How to get a mechanical engineering internship

Craft an appealing resume

Your resume should highlight applicable work experience, education, skills, awards, achievements, and goals. You might also consider listing your skills and career objectives before your work experiences. This will show employers that you have valuable skills that can be utilized in the mechanical engineering field.

Network

A great method of finding a mechanical engineering internship is to utilize your networking resources. This consists of sources like:

• College professors

• The career service department at your school

• Professionals in the field of mechanical engineering

• Companies in the industry of mechanical engineering

The resources at your college or university are valuable, many academic institutions partner with specific companies that fill their internship programs with students or recent graduates. You can also reach out to companies and professionals in the field via professional career websites, social media platforms, and attending industry events, like job fairs or conferences.

Apply for internships

You should perform thorough research into the mechanical engineering companies you want to apply to. If possible, their internship programs should align with the specific career path you want to take in this field. Use the resources and contacts you have gained to vet the different options available to you, then select a chosen few, and apply to them.

Prepare for interviews

You should use the research you have done on the specific companies you have applied to prepare for interviews. You might consider searching for common interview questions from specific companies or common mechanical engineering interview questions to be properly prepared. Being ready for the interview process is essential to gaining an internship.

Follow up on all interviews

After your interviews, be sure to follow up with the hiring manager or representative from the company. You can send an email asking about the next steps or just inquire about how long the deliberation process normally takes. The point of this step is to reiterate your interest in the internship program. This proactive approach is often viewed favorably by companies.