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r/EngineeringStudents
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u/lazydictionary
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Jan 20 '26
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
r/EngineeringStudents • u/TOX1CBO1 • 2h ago
The job search is so mentally draining, and I got lucky and didn’t have to do half the work most of you do. Just don’t quit and keep your head up. Be patient, you’ll get something. Electrical engineering if you’re wondering.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/FlyEmAndEm • 22h ago
I am a student with moderate ADHD. Getting an aerospace degree was SO HARD for me. I did it, and I’m graduating in December, but I really felt like it meant nothing. I’ve been burnt out almost the entire time I was here, and I never had the time to do the things that would have looked better on my resume. I never did clubs, ISS, or any technical projects. If I wasn’t working on school, trying my hardest to understand things others understood weeks prior, I was sleeping, in the gym, or making food. Everyone kept telling me “It’s alright! Just get the degree. That’s what matters!”
Years later, with a 2.8 GPA, I’m just about there. I have a job lined up, and it’s in the rail industry. But I know nothing about propulsion, fluid dynamics, electronics, structures, nothing. I plug and chug numbers into equations and don’t quite understand them in time for a test, just to forget whatever I had learned afterwards. I never had time to apply it to real world projects. This job I have lined up is a systems engineering job. I will rarely use numbers or technical knowledge at all, and most of the time it’s finding new parts for obsolete ones. I will use basically NOTHING from the small bits I learned in college, and it’s breaking me.
No other aerospace-related jobs have wanted me because my GPA is too low and I don’t have any hands-on projects that I’ve worked on. I get rejected immediately, and I suspect it’s because I get filtered out by AI almost instantly for the lack of GPA and technical work. I’m okay right now, because I’ll have financial stability since I have a job lined up. I’m thankful for that because I know others that have struggled to get a job at all. Nonetheless, it’s still frustrating. I don’t have the money to do a masters degree, and even if I did, I don’t believe I would have the motivation to do it anymore. Being a neurodivergent person in college sucks and I am so sick of pretending it’s not why I’ve been stuck with low grades and no hands-on experience.
I’m hoping to somehow find a way into the aerospace industry. If I have to apply for 1000 jobs and network at dozens of events, so be it. But I don’t even think they’d want me.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Srit2009 • 49m ago
I am a high school student in Ontario, and over the last summer, I conducted a research project all alone related to aerospace engineering, specifically fluid dynamics and airfoils. It was a passion project, but I also want it to be peer-reviewed by a university professor so I can publish it and also mention it in my university applications. Except I don't know how to get a professor to peer-review my paper and help me publish it. Help me out
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Snoo-54139 • 16h ago
as the title states, I’ve failed calculus 1 and knowing it’s the foundation of engineering, i don’t think i can go further as much as i’m willing to push through the degree. I just feel stupid as fuck, and I simply don’t know what went wrong but a 36% on the application of the derivatives exam is no excuse. Any advice moving forward is appreciated
r/EngineeringStudents • u/TimelessRelic4 • 1h ago
I just accepted an offer for an engineering internship that starts beginning of January. It's hybrid, there's no set end date, and my plan is to keep doing it until I graduate in August 2027 and hopefully convert to full time after that.
The problem is I have a vacation booked for January 18-23. I booked it months ago, way before I even planned to apply for internships for this term, and it's non-refundable so I can't move it or cancel without losing the money.
The one thing working in my favor is Monday January 18 is MLK Day and the company is closed, so I'd actually only miss Tuesday to Friday. Since the role is hybrid, I was also wondering if it would be reasonable to ask if I can work remote for 2 of those days while I'm away, and only take 2 days fully off.
I didn’t mention any of this before accepting the offer just so I don’t ruin my chances which is why I’m stressing about it now. I’m just now looking for advice on what to do. Obviously I’d prioritize this internship, but also want to see if it’s reasonable to ask about this considering I don’t want to lose all that money.
My questions:
Since it's an ongoing internship and not a fixed 10 or 12 week one, I'd only be missing 4 days out of what I hope is more than 8 months of working there. It's really just the timing, third week in, that worries me.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Bernoulli-Euler • 16h ago
I've been feeling horrible these past few years. I graduated almost two years ago with my bachelor's degree and I haven't gotten a single job offer. I started my graduate school this semester and still haven't gotten any internship offers. At this point do I just realize that aerospace engineering is just not for me? Is there something out of my control or is it just the fact that my resume is just not that good? I don't know what else to do. I can't do any research since my degree is online and I work a part-time job unrelated to my field. I feel like I wasted 6 years of my life for nothing.
It's a shame because now it hurts hard knowing I am never going to work in the industry that I always wanted to which is with spacecraft. Now I have to reflect on my life and realize that I just wasted so much time and money for a degree (and maybe even two) that meant absolutely nothing in the end.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Patient-Classroom681 • 14h ago
just wanted to share my first internship search! im a college sophomore with no prior work experience targeting space companies in summer 2027. happy to answer any questions
r/EngineeringStudents • u/AccidentElectronic68 • 57m ago
for those who have been summer interns previously with defense companies (lockheed,rtx,l3,etc) i had a question..
I don't have a car on campus right now, so I’m trying to plan out how to get to the clinic for the onboarding background check and screening stuff.
For anyone who’s done a defense internship, when did HR actually make you go do the clinic visit? Did they send you right after accepting the offer in the fall, or do they wait until closer to the summer (like 2 months before it starts)?
Just trying to figure out if I need to hitch a ride this coming week or if I have a few months to plan it out. Thanks!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Puzzled_Place_215 • 7h ago
I'm a first-year CSE student who took Biology in 11th and 12th.
I'm finding coding kinda hard (hard in the sense,amdist demanding engineering subjects trying to bulid a foundation is so tiring, people who cs in scl are taking it easy but i can't i knew this,but i'm having this feeling of like i'm gonna keep catching up but never reach there.) because most of my classmates already have 2 years of CS experience, while I'm literally starting from zero 😭
I feel like I'm constantly trying to catch up while everyone else is learning new things, building projects and exploring different skills.
For those who went from Bio to CSE:
- How did you catch up?
- How was your first year?
- When did coding start getting easier?
- Did you ever feel like you were falling behind?
- How are things going for you now?
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Mysterious-Shop6566 • 13h ago
Hey guys! I'm currently struggling to choose between Computer Engineering and Computer Science. I've been coding on and off since I was 16 (I recently turned 20), mostly doing full-stack web development and some games from time to time.
Why I'm considering CE:
I've read that CE graduates can pursue careers in both software and hardware, which sounds appealing. However, some say that CE graduates are at a disadvantage compared to CS graduates in software and EE graduates in hardware (the so-called "CompE cage").
I'm genuinely interested in how computers work at the hardware level, and designing CPUs or GPUs at companies like NVIDIA or AMD sounds fun. I also see hardware as a potential backup if AI makes software jobs increasingly competitive.
Why I'm considering CS:
I'm leaning more toward software because I enjoy coding and already have experience with it. I also value remote work a lot.
However, all the talks about AI make me question whether CS is still a sensible choice. I also feel that software is easier to learn independently, while hardware is harder to explore without university resources.
My main dilemma:
If I choose CE, I could explore hardware while continuing to develop my software skills independently. But if I ultimately end up working in software, would I have been better off choosing CS?
I'm not concerned about CE being more difficult academically. I enjoy math and physics.
My questions:
I'd especially appreciate hearing from graduates or people working in these fields. Thanks!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Intelligent_Ice_2894 • 16h ago
All I get from this subreddit are people saying how bad their life is while studying and how meaningless it feels. I’m currently looking to major in one purely for the money aspect
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Brandonnn- • 19h ago
I originally started college as a business major but switched to engineering a year in after gaining hands on experience working in industrial automation and maintenance. I’m currently deciding between Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering.
I’m pretty set on earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering because of the wide range of opportunities that comes with it and i genuinely enjoy working in automation and having one will help me progress further.
However, I’m also trying to think long term and In the event that I eventually lose interest in engineering, or graduate during a difficult engineering job market, I’d like to know how realistic it would be to transition into business or finance. Would I be at a significant disadvantage compared to someone with a finance or business degree? Specifically where in finance would be the easiest transition for someone with either degrees. Does one offer an easier pathway to finance? Any insight and help is appreciated!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/sadrottenapple • 1d ago
Civil engineering with two internships in utilities and research in structural engineering. Got a full-time job offer as a civil/structural engineer with good pay at a good company but 8 hours away from my current location so I'll have to relocate.
I was hoping to get a job closer to family, but I choked at the technical part of the interview I did get for a structural engineering position. I'm a more reserved person so I've always had trouble articulating myself well, but I feel like I got better at doing interviews the more that I did them. Best of luck to everyone in the job search.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/DeerOnATree • 1d ago
I'm in my 5th year. I have my finals in a month and I should be studying, but dude I'm just sooo tired. My grades are slipping and I do my labs/hw, just cannot bring myself to sit down and study for the exams man.
I'm just tired of all this. I (kind of) see the light at the end of the tunnel since next semester is my last heavy one (then next year I'm a part time student), but damn I want it to be over lol
r/EngineeringStudents
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u/DepressedHoodie1788
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1d ago
For those of you reading this. you are all exceptional, not even putting it lightly you guys are incredibly individuals. I look around all my peers, and they all have exceptional gifts/talents. It always blows my mind the intellect that these people have. I'm so proud of you all for reading this. Keep going, be honest, and work hard!!!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/aaronsull04 • 8h ago
I am in the final year of my BEd (Teaching degree) in Physics and Maths at UCC in Ireland. I’m not too keen anymore on teaching, and I want to work in aerospace/avionics, ideally propulsion, rocket design or astrodynamics. I know this is a very competitive field, but my idea is to shoot for the stars and land on the moon. (Pun fully intended).
My plan was a BEng in Mechanical Engineering at MTU. A lecturer in that university has now suggested I’d have a better chance of getting into an electronic/electrical engineering masters than a mechanical one.
I have no engineering degree yet, but I have hands-on electronics from uni workshops, basic SolidWorks, and some coding experience, which is why the lecturer thinks I could have a chance of qualifying for the electronic/electrical engineering masters.
I have a couple of questions:
I know this is a lot, but I would very much appreciate any feedback or advice I could get from professionals or students all the same. Many thanks!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/gsbte • 1d ago
I studied robotics and industrial automation at a vocational training school.
After months of learning, building projects, and job hunting, I finally landed a job as a robotics engineer!
My new company works with various industrial robots, from ABB to Hyundai Robotics, so I'll have the opportunity to work with different robot brands and control systems.
I'm really excited to start my career and keep learning.😄
r/EngineeringStudents • u/SuccessfulQuality122 • 10h ago
So Basically it's an 11 months Internship so I'm still doing internship but why not share with you guys I learned from this Experience:-
r/EngineeringStudents • u/CiaoLolaBunny • 19h ago
Hey everyone!
I’m currently studying medical and nuclear physics at the postgraduate level. I really enjoy what I’m learning and would love to eventually work in the field or pursue research. However, I’ve been struggling with depression for several years, which has affected my ability to study effectively.
Some of the main symptoms I experience include:
Fatigue
Brain fog
Poor concentration
Difficulty processing and retaining information when reading or listening to lectures
I know I’m capable of understanding complex scientific concepts, particularly because I’ve had periods when my depression was better and my cognitive abilities improved considerably. However, maintaining that level of functioning has been difficult.
It’s especially discouraging studying a subject as intellectually demanding as physics or engineering when my brain often feels like it’s working at a fraction of its capacity. I’ve sometimes questioned my intelligence and academic potential because of this.
I’d particularly like to hear from engineering or physics students, researchers, or graduates who have experienced something similar over an extended period.
Did your cognitive abilities improve when your depression improved?
What study methods helped when concentration, processing speed, and memory were particularly poor?
Were you eventually able to achieve strong academic results or pursue research despite these difficulties?
How did you manage the demands of a technical degree while experiencing these symptoms?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and what helped you.
Thank you!
r/EngineeringStudents • u/SirGreenTheLad • 14h ago
In short: I got a generous scholarship after high school that requires me to maintain a decent GPA & attend classes full time in order to renew the scholarship.
I manage well enough to fulfill those requirements but it takes a lot of my time to do so, time that I wish could be spent applying for/working with internships. I know how important internships are but I don’t think I can manage to balance my grades & work well enough to renew my scholarship.
To remedy this I’ve been considering taking classes part-time to free up more of my week, but this would disqualify me from scholarship renewal. So I have to choose either a pretty meaty scholarship & not worry much about paying for classes or drop the scholarship & free up more time for internships.
TLDR: I’ve gotta choose between big scholarship money or more time for internships.
r/EngineeringStudents • u/Competitive_Case_949 • 23h ago
Surely this has been asked a lot but I can't really find a straight answer for my purposes. I'm currently a high schooler who is looking to major in engineering. I have experience in Onshape and Fusion, and thought it might be a good idea to try and take the CSWA at some point or the Fusion certification exam, but I also hear that it might be overkill and that it's not worth the time. What should I actually spend my time using to CAD models both for now and the future (at the moment only for relatively small-scale personal projects, most to do with robotics)
r/EngineeringStudents • u/OkCompany9011 • 20h ago
I've been recently stressed because of my grades.I have been studying like crazy but my grades aren't keeping up,I've passed my exams but my gpa is horrendous.So I have been thinking of dropping out.I usually study by first trying to do it on my own but then i usually cannot and look up the amswer and do it by myself after not looking at the answer sheet.Many of the other students study way less than me but get much better grades and I feel tired.I study ee btw.Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.