Could someone please let me know what the “norm” is for getting ME internships. Do the TAMU ME students typically get internships from the career fair, the alumni network, or by knowing someone (family friend)?
My son isn’t ME but I know that he and friends have gotten internships at the very large engineering job fairs. There is one in the fall and one in the spring.
One of the ways to get an internship is to go to the career fair and talk to to the companies there. If they like you and feel you meet their qualifications they might interview you. Another way is having connections. Really it is about who you know. The Aggie Network is strong so there are alumni that will give you a chance but you have to have enough experience. A&M has lots of resources for people to get internships. As a Freshman I tried to get an internship and I put lots of effort into it. Going to hackathons, company events, networking with alumni, messaging recruiters, working on some out of school projects, prepare for interviews, and building my resume. But in the end I failed my goal and it really came down to I was a Freshman and I did not have enough experience. So really early on while in school, it is about who you know. Companies will tend to not give somebody an internship if they are in their early stages of college. People usually in their Junior year will get one. So your Freshman and Sophomore year it is about who you know and who will give you an opportunity. It is still possible to get one without knowing some people but you have to put in extra effort. There are some things I need to improve on myself so I will be able to get an internship. Mainly I would put your focus on Networking. Get to know as many people as you can in the industry. Get their contact info and stay in touch with them. They can help you get an interview by giving you a referral and then once it is interview time, it is all on you. This stage is what you know so you can showcase why you should be picked for the internship.
Engineering Career Fair is fantastic – I believe I read it is the largest engineering career fair in the nation! Even as a freshman go! Both my engineering students (Mechanical and Civil) started with internship offers they received at the career fair. My youngest attended the career fair as a freshman and got a couple of internship offers but had researched the companies before getting there that might be receptive to a younger student . It is a huge place with more than 400+ companies so be prepared. Don’t wait-- it is great experience and gives you an opportunity to practice the skill that is interviewing.