<p>I am currently hunting for a summer internship for summer 09. I am a sophomore mechanical engineering student, and I am sure that there are other undergraduate engineers on this board as well.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any tips/experiences/stories about engineering internships?</p>
<p>Recommendations for companies to look at? How to prepare for the interviews? What to put on your pathetic undergrad resume (I am pretty sure they don't care that I was one of the top salesman at an athletic shoe store)? Anything you guys have would be great!</p>
<p>Right now it seems like the summer stuff is starting to trickle in, but I guessing more stuff will pop up after the New Year. I am just praying that I actually get a position which I enjoy and it allows me to build some relationships within the industry. I have a 3.7 GPA which I think will help me out a lot, but I don't really have any related experience (3 high school level jobs).</p>
<p>Right now I have applied at:
-GE
-Chevron
-Peabody Energy
-Raytheon
-WSP
-Black & Veatch
-Lockheed Martin</p>
<p>...and a couple of others that I don't exactly remember...a lot of these seem geared towards junior's and above, but I figured I would give them a shot since they didn't specify. Most of the other companies I have looked at haven't posted their internships yet, so I am waiting for those to pop up.</p>
<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know there is an internship board, but I thought that this would be a better place, since I am trying to get engineering specific advice.</p>
<p>You're right, most big companies only look for juniors for internships. But that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of opportunities for other students. I new someone who got an internship after his freshman year. </p>
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Recommendations for companies to look at? How to prepare for the interviews? What to put on your pathetic undergrad resume (I am pretty sure they don't care that I was one of the top salesman at an athletic shoe store)? Anything you guys have would be great!
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<p>They definatly do want to know that. Since you haven't got any experience in your field yet they will want to know all about your past work experiences. The fact that you performed well at such a remedial job shows you've got what it takes to perform well at a job you are interested in doing. Other than this your resume should be like any other, just put down your skills and characteristics. These can include skills in writing, following directions, learning skills easily, team player, leader...etc</p>
<p>Why not also look for fellowships which would pay you to do research during the summer? This would make you more attractive the following summer for an internship and improve your chances for a top grad school if you should lean that way.</p>
<p>One tip would be to apply at companies who have an existing relationship with your school. If they know what students from your school are like, they will be more willing to take a chance on you.</p>
<p>As for fellowship vs. internship, it depends on your post graduate plans. If you are certain you want to go into industry, try for an internship. If you are unsure but think you might like to go to grad school you might want to consider a fellowship. Fellowships tend to pay less than internships but they pay for your housing and food usually and give a small stipend, plus the experience is important of course.</p>
<p>Another idea is to find out if you parents or other adults you know have connections they could use to help you get an internship. My first internship (the summer after my first year of college) I got this way.</p>
<p>Another idea is since you are a MechE, join a MechE Society if possible and go to any career fairs they have. I was a part of SWE (Society of Women Engineerings) and their career fairs were full of employers looking for interns.</p>
<p>My last tip is to apply for as many internships as you can. Most internships with big companies are offered via their website. They won't know if you applied to 2 jobs or 10 so I doubt apply at a lot of companies can hurt you, it can only help your choices. The internship I had at Boeing had 500 applicants for my 1 spot. That summer, I applied for 75 internships and got 2. I was a Senior. The two I got were at Boeing and Jet Propulsion Laboratories though. So it's really hit or miss.</p>
<p>I know it's very general and cliche advice, but please, tailor your resume and cover letter to each specific position. I'm currently on my third co-op work term now, so I've done a fair bit of resume updating/cover letter writing/interviewing. PM if you have specific questions.</p>
<p>Do you guys think interning for some of the more controversial companies (ex. Halliburton) would affect my chances of getting offers from other companies in the future?</p>
<p>Well as for experience... I had an interview today actually with one of the companies that you listed (Lockheed Martin) that you've applied to, and I'm a sophomore.</p>
<p>Don't just go for the big companies. Little ones are often more flexible about, for instance, being willing to hire younger students.</p>
<p>Write a cover letter, and tailor it for each job.</p>
<p>Dress up for the interview, even if the people at the company dress informally.</p>
<p>Put the experience that you have. If you don't have previous internships or research experience, then go ahead and put the shoe store job - it will reassure them that you know what being in the working world is like - but also put down some key classes that you have taken in your field, and list your technical skills.</p>
<p>Network. This is a cliche, and I'm not saying that you have to do it as formally as a lot of people recommend, but you should still do it. If you have any alum friends working in your field, ask if their companies are hiring interns and if they will refer you. If you have good relationships with any profs who have industry connections, ask them for tips. Find out where your undergrad friends have interned in the past. Join online communities in your field - sometimes they post job and internship openings.</p>
<p>If you can get someone who understands hiring to review your resume and/or cover letters, do so. On a student community that I belong to online, there's a grad student who has a day job critiquing and editing resumes who offers to help people with theirs. At a student-heavy conference I went to, there was an event where you could sign up for a 15-minute one-on-one session with a recruiter to critique your resume. Even if you don't have opportunities like that, you can probably find a trusted adult (in your college's career center, if nothing else) to do it.</p>