Best Jobs for an Engineering Student While in School

Money is usually tight as a college student, so most are looking for a job. The main goal is to make some money, so most students go for whatever job they can land. Of course this makes sense, because after all, they are still students. A smarter choice though, might be to pass on whatever job offer comes first and go instead for a position that is actually related, even if only remotely, to your area of study. This article is not about internships, but rather jobs that you would hold while taking classes.

The advantages of major-related employment while in school are obvious:

• When you are looking for a position after graduation, your potential employers will be excited to see that you have dabbled in your area of expertise before walking in to the interview office.
• You gain experience that could help you land more advanced or prestigious internships.
• You can reinforce what you are learning in the classroom with real, problem-oriented experience.
• You will become somewhat familiar with industry-specific habits and vocabulary, which will give you a little extra confidence.
• You may gain insight that changes your perceptions of the industry or even your career choice.
• You will have the opportunity to meet and speak with people that are involved in that industry — with whom you can create a network of professional contacts.

Personal experience has revealed to me that the students who may have the hardest time doing this are engineers. For students majoring in other areas, the work seems cut out for them. Finance majors might get a teller position at a local bank. English or journalism majors might take on some freelance writing work, or write for the school newspaper. A student studying for an occupation in the health sciences might apply for a position as a clerk in a hospital. Most areas of study have available some sort of entry-level position somewhere in the industry that allows them to get a “foot in the door,” so to speak.

DON’T LEAVE IT TO INTERNSHIPS

Where can engineering students work? It isn’t easy to think of an entry-level job where you will be able to put what you are learning as an engineering student into practice. For that reason alone, most engineering students depend on internships for their “engineering” experience, and take on any job they can get to make money during classes. Internships will be expected when looking for a job in the engineering industry. That is why it is simply better if you can land a job that reinforces the engineering curriculum outside of internships ‘” it is that much more experience to help you stand out from the next student and can also help you to land more advanced internships.

In no particular order:

Surveyor Assistant

Surveyors use electronic distance and angle measuring equipment as well as GPS equipment and historic land/deed documents to do things like establish property boundaries and property corners (which can prove or disprove land-encroachment allegations), create topographical maps, layout construction projects, and find elevations (for example, a surveyor may be hired to “shoot” elevations on a lake-front property to establish that the property is in or out of the flood zone of that lake. This information might then be sent to the homeowner’s insurance company to determine whether flood insurance should be paid or not).

I recommend this job to civil/environmental engineering students for many reasons:

• You will likely be trained in and use, or at the very least be exposed to advanced electronic equipment including GPS, GIS, and CAD programs.
• You will use algebra and geometry on a daily basis.
• You will be presented with unique problems daily.
• There is a probability that you will be exposed to construction projects.
• You work as part of a team.

A surveyor assistant position seems best fit for a civil/environmental engineering student, but I recommend it to all engineering majors simply due to the applicability to all areas of engineering that the skills acquired in this position have.

I took a job as a surveyor assistant as a mechanical engineering major. My second week at work my boss decided to send me to a large construction project in New Orleans, Louisiana (I live in Missouri). It was an immense learning experience. We were part of a very large project responsible for building flood gates and levees under supervision from the Army Corps of Engineers. While there, not only did I get to learn a ton about surveying and large-scale construction projects, but I got to learn specifically about the mechanics of flood gates, use lots and lots of math, learn how to read blue prints, solve problems, fix problems, and be amidst very large operating machinery. All of these things, though civil in nature, appealed to my education and interests as a mechanical engineer.

Welder/Metal Fabrication Apprentice

Metal fabricators/welders work with metals (mostly steel) by cutting them and forming them into various shapes and forms by joining them together using different welding techniques. Welders/fabricators can be constructors as well as repairmen. They are needed practically anywhere you find steel or other fabricated metals, with work ranging from floodgates (there was an entire brigade of welders on the job with us in Louisiana) to car frames to heavy machinery as well as bridges (etc.).

This job is excellent for mechanical engineering and industrial engineering students because:

• You will work with your hands building structures that are likely to be mechanical in nature or at least part of a larger mechanical structure.
• You will learn a lot about metals in general, and their practicality.
• You will learn metal forming techniques.
• You will learn to read engineering drawings.
• You will get to use geometry.
• You will likely learn a lot about manufacturing.
• You can use your welding knowledge to take leadership positions in university clubs such as the formula race car team or a manufacturing club.

IT Assistant

IT people maintain and troubleshoot the technological infrastructures of businesses and/or universities. This can include systems of computer/internet networks, servers, and desktops, as well as telecommunications.

This is an excellent choice for all engineering majors because:

• There are very likely many positions available in your campus computer labs.
• You will learn about networks
• You will learn about servers
• You will learn how to solve most all general computer problems
• You will likely become proficient in many computer applications
• You will become familiar with troubleshooting computer hardware as well as software
• The more expertise you have with computers, the more attractive you are to ANY employer. This position will give you the technical edge in that area.

Electrician’s Assistant

As an electrician’s assistant, you will be responsible for helping to install either high-voltage or low-voltage electrical systems.

I recommend this job to electrical engineering students and mechanical engineering students (mechanical systems integrated and powered with electricity are ever-present).

• You will learn a lot about the practicality and application of electricity.
• You will learn how to install electrical systems.
• You will learn electrical safety.
• You may get to learn about security systems, voice-and-data systems, sound systems, and/or lighting.
• You may work in an industrial setting

Lab Assistant

Lab assistants work closely with a professional in a laboratory setting conducting experiments and collecting data in order to advance research toward a specific goal.

I recommend this position to students studying to become a biological or chemical engineers, but any engineering student interested in conducting research or earning a Ph.D. would benefit greatly from such a job.

• You will learn the fundamentals of conducting research.
• You will learn the fundamentals of conducting an experiment.
• You will likely be studying something on the “cutting edge,” something that is not yet fully understood ‘” hence the need for research.
• You will get to work in a laboratory setting.
• You will gain skills which are highly valued when applying to Ph.D. programs.
• Your subject will most likely be biological or chemical in nature, though labs can deviate this depending on the research being conducted.
• You can likely find a lab position on your campus at your university, and perhaps even be paid or earn a scholarship by doing so.
• You will become skilled in the organization and logging of data.
• You will develop something of an expertise in the niche area of research being conducted in your lab.
• You will likely be working under a professor, whom will make an excellent professional reference.

These are just a few jobs available to students studying to be engineers. As an engineering student, I know it can be frustrating taking a job at a restaurant or somewhere else that you know is not going to benefit your resume much, and I also know how beneficial it can be when applying for internships to have a regular job that is somewhat related to your area of study. That is why I strongly advocate looking for a job like one of the ones mentioned above. I recommend walking into the company/place of work and expressing your interest in an apprentice type position. Most of these jobs can’t be simply applied to and received. You need to be proactive and earn the position ‘” it will be worth it.

Because I am a mechanical engineering student myself, I have a bias towards them. If you are one as well and are reading this list for ideas on places to work while studying, here are five more you may want to look into:

Auto Mechanic

Small Engine Mechanic

Machinist

Drafter

Stacker/Press Operator (at a printing press company)