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Life as a Young Engineer

Several people have told me that an engineering degree can be beneficial in many areas of business outside of engineering. The thought is that an education in engineering is really an education in how to think. I honestly believe this to be true. Look at how many engineers have risen out of the design lab and are now running the companies for whom they used to design. But how do young engineers get a start in today's job market?

Do you remember what it was like to be an engineer just starting out? I do. When I got out of college, the defense spending boom of the 1980s was over and companies were doing a lot of belt tightening. It was not a pleasant time to be a young engineer. A lot of my classmates opted to go on to grad school instead facing the challenge of finding a job. To this day, in fact, I know of only a few of my engineering classmates that are using their college degrees. For most of those other people, the reason they are not using their degree is not because they are unhappy with their chosen field of study; on the contrary, they would love to be making use of their degree, but few companies want inexperienced engineers. Take a look at your Sunday paper this weekend. Many of the employers are only looking for experienced people. But how do you get the experience you need when employers are only hiring experienced people? It is similar to the chicken and the egg debate. In addition, with today's job market what it is, experienced engineers are being forced to take steps backwards in their careers just to remain employed. Yes, it is very frustrating trying to find a good job as an inexperienced engineer, but it is far from impossible. With some good planning on the student engineer's part and some help from engineering firms it can become much easier to land that job you've always wanted.

The key to getting that job is exposure to real engineering, as opposed to the theory taught in a classroom. As a college student try to get as much experience as possible. The experience can come from working in a professor's lab, working on a project with an outside mentor, interning at a local company during the summer, or participating in a co-op program. Find out what kinds of programs the school has to offer and then go for the ones that interest you the most.

Some colleges and universities require some kind of design project for graduation. Often this is completed in the senior year. If this is an option at your school, by all means do it! This can provide you with the opportunity to get hands-on experience in many of the stages of product development; something you may not experience on the job. Such projects can be a great topic of discussion when it comes time to interview for a job. But make sure you are able to intelligently discuss what you accomplished through your work on the project.

More and more colleges and universities are realizing the importance of having the student interact with practicing professionals. Some schools are getting into mentoring programs. As a young engineer, you work with an experienced engineer to complete a project for which you receive credit towards graduation. It is a great opportunity to get practical experience while interacting with an individual that is out in the work world every day. In addition, you make contacts for the future. Never underestimate the power of networking. The adage, it's not what you know; it's who you know, can really hold true for a young engineer.

In addition to mentor programs, some colleges have developed co-op programs where the student, instead of going to class, works for a couple of semesters. Usually, those participating in a co-op program require five years to graduate, instead of the usual four, but they have gained a tremendous amount in that extra year. Co-op programs expose the student engineer to the day-to-day life in a company, offer him valuable practical experience, and allow him to make contacts for use after graduation.

Probably the most widely recognized method of getting experience as an engineer-in-training is through internships during the summer. Many internship programs offer paid positions. In some cases, the student is able to return to the same company each summer. Intern programs can even turn into a full-time position after graduation. If nothing else, such programs provide the student with experience and engineering contacts.

I have talked about different ways the student can help himself, but he is still going to need outside help. Companies and individuals must be willing to work with these young engineers before they graduate. Suggest to your supervisor that the company start an internship program or maybe use some of your free time to serve as a mentor. It is important for those working to remember that those young engineers are the future of your company. The better prepared they are when you get them the sooner your company will benefit from their presence. Perhaps your company should have, if it doesn't already, a training program for new engineers. Have patience with new engineers. You were "the new guy" at some point. Help them to benefit from your years of experience.

I mentioned before that an education in engineering can teach you how to think in new ways, but interaction with experienced individuals out in the "real" world provides young engineers with some idea of what to expect when they join the workforce. I learned more about being an engineer in one year of real world experience than I did in four years of college and I don't believe that my experiences are very different from those of other people. In the real world, it is no longer about having to take a class over again, it is about having a roof over your head and food to eat. Does that sound a bit melodramatic? Maybe, but if you don't quickly learn what your new employer is all about and how you fit into their plans for the future, someone else will. Students have to start early when preparing for graduation and getting a job. Employers need to be willing to take a more active role in developing new engineers. Colleges and universities must act as the intermediary between the student and the engineering firms.