I started networking before I even knew I was networking.

I didn’t have connections in the engineering field, so 18-year-old me had to find ways to understand what I was getting myself into. I started off by asking friends and family who they knew so I could chat with them and learn about this very unfamiliar world. Even then, sometimes I didn’t fully grasp what engineering truly was.

I would get answers like, “I look at data all day and go to meetings,” or “I check parts, write manuals, and troubleshoot models all day.” A lot of that went over my head and honestly sounded pretty mundane and boring… which made me question if I actually wanted to do this thing.

But after many coffee chats, I met the right mentors who made me realize engineering was actually pretty cool… and definitely what I wanted to do.

Along the way… because of my very persistent, maybe even annoying personality — I met so many engineers from different companies through coffee chats. So when I had questions about the industry, school, or careers, I suddenly had a bunch of people I could reach out to for advice.

I nurtured those relationships. I stayed in contact, gave them updates about school, and followed their career paths. When I finally felt ready to apply for internships, I used those connections to guide me through the process, review my resume, prep for interviews, and sometimes even refer me directly to a hiring manager.

Getting a referral is something you should earn. It’s not as simple as messaging a stranger on LinkedIn and asking them to trust you and refer you. Build a relationship first.

In engineering, and honestly, probably in most industries — cold-applying with no one on the inside can be really challenging. If you’re applying to the same big tech companies as everyone else, you’re competing with hundreds of applicants.

After a ton of rejections, you start wondering what you’re doing wrong. Is it the resume? Not enough experience? Why them and not me? Then we panic and think we’ll never get hired and everything we’ve done has been for nothing. But don’t.

Here are a few tips I always give students when they ask how to stand out and get that internship or job:

• Start networking early – professors, family friends, LinkedIn, Discord/Slack channels
• Apply to smaller, local engineering companies
• Join engineering clubs and connect with sponsors
• Build a strong portfolio and link it on your resume
• Be flexible – apply to jobs outside your exact field or title
• Apply to fellowships or research opportunities
• Share your work on LinkedIn

RESOURCES:

• JOBS/INTERNSHIPS: https://beacons.ai/engineersteatime/internships
• NETWORKING: https://beacons.ai/engineersteatime/networking