Implementing a Student-Suggested Course in Engineering Career Development

Abstract

where she teaches written and oral communication courses in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the General Engineering Division. Her teaching and research interests include job search communication, learning styles, and integrating communication in engineering courses. In 2012, she won an Apex Award for Excellence in Education and Training Writing for her ASEE 2012 Proceedings article, "Behavioral Interview Training in Engineering Classes." In 2004, she earned the ASEE Southeastern Section's Thomas C. Evans Award for the most outstanding paper pertaining to engineering education. As a consultant, she has edited and written documents and presented workshops for educators, industry, and professional organizations.

A First-year Career Development Course: Securing and Succeeding in an Engineering Job

“…The course discussed here is different from the models just mentioned in that it encompasses all of the following characteristics: (a) targeted towards beginning engineering students; (b) standalone, college-wide course; (c) emphasizing both career development and job searching skills necessary to secure an internship or full-time employment; and (d) taught primarily by practicing engineers. The goal of this course is not only to teach students the tactics and tools necessary to secure a job, as emphasized in the work of Sharp and Rowe [12], but also to introduce students very early on to the types of skills that they should be developing to better prepare themselves for career success when they graduate. For our college and the population of students we serve at UC Davis, a secondary, but equally-important goal is to inspire beginning year engineering students to stay in the engineering major by giving them a glimpse of the 'light at the end of the tunnel.'…”

Links among student club projects, senior design projects, and international competition projects, a case study

“…Preparing an engineering student to their career, is the challenge of senior designs and collaboration with Industry [3]. To prepare that engineering student for their first career year, courses in career preparation and the business skills [4], a course derived as a student led career development [5], and others are fulfilling the industries' need for well-educated and business ready [6] students. But how does a university which has one way, or another applied these pedagogical techniques, expose students even more.…”

Work in Progress: Development of Career Preparation and Portfolio Modules in a First-Year Engineering Course

“…There is a disconnect between the timing of these courses and industry expectations. More recently, faculty at Vanderbilt University piloted an open elective career development course which was promoted to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors [6]. And, some first-year programs have begun to implement more career preparation through modules and badging programs [7,8].…”