Not too extensive ago, Daniel Lee, ‘22, would have been one particular of the mechanical engineering college students who gathered collectively on a the latest Friday night time to hear guidelines on how to land a job at the organization that generates Kenworth vans.
“We comprehend wherever the learners are, because we ended up there so a short while ago,” reported Lee, a mechanical style and design engineer at PACCAR.
That was the thought at the rear of the PACCAR/Kenworth Vehicles Corporation Occupation Evening on February 3—to bridge the hole involving professions and undergraduate experiments for people who will quickly be searching for positions on their own, with early career mechanical engineers giving strategies on how to get in the doorway at the truck company.
Lee was a person of 6 PACCAR mechanical engineers who returned to their alma mater to converse to recent pupils, providing them a relatable point of view.
Mechanical Engineering Professor Frank Shih, PhD, hosted the party, which was built so the latest grads from distinct firms and industries could give a exceptional viewpoint on the path from pupil to employee.
“Our alums are our best useful resource on how one morphs from being a college student to a specialist, each individual with their very own exceptional stories, standpoint and insights,” Dr. Shih reported. “We are leveraging our vast pool of alums in the Seattle spot and further than, willing to perform with our present-day pupils and assist them realize their greatest possible. This sets us aside.”
Junior Erik Brecto claims he valued the insights from the alumni as they ended up coming from friends who knew what he was likely via.
“It’s like getting a letter from your foreseeable future self,” Brecto said.
Dr. Shih will host new Seattle University graduates who are now early vocation mechanical engineers doing the job at Boeing for a very similar Vocation Night on Friday, February 10, 4:30–5:30 p.m. in Bannan, Area 107. A reception will comply with in Bannan Atrium.
In addition to recommendations on career searching—networking is crucial along with small but important information like introducing a picture to your LinkedIn account—the latest graduates made available suggestions on how to tackle the stress of interviews, to established your sights superior and to consider advantage of the options SU has to give.
Some of the guidance was about approach as significantly as specifics, these as text from Yusef Hunt, ‘22, an autonomous auto system command engineer, who encouraged pupils to benefit what they can offer an employer.
“Know your truly worth as an engineer,” Hunt claimed. “They need you as substantially as you will need them.”
One particular piece of advice that resonated was from Ryan Mann, ‘21, an electric car or truck design and style engineer.
“Don’t take into account yourself underqualified,” he stated. “If a position passions you, regardless if you assume you evaluate up, give it a shot.”
Senior Madison Waguespack has not made a decision still what she needs to do immediately after graduation but stated she appreciated hearing the relevance of not providing you quick to a probable employer.
“Just having men and women in the business say don’t box by yourself in is eye opening and comforting and designed me want to pursue more points,” Waguespack said.
The path to mechanical engineering diverse concerning the alums. Embedded Methods Software Engineer Seth Tesci, ‘22, and Kenworth Auto Integration Engineer Mitchell Soohoo, ‘22, said movies—Big Hero 6 and Iron Man, respectively—first piqued their curiosity in getting to be engineers. Hunt preferred to just take aside machines to see how they labored.
For Cody Blaschka, ‘22, a mechanical design and style engineer for Kenworth, it begun with an curiosity in motorsports.
“I was never ever very good more than enough to be a driver,” Blaschka mentioned. “But maybe I could structure one thing.”
Freshman JR Niemczyk can trace his fascination with cars to age 13, when he turned a NASCAR lover. He wishes to change that passion into a effectively-spending job.
Even though he has an desire in velocity and admits the glamor of designing race and performance vehicles is desirable, the plan of shifting items to market place appeals to him as effectively.
“Speed is excellent, but to use a cliche, you have to slow down at the time in a even though.”