As someone who’s been unable to land an engineering job for 2 years after graduating with my bachelors, my biggest advice for those who have not yet entered the job market is to prioritize making connections. When I was getting my bachelors, I spent a lot of my time worrying about my GPA instead of what would help me secure a job upon graduation. While getting good grades is important, it is not the most crucial factor for landing a job. The majority of job applications I’ve completed do not even ask for your GPA.
The easiest connections to make are with your classmates, professors, and with your coworkers at an internship/co-op. You can also try messaging people that work at a company you’re interested in on LinkedIn, although I’ve found it difficult to receive a response if they were not an alumni from the school I went to.
Another piece of advice I can offer is to try your best to land a summer internship or co-op. Not only does this help you make connections with others in industry, it may also help you narrow down the types of jobs you pursue. For example, I had an internship as a Metrology Intern at a biotechnology company where I calibrated and performed preventative maintenance on various devices in a manufacturing environment. I did learn a lot from this role, however I realized that being on the manufacturing side of a company is not for me.
Based on my own experiences, I would advise Biomedical Engineering students to obtain work experience in the medical device sector, or actually in any profession that deals with medical devices. The fact is that studying these gadgets in a classroom setting alone won't teach you everything. Although studies lay the groundwork, practical experience is what truly expands your comprehension. For instance, I was able to observe how devices work, how they are maintained, and how they directly affect patient care during my internship as a biomedical engineer at Overlook Medical Center and then in my position at St. Clare's Hospital. Exposure like that is really beneficial because it helps you clarify your career goals and develop your technical knowledge. In retrospect, I regret not putting more of an emphasis on academics and more on looking for internships and co-ops early on. Employers ultimately favor students who possess both technical knowledge and real-world experience, and exposure to the workplace facilitates a smoother transition into the workforce following graduation.
@rd389 I totally agree with your entry and believe your counsel is truthful. In biomedical engineering, at least, establishing connections via internships and co-ops is probably the best way to get doors to open in academia and industry alike. The profession is highly team-based and project-centered, so networking often can be as or even more important than tech skills. I also think you're right about GPA not to diminish it, but employers care more about whether you can apply what you know, work with others, and get things done within real-world timetables. Your comment about health is also important; in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, burnout takes away from academic and professional achievement. My recommendation would be to maintain academics and experiences in harmony, which enable you to find yourself and your preference of roles, as eventually passion and adaptability will carry more weight than grades alone.
