How to Start as an Engineering Freshman Looking for an Internship

The Major Goal

The goal to achieve is to be able to show companies passion and love for engineering. Companies are looking for students who would make great engineers at their company if they were to be hired full-time. A great engineer at any company typically embodies multiple common traits. The first is passion, an engineer who is genuinely excited to work on engineering tasks is more likely to perform well on the job.

Resume Items that Embody Passion for Engineering

Here are four line items to choose from for your resume to embody passion for engineering to the recruiters judging you:

1. GPA: As simple as it sounds, and as general as it sounds, the modern engineering world still puts focus on GPA. Having a high GPA shows that you put effort into your classes and that you have the ability to learn new concepts effectively. However, this doesn’t mean you have to have a 4.0. Striving for at least above a 3.0 and even better a 3.5 puts you in a great position to make it through companies resume screening.
2. Engineering Clubs: Most engineering colleges are home to multiple engineering-focused clubs. Some examples would be a college rocket team, Baja (car) team, a robotics team, and more. Anything that is student-led and technical oriented, the team actually builds a project, is perfect. These clubs often have many projects going on at once and a very low barrier to entry. Getting involved allows you to put real engineering work on your resume without having an engineering job. Companies view club experience favorably because it is an easy indication of a variety of important skills.
3. Getting a basic job: Believe it or not, any job is a good item to put on your resume. Even being a cashier at Wendy’s can prove favorable to companies. Having a job proves multiple things at once to employers. It shows that you can make it to work on time regularly, you can handle responsibility, you can communicate with superiors and coworkers. These are all skills that are must-haves at any company.
4. Research Experience: This sort of coincides with the engineering club experience. Research with a professor gives you an opportunity to do real-world engineering before getting an engineering job. Most professors would be happy to let you volunteer in their lab. It may sound daunting to ask a professor, but just remember that they spend their time teaching students every day and enjoy the college atmosphere. You can simply send a short email asking to participate in their lab, and the first professor may not say yes, but a professor will say yes to the extra help at some point.

Next Steps

These four activities should be your priority in your first few months of college if you want to be competitive for freshman summer internships. After working at those activities, the next step is to create a resume and prepare to apply to internship postings. You can find a free college resume template from EngineerInternships.com by visiting our “Preparation Services” page. If you would like more information, feel free to continuing reading through our guide.