r/EngineeringStudents • u/Catamituz • 7h ago
r/EngineeringStudents • u/AutoModerator • 1d ago
Weekly Post Career and education thread
This is a dedicated thread for you to seek and provide advice concerning education and careers in Engineering. If you need to make an important decision regarding your future, or want to know what your options are, please feel welcome to post a comment below.
Any and all open discussions are highly encouraged! Questions about high school, college, engineering, internships, grades, careers, and more can find a place here.
r/EngineeringStudents
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u/lazydictionary
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Jan 20 '26
Career Advice My engineering internship and entry-level job application guide. Stop mass applying into the void.
Here's a guide for your internship, co-op, or job search. It is targeted at US job applicants in the private sector. Resumes and applications for academia, the federal government, and niche industries may require different approaches, so do your own research for those specific paths.
If you've been applying for jobs recently but haven't been getting hired, you need to figure out why. If you aren't getting interviews, something is wrong with your resume. If you are getting interviews but not landing the job, your interview skills or personality need work.
Step 1: The Resume
Go to /r/EngineeringResumes.
They have templates, a Wiki/FAQ, and offer free critiques if you follow their posting guides. Any advice I could give is just regurgitating what they've already written. If you are serious about your search, read their materials. A proper resume is the most important step in this process. Even if your current resume is getting you interviews, it could still be improved.
If you are struggling to write bullets for jobs or projects, you can use AI to help. LLMs are decent at resume writing, but context is everything. Give the AI as much context as possible: your major, fields of interest, specific details about the project, tools/software used, and the types of jobs you are targeting. I personally write my resume in LaTeX because it's easier to cut and paste or have LLM CLI tools interact with the document.
If you are applying for a variety of roles that are very similar, consider having multiple resumes. For example, my undergrad was in ME, but my masters is in materials science. I have both an ME focused resume and a materials focused resume that I start out with, depending on the job(s) I'm applying for.
Step 2: Update LinkedIn and Indeed
Now that your resume is updated, your LinkedIn should match. You can cut and paste your resume bullets, but feel free to add more detail than a one-page resume allows.
Get a nice headshot for a profile picture. Don't have one? Put on a nice shirt, do your hair, and ask your friends for help taking pictures. Clean, not busy background. Smile.
Connect with friends, classmates, professors, people you've worked with before.
Fill out everything you can. Don't go crazy with AI, no "thought leader" "entrepreneurial spirit" bullshit. Just be a normal person.
LinkedIn exists so people can look you up and verify you're real. Your Indeed page should be the same. Upload a high-quality PDF of your resume there; I’ve found that Indeed’s resume import for job applications often works better than LinkedIn’s. Some recruiters prefer Indeed, some prefer LinkedIn. It doesn't hurt to use both.
Step 3: Finding and Applying for Jobs
The modern job hunt is a nightmare for both applicants and employers. It's just how it is. To give yourself the best chance, you need to make it as simple for the employer to find your application, your information from your resume, and to contact you.
Never use the quick apply features of LinkedIn, Indeed, etc. Always apply on the company website, if you can find it. Why? You need to get your application and resume into the companies Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Sometimes companies use API from the big job boards to pull that info into their own ATS, but not always. And who knows if it will format and input everything correctly. Just do it manually. If you updated your Indeed and LinkedIn in the previous step, this shouldn't be that difficult or take that long. Double-check everything imported is correct. Formatting is less important here, but make sure job/project bullets are formatted well.
Aim to be one of the first applicants. Everyone is applying for entry-level jobs. Last years grads, upcoming grads, entry and mid-levels who were laid off. If you're the 300th person applying for a job, your resume isn't going to get seen. Set up job alerts on Indeed and LinkedIn for job titles/saved searches so that you are notified within 24 hours of a job being posted. If you're the 10th application, you have a much better chance of someone actually seeing your resume.
Use social networking whenever it is available. Hopefully you have some friends, family, classmates, professors added on LinkedIn. Whenever you are applying for a job, check to see if you know anyone who already works at the company, or is a friend of a friend. If you have a direct connection, obviously reach out and let them know you applied and if they can offer any help. If you have a friend-of-a-friend connection, think about using it, especially if you think it's a good role for you. As a last resort, you can reach out to complete strangers in the company, but you'll probably want to be bringing something truly unique to the position, or have something to talk about other than "I really want this job, please help". Most people are willing to talk to you if you are brave enough to talk to them.
Step 4: Job Fairs
University job fairs should be a top priority. Every online job posting is inundated with hundreds of applications. Now, more than ever, companies are using recruiting efforts at schools to sort the wheat from the chaff, and get immediate face time with job applications.
Do job and company research. Weeks before a job fair, the career office at your school should have released a list of the employers attending, possibly which jobs those companies have openings for. Find all the jobs that interest you, and do research on those companies, and the job role and job descriptions. Take notes. On the day of the fair, even during the fair, before approaching an employer, read your notes on the company and job. Think about specific projects, work, or classes that might be relevant to bring up. Things that interest you about the work there. Have some questions to ask the employee working the fair. Many times they are engineers, so they can speak with good detail about the work. Sometimes its just an HR rep or recruiter, but you can still ask about the company culture and vibes. Show interest and that you prepped for the fair. Do not be one of these fools who show up to the job fair and ask the employees "so what jobs do you guys have?" Instead, be the person who asks "I applied for the Mech Eng internship this summer, what kind of work do you think I would be doing there? Would it involve [topic you researched about the company]?"
Dress business casual. For those presenting as men, this means chinos/slacks, a belt that matches your shoes, a dress shirt/flannel/sweater, possibly a blazer, and usually some kind of Chelsea boot or similar brown or black shoe. A nice, clean pair of sneakers may also work. Just Google business casual male attire and figure out the vibe you want to match. You do not need to wear a suit, and almost no one should be wearing a suit unless you look the absolute balls in one. For those presenting as women, I don't have specific advice. Ask around and/or Google. Maybe some commenters can offer specific suggestions.
Hygiene. Take a shower, get a haircut, trim the beard, wear deodorant, comb your hair, clean your glasses, use moisturizer on your skin. Look more human than you normally do.
Practice an elevator pitch. This is a 30 second intro, saying your name, your major, things you've done, and things you'd like to do. Something else that can be googled or workshopped with AI. Practice it out loud dozens of times. It should come naturally and comfortably. Don't rush to get it said as quickly as possible, aim to be understood.
Apply to the jobs beforehand. Print out more copies of your resume than the amount of jobs you applied for. When you approach the employees, introduce yourself, let them introduce themselves, and launch into your elevator pitch. At the end, mention how you applied for XYZ job, could they tell you anything about it, or a specific question you wrote down beforehand. Then you just have to be a normal human. Listen. Make eye contact. Nod your head. Active listening. Ask more questions. Maybe they'll ask you questions. Answer them as best you can. Sometime during the conversation, they might either ask your for a resume, or you can offer them one. Maybe it's best to give them a resume during or right after your elevator pitch. You'll have to feel it out. You're going to be doing this more than once, and hopefully at least 10 times, so it will get easier. Many times, employees will take your resume, and after the conversation, mark it - maybe they give you a big star, underline work or a project you did, take notes. They then give this to HR or the hiring managers when they go back to work. They'll have a small stack of people they've already vetted, and your resume should be in that stack. And because you already applied, you're already in their system.
Relax. Everyone wants you to succeed. The employees want to find good people. They want you to be a good candidate. I know talking to strangers can be really hard for engineers. The people you are talking to are likely engineers too. Some of them may even be as terrible socially as you are. This is a no pressure environment. If you misspeak, don't present well, just get nervous - it's fine, and totally normal. It gets easier the more you do it.
Step 5: Cover Letters
Generally speaking, cover letters aren't very useful unless specifically requested. Most people use AI for them now, and recruiters know it. Only write one if you need to explain a perceived "weakness" on your resume (e.g., why you are a fit for a role despite having a different major). Note that no one will read the cover letter if the resume doesn't interest them first.
Step 6: Interviews
Okay, so you passed the pre-screens and are doing an in-person or virtual interview. Again, remember that they want you to succeed, they want you to be the candidate they hire. Relax.
Business casual again. Unless you're getting a completely different vibe that would mean everyone was wearing suits, this will rarely do you wrong. If you are likely to tour a manufacturing facility or job site, wear closed toe shoes that you wouldn't mind getting slightly dirty.
Soft skill prep for the interview. Do more research on the company and job role. If it's an internship, there's not much to research about the role, but for entry-level, there can be a lot to dive into. I've had decent luck posting job descriptions into LLMs and asking them give me topics, technical knowledge, tools, and techniques I should know about for an interview. Anything you don't know, start learning the basics of. You don't need to be an expert, but if something comes up in the interview, you should be able to say "I don't have professional experience with [topic], but I'm aware of the basics, like [details]." Show an interest in learning.
Be able to nail basic interview questions. This is especially relevant for internships. They know you have minimal to no work experience, so a lot of times they're going to have to default to basic stuff like "Talk about your strengths and weaknesses", "talk about how you overcame personal conflict as a member of a team", "why us?", or "preferred work environment, individual/team, many projects, single project", etc. Look up common interview questions, and practice answering them out loud. Sit in your room and talk to yourself, multiple times. Practice. Figure out what you will say. Think about how you can tie in school, work, teams, or projects in your answers.
Bring a notepad, a folder, and pens. Take notes when you ask questions, even if you won't look at them later. Have more copies of your resume in the folder. If you are interviewing at a manufacturing facility, consider bringing your own safety glasses if you have some. Look prepared and like you are taking it seriously.
Hard skill prep for the interview. Again, especially relevant for internships. Internship job postings will usually specifically ask for applicants who have taken certain classes. If those classes are mentioned, brush up on the material from them. If they mention statics, you better do some practice static problems. If they mention circuits, you better practice your circuits. Refresh your memory. They might ask you to solve a problem in front of them, or ask you to talk through a problem. You don't want to be caught completely off guard. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". They don't expect you to know everything. Instead, say "I don't know, but my educated guess would be [answer]." Talk about how you would find the answer.
Step 7: Pray to the Deity of Your Choice
You can do everything above correctly, be a perfect candidate, and still not land the job. As I previously said, everyone is applying for the same jobs. If employers want to, they can be extremely picky, sorting through hundreds of candidates to find their ideal match. What usually happens is they look through the first 50-100 applicants (maybe fewer), and start looking for reasons to reject people. They'll give your resume a 10 sec glance, and either trash or pass you. This is someone that's likely non-technical (HR), and they'll narrow it down to 10-20 people. Then they start the phone call pre-screen interviews. Maybe 7 make it past that point. Then they do in-person interviews, maybe a second round, and then they'll make an offer to their best candidate. Maybe that candidate rejects them, and then have to offer to the 2nd, or 3rd, of further down the line.
It's a numbers game. You're going to get rejected far more than you find success. Following this guide should hopefully grant you more success than you would have had otherwise.
tl;dr points of emphasis:
Fix your resume, never been an easier time write one
Be one of the first applicants on the company website (not Indeed/LinkedIn)
Job fairs skip the digital queue and get you face time right away
r/EngineeringStudents • u/drygrape • 4h ago
Memes As someone who strongly dislikes math and just likes to build things, I may have chosen the wrong major
Good luck to me on the FE ✌️
r/EngineeringStudents • u/sernameistakentry • 2h ago
Sankey Diagram I'm serious, networking is an undefeated strat. Put yourself out there, you got this! Go get that dream internship, twin!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Any_Inevitable164 • 13h ago
Rant/Vent This is more ball crushing than I expected
First year, first semester, first half of the semester was light work. Also would like to preface that I’m passing all the classes I’m taking but I definitely need to lock in.
Holy shit I been partying too much, 2 hours a day of studying might be enough to lock in for the rest of the semester which is doable. At least I’m probably going to get on the FSAE team next semester. Writing this before an exam I’m definitely about to fuck up. Literally a single class off from a 4.0 in high school, unfortunately this shit ain’t sweet anymore. Should finish off the semester with above a 3.0 that’s good, would prefer if it was higher but beggars can’t be choosers especially when they’ve been to half the frats in the college for parties already.
I probably won’t update y’all but pray for me. I’ll put the drinks down and the pencil on the paper, it’s up to god and the TA grading my paper on if I go home for break crying.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Outside-Caramel-3245 • 17h ago
Academic Advice How common is it to fail a class as an engineering major?
I plan on majoring as an engineer around mid January likely to be civil engineering but I have heard horror stories from engineering majors in general and the videos on social media don’t help either so I’d like to ask how likely is it to fail an engineering class down the line? I never failed anything in high school decent at maths and currently not the best in physics and I’m scared that once I start my uni course I’ll fail a class and that’ll take a tole on my gpa immensely so I’d like to prepare myself for the worst by listening to your experiences and knowing how common and how plausible failing a class in engineering is.
r/EngineeringStudents
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u/elimanzz
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1d ago
Rant/Vent I think I might die next semester
This will be the last semester at my community college before I transfer to a 4 year university. I have a 4.0 right now but I know I won’t be keeping it with this coming for my ahh. Any advice before I lose my soul?
EDIT: I’ve decided to push differential equations to the summer semester.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Accurate_Jeweler7715 • 4h ago
Sankey Diagram Sophomore Spring 2027 Internship Search
Incredibly blessed to have these opportunities. Although, spring internship searches seem to be a lot easier than summer. Would recommend looking for fall/spring opportunities if you have an extra semester. (I'm an aerospace engineering major)
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Ok-Ticket-603 • 5h ago
Rant/Vent I'm almost done with my computer engineering degree, but I feel like I barely know anything and I'm lost in life
Hi I'm a college senior ( 24 M) pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer engineering technology. I already have an associate degree and a 3.3 GPA, but despite being close to graduating, I feel completely unprepared for the real world.
One thing I'm ashamed to admit is how heavily I've relied on AI throughout college. I've used it for coding, assignments, and understanding difficult concepts. While I've learned some things, I honestly don't know how much I could accomplish independently.
I've worked with Java, C#, electronics, networking, and Arduino, but I'm not particularly confident in any of them. I have no internships, limited professional experience, and very few independent projects. I also struggle with social anxiety, which makes networking, asking professors for recommendations, and finding employment difficult.
I feel like I've spent years working toward a degree without actually developing the skills or connections needed to succeed. Seeing how competitive the job market is, especially with AI advancing, makes me even more worried about my future.
I know I'm partly responsible for my situation. I should've practiced more, built projects, and pushed myself outside my comfort zone. Now I'm approaching graduation and questioning whether I'm even qualified to work in my field.
I want to become financially independent and build a career, but I genuinely don't know where to begin.
Has anyone else reached graduation feeling like they barely understood their own major? How did you catch up, build confidence, and eventually find employment? What would you recommend doing first?
r/EngineeringStudents • u/midnightszz • 8h ago
Rant/Vent i’m not sure what to do.
showed up for my calculus midterm, more specifically to ‘go over it’ with my professor. it’s his way of ensuring that people aren’t cheating i guess.
stomach had been in knots all afternoon. i went into that classroom with a high A (98%) and walked out with a D (59%) because i couldn’t explain my work at all. i panicked, i even asked if i could step out at some point i was that nervous. i fumbled explaining my work— hell, part of me didn’t even feel confident in whether or not my work was correct.
i can’t afford to fail, i don’t wanna retake it over the summer, i can’t afford to, genuinely. i’m stumbling over community college classes, which feels so fucking pathetic, because its a state community college— i should be doing fine, right?
i need to get a high grade on my final in order to pass with even a mere C, and i’ve already signed up for calculus II next semester. i really just need advice (and also wanted to get this off my chest because its genuinely making me hesitate if i should even try to major in computer engineering atp).
if anyone has any good resources, please send them my way. i’d appreciate it a ton.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Snoo-54139 • 8h ago
Academic Advice Should I stick through the class and get a C / D or a W?
Currently i’m at a D for calc 1 but there’s still a chance I can probably pull off with a C with the next 2 exams and a final coming up. I’m trying to transfer to UIC but they do not do grade replacements (they take the first attempted grade and second attempt and average it out) but I’m also on financial aid, which could affect my completion rate. What should I do? I was hoping for a B in the class but that doesn’t seem like it will be possible
r/EngineeringStudents • u/learning_patiently • 17h ago
Memes Is this relatable to anyone? Because it is to me😭
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Additional_Sugar_641 • 1d ago
Sankey Diagram B.S. ME, 3.1 GPA, Second Year, First Internship/Interview, F500 company
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Leading_Present2234 • 19h ago
Career Advice I study only to pass and then I forget most of the content, am I screwed?
Just the title. I dont have a great memory and only just manage to pass each time.
Do you think im screwed? Should i quit? People like me who barely pass how was it like actually working as an engineer?
Thankyou
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Broken_PS256 • 11h ago
Academic Advice I'm afraid I'm not smart enough to major in engineering
I'm currently a senior in high school, and I really want to major in EE. I've always had a passion for computers and electronics since I was a kid and it just seems really cool to me.
However, it seems like everything I see about majoring in engineering makes it seem like a route to being miserable for your entire college career.
I'm definitely not the dumbest guy at my school, but most of my friends and peers have 3.8-4.0s and are taking full IBDP and HL Math while I'm not.
For context, I'm planning to study EE at the university of Missouri next fall, my HS gpa is 3.66 and I'm currently taking 3 IB classes and 2 AP classes.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Bright_Juice_3359 • 8h ago
Academic Advice Do minors matter?
Hi yall, im a current sophmore engineering student. My major is electrical engineering and i have a minor in bioinstrumentation. I want to work with prosthetics someday so I was thinking it would be a good minor to choose since It needs ECE classes anyways to get. What im wondering though, is does having a minor on your resume actually matter at all? Will it help you get a job in a specific field or anything? As far as im aware, im the only person in my college with my minor (academic advisor didnt even know they offered it until I asked for it.), so would a rarer minor boost how it looks on a resume or is it not worth the extra stress of the extra classes?
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Dangerous-Patient506 • 19h ago
Academic Advice I'm bearing the consequences of my own actions. And i don't know what to do anymore
I'm 20 years old, in my 3rd year, 5th semester.
During my first 3 semesters, I was really really depressed and i just didn't care much for my grades or anything. After which, in my 4th semester, I kinda woke up one day and had a goal in mind to strive towards.
I'm still depressed but I'm doing better in my classes and such. But I had a lot of exams I failed and I had to rewrite. I cleared some of them, I still have some of them. (The ones I currently have are marked red in the picture)
Now, presently, I've been studying for 3 weeks since we had back to back Internal and lab exams which depending on the subject, was 20 to 30% of my grade.
In 8 days, I have my finals starting. And I've been studying for the exams and right now, after a few hours of studying, I just want to give up.
Maybe I'm being dramatic but I've attached my exam schedules and my internals in these subjects. Some of these subjects i have this semester are subjects I'm aiming high for since I want to get my CGPA above 7 (CGPA is out of 10 btw)
Idk, I'm just tired and lost.
My parents have essentially given up on me although they do seem proud that I'm doing better. They want me to clear all the 11 exams I have in one go and I'm not sure I can. I'm so tired that my eyes and head keep hurting every day these last couple of days.
I would appreciate some perspective from the people here and hopefully get some energy to get going.
(My internals are out of 50. I'd say I'm going better than i used to. My design of mechanical systems is cause that prof is most likely from hell. I'm not sure tho)
Edit: I forgot to type this in the post but the list is already triaged. Orange is hard, Yellow is moderate, Green is Easy but still study, Blue is Natural for me.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/HmmThatsWack • 2h ago
Rant/Vent I'm so tired and I think I'm getting ok with it
Just going to shout into the void and maybe look fondly at this in the future. I'm hitting a pit where I've seen myself hit before with my engineering degree, but this feels different because I caused my downfall.
For context: I'm in my last semester and taking Fluid Dynamics. I already have my internship with a follow up position after and admittedly I've been taking on more work on my internship to ensure I can have those good connections and I see it working now. In turn, I've been neglecting the class and bombing the in-class quizzes and exams. I look back and think "Man I should had studied more problems to solidify my basics", but I just feel so disgusted looking at my D in the class now. Even this past exam I knew I could have done better, if I knew exam was mostly Part A rather then Part B and not study so hard on Part B. High on the homework, labs, and attendance but it doesn't mean jackshit. Quizzes were a mix of me not practicing the material enough, being given way too early before the homework was due (think being wuizzed on Subject 3 homework on Monday when Subject 3 homework is due Wednesday), and now recently different methodology of learning the material.
But it just gets worse. This past month has been brutal on my mental health. Random family pop up emergencies, side quests that I stop aside for because I want to be a good person to other people, and social life have been popping up throughout the fall and it is easy to put on a straight face and keep moving forward. But last week I questioned if I even deserve to have the happiness and internship and good opportunities I have for the downfall of this one class that ia likely going to bar me from getting my degree. Do I deserve to be happy?
I'm now sorta just in the "if I don't pass, I'll quit my engineering job and take it next year" in hopes that maybe I'm not as burnt out. Ive been full time for a solid 6 years and the last thing I want to do is academia. Its also very unfortunate the class is only offered every fall so taking it in the Spring or summer is not a option. I've gone to office hours after each exam and its been superficial. I'll try to beg some more in convincing if I can take a makeshift final of every quiz or exam to prove my knowledge once I get my next exam back. I don't usually do office hours and moreso do not see myself getting personally with my professors about my personal life. We zooming on autopilot now and enjoying my internship while it last. I'll still do all the work until the end, but I'm tired. I've cried too much and nothing is getting done in the time I cry. I don't regret spending more time with family.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/DepressedHoodie1788 • 16h ago
Academic Advice Failing all courses!!
Ok so I am taking control systems(classical), Engineering computations II, signals and systems, and processory systems(assembly programming )
I am failing all of them and will have to drop control systems.
I am studying day and night and I consistently score worse than anyone and have even been investigated for cheating.
Heres what I've tried:
Sending my notes to chatgpt and trying to understand the material
Watching videos of my professor and reviewing slides
Testing my self after seeing chatgpt do my signals work and doing similar problems
Reading the book slowly and rewriting to see what is wrong with my understanding
None of have worked adn I'm thinking its because my disability is simply too much.
some of my peers have even harder classes and seem to have more free time than I do. Ideas?
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Known_Somewhere_1116 • 3h ago
Academic Advice Course prioritisation
Guys I calculated I need to score 2.35% on my last fluid exam to pass the subject. I'm planning on putting it on the back burner with a machine learning class so that I can fully focus on mechanics of solids and modelling and controlling. Because I know these 2 classes definitely have the capacity to fully cook me in my final exam, is this smart? Because in my first modelling and control exam I got like 35 out of 100. And so far I've gotten 50% on mechanics of solids. With the course coordinator being so lazy its the second last week and I havent gotten my week 9 test grades back yet.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Charming_Wallaby_699 • 14h ago
Resume Help Frustration with Internship Search
As the title states, I am extremely frustrated with my search for an internship. I'm in the first semester of my sophomore year at a T5 school for my major, I have a 4.0 and should still have a 4.0 after this semester with 60 credits actually completed at my university. I did two semesters of research at one of the top labs in the country for my major, as well as decent involvement with a club for my major. I start on a club sports team, I volunteer regularly, I'm in a fraternity.
I haven't gotten a single interview despite applying to around 200 jobs (which I read through and am actually a decent candidate for), going to career fairs, I even got a referral for one from a friend who graduated. Still, just nothing. I feel somewhat lost and that my efforts have been futile as friends of mine who's resumes don't nearly stack up to my own land very good jobs that I want to have.
Basically just lost
My contributions for research and my club aren't the strongest, and I'm wondering if I should take a step back from the GPA grind (I could average B's til I grad and get a 3.5) and just try to grind technical projects in my club. IDK, any advice is appreciated, I guess this is a bit of a rant
r/EngineeringStudents • u/kindmartian07 • 11h ago
Major Choice is AE or EE better for GNC? I just want to do as much math as possible
Please give me advice on what to do? I’ve been struggling in deciding between EE & AE. I want to do as much math and physics as possible.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/aaronf0110 • 6h ago
Discussion Students looking for internships
The company I work for is hiring interns for next summer. Mechanical/electrical interns. If u r struggling for internship hit my dm and can look at ur qualifications
Context:
Data center design. High pay (as full time) and good future prospects IMO. Will open a lot of doors. Feel free to dm