One great opportunity for Mech undergraduate students is the chance to get some real, hands-on work experience in industry. Taking time out from your studies to enter the working world lets you find out what types of jobs are out there and where your interests lie.
Co-op Programs
Most universities offer a Co-op program. Co-op allows you to mix four- or eight-month work terms into your academic terms. The program usually adds a year to your degree, but you leave with over a year’s worth of work experience, which can give you a real leg up in finding your first post-graduation engineering job.
| Year | Sept – Dec | Jan – April | May – Aug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | School | School | |
| 2 | School | School | Co-op |
| 3 | Co-op | School | Co-op |
| 4 | School | Co-op | Co-op |
| 5 | School | School | Graduate |
One of the big advantages of the co-op program is that it allows you to start applying what you learn in the classroom right away. This can help you make important connections between subjects, improving your learning. Another big advantage is that the program helps you navigate the transition to the working world – co-op staff will help you with resumes, interviewing skills, job-hunting and networking. The bonus? All jobs are paid positions, which can help you fund your education. The median monthly salary for junior students in Mechanical Engineering at UBC in 2006 was $2,650 / month. The median monthly salary for senior students was $3,070 / month.
The Type of Work You Will Do
Some of the types of work done on the job include designing mechanical products, gathering and interpreting test data, computer programming, scheduling and overseeing construction projects, preparing reports, participating in formal university research, and finding creative ways to solve various types of problems or improve existing processes. You can be expected to do a significant amount of learning on the job, and as you gain experience you will be given higher levels of responsibility and eventually make decisions of the sort faced regularly by practicing junior engineers.
Part-time and Summer Jobs
Not interested in a formal co-op program? It is still a good idea to get your feet wet in the working world during the summers. Many part-time or summer jobs can be found on your own, through personal contacts, job search web sites, your university career centre, job fairs, etc.