<p>Last year I decided to major in mechanical engineering. I have gone through three semesters of the course load. So far, I've only taken the pre req course and nothing specific to the major. I want to get an internship already to sort of get my foot in the door, more or less. However, the problem is that I have no experience whatsoever (technical experience) that is. I can communicate and work with people pretty well. Have any of you, assuming you have worked as an intern at some point in your lives, ever gotten an internship without any relevant experience? How likely would it be for me to get a job if I have never worked with my hands before? If so, what companies would I check? This is the part that always worries me about engineering because I do really well in school but I have zero technical skills. </p>
<p>I had nothing technical on my resume before I got my first (and current) engineering internship. A few things I would say that helps in order of importance. </p>
<p>-know somebody who is already working at a company who will vouch for you. So make friends in your classes, specifically, make friends with the hard working successful people (and be hard working yourself).</p>
<p>-cast a wide net. Being mechanical is good for general breadth, so you can sell it as such even if a prospective internship isn’t focused on what you’d like to do for a living. Case in point, I may be a space track AE major, but because I have to stay local at least until graduation, finding internships with that focus is like winning the lottery without solid network connections or a highly desired skillset (I’m working on a Python project for a professor for just that reason as well as taking a project based C++ course this fall). So my current internship is with a small (less than 20 employees) R&D company that is developing cutting edge fiber optic sensors for a pretty diverse range of applications. It’s all EE knowledge base stuff and very little I’m that I’m familiar with, but I got the job because my lab partner from circuits who had been working there already vouched for me and I convinced the hiring manager I could pick up the basic concepts quickly enough to start contributing.</p>
<p>-look for small to medium sized businesses. Everyone knows giant companies, thus everyone applies to said companies, so you’re competing with hundreds or even thousands of people for the same spot. Your school’s career center likely has a list of local small-medium sized companies so check with them first. Professors, friends, or family members may also know of some, so ask around as well.</p>
<p>-lastly, and I haven’t really been the best about this myself, but try your best to get your name and resume in front of a human being rather that tossing your digital application into the ether. That could just be as simple as following up with someone you meet at the career fair (“just checking to see if my application got to you”)</p>
<p>Your school should have a career center. They should be helping find jobs after graduation, but also helping undergrads find summer positions such as internships. Your department may also have some kind of job fair or coop program. Finally, check for summer research jobs with professors in your department. Everyone has to get a first job in their field, and as said above, you need to cast a wide net.</p>
<p>My son just finished his freshman year in ME at UCONN. He is doing an internship this summer at a small local engineering company that makes robots that are used in the pharmaceutical industry. My son is an Eagle Scout and his former Boy Scoutmaster is an ME at this company and also happens to be the person who hires the interns. You never know where a lead will come from so cast a wide net.</p>