Here’s another question that just popped into my mind:
Presently I am a freshman engineer that is performing research since I though that when I got an on campus job I wouldn’t have time to do it. However, I still have most of the money I saved up from the summer and I plan to work again next summer so at the moment I don’t exactly ‘need’ a job to get by in college.
Since I don’t need a job, would it be a smart idea to keep doing research during my semesters in college ? Would be helpful in my job search?
It’s been kind of a wash for me. Some employers seem to be interested to hear about it. Others seem confused about why I’m doing it if I want to go into industry (answer: I’m required to, and it’s cool stuff).
Employers may not be interested in the details of what you researched, but they will love to hear about the technology you learned to use, your experience working on a team, and other skills you can bring to the job as a result.
First, I’ll just say that it’s absolutely valuable experience that will give you exposure to techniques and technologies beyond what you’ll find in your coursework. Some companies and hiring managers place more importance on research than others. Some don’t care about research experience in the slightest. Others do care for exactly the reasons @AroundHere mentioned above. Finally, there is a relatively small number of jobs in R&D positions that explicitly seek out individuals with research experience (although many of these jobs also require an MS or a PhD).
Definitely keep doing research, but when the time comes in a year or two, make sure you seek out internships and professional experience. Internships/co-ops are more important than research experience for an engineer with an undergraduate degree looking to get a job after graduation.
It also depends on the role for which they are hiring you. If they want you to be involved in developing innovative technologies, then research experience as an undergrad will be valued. If they want you more for an execution role then an internship is useful and research experience simply isn’t. Not all employers out you directly into these roles at hiring, but they always try to have an idea where they think you will be used.