Start Planning Your Career
Engineering Career Resources
www.engr.psu.edu/career
Access Programs & Services
 Engineering Career Resources
 Assist you in preparing for your search and provide
personal attention to your career needs
 Prepare you for the work assignment once obtained
 Obtain access to our network of +3,000 employer
contacts through eCareer
 Specifically for engineering students
 How to use eCareer
 Provide technical and professional development
opportunities
 Coordinate a variety of recruiting events
Important Contacts
 Career Envoys
 University Park Engineering Advising Center
 Engineering Faculty at University Park and Greater
Allegheny
 University-wide Career Services and Greater Allegheny
Career Services
 Penn State Alumni
 E-mail listservs
Create a Network
 All of the groups mentioned earlier can become part of
your network
 Your network is always growing and evolving with every
person you meet, but you must work to create a
professional network versus a social network
 Professional networks grow at recruiting events and
professional organizations
How to Network
 Go to events and talk to people
 Meeting new people (especially employers and faculty) can feel
awkward, so be prepared
 Prepare a 30-second introduction that you can use to introduce
yourself to recruiters
 Find out which employers will be at the event and know something
about them
 Make sure you have appropriate attire
 Prepare questions
 Approach employers differently at each event
Upcoming Events
FALL CAREER DAYS 2011
September 21, 2011
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Bryce Jordan Center
ENGINEERING CAREER WEEK
January 31 – February 2, 2012
Nittany Lion Inn
Build Your Résumé
 To effectively build your network, you need to have a
summary of your experiences available—a résumé
 Your first engineering experience is your education—make
sure your GPA is first priority!
 A résumé is not only about work experiences! Other things
to get involved in:
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Student organizations
Projects
Undergraduate research
Leadership opportunities
Opportunities to learn new practical skills
Build Your Résumé
 Many résumé resources on Engineering Career Resources
website
 General Tips:
 Do not use a template
 Use high-quality paper when printing, but bring electronic
version to events, too
 One page in length
 Quantify, not qualify, by using $, %, and numbers
 No pictures, graphics, or personal information
 Start each point with an action verb; no “I” statements
 If first-semester student, include your high school GPA
Getting an Internship
 Usually a one-time summer experience doing work in
your planned field of study
 Typically a full-time commitment for 8 to 12 weeks
 Very competitive
 Relatively easy to fit into your academic plan
Getting a Co-op Experience
 Credit-bearing, multi-semester experience with one
company usually including one fall or spring semester
 Typically begins after the sophomore year, but there are
many exceptions
 Mostly full-time work (no classes!)
 Always work with an adviser to plan co-ops
What’s Special About Work
Experience?
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Can be credit-bearing
Includes oversight by faculty/staff
Helps you understand what you do and don’t want to do
Provides opportunity for leadership
Improves your marketability for future full-time job
search
Using eCareer
www.engr.psu.edu/career/students/search.aspx
 Once registration is complete, you will receive an e-mail message
to verify that the account you provided is active. You must VERIFY
this!
 You will then receive a second e-mail message containing unique
login information.
 Log in to eCareer and set up your personal profile by completing
the Personal Information and Academic & Employment Info.
 Upload your résumé (required) and other job search documents
(optional) in the Documents section.
 Our staff reviews your account and then approves or asks you to
make changes.
Special Career Help for First-Year &
Transitioning Students
 Career Development Program—we are working with
Greater Allegheny Career Services to provide you with
additional assistance and connections!
 Building a Career Development Program—We need YOU
to choose what we do. Complete this survey.
 Option to obtain a Career Mentor — a student who has
transitioned to University Park and had job success!
Why do all this now?
 Don’t wait to experience events
 Get comfortable using the services provided by Penn
State
 Building your résumé takes time
 Employers want to talk with you now
Next Steps
 Complete the survey and let us know if you would like a
career mentor (we’ll send emails with links)
 Focus on school work
 Go to events and meet new people
 Ask for help
 Read your e-mails
Contact us: career@engr.psu.edu