking for for me personally as

someone who's really into mechanical

design engineering jobs

i've noticed that they really care about

your experience with cat tools like

solidworks annex catia etc

i've also noticed that they really want

you to have experience designing things

that are meant to be manufactured and

assembled

and also want you to understand how

things like plastics and metals are

built with this list of skills now

created i now have a better idea of what

you need to put on your resume for the

particular job you're looking for

you obviously shouldn't lie and say that

you have that experience even though you

don't

instead start learning these skills on

your own using things like youtube or

google to find the answers there are so

many tutorials that teach cat and lots

of resources online that teach 3d

printing and how to design things to

actually be manufactured

so spend some time learning these skills

and work on personal projects that use

the skills you just learned

and if you don't want to work on

personal projects maybe you don't have

any idea for personal projects

then what i recommend is joining a

student design team or engineering club

at your school

usually those teams or clubs will give

you work that uses the knowledge that

you just learned and they'll even be

able to teach you more

that can actually be really applicable

to the jobs that you want to get in the

future

now that you've worked on these projects

and joined these engineering design

teams you now have experience you can

put on that blank piece of paper from

earlier which brings us to the second

step

of building your resume in general i

have to keep my resume pretty simple and

break it down to three sections

skills experience and education and to

explain each section

let's have a look at this resume

template that i created at the very top

i'll have my name as well as my major

and the university i'm attending

i'll also put my contact information

here then under the skill section i

pretend like that's all the hiring

manager will read

and list all the skills i have like

solidworks cad 3d printing etc

and i basically summarize my entire

resume here and you should write down

your skills and like bullet points

for example something you can put in the

section would be experience in designing

3d models based on dfm

and dfa using cad software such as

solidworks and 58v5

now this would be like a good thing to

put in your summary of qualifications or

in your skill section

for your resume if you're interested in

mechanical engineering jobs and you

should probably have like four to six

bullet points in your skill section

that really addresses a lot of the

skills that the job was looking for in

the job description

next is talking about your experiences

in this section is where you talk about

the personal projects that you've done

and the work you did with your

engineering student design teams this

way you should put if you have no

actual work experience obviously if

you've done paid engineering work in the

past and you should talk about that in

this section

just make sure that when you include

bullet points for the work that you did

that you talked about what you did

how you did it and the results of the

work that you did

for example instead of saying designed a

smart home device you should say

improve the fixture design for a smart

home device using solidworks at

self-locating features reducing

manufacturing times by 10

if you notice in the second example the

what aspect is improve the fixture

design for smart home device

the how aspect was that i use solidworks

add self-locating features

and the results of what i did was i was

able to reduce manufacturing times by 10

by doing this a person reading your

resume has a clear idea of what you did

which means that you're less likely to

get rejected finally the last part of

your resume should be your education

section here's where you write down the

name of your university and the program

that you're studying

and some people suggest not to include

the year graduating if you're a freshman

or a first year

just because some companies will like

neglect people who are in first year

even though they may have like decent

experience

so just keep that in mind and in general

make sure you just keep your resumes

no longer than a page now you see

everyone submits a resume when they

apply for a job

obviously but not everyone wants to make

a portfolio for the jobs that they're

applying for

however you're not going to be like most

people and regardless of what type of

engineering you're doing

you should always make sure to submit a

portfolio to showcase your work

if you're interested in software jobs

and create a github account and upload

your projects there and then add a link

to your github account

on your resume but if you're interested

in mechanical or hardware jobs then take

pictures of the things that you design

and things that you built

and add that at the end of your resume

for example this is what a section of my

own portfolio looks like

one of the projects i worked on in the

past was creating the enclosure for a

device called

centrifuge tube reader although i could

have just put the experience on my

resume and submitted that

instead i decided to show images of the

design and want to look like

after it was built i also made sure to

specify

what i built exactly how i did it and

the results of the work that i did

in general just creating a portfolio

helped me land way more job interviews

so if there's one thing you get out of

this video is to make sure to create

a portfolio now that you've built this

incredible resume and portfolio you need

to get people to see it

so you're gonna go back to linkedin and

apply to the jobs that you think you'll

be qualified for

but honestly sometimes that just isn't

enough so we're gonna take it one step

further

once you go to linkedin and find a job

that you like and you think you'll be

qualified for

do these five steps step one apply the

job opening on the company's website

step two go to the search section of

linkedin and search up the company you

just applied to and filter the people

that show up further

by only showing the results of people

that went to your university step three

message people saying something like

this

hi ex my name is taymor shaheen and i'm

a mechanical engineering student from

the university of waterloo

and i would say you're also an alum of

university of waterloo working at

whatever company

would love to learn from your experience

in the field if you have a couple

minutes for a call

sometimes people respond sometimes they

don't but the purpose of having this

call or having this chat

is to really just build that connection

with that person and you want to do that

for two reasons

first they can let you know what the job

is actually like what the company

generally looks for when they're hiring

people and what you can do on your

resume to stand out second if they like

you until they could potentially be a

good fit in the company

they can even refer you or invite you

some maybe networking events you can

network with even more people in that

company but we're not gonna stop there

step four is that you wanna click on the

company you wanna work for then go to

the people section and search up the

jobs title you want

now a list of people who are where you

want to be will show up

so now what you want to do is you want

to message them saying something like hi

x my name is seymour shaheen and i'm a

mechanical engineering student i'd love

to know what it takes to be a successful

engineer at whatever company

and how i could land a job there one day

would you be open to have a call to

discuss it

again doing this will just allow you to

build more connections and help you

eventually land the job that you want

finally step five would be to wait for a

response usually not everyone responds

but some do

and to be honest you really just need

one person to respond and connect you

with the right people to eventually get

you that job

personally for me i think i've cold

messaged like hundreds of people and

only like 20 or 30 actually replied to

me

and out of those 20 or 30 people like

one or two of them actually led to a job

interview

anyways speaking of the interview after

doing all this work to get it

what should you do on your interview to

make sure that you ace it first make

sure that you can explain

every single bullet point on your resume

for example if an interviewer would ask

you why they did a particular thing or

how you did it

you shouldn't hesitate to answer the

more confident you appear when you're

explaining things that you did on your

resume

the more likely for the interviewer to

believe that you actually did those

things and you're not lying on your

resume

next you need to be prepared to answer

technical questions for every

engineering major the technical

questions they ask

tend to differ but it basically involves

the interviewer asking you questions

based on stuff you learn in your classes

for example if you're interested in

getting software jobs you should be

using things like lead code

but if you're interested in getting

mechanical design jobs you should become

really familiar with things like

mechanical design

mechanics of material and different

manufacturing methods i've made a couple

other videos to talk about the technical

questions i get asked in mechanical

engineering jobs in more detail

so i'll link them up here so you can

check them out but the best way to

prepare for your job interviews is to do

mock interviews

so grab a friend or an upper-year

student or maybe even a ta or a

professor if you're close enough with

them

and ask them to interview you so you can

assimilate that anxiety that you

normally feel during an interview this

is so important because you can prepare

for the technical questions all day long

but if you're not prepared for the

pressure and anxiety that you're going

to be feeling during the job interview

then you'll end up feeling it

but that's it to summarize everything i

talked about in this video

one go on linkedin to find the

experience you need for the jobs you

want

two join engineering clubs and teams at

your school to build that experience

three put that experience on your resume

and portfolio four

message people on linkedin that are

where you wanna be to build that

connection

and five do mock interviews with these

five steps checked off i am confident

you'll be able to get internships at

your dream company

and when you do because i'm really

confident that you will message me on

instagram telling me that you got it and

i'll congratulate you and be so happy

for you when you're applying to jobs

just remember that rejection is part of

the process and regardless of how many

rejections you get

really doesn't matter because you just

need one job offer anyways i hope this

video brought you value

if you did please make sure to like and

subscribe and i'll see you next one

peace