Currently, in addition to a college degree, every firm seeks candidates with practical experience and Mechanical Engineering Internship. This is due to organizations’ unwillingness to invest time and money in the training of their workforce. Thus, a mechanical engineering internship becomes more significant on a mechanical engineering graduate’s resume.
And in this article, you will learn about how to get a Mechanical Engineering Internship that would solve the problem of not enough experience when you apply for jobs.
What is an Internship and How It Can Help You Land Your Dream Job?
An internship is a short-term work experience opportunity provided by an organisation that enables graduates to put their abilities to use in the real world. Learning more about an industry’s workplace dynamics, culture, and duties & responsibilities is also beneficial.
And you’d be surprised by the fact that every company looks for Internship experience in candidates before they give them a full-time job opportunity.
Hard to believe right?
But the road to finding the proper job has grown far more challenging due to increased competition. Through several job portals, thousands of recent grads send their resumes to numerous employers. But they just throw their resumes into a black hole. And even if you follow up. There won’t be a response from the recruiter since the position will be filled by a recent graduate who is experienced or who has connections in the organization.
Because of this, internships are a crucial component of a graduate’s resume. Your experience is the one thing that can set you apart from a recent graduate with connections. Their talents will be displayed to the employer through your experience, which will aid in your job search.
In fact, a study by Indeed found that 7 out of 10 interns land a job with the company where they worked. Additionally, a NACE study found that graduates with paid internships have a 28% higher likelihood of finding employment than graduates without internships.
And here is an 8 step process that will help you land a Mechanical Engineering Internship.
How To Get a Mechanical Engineering Internship?
The 8 Steps to bag a Mechanical Engineering Internship are as follows:
1. Perform Your Research
The first stage is to look for the industries that interest you and attempt to determine the nature, location, revenue, etc. of each industry. List potential internships in each of the five to ten industries you think you would like to work in, categorizing them according to job role, pay, LOR, etc.
There are two things that you need to keep in mind before choosing the company you want to intern with.
1) Choose Relevant Company
It is always advised that you select a dream mechanical company. This not only helps you become goal-oriented but also facilitates future decision-making. Once you have identified your ideal company, you can opt to intern there directly or with one of their manufacturing partners.
Additionally, you might pick a company that can help you advance your career.
2) Don’t Run After Money
Many of us constantly search for paid internships, and we should too. Paid internships are vital, but you shouldn’t allow unpaid internships slip through your fingers. The primary goal of your internship is to learn some engineering skills that will help you get employment in the future.
According to a LendEdu report on internships, 93% of students select the internship that will open up many doors over the internship with a greater compensation.
2. Learn About The Company
The next step is finding information about the company’s goods and services. In fact, it is advised that you educate yourself on the entire business. Consider looking for the following:
- What is their reputation?
- Have they recently been in the news? In that case, why?
- What kind of individuals work there?
- Which product is the most well-liked?
- Which product is least preferred?
- What are people admiring and condemning about those things if they are writing about them?
To find out more about them, use their website, review websites, and Linkedin. Despite the fact that this will not be mentioned in your resume or cover letter, it can help you stand out to the employer during the interview process.
3. Become Well Acquainted With Software
The third step is Learning. Every business makes use of software to facilitate and accelerate work. Just the essentials of the software are what you need to learn. You can learn it afterwards in accordance with the standards and this will help you say yes during the interview.
There are two softwares every Mechanical Engineer should be familiar with:
1) CAD Software
A mechanical engineer’s job is to create products, and in order to create products, you need software. It can be challenging to choose which CAD software to learn because every software business has a distinct preferred CAD software. However, you can choose just one and get started with learning CAD.
2) Spreadsheets
Every engineer, regardless of their branch, needs to develop this vital software ability. Every business generates data, which must be managed using spreadsheet programmes like Microsoft Excel. In fact, spreadsheets are the most sought-after software expertise, according to a study by Indeed.
4. Learn Some Theory
Software knowledge is insufficient for an internship in mechanical engineering. You can also select to intern with a manufacturer that supplies your ideal company, as I just explained. This makes mastering some theoretical manufacturing subjects more necessary.
You can learn about the below mentioned theoretical topics to increase your chances of getting an Internship
1) Lean Tools
Lean Tools are the first and most important production topic. Each manufacturing business employs a variety of lean tools, including the 5S system, the Kanban system, Kaizen, Jidoka, etc. Although mastering every tool is not necessary, it is beneficial to have a basic understanding of the most crucial tool.
2) Quality Terms
Learn about terms related to quality, such as COPQ and CAPA. As an intern, you will frequently be requested to conduct a quality audit and create a COPQ report.
Note: The purpose of internships is to get experience and land a job. Therefore, you need not master these skills if you already possess transferable ones including interpersonal, communication, computing, leadership, and team-building skills. Although in a cutthroat industry, these abilities might be an advantage.
5. Do Your Paperwork
Making a cover letter or a Resume is the fourth and most crucial stage in obtaining a mechanical engineering internship. Don’t generalize in your cover letters or CV; make each one specific to the internship you are looking for.
1) Cover Letter
The importance of cover letters cannot be overstated when applying for internships. It serves as a demonstration of your excitement and desire to work for that particular organization.
2) Resume
Our study shows that an employer looks at your resume for an average of 11 seconds. This highlights the importance of creating a polished and professional resume. And you can learn to craft an engaging and hooking resume by just searching for “How To Make Resumes” on YouTube easily.
6. Make Connections
Connection is crucial while applying for internships and jobs. In fact, a LendEdu study found that 91% of grads felt that while looking for an internship, relationships matter more than grades.
Although there are several ways to find and make connections, here are the top three ways:
1) LinkedIn
LinkedIn is currently the top resource for connecting with people. You can conduct a direct search for the business and interact with any of its staff members. After connecting, you can interact with their posts and tag them in your own posts seeking feedback on how you can improve.
2) Professors
Be sure to respect your lecturers. They are extremely connected. Try to speak with each one of them and request a recommendation for an internship.
3) Relatives
It’s time to think about your relatives right now. The best connections are made through family. Perhaps some of your family members or their pals work for a mechanical company. Connect with them. Make three calls to them, give them your résumé and cover letter, and ask them to recommend you to their employer.
7. Start Applying For Internships
The second last step is to start applying for internships. You can utilize any of the 3 methods listed below to apply for a mechanical engineering internship now that you’re ready to do so.
1) Go Directly To The Company
The first and most suggested method of applying is this one. You can send your CV directly to the company’s recruiters on Linkedin, or you can use the career section on every company’s website. If none of them are successful, try locating the recruiters’ contact information and mailing your resume to them.
2) College Placement
Applying via your college placement department is the second option. They are affiliated and connected to numerous businesses. You can get in touch with them to ask for a referral for an internship.
3) Internship Websites
The last approach is to conduct a brilliant Google search for “mechanical engineering internship near me,” and you will be flooded with results. You can apply for internships on a variety of websites, including Graduateland, HelloIntern, LetsIntern, and Internshala.
8. Follow Up
Following up is the very last step. Many students submit their applications for internships without following up. Your chances of getting the internship are reduced as a result, and all of your progress is lost as well. Additionally, by following up, you put yourself at the top of the employer’s list, which improves your chances of being chosen.
Now, this does not require continuously sending mail after mail. After submitting your application, you should only contact the recruiter two weeks later. Never, ever inquire about the internship; instead, express gratitude that they are taking your application into consideration. It will serve as an official statement of appreciation and a reminder of your application.