I am a non-traditional BME Student. One major advice I can offer is said above in almost every comment which is to get a co-op/internship. Real word experience is very different from what we learn in our classes in school. I would say you should also get involved in research early on in your college career. This will allow you to decide if you prefer industry or academic better. I would also take some courses in statistics and learn some statistical programs. I believe this will help you be more marketable. I would also learn some design programs such as CAD. I have yet to use any programming languages like matlab but I don't think there is any harm in learning some.
As most of you mentioned how co-op and internship are very important during the undergrad period, as it helps you to build the experience and the connection. I've heard from a lot of people that a lot of the companies try to fulfill the full-time positions form the co-op or internship. they prefer someone know about the company and the product as well as they know that person and how good he/she is to fulfill the need of the position rather getting someone from outside the company.
The advise I would share with a biomedical student special I'm coming from a different department for undergrad, Electronics and computer engineering, try to utilize the elective course to align with what you like to do. For example, if you like a career that you know you will use a specific software for, try to take the elective courses that help you to improve that knowledge and more focused. Most of these courses have more than one section/part, So also try to take all the part of the course to gain the max knowledge and dive deep as much as you can. Personally, I believe in specialties and focused major.
People have been saying co-ops and internships however I found it most difficult to acquire these because I did not use my academic advisor to help me. Always speaks to your academic advisor they have the contacts to help you get an internship or co-op. With that being said it's about who you know that gets you the opportunities it's not based on merit as much in the modern day, unfortunately.
Secondly, do research with a professor in a track related to your interests. During your college journey around the sophomore-junior year is when you have more experience working in various labs for class i.e(chemical lab, physics lab) and professors will realize you have experience and matured in your academic journey. The research will expose you to practical skills that can be put unto your resume. With research comes the ability to understand the time and effort required to do so. You will know within a month if doing research is going bring you satisfaction.
A majority of you suggested getting co-ops and internships. But in reality not all striving BME students are able to get them. For those cases, I suggest getting into research on campus, joining professional clubs, and just talking to your advisor about your interests. These are some ways I was able to land an internship and the bases behind this strategy is networking. Connecting with professionals in your field of interest is the best way to start to your career (but that's just my perspective). Sometimes, just applying online for co-ops and internships isn't enough as it is a very competitive and selective process. A lot of companies, when they have open positions reach out to our advisors and professors first. If you are referred by them directly, there is a very good chance you will get an interview. You will also be one of the first candidates, which gives you an automatic advantage. So try to be involved as much as you can on campus and grow from there. Keep talking, sharing, and connecting.
I agree with you, Karen. As a BME graduate student who is still looking for an internship, I started doing research since my 3rd year in my undergrad instead of wasting my time waiting for that intern/coop as it was harder for me to get Because I am an international student who needs sponsorship. However, this doesn't mean that I gave up, I am still hunting everywhere. I will add also: try to attend graduate seminars as much as possible to learn about different research areas and connect with other students and talk to the grad students about their research and labs.
I also agree with you Karen! As a student, it's not always possible to secure an internship/co-op, as you are also competing with the hundreds of other students who are likely in the same exact position you are: having no experience, but hungry to get some. The next best thing in my opinion is like you said, to get involved with research on campus with some professors. You never know where that might lead you, whether it be academia with a project that you find interesting or as a stepping stone to land your first job. One of the most important things that I saw and used from doing research with a professor on campus was focusing on how you might transfer the skills and experience you acquired during your research to the industry. For example, you may want to acquire a role as an R&D Engineer, so you may want to actively ask you professor for responsibilities within your lab that reflect what that kind of engineer might do. When you frame your research experience in a way that you can have transferrable skills, you are no longer a student with no experience, but one that has had exposure and is yet to apply it in the industry! Shaping my experience with my professor so that I could have as many skills as possible to bring to the industry helped greatly in getting into industry for myself.
It all depends what you define as "Engineering Student" because that could mean Undergraduate or Graduate studies. In terms of the early years studying as an undergrad, I would probably advise to pursue some type of job within the department such as an office assistant or lab researcher. This could be the earliest chance you have to get a foot in the Biomedical Engineering field. This may seem cynical but I am of the perspective that you need to have networking connections in order to get a job, especially like an entry-level job. This is also how I got my first job, and some months later how my friend got a job (through me). Going off of that thought, as a student you should be making meaningful friendships with your classmates and even professors, as they may be the key that unlocks a certain door for you in the future.
When it comes to classes I feel you are highly limited in what you can take, as they are focused more on being informational than practical as an undergrad. FDA regulations and Design Controls would fall under practical, which are offered more as a graduate student. I highly recommend pursuing a Master's Degree, as these classes have been the most beneficial in making me a more marketable engineer.
I have worked in the medical industry for about a year and a half and would recommend students to really take the time to find an internship/co-op opportunity and to find a semester project research opportunity to determine which path forward you want to take your career. You learn a lot about FDA, EU, and HC regulations and the aspects in a product's lifecycle from industrial experience. A summer experience can really provide you enough exposure into the medical industry to help you determine what you are and aren't looking for in your job after graduation. Use the NJIT portal to look into internship/co-op or job opportunities. It filters by your major to target open positions that will best match your experience. Recognize that looking for a job opportunity is a job in itself. Do not get discouraged.
I would also suggest researching professors in BME to see what research is currently on-going. Investigate, research, and follow up with the professors. Talk with your advisor if you need help with the initial connection. But gaining research experience through a semester project is also a great way to compare the industry internship/co-op experience with research experience. All in all, my advice is to take as many courses and gain as many experiences as you can to feel confident in which path you would like to move your career forward in.
As many people have mentioned, getting an internship/co-op is really helpful but also difficult. If you are having trouble getting a position, I would highly recommend speaking to a professor about working in one of their research projects. I was having a lot of trouble in my undergrad getting internships and once I did summer research for my professor, it became much easier for me! Besides this, making connections and keeping up with them is so important. My current boss has told me countless times that he wishes students would reach out more to him to show interest. I feel like a lot of times we don't want to be overwhelming the employer but truth is, showing interest is sometimes what makes the difference between you and another candidate.
Also, definitely caster your resume to whatever position you are applying to. Since the BME field can be broad, sometimes we need to be more careful in what we include/exclude from the resume so as to stand our more. In terms of programs to learn, I haven't used MATLAB or solidworks in the industry yet, even though those were the two programs my undergrad focused on. I would definitely recommend learning AutoCAD since that seems to be used much more often and is more desirable (in my experience)!
First and foremost, I would like to agree with everyone who suggested that getting that internship/co-op, doing research, and attending events and seminars would be exceptionally beneficial for a BME student trying to begin his or her career after graduating. However, I've found that there is much more that goes into developing a career than just what's on your resume. Being able to develop connections and succeed in most interviews is highly dictated by your character and the unique experiences that you can share. While you're deep in the books and spending countless hours in libraries and coffee shops stressing over your exams, it is equally important to remember to enjoy your time as a student. Spending leisure time with others, joining clubs, and having a hobby are such crucial factors in the development of your character. For the most part, we will all have very similar resumes. Yes, maybe some will have better GPAs, or better internships/research experience, but its the experiences and unique skills that you grow from enjoying your life that really helps in standing out in the crowd.
Personally, I could not attain an internship or co-op before graduating with the GPA I had and I am still grateful for the things that occasionally kept me away from school. The events I could have skipped so I could get that last 0.1% in Thermodynamics to get an A. The hobbies I could have pushed off to the side so I had the time and focus to at least remember the homeworks I've missed. It was because of the eventful experiences I have that helped me attain the current job I have now and I couldn't be happier.
I would suggest getting an internship/co-op to have an exposure to the Industry environment. However, even this is very competitive with company recruiting like 2-3 students in the pool of 100 people. If lucks aren't in your shoes, perhaps try to look for a mentor, but make sure it is someone who shares the same interest as you. Attend various career fairs and conferences, if anything they will give you an idea if indeed Industry is the right path for you. Furthermore, it might be best to take time off school and work full time before starting a Master. In this way, the classes you take might be more relevant to your work as you would choose them according to your line of duty. Another great advice will be to very fluent in one skill. BME student tends to not have a proficiency in skills, we tend to know a bit of everything. Try to set yourself apart by learning a programming language for instance.
As a student who is fresh to the scene of biotechnology what are some ways one would endow themselves with experience or knowledge of the subject? Often when looking for internships with Biomedical devices or biotechnology experience are already required at an entry level position. So if not in the field of Biomedical devices where are opportunities available in order to put myself with or above the current competition? Also if having a mentor would be important, what are the most important things you should take from them? What questions should I seek to have answered whenever I meet them?
Quick question for you and for other students who are working and pursuing their master's degree. For people in the industry was it not hard to juggle work, school, personal life. Since we are all human beings and dont have more than 24 hours in a day. Also, do you think you would have done better in each area if you have done them separately? I will admit one reason that I chose to pursue my Ph.D. right after undergraduate study was because I worried that time management would have been an issue alongside the quality of work as well. I am aware that with experience in industry one is able to decide with more confidence if they need more work experience or education. Also, is there an option where one can take time off to pursue their education or is it a pretty norm to do both at the same time.
For those who have work experience in the medical device industry, what advice would you give to Biomedical Engineering students? What would you have wished you would have done differently as a student to help project your career?
For example, I would advise students to take courses which teaches you more about FDA regulations and to take advantage of co-op/ internship opportunities. Looking back at undergrad, I wish I put more focus on getting internship/ co-op experience than stressing out over academics because once you get exposure to the work environment it becomes easier to determine which career path you want to pursue.
The biggest thing that helped me get a job was networking. I was a good student and always got good grades, but good grades only get you so far. I was noticing students who had GPAs below mine were getting internships in undergrad and I wasn't, but I didn't understand why. It wasn't until I starting reaching out to people that things started getting easier. I took advantage of career fairs, reached out to people on LinkedIn, and tried emailing HR reps directly at companies I was interested in working for. After I started doing that, I started to build a professional network. I became close with one person in particular that was working at a company I really wanted to work for, and he ultimately helped me get a job at that company, where I have been working at for the past 3 years.
I would like to advice the students that they should focus on learning to apply what they have learnt than just seeking out for GPA no doubt the GPA shows how well you put efforts in the work you have been assigned and how well you do but that’s not adequate when you come into the real world working in company you come to know that there are many things to it. You will understand that you may or may not like the field that you initially wanted to work in so try making contacts, attend career fairs, read about the new technologies that are being invented in your field and stay updated. Try to focus more on co-op/internships because they definitely train you for the environment that you will experience when you get a full time job
