My resume right now is absolutely empty. I’m going into my second semester of freshman year, and still haven’t done anything other than attending classes. Unfortunately, I made a 3.0 GPA this first semester, and the school research projects/programs that I wanted to apply for require a 3.5. The applications for those programs are due before the end of the spring semester, so even if I bring my GPA up (which I am hoping to do), it will be too late.
I am currently a mechanical engineering major at the University of Houston, with an interest in the aerospace industry. At one point in time, I had hopes of applying for NASA internships and the like, then my first semester hit me like a bulldozer.I still hope to one day become competitive for internships and jobs like that, but I have no clue where to start now. Since I cannot apply for the research programs designed to introduce students to research, I don’t know how to get started in that. I’m not really sure what kind of aerospace organizations or projects there are on campus, although I am trying to get involved.
Basically, I want to gain some experience now so that I can become competitive for internships later on, but I don’t know where to start.
Try asking professors in your department if you could get involved in their research group. As in, walk into their office, introduce yourself, tell them about your situation, and ask if they have openings to train you and get you started on a project. I’m not sure how it is at the University of Houston, but some schools don’t even require an application for this. E.g., my school has a UROP program that freshmen apply to to get started in research, but they can literally get the same position by just approaching faculty. It’s just that most find it too intimidating to do so.
Another piece of advice, if this isn’t possible (or in addition to it), is to work on building your resume by teaching yourself some skills on the side. E.g., MATLAB, C++, Linux systems, LaTeX, FPGA programming, etc. (I’m not sure what exact skills are most sought out for in your field.)
Make an appointment to visit your school’s career center. They can give great tips on how to improve your resume and where to find relevant work experiences. It’s very tough for freshmen and you may not get something engineering related this year. That’s OK too. You can work part time and volunteer in a lab or shadow to gain experience.
At my son’s school it’s just about emailing the professors. There is usually a school site and will explain what the professor is doing research on. Email them and ask to be part of their research… Alot of engineering students don’t get internships till their junior year. Also check out indeed and LinkedIn for engineering internships… Few will have openings for a student with no engineering training but… Smaller companies might. Also check out co-op opportunities and there is summer engineering internships abroad also.
My Industrial engineering son the summer after freshman year decided to take two classes at a community college and was involved with a tech group he help start on campus. This lessened the load for sophomore year. Just a suggestion.