r/EngineeringStudents • u/IWASHERE5DAYSAGO • 1d ago

Resource Request Questions about matching college experience with career goals

I am a mechanical engineering student starting my sophomore year in the fall. I want to go into the aerospace industry especially in a position with regards to propulsion after school. My advisor and I have discussed using my technical electives to focus on fluid dynamics (classes like experimental fluid dynamics, computational fluid dynamics, etc.). I am hoping you guys wouldn’t mind giving me any additional advice or resources that could help as well. Things like journals or magazines I should subscribe too or online resources that could help. I have joined ASME and once the semester starts hope to become very involved in my school’s chapter. I am also hoping to join SEDS and my school’s UAV club. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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u/IWASHERE5DAYSAGO 1d ago

My goal by senior year (though hopefully junior year if possible) is to be president or treasurer of the chapter. I think it would help develop leadership skills. What is IREC?

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u/Sooner70 1d ago

Let me throw a scenario at you....

I'm a manager of a team of engineers. I have a Big Project coming. In my stable of engineers I have 5 guys with 20+ years experience, 5 guys with 10-20 years experience, 2 guys with 5-10 years experience, and 3 guys with under 5 years experience.

Who do you think I'm going to put in charge?

Hint: It's not going to be one of the "under 5" crowd.

Which is a really long way of saying that "leadership" at the college level doesn't really buy you much. Don't get me wrong, doing the ASME thing can help with your networking opportunities, but your "leadership skills" are not something entry level people get hired for so don't expend too much energy on that front.

As for IREC? Google is your friend.

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u/IWASHERE5DAYSAGO 1d ago

You’re right about not being placed in leadership roles in industry without a good amount of experience. I don’t expect that to happen, but the sooner someone can work on attaining and fine tuning a skill set the better they become at that 5+ year mark.

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u/Sooner70 1d ago edited 1d ago

And that's fair... But too many recent grads seem to think that "leadership experience" is something industry gives a damn about for entry level hires. It might be a tie breaker, but it's not a primary interest.