<p>Well I got completely screwed for jobs this summer since I went on a couple of vacations (should've just gone back to my old job...too late now). Everything I got seemed to fall thru at the last minute. Anyway, I am going to be a Sophomore in Mechanical Engineering. I want to get an awesome internship over the next summer. </p>
<p>When should I start applying and what places should I look besides school sponsored things?</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know what the best companies to intern at are for MechE?</p>
<p>application season for summer internships usually begins around Christmas...start checking websites when school starts, though, and talk to your career services...better early than missing the deadline!</p>
<p>Hey, MCS5280. I'm going to be a Sophomore in M E too! You should definitely go to your schools Fall Career Fair. Maybe your school's website has more information about that.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what the best companies to intern are but I'm definitely tell me if you find out or if anyone here knows.</p>
<p>Different people will give you different answers for that. Larger companies will just scan it into their computer systems so nobody will actually feel the higher quality paper except for some secretary. Smaller companies will use the actual copy you give them, and also make a few copies to pass around to others involved in hiring decisions. I don't use special paper for career fairs, though it can't hurt. Just make sure it doesn't jam up their copiers, lol.</p>
<p>However, I DO use special paper for copies that I bring to interviews.</p>
<p>I guess I should've checked out the career fair last year. I just figured that nobody wants a freshman ME student, since most internship postings say sophomore or above. I'm sure they don't want a freshman attempting to design a critical part for a multi-million dollar machine.</p>
<p>Alright so the career fairs seem like a good idea. I guess I just bring a stack of resumes and throw them into peoples faces? How are they generally setup? Do you just go up, introduce yourself, ask a question and dump a resume?</p>
<p>I am hoping to get into a position in aerospace, design or something similar, so if anyone has any tips that would be great. Not too sure if you need to approach different industries in different ways.</p>
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How are they generally setup? Do you just go up, introduce yourself, ask a question and dump a resume?
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<p>EXACTLY. There's usually a lot of companies in a large room, and each of them has a table with representatives standing by them. They tend to send alumni to these events, though some just send HR people.</p>
<p>S. has just completed freshman year and currently has a summer internship at a well-known corporation. He responded to about 30 internship postings on various online job boards during winter break and received several calls for phone interviews once he had returned to school for spring semester. So it is possible. He also attended his business school's job fair last October and was the ONLY freshman to do so. While he was told that they wouldn't hire him after freshman year, they gave him their business cards and encouraged him to contact them this fall because they said they would remember the only freshman who took the initiative to attend.</p>