As an aerospace engineer, I often get asked “what’s your advice to new engineers?”. Honestly, I have a lot of advice! It’s one of the reasons why I created this site. But, for those of you short on time, this post contains my top four recommendations for new or prospective engineering students. These tips helped me through my own engineering degree and helped me achieve my dream of contributing to human space exploration.
1. Get lots of real, hands-on experience.
If you’re an engineering student right now and you want to be a successful engineer, I can’t stress this enough: you need to get as much real, hands-on experience as possible.
Why? There are three main reasons.
- First, it’ll help build your resume. While engineering coursework will give you a good foundation, employers are looking for students who have applied what they learned in class outside the classroom.
- Second, college is also the time to discover if an engineering career is right for you and what kind of engineering work you like to do. While some classes may help you narrow down what you like (and what you don’t like) to work on, don’t be afraid to get out there and see what else engineering has to offer you. There are a lot of options!
- Last, but not least, applying engineering skills to real projects will make you even more knowledgeable. That knowledge will set you up for success down the road.
So, what does “real, hands-on engineering” look like? Here are some opportunities to watch out for while you’re in school:
Be an intern or co-op
This is a no-brainer. You get paid to work for an engineering company for the summer or semester. And you’re not there to fetch coffee either! You’ll be doing real engineering work. Solving real problems. And learning from some pretty awesome engineers.
Not only does this look fantastic on a resume, but you’ll get to see what engineers actually do. You’ll learn that engineers are more often defined by their function in the workplace rather than by their undergrad degrees. It’ll help you decide what you’d like to focus on as you transition to the workforce full time or as you pursue advanced engineering degrees later on.
My internships even kept me motivated to finish my degree. There were some engineering classes that I absolutely hated, like CAD modeling, but I knew from my internship experiences that there were plenty of engineering positions I could go into where I didn’t have to touch Creo, Solidworks, or CATIA.
Related article: More on engineering internships here.
Sign up for an engineering team or club at your school
Find a team on campus that is working to solve a problem or is stepping up to a challenge. As an underclassman at Purdue, I signed up for the Design/Build/Fly team, which is a competition hosted by the AIAA where students create a UAV based on specific mission objectives. It gave me a chance to work with upperclassmen and apply aeronautical concepts early in my degree. Plus, it was a ton of fun and helped confirm that aeronautical and astronautical engineering was the degree for me.
Can’t find a team you like? Then create your own! Find a student challenge that sounds exciting (like NASA’s microgravity challenges) and build your own team.
Work on a research project with a professor or graduate student
Engineering professors and graduate students may need research assistance. Ask around to see what research is being performed at your college and if you’re able to help out.
Pick classes that focus on applied knowledge
Engineers get paid to create solutions. That means engineers need to know how to apply theories they learn in school. Some classes focus on theory, and some focus on application. Make sure you don’t skim out on classes that teach you the latter.
Interested in orbital mechanics? Try to find a class that will have you create orbital trajectories via simulated software. Think you want to specialize in aerodynamics? Find a class where you will design airfoils and actually build and test them in a wind tunnel.
In my first year at Purdue, I signed up for a class called EPICS. We used basic engineering skills to solve a problem to help out our local community. My team designed a soapbox derby for children with special needs. It was a two-seat design where the parent or volunteer drove from the back seat and the child with special needs felt like they were driving in the front seat.
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty (literally and figuratively)
Go build something. Anything. I’m serious. Volunteer at your school’s machine shop. Try your hand at 3D printing. Experiment with making a camera security system using Raspberry Pi. Create an app or website. Fix your grandma’s TV. Volunteer for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Help your local community theater build sets for a new production.
In short – learn how things work. Engineers need to think outside the box to come up with innovative solutions. All that practical knowledge will make you a more successful engineer.
2. Don’t give up. Stay determined.
If you want to be successful at anything, engineering included, don’t give up! Don’t talk yourself out of following your dreams because you think you’re not good enough or because it’s challenging.
Before we dig into ways to stay determined, I want you to know that there’s a difference between giving up and changing your dreams. If your dreams change or your priorities in life change, that’s okay. It happens. Don’t be afraid to shift your goals to align with your new dreams.
Just do NOT give up!
When the going gets tough, focus on taking one step at a time. Some days it may feel like you’re crawling. You might even end up taking a step backward. Just don’t give up. Keep going!
“Optimist: Someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it’s a cha-cha.”
– Robert Brault
I’m a successful engineer today because I was determined to be a successful engineer. I wasn’t going to let small roadblocks like failing a midterm or receiving a negative evaluation hold me back. Why didn’t I quit? These are the tips that helped me stay determined, even when life tried to knock me down.
Continue to find your “why”
If you’re reading this, you’re probably already considering or already pursuing an engineering career. So, ask yourself, “why do you want to become an engineer?” Everyone has their own reasons. I listed out mine here.
Make sure your reasons are motivating to you. Don’t pursue any career just because someone else said you should or because society says it’s a “good career”. This is your life, not somebody else’s!
The goal of this “why list” is simply to provide some motivation even when you’re facing a tough semester or a challenging setback. Whenever you feel a little “blah” or stressed out or anxious about becoming an engineer, revisit your list for encouragement.
It’s not necessarily a static list either. You can change your list or get more specific as you learn more about engineering careers and what kind of lifestyle makes you happy. What do you enjoy the most about engineering? What kind of functions do you want to perform as an engineer? Will being an engineer help you create your ideal lifestyle?
As a bonus, this list can also help you narrow down what kind of company you want to work for or what kind of engineering position you want to have later on.
Believe in yourself
Cliché, I know. But true.
Don’t let your test scores or other people dictate what you can and can’t do!
I’ll never forget when my 8th-grade math teacher said I shouldn’t pursue advanced math classes. In middle school, I was awful at “simple” math problems. To be honest, I’m still awful at basic multiplication, but, hey, that’s what calculators are for! If I had followed that teacher’s advice, my life today might look completely different. I may have never discovered that I was good at advanced mathematics, especially when it involves finding patterns. And I may have never pursued an engineering career.
Similarly, recognize that everyone…and I mean everyone… has weaknesses. Don’t let your weaknesses define you. Don’t let negative feedback or rejection letters hold you down. Don’t let external factors like test scores, GPA, and teachers tell you who you are (or aren’t). And definitely don’t let random influencers intimidate you (looking at you, Instagram).
Some of the most successful people I know at NASA were rejected several times before they got the job. I had to wait about 9 months before finally getting an acceptance letter from NASA. Successful people aren’t lucky, they’re determined. They learn from their mistakes. They aren’t afraid to tackle a new challenge. They don’t give up.
Create good habits
Often you need more than sheer willpower to keep going, and that’s where habits come in.
Personally, I love dreaming big. I love writing down goals and plans to achieve those dreams. However, I struggle to follow through with my grand plans. I have to force myself to take action. Actions can be scary, uncomfortable, and time-consuming. But, I know my dreams will never turn to reality if I don’t take the first step… and if I don’t continue taking more steps forward after that.
That’s why I love the idea of small (and manageable) daily habits.
A set of good, daily habits create a system that puts those actions on autopilot. “Autopilot” may sound boring, but I find it freeing. For example, I don’t waste time thinking about the first things that I need to do when I get out of bed. I already know exactly what I need to do in the first 1-2 hours. My morning routine sets me up for success for the rest of the day and it frees up my mind so I can focus on more important decisions later in the day. Similarly, my bedtime routine helps me wind down after a busy day and ensures that I get enough sleep to be productive the following day.
Repetition and consistency rule when it comes to learning a new skill. Or when you want to take an existing skill to the next level. Establishing habits, routines, and systems will ensure you stay consistent.
Good habits can help you ace exams and homework assignments. They can help you stay physically and mentally healthy. They can help you keep going when you just “don’t feel like it today”.
I recommend reading (or listening to) a book like “Atomic Habits” by James Clear to help you set up your own system of good habits. There are also great apps to help build and track habits. Lately, I’ve been enjoying an app called Habitica. It adds a role-playing game element to make building good habits more fun. Habitica can also connect you with other people trying to build similar habits, which brings me to my next tip…
3. Find your support system.
Even if you’re a self-reliant, independent person, you still need the right support system surrounding you. So, who’s part of your tribe?
Surround yourself with people who are passionate about the same things you are. People who challenge you. People who support you. People who make you feel accepted.
Support comes in a lot of different forms. Friends. Family. Professors. Clubs. Churches. Workout groups. Therapists. Coaches. Online forums. Networking events. Mentoring programs. The list goes on!
What kind of groups or individuals can help you become a successful engineer? What kind of communities do you want to be surrounded by? Who brings you joy? What kind of support do you need for your own health (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual)?
4. Take chances. Get out of your comfort zone.
To achieve amazing things, we need to take chances. Get out of our comfort zones. We can’t fear failure. If we let the fear of failure control us, it’ll hold us back. It’ll prevent us from living up to our full potential. To achieve success, “failure” is part of the journey.
“Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”
– Jack Canfield
Need a little nudge to help you take chances and get over your fear of failure? Here are a few ways you can approach it.
Learn to Fail Forward
Don’t even think about them as failures. View them as lessons. Lessons you need to learn to achieve success later.
The only time you truly “fail” is when you give up. When you don’t get back up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward. Or, worse, when you don’t even try in the first place.
It takes time to learn any new skill. It takes grit to not back down when the going gets tough. It takes courage to take a different path than the people around you.
I’ve had to overcome plenty of obstacles to get to where I am today in my aerospace career. And I know I still have more challenges ahead. I want to continue to grow professionally and be a lifelong learner. I never want to be complacent, to stop dreaming, or to stop working towards those dreams.
Need some more inspiration? Check out this lifehack.org article on famous, successful people who had plenty of challenges to overcome.
Step back and look at the big picture
Remember what your dream looks like. Take a step back and look at the big picture. Are you moving in the right direction? When you take the time to periodically look at the big picture, you stop worrying about the little ups and downs. It also gives you a chance to realign your daily habits (see tip #2 above).
If fear of failure is holding you back from achieving your dreams, ask yourself: What’s the worse thing that could happen? I’m serious. Take a moment to think about the worst-case scenario. Will you be able to accept it if it came true? A failure may seem devasting, but is it really? Also, consider the opposite. What’s the worse thing that would happen if you didn’t do anything? Sometimes it just takes stepping back to realize that what you thought was the end of the world, was really just a little bump in the road.
Sometimes when things don’t work out they can even turn into a small blessing. When I got into Purdue I was not accepted into their honors program. As an overachiever, I was really disappointed. But, as I went through my first semester at Purdue I realized that all of my friends in the honors program were really struggling with their GPAs because the program was extremely challenging. It turns out that I didn’t need to be in an honors program to achieve my goal of working for NASA. Not participating in that program might have actually increased my chances of being accepted into NASA’s internship program because my GPA remained high and I had time to do other extracurricular activities.
Take Calculated Risks
You need to take chances to succeed in life, but that doesn’t mean you have to blindly accept risk! There’s no point to take a risk if there’s no potential benefit to you. The world is filled with amazing opportunities, but that doesn’t mean you need to say “yes” to everything.
When it comes to calculating risks, think about the following questions. And remember that there’s no right or wrong answer – it all depends on where you are in your own journey.
- Will this help you achieve your dreams or goals? If it doesn’t, what’s the real reason you’re considering taking this chance? Make sure you’re taking a risk for the right reasons.
- Does this opportunity align with your personal values or views? Maybe a certain opportunity would be great for your career, but if it goes against your core beliefs, is it really worth it?
- Compare the worse case outcome and the best-case outcome. Similarly, compare the likelihood of each outcome. How likely is the worse case outcome? How likely is the best case outcome? You can also replace these questions with a good old-fashioned pros and cons list instead.
- Compare those outcomes with the “do nothing” option. I’m guilty of being so overwhelmed with indecision sometimes that I don’t do anything. But “do nothing” IS a decision, even we don’t like to admit it. Many times that “do nothing decision” can be worse than any of your other options.
- How can you reduce the risk? How can you improve your chances? For example, are there skills you could learn to help you out? Can you create small, manageable habits instead of “going all in” right away?
You got this!
If an engineering career is something you’re truly interested in pursuing, you can do it. It may not be easy, but I sincerely believe you can do this. Get hands-on experience. Don’t give up. Surround yourself with supportive people. And don’t be afraid to take chances.
What engineering degree are you pursuing (or considering) right now? Share it in the comment box below. 🙂