An internship or co-op is a fantastic way to get some real cash flow as a college student. Unlike most college jobs, technical internships often pay in excess of what you need to live. In some cases, an internship will pay you enough to live like a king.
Internship experience can fill your wallet after graduation too. Resumes and interviews backed by real industry experience will sharpen your competitive edge and raise your chances of getting multiple offers.
Why struggle over the rough paths of your engineering career when you can take a shortcut and enjoy the ride? Conquering Your Engineering Internship is the only guide to internships and co-ops that students in technical fields need. It will help you get an internship or co-op. It will help you squeeze every drop of educational, career, and financial value out of your internship. Finally, it will help you continue to build on your relationships and reputation after you return to school.
Does your resume have real industry experience on it? These days, a resume full of classes, labs, and hobbies will seldom reach a hiring manager. Most companies aren't looking for dual degrees, masters degrees, or PhDs. They're looking for proof that you can get real work done under real working conditions. A co-op or internship your chance to get that proof.
Of course, a internship alone won't prove anything. Owning a car doesn't demonstrate driving ability. You must steer your internship so that you'll have more to show for your time than taking measurements, writing documentation, or performing other menial work often assigned to interns. Conquering Your Engineering Internship is your map and guide to internships.
Internships and co-ops practically guarantee adventure; they are the field trips of the college experience. Just the interview could have you visiting a new city, state, or even country. While you're in the workforce, you'll meet new people, do new things, and visit new places. You'll finally have the money and time to take real trips. Without homework, you'll also have more time explore your interests and hobbies. Maybe you'll take up surfing, mountain climbing, horseback riding, skydiving, or scuba.
Most schools focus on theoretical rather than applied knowledge. In an internship or co-op, you will actually apply theoretical knowledge to practical applications. Even if your entire major consisted of labs, it can't compare to spending a semester or two working 40 hours a week with real engineers.
While you're at it, you'll get tons of practical skills which aren't even hinted in at school. You'll get to work with real engineers and managers -- an entirely different experience than professors and students. You'll get to do work that actually helps a real company make money. All of this makes a great story to write on your resume and tell in interviews.
While the author was a student, he enjoyed co-op life so much that he worked for an entire year. Since graduating, John Knox has worked with and mentored numerous co-ops. He has interviewed both college students and experienced professionals and helped make the hiring decision for a variety of different positions. He has watched while interns and professionals bomb out, change professions, and become engineering superstars. Most importantly, he has applied the principals taught in this book to build a strong resume, interview well, get job offers, and gain pay and responsibility.
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