<p>I'm a freshman (I started college 3 days ago) and I don't have an intended major yet. In talking to people, I've found more than a few who already have some sort of relevant job or research or such out of class experience (and these are other freshmen), or have something like that lined up for the near future. I don't. I am really curious as to how important this really is for anything going into the future (I know it's absurd to think about it right now, but I don't want to be left out down the line when people are getting jobs or going to grad school). Is it really too early to worry about getting research experience and such, or is that just my perception? Are there any recommendations for what I should do right now, or in the near future (within this year or something) to make myself more competitive for either a job or grad school? If they are different things for each grad school or employment, I think I am more likely to want to get a job right out of undergrad than to go to grad school However I've only been in college for 3 days, so it's hard for me to really know.</p>
<p>Well first things first, figure out what your intended major is. You can’t plan out your future without first determining what you want to major in. Don’t worry what these other people are doing yet.</p>
<p>When you do figure out what you want to do, then you can do one of two things as far as getting experience goes. You can research, or get an internship. If you feel you will most likely go to graduate school at the point you get to this stage, then you should probably pick the research if you can, as it will have a larger impact on graduate school. If you feel like you will likely be going for a job, or if you haven’t decided yet, I would go for the internship, as it looks better to employers, and still looks good to grad schools. If you figure it out soon enough, you can also do what I did and get an internship for the summer and do undergrad research during the semesters.</p>
<p>Either way, you need to determine what you want to major in first, otherwise all that experience is worth very little if it is in the wrong field.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Also, one other thing I probably should have asked in the first post. My college seems to really be pushing travel abroad programs and learning a foreign language. How important is this really? I don’t want to learn a foreign language at all, but if it would be a major boost to my competitiveness in employment, I’d do it. However I feel that it can’t really be as important as they’re trying to make it seem.</p>
<p>I dont think learning a foreign language is a big boost. If you are just interested in engineering, at least.</p>
<p>If it’s important, it would be required in curricula. As far as I’m aware, there isn’t a single engineering program that requires a foreign language.</p>
<p>It also depends on what you want to do. If you do something that involves working with a lot of different countries, it may be useful, but not required. If you want to work for NASA or a defense contractor or any domestic company really, it is basically useless.</p>
<p>I want a good job, and wouldn’t absolutely refuse a job out of the country if it were a good one, but I would definitely prefer one in America.</p>
<p>Issue here is, I’m certainly not the smartest guy around (nor am I an idiot, but I think I have a pretty realistic grasp on how smart I am). I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get a job, but I don’t know how good of a job. If a foreign language would greatly increase job availability (I suppose depending on the language… I’ll refrain from choosing Classical Greek or Latin), I’d be willing to do it. Beyond that, I’m under the understanding that lots of engineering graduates get jobs in business-type fields, which I’d be very open to as well. Infact, I think I’d prefer that. </p>
<p>And no, there is no foreign language requirement in general, however there is a special program at our school which requires a foreign language (among other things) for engineers. This however would be something that one decides far into the future (and I don’t think I’d qualify academically, really I don’t think the requirements of this program will ever effect me), however it seems to show how well they are stressing it.</p>
<p>Knowing a foreign language will definitely open up more job opportunities. However, it won’t be a lot - not worth studying one for the sole purpose of having a better shot at getting a job. If you’re interested in a foreign language or you want to work with a specific one, take it. Otherwise take courses that you will enjoy more.</p>
<p>Okay, I probably won’t do a foreign language then.</p>
<p>Any thing class-wise I can do that will open up more opportunities? I was thinking minor in Econ, or a minor in Comp Sci (unless I decide to get a major in Comp Sci)? Since money and computers are used in almost everything…?</p>
<p>CS is probably one of the better things to know in addition to your major’s subject matter because programming is important in pretty much every field. This is not to say that you WILL program, but the chance of utilizing programming in an engineering job is substantially higher than economics.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks. Would there be anything else you would suggest in addition to or instead of that, or would CS really be the one?</p>
<p>I depending on your major though, I don’t know if minoring in CS is a great idea. Most, if not all, ABET accredited schools make you take a CS course as part of the core engineering curriculum, and unless you are EE or CE or CS, that one class is pretty much enough of the CS theory. Additional CS courses won’t really help you unless you want to have programming as one of your primary job functions. That is just my perspective though from what relatively little experience I have in industry.</p>
<p>Also, personally, I would think that sticking to your one major and just getting very good grades is better for your resume/CV than getting a minor in something you are only kind of interested in, and then getting decent grades in everything since you have more classes to take. Unless you have something you are just dying to minor in, I would stick to the one major.</p>
<p>Having a high GPA and internships is the absolute BEST way to get you the interview at your dream job. Once you get that interview, however, it all comes down to the interpersonal skills, so make sure you don’t turn into one of those hermit engineers that never has fun and no one can relate to. My suggestion, join professional societies and as many other clubs as you are interested in. That will get you plenty of networking and conversational skills that will help you come interview time, plus they are just a great overall experience. It is even a better help if you eventually hold a board position on one of those professional societies, which grad schools and employers love to see.</p>
<p>Always do something productive. </p>
<p>At the very least, keep up your grades–all else equal, employees will take the academic super star.</p>
<p>What I would like to add (and tell my sophomore self!) is that you should always strive for something productive, especially during the summer. Internships help show that you have "real world’ experience and to be honest, your junior year summer internship can very well just be a 3 month job interview for full time.</p>
<p>If interning/co-opting isn’t your thing for some reason, try research experience. This will give you something to talk about during your interview and is integral for any graduate school admission. </p>
<p>Finally, scanning job applications, it won’t hurt if you have programming skills. C/C++/Java/Mysql/php/Python/Fortran are in demand for systems/product development engineers HOWEVER, you’ll most likely get stuck in IT hell.</p>
<p>The bottom line: do something productive.</p>