By: Lisa L. Losada-Rojas
Most graduate students in engineering face the challenge of deciding whether to continue a path in academia or start a course in Industry. Given that, many chose to do internships, to broaden their knowledge and touch on what it’s like to work in Industry. However, is this easy for international women in engineering to get one? Our three panelists answered this question and gave us some tips to successfully land an interview. Here is a recap of their advice:
Most graduate students in engineering face the challenge of deciding whether to continue a path in academia or start a course in Industry. Given that, many chose to do internships, to broaden their knowledge and touch on what it’s like to work in Industry. However, is this easy for international women in engineering to get one? Our three panelists answered this question and gave us some tips to successfully land an interview. Here is a recap of their advice:
- How to look for an internship: Use your networking or look for internships online in companies of your interest! Make sure to talk with your advisor about this possibility and potentially use their network.
- Visa requirement: Some internships mention that they require a green card, but our panelists agreed that you should apply to the position even with this prerequisite because sometimes your profile could outweigh this. As internationals, we also have the Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which is good to do internships for 12 months. Talk to the international student’s office in your university to find out more!
- Timeline: For summer internships, our panelist recommends starting to apply in the Fall semester. Companies take different times to contact applicants, but the whole process to land your internship can take several months. In the process, you might be asked to give several interviews and present your graduate studies work!
- Talk with your advisor: Some advisors are more willing to allow internships than others. Carefully assess your options and plan and demonstrate to them that your degree will not be affected by you doing this internship.
- The optimal time to do an internship: Our panelist recommended that people do as many internships as allowed, but if only one is possible, it would be best to do it in the last years of their degree.
- Once you get your internship: Be genuine, do not be afraid to ask questions, be willing to do stuff that you are not knowledgeable about, show that you want to contribute to the team you were assigned, do a ton of informational interviews in the company, try to network, and connect with other divisions of the company, be mindful of the expectations of the company about your work, and just be you (we bet you must be awesome already!).
- Pratibha Mahale - University of Pennsylvania - PhD in Chemistry - Intern at P&G
- Maryam Nikpasand - University of Minnesota - PhD in Mechanical Engineering - Intern at 3M
- Arezoo Shahrivarkevishahi - University of Texas at Dallas – PhD in Chemistry - Intern at Pfizer
