Algorithm for Securing an Internship

I wrote an algorithm for securing an internship. It worked for me and I hope it works for you too.

I created this flowchart and to know more about how this algorithm really works, you will have to become a premium reader of this blog. Calm down. I don't need your credit card number for that. All it means is that you will have to click on the right on Follow button in order to follow my blog and leave a comment so that I can get back to me. 

Good luck.

Meeting Engineering Professionals

Networking is the proven way to get hired. Source: http://bit.ly/8up18u

Recently, I have been meeting quite a few professionals from engineering industry. It is mainly because I have more or less decided that I do not want to go graduate school immediately after graduation. Instead, I want to go into workforce and see what work is like, assess what field of work I like the best and then decide about graduate school. Imagine getting a degree in an engineering field such as Electrical, Mechanical or Chemical and not liking the work afterward. You will then be stuck up with that degree for the rest of your life.

In addition, it seems like I will be able to graduate with double degrees. A double degree is different than a double major. You can get a double degree if you major in a Bachelor of Science and also a Bachelor of Arts. In order to get a double degree, you need to have at least 159 credit hours. To give you a sense of what this number means, imagine taking a full load of 18 hours (the maximum allowed at Trinity) every semester for eight semesters. A quick math in your head should tell you that totals 144 hours, still 15 hours short of required 159. You would have to spend an extra semester just to get a double degree. That would be pretty stupid. Furthermore, if you study abroad during your college, you will probably not be able to transfer 18 hours. It could be a maximum of 16 hours. That will increase the deficit further. My solution is: using AP/Advanced Level credits that I received from high school. Still, obtaining a double degree is difficult without attending summer school. I have not and will not be attending summer school but it seems I may just be able to get a double degree if everything works perfectly.

What I intended to get across is that, my interests are diverse and I do not know yet which field I want to focus on for graduate school. A few years in workforce will hopefully give me some insights on what my future path should be.

Just a funny cartoon about why Engineering is cool. Source: http://bit.ly/1zsn34

Yesterday, I met civil, petroleum and mechanical engineers working at various companies or as consultants. I was surprised by how many engineers identified themselves as consultants. In order to be a consultant, you need to have an Engineering degree and then get a Professional Engineer license for which you have to have practice in the field for at least two years. They shared lots of stories about their first jobs, what they wish they knew on their first day at the first job and advice to students about how to network or look for a job. One thing I realized from the networking session is that, the proven way of obtaining a job is through networking. It is unlikely that you fill out an application, will get an interview and boom, get hired. It just doesn't happen that way. Instead, you know someone at the company, you send your resume, she forwards it to someone else and testifies how good of a person you are. You then get an interview and likely get selected.

So, lesson learned: start networking and start early.

Getting an On-Campus Job

       There is so much talk about how bad job market currently is in the United States. And its painfully low recovery rate has been inducing sleepless nights to people like common Americans to think-tanks and economists to President Obama. No doubt, finding a job is difficult than ever. Unemployment among teens is more than 25%, a record high in several decades. Fresh graduates are the hardest hit.

     But, make no mistake, no matter what's happening with the economy, finding an on-campus job has always been challenging. The fundamental law of economics about supply and demand could be used to easily explain this. On one hand, On-campus jobs are very limited while on the other, they are the coveted jobs among college students for a number of reasons. 

• They are not so demanding. Usually, it requires easy work such as filing, grading, shelving or checking out books compared to other manual jobs in restaurant or stores
• It saves time by cutting back on commuting. This is one of the most important factors
• Their pay is pretty competitive. Even though you could make more money working at high-paying jobs, most college jobs pay above minimum wage and because those jobs are easy, pay is competitive.
• You could expect an increase if you continue through next semester. This is almost guaranteed for an on-campus job but not elsewhere.

       Having pointed out why on-campus job is lucrative among college students, I want to talk about how to secure one even though it is always in short supply. Many colleges have two kinds of on-campus jobs:

1. Federal Work Study (FWS) (For US citizens and permanent residents)
2. Institutional (For International Students)

        Most on-campus jobs are financed through FWS but your family income has to be below a certain income bracket in order to qualify for FWS positions. Since International students are NRA (Non- Resident Aliens)- neither permanent residents nor US citizens- they have to apply for positions that are financed through institutional aid. Funds for institutional work positions are financed through university's endowment which is why they are always reluctant to allocate more institutional positions. FWS on the other hand is financed through the US government, hence taking off pressure university's funds that could be allocated elsewhere.

       The best place to start looking for on-campus jobs is through the University's Human Resources website. It lists job openings under each type, FWS or institutional. It should be noted however that some institutions do not discriminate and job positions are open to everyone, irrespective of their nationality. Of course, we are talking about Ivy League institutions and others that have huge endowments, taking a chunk of which for institutional positions makes virtually no difference.

       But, to stay competitive in search activity, it is never enough to rely on Human Resources website. Many job openings are never mentioned on its website, are entirely bypassed and students are hired through direct contact. So, it is always smart to check with department's secretary about available positions. Talking to friends and seniors is another smart way to locate jobs. Information Technology Services, Admissions, Physics Department, Mathematics Department and Athletics Department are among the leading hirers on any college/university. Never forget to check with them.

         You should also know that students pursuing a science related degree are more likely to end up with an on-campus job than their non-science degree pursuing peers. This disadvantage arises from the nature of these disciplines and imply nothing about their corresponding difficulties. Science and maths related courses often require graders which adds quite a few on-campus jobs. There are also positions for Lab TAs, unavailable for  non-science degrees. Admissions Office also hire a lot of student workers for filing paperworks, arranging applications, prospective student tours and others. So, be sure to check with them too.

        Please note that amateurishly written above article offering general advice on locating an on-campus job is based entirely on my experience with on-campus job search at Trinity University. I remained unemployed my first semester despite my best efforts in locating a job at Trinity. I talked to my friends and seniors and changed my strategy for search activity, which landed me with two jobs in second semester, one with Physics Department, another with Athletics Department. I hope it helps you too. Please feel free to add your suggestions, tricks or smart ways to locate an on-campus job at Trinity University (or elsewhere).