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Get Your Foot in the Door
By Carrie McGourty
January 26, 2006

An instructor at a Manhattan university well-known for its engineering program recently told me that her students were rather bright when it came to math and science, but were clueless when it came to their careers.

“A lot of them want to know how to get practical experience, and where they can apply for internships,” she said. “But many don’t have any idea where to begin.”

And while professors around the country grind their students to gain necessary skills for the workplace, many students say they feel a deep disconnect between the academic environment and the real world because of limited career guidance. In a large engineering program, for example, students with weak or mediocre grades might get overlooked by their professors and miss a valuable mentorship opportunity.

But almost all universities strive to provide professional resources to their students- such as career fairs and online job boards. In fact, recruiters from reputable firms like Bechtel and Turner Construction Co. say that they rely heavily upon job fairs and campus career centers to put them in touch with young people with budding potential.

“Educate yourself about what’s going on at your particular campus,” said Rosemarie Demonte, director of recruitment for Turner. “If a company is coming to a campus that interests you, look for an opportunity to meet with them to do what’s necessary to get your foot in the door.”

Most companies will also list internship or job opportunities on their website. If students are unsure about what engineering, design or construction companies are out there, the firm rankings on www.enr.com are a great place to start research.

Professional organizations on campus, such as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) or Engineers Without Borders, are also great resources for networking, job and internship opportunities. Recruiters value “relationship building” between students and existent employees, and generally tend to hire someone who’s made contact with those who work in the company. Joining professional societies is a good way to make these connections.

Also, it might be wise to have a brainstorming session before you begin your internship search to determine what you want to do or what experience you’d like to gain, and how you can achieve that goal. For example, if you’re interested in alternative energy, such as wind power, you should investigate some of the companies who are doing major work in that area. From there, look online to see if they’re offering internships, or contact their human resources department. You might even try getting in touch with some of the people working there, and letting them know you’re serious about interning.

"What are some other ways for students to find internships, and what advice would you give them about gaining experience while in school?

Coping with the Office Age Gap
By Carrie McGourty
January 10, 2006

In a strange twist of fate one recent weekend, I ended up having dinner with six engineers and architects who all went to my university and now work for firms from Seattle and San Francisco to New York City. I couldn’t help but do a little research over our wine and pizza, and a topic of conversation continued to surface: how to co-exist with an aging workforce in the office.

For a 20-something straight out of school who just landed a job in engineering or construction, their happiness may depend on more than just a professional challenge- it also depends on their ability to connect with co-workers, they said.

“The old guys in my office have this thing about golf,” said the mechanical engineer. “They’ve been around for awhile, and have the liberty to just leave the office for no reason and go play golf. I don’t play golf, I surf. So I’m never invited.”

Many young graduates starting their careers face a tremendous age gap between their colleagues, and in most firms they are the only youthful faces in the office. And while age shouldn’t matter while getting the job done, these young engineers and architects say that meeting people in their age group is important to their happiness inside and outside work.

“Everyone is older than me,” said the structural engineer. “I spend the majority of the day in the office, and by the time I come home I’m too tired to do anything or meet new people.”

For those who live in a metropolitan area and are surrounded by youth, meeting new friends is easy. But for someone who has to relocate to the Mojave Desert, for example, being isolated from their age group may be problematic to their personal happiness and consequently, their productivity on the job.

What can be done to help young engineers adjust to an office of age difference? Share your thoughts on “Next” with us and we will post as many replies as we can. Send us your thoughts.

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