How to Get a Mechanical Engineering Internship

Landing a mechanical engineering internship is a stellar accomplishment, however the question of how to land one in major firms remains for many intern-seekers. The good news is that many major companies do look for interns. So if you're looking for a mechanical engineering internship, you'll need to obtain relevant experience and familiarize yourself with the companies you're applying to in order to land one.

• Learn to Take on Multiple Responsibilities
  You should be aware that mechanical engineering interns are normally placed with multiple responsibilities depending on the firm's needs. To paint a picture, you would be asked many questions by your manager and/or coworkers, be expected to work efficiently with your teams, be required to understand the firm's mission and product objectives, and be prepared to present a final project at the end of the internship.
• Work on Getting Relevant Experience
  Another imperative step for landing a mechanical engineering internship is to start getting any relevant experience possible, especially if you don't have any beforehand. This is important because recruiters would want to see any experience you have that fits with the internship requirements and responsibilities. If you're not able to land a technical internship, you can go for non technical jobs to still obtain relevant experience. For example, you can have a product management intership that works a lot with mechanical engineers.  This proves to recruiters that you have some level of engineering knowledge and are able to work and communicate well with engineers. 
  Getting some work experience is necessary to show the recruiters that you are able to take on major responsibilities and work with diverse teams. You will also have developed soft skills which are a combination of people skills, social skills, and communication skills, and can showcase that you are an overall well-rounded candidate for a Mechanical Engineering internship. You can also build such skills by joining different academic clubs, projects, or organizations, and hold key leadership positions to impress the recruiters! 

How to Get a Mechanical Engineering Internship as a Novice?

Mechanical engineering comes with many opportunities, as such engineers are able to multitask in areas like test, design, manufacture, and research. The best way to start your career would be to apply for mechanical engineering internships programs, no matter if you are a college or grad student.

• Internship programs are usually offered to college students during their junior or senior year. An internship prepares you for the workforce and gives you a taste of what is to come in the near future.
• A mechanical engineer can immensely benefit from being a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). This society provides students with contacts to some of the top manufacturers in the world such as Mercedes Benz, and Owens Design.

During the interview, make sure to ask relevant questions. This will make you appear more interested in the firm to recruiters as well as the internship. In addition, you should be attentive and be able to have a productive, friendly conversation with them. This is important to land a great impression on the recruiter!

What to Expect as an Intern 

As an intern, your main objective is to learn as much as possible in the field. The best way to do so is to accept whatever task is handed over to you in order to build up experience.

• Senior engineers or supervisors might not have all the time in their hands to complete several tasks in one go. Hence, they normally deligate menial tasks to their juniors or subordinates, who in turn pass them onto interns.
• As an intern, you shouldn't feel discouraged or that you're wasting your time if you're mostly completing menial tasks. This is normal for incomers to build up experience and work up the ladder. In most cases, companies offer jobs to their interns because such interns are already accustomed and well versed for the job! 
• Your supervisors/managers will observe your approach to completing tasks in order to base their recommendations for the company to give you job offers. 

Becoming a mechanical engineering intern is one of the best ways to kickstart your career in the field. In today’s competitive workforce, an internship can teach you many things that your college or university would not have taught you, such as company culture and meeting client expectations.