Latest / Black Box Theory Podcast / The Best Career Advice for Engineering Students
Transcript
- Jayson: I would start off by saying do what you love, you know, find a project that's something that's very interesting to you 'cause that could teach you more about what you actually like doing. And I think it's really impressive and something that makes you stand out. So especially in a market where it's kinda hard to find opportunities, you can create your own opportunities by creating something yourself. And I think that's really something that'll like diversify yourself through a lot of the other people who are in the same field as you. and just keep she just keep pushing that way because it's easier Malcolm: Yeah. Jayson: than ever now to create something. And so doing that can be very, very beneficial and it'll take you a long way. But Malcolm: Yeah. for sure. Thomas: That's great advice. I I was gonna say something similar, bro. I mean, you said you said it well. Like, I mean, I I would just say, like, on top of you know, doing something that you love, just don't be afraid to fully step into it. Don't don't do no half stepping. Don't, you know, just just creep into it. Like, this is the time now. You're in college, go for it. If it fails, it fails. You know, you don't have a family, depending on your situation. You don't have a family to take care of. you know, you you don't have dependents, you you don't have a house, you don't have a you don't have all these things to lose. So just just go all in within reason. You know, I mean, we have an example here of somebody who started something in school. Just just do it, figure out what you love, what you don't, determine your passion because once you get out of school and you're in the real world, it's so hard to like find what you're passionate about, find what your purpose is, find what you care about. So just try to try different things out in school and just don't be in a situation where you look back and say, I wish I could have done something. Just do it. Jayson: Mm, absolutely. Malcolm: Yeah. Nah. Yeah, that's facts. I think I think just kinda to close out, I think the piece of advice I'd give to a, you know, up and coming engineer student, I'd just be like, you know, I'd say don't limit yourself. and I think like obviously that's pretty it sounds pretty cliche, but what I mean by that is like like I've tell and I tell people this all the time, bro. Like don't don't kind of like bound yourself to like whatever your major is. Like don't feel like like that's all you can be. And I think like it's easier for us because like we're like you said at the beginning of the episode, like mechanical engineering, I I I chose it for the same reason. Like it's the to me it's the most And still is the most like versatile like major that you can the engineering major or engine engineering discipline, in my opinion. Between like see if it's either between that or like maybe like you know, computer engineering or electrical because they're those are kinda like two degrees in one in a sense. But like in the sense of like like how many different like pathways you can go. Like I within mechanical engineering you can go into engineering, you can go into tech, you can go into supply chain, you can go into business, you can go into like like there are so many different ways and I think like That was kind of like my mindset, my motto when I was kind of like coming through undergrad. I was like, I'm not just gonna be a mechanical engineer, like I'm gonna like mechanical engineering is like my field of study, but I'm I can be anything that, you know, I apply to obviously within reason. Like I'm not saying I'm gonna be, you know, something like complete like a like a lawyer with a mechanical engineering. I don't plan on going like something like that. But in a sense of like like don't feel like, you know, if you're an industrial engineering student, don't feel like you can only do industrial engineering internships. Like obviously if that's what you're interested in and and you wanna stay that path and then do it. But don't feel like you have to stay in the the kind of like imaginary box that is your major because that major isn't designed to keep you in the same in my opinion, I don't think your major is designed to keep you in the same roles, but I think it's it's built to kind of like unlock you and and let you know and enable you to be able to like get into your roles and more. Like I think like being able to work across several disciplines and and and being like like being versatile, I think that makes you a an even more like incredible candidate. Like like I said, I'm looking at a resume and I see someone who's done like like I said like to any of our resume, someone like someone Jason's who's done a ton of research and they've also have had professional experience like that, that pops out to me. Like, you know, if I if I see someone with a mechanical engineering background that knows the hand zone, that knows the thermodynamics and the heat transfer and then the fluids and the calculus and the physics, but they have experience like being a product manager in tech or or doing something in a supply chain, it's like, okay, like I know you can I know you like I know that the one thing that shows me is that you're willing to learn and you're not afraid of a challenge. Jayson: Mm.