Obtaining information about the professional world from those who’ve gone before you can be extremely helpful, and here at Career Services, we love promoting that!
Last March, Mark Lohatepanont ‘24, a Senior in the Engineering Department sat down with a few other students to speak about his research and internships experience in the field of telecoms and aerospace engineering. For those who were unable to make it, here’s a summary of the key pieces of advice he had for students.
Landing a Summer Internship
- Go the referral way: As much as you’re able to, make a connection with someone at the company you’re interested in who could potentially write a letter of reference for you
- As usual, our alums are often open to doing this and can be reached out to you via SwatLink or LinkedIn
- Unpaid internships provide a great way to get experience in the field. Some places to get started include Engineers without Borders, Bridges to Prosperity, and Army Corp of Engineers (ACE).
Landing a Summer Research Position
- Consider speaking to professors in the Department who may be working on topics you’re interested in
- For off-campus opportunities: look out for compilations online or postings from individual labs. Princeton for example, often has openings for summer research. Consider that a summer research position could provide future connections for a PhD
- Funding available: Swarthmore Academic Divisions; NSF, NDSEG, DoE, DoD. Note that some NSF roles might require US citizenship
Making Yourself A Competitive Candidate
- Get involved! J’s Shop, Makerspace, Art/Set Design, Swaudio, clubs. . .prioritize getting as much experience as possible
- Having said that, don’t worry about being ‘unskilled’; most positions have ample opportunities for on-the-job training
- Don’t be afraid to experiment, blowing stuff up still teaches you what not to do
Modified on April 24, 2024.
