Work Experience

1
Work Experience

• In-school
• Summer Work
• Volunteer Work
• Internships/Co-ops

2
In-school Work

• Engineering-related
• CAD/Drafting
• Assembly
• Warehouse/Shipping
• Any experience related to your field

3
In-School Work

• Campus Work
• Work-study funding
• Non-Engineering Related
• Bagging groceries, delivering pizza
• Flexible scheduling, good pay
• What skills can you develop?
• Leadership
• Communications
• Work ethic

4
Volunteer Work

• Academic Service Learning
• Non-profit groups
• Again, skills are important
• Communications
• Leadership
• Community Involvement
• Networking!

5
Summer Jobs

• Between 1st and 2nd Years
• CEs Surveying, Inspection, CAD
• ME/IE CAD, Assembly
• Develop new skills
• Not too early to target your ideal job
• Ask to interview your potential boss
• Ask what summer work they have
• Ask what summer work would be valuable

6
Internships/Co-ops

• Internship
• One-time arrangement with no obligation for
  either the company or the student
• Usually requires contract
• What will the student do
• Who will oversee
• May be paid or unpaid
• Student earns credit

7
Internships/Co-ops

• Internships
• Often follow 3rd or 4th year
• Student has some education/skills
• Company can expect more
• Experiences vary
• Best students involved in actual projects
• Worst paperwork, maintenance
• Internships often tracked down by student,
  coordinated by program

8
Co-op Programs

• Formal programs supported by college
• Combination of work and education
• Semester on/semester off
• Work/education combined
• Extended time Spring/Summer
• Many firms use Co-op to recruit
• Co-op period lets them evaluate
• Co-op recruiting gives more contact

9
Co-op Programs

• Advantages
• Practical work experience
• Good possibility of a job offer
• Usually well paid
• Disadvantages
• Extends time in college
• May throw schedule off

10
Co-op programs

• Examples
• Deere and Co.
• Hired students to design assembly process
• Teamwork, production design
• Case IH
• Students develop case to purchase new equipment
  to meet project need
• Communications, cost analysis

11
Co-ops

• Requires careful planning
• Example CEs at NDSU
• CE firms want Summer and Fall
• NDSU CE Program has a number of Fall
  prerequisites
• CE 332 and 343 precede all structures courses
• CE 309 precedes all water/wastewater courses
• Co-op will likely extend plan to 5 years
• Plan for Co-op between 4th/5th years