The Engineering Experience

According to the Office of Undergraduate Research, Purdue undergraduate students produce nearly 2,000 research projects annually. Research is being conducted on a variety of topics across many different disciplines here at Purdue, which gives undergraduate students so many opportunities to get involved in a project that interests them. I have been participating in undergraduate research since my freshman year and have loved my experience. Although research may not have been something you had considered before, I hope these tips persuade you to get involved on a project you love! Martin C. Jischke Hall of Biomedical Engineering is home to some of the many research labs here on campus,  including the one that Kat works in! Photo courtesy of  https://news.uns.purdue.edu/html3month/2006/060921CelebrateBiomedical.html Read about Faculty Members' Research Here at Purdue, faculty are investigating a wide variety of topics in a ton of different disciplines! Reading abo...

How do you receive an internship offer? Most students obtain an offer after meeting and interviewing with companies at a career fair or by applying online and virtually interviewing. I obtained my first internship through a bit of an unconventional way. Although I received some offers via Purdue career fairs, they were all based in the Midwest and I wanted to return home to the East Coast for the summer. To obtain an internship on the East Coast, I researched other civil engineering companies and applied online through their websites and LinkedIn. I received many rejections from a variety of public and private firms until one day I thought I was just opening another rejection email. The email was from an architect in Delaware who informed me that he does not take interns, but that he will connect me with his son, who works at DelDOT and does hire civil engineering interns. Little did I know that the architect’s son was the head of the Bridge Design division at DelDOT (the Delaware Dep...

As I’m sure you have read from our many posts about Internships, Co-ops, and other experiences, it’s pretty clear how well Purdue students are able to gain real world experience in between their journey to a degree. I’m one of those individuals who has been blessed to have a few opportunities in industry from Purdue career fairs. As a Biomedical Engineering student, I have always been interested in the medical industry and helping people. I’ve written previously about my three term co-op with Zimmer Biomet where I was able to learn about the development of orthopedic implants and instruments. After those three semesters, I had one final opportunity to gain more experience in industry before graduation. That’s why last fall I prepped for and attended the Industrial Roundtable (IR). Preparing for IR involved perfecting my resume, thinking about an elevator pitch, researching companies, and applying for internships online before I went to the booths. On the days of IR, I spoke w...

As the school year gets into full swing, engineering students at Purdue are getting organized. Recently, we asked female engineering students what they did to stay organized and excel in the classroom during the school year. Here's some tips they provided! WE Link volunteers shared their advice for staying organized this school year.     1.   Get a planner Getting a planner is a great way to stay organized during the school year! Many students recommended getting a planner in order to keep track of all assignments. Grace Filley, a junior in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Borla Endes, a graduate student in Industrial Engineering, and Brittany Kent, a junior in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, stressed it is important to put all due dates and exams into your planner to make sure you are staying on top of them. Additionally, they recommend reading through the syllabus to make sure you understand the course expectations and you have all th...

For many engineering students, this week will be a hectic time of preparing resumes and practicing elevator pitches. Next week is IR, or Industrial Roundtable, the career fair here at Purdue and the largest student run career fair in the nation. IR is aimed at engineering students, although other majors do attend. IR is a great opportunity for students of all ages to interact with big name companies and attain an internship, co-op, or full-time job. As a freshman, it may seem intimidating to speak with large companies when you have only just begun your college career, but go to IR, talk to companies, earn the experience and potentially an internship. You will not regret it! Besides potentially scoring an internship or co-op, here are three reasons you should go to IR as a freshman: 1. Practice Makes Perfect Learning how to deliver an elevator pitch confidently and clearly with company recruiters is a valuable skill that will carry throughout your next few years at Purdue. B...