What sets you apart as a potential employee? That's a question any job-seeker should ask. But answering that question -- that's a whole different matter.
Even in high-tech fields, employers want to hire people with skills, experience, and passion. One of the best ways to build your skills and experience, and to show your passion, is to volunteer.
I have always made volunteering an important part of my life. I belong to several community organizations, and donate a lot my time to other groups around the world. Sometimes, this helps me to build my portfolio of completed projects. Other times, it helps to focus my skills. It always helps to me to help make the world a better place.
The best spot to find organizations or causes that could benefit from your skills is VolunteerMatch.org. Give the site a search and you'll find dozens of potential ways you can use your computer skills, programming talents, or technical expertise. These can be one-off jobs that take a few minutes or a few hours, or long-term assignments for organizations with greater needs. Either way, you'll rarely spend more than a few hours at a time, but you'll feel the benefit for years to come.
In the process of volunteering, you'll help out a cause while adding some concrete experience to your resume. Causes and organizations need your skills because you can help to solve problems, and that's a critical talent for any employee. And meanwhile, you get the extra bonus of knowing that you've done some good in the process.
Too many students leave school without any real-world experience. Volunteering can be a way to solve that, so give it a try. You'll be glad you did.
Think you can build a better hybrid car?
Six months ago, I had the great pleasure of interviewing the organizers and winners of the 2008 Formula Hybrid International Competition, an annual event that encourages student teams from around the world to build -- and race -- high-performance hybrid vehicles.
The 2009 competition just opened for entries, and I can't wait to see what the teams come up with this year.
The contest is organized by the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and endorsed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Both undergraduate and graduate-level students are eligible.
Teams are judged for their cars' endurance, acceleration and design, as well as the students' presentation skills.
The contest is a great way to test out new ideas and new technologies. It's also a fantastic team-building exercise. In order to develop an effective (and winning) vehicle, it's absolutely essential for mechanical engineers and electrical engineers to work together. You also need people on your team to think about logistics (such as how you're going to get your car to the racetrack in New Hampshire) and funding (building a car ain't cheap!). Students will need to make presentations about their vehicles, and of course, someone has to actually race them!
Entering the competition could put your career pedal to the metal. Representatives from auto companies are among the judges, and from what I heard, quite a few business cards were passed out last year to prospective employees.
Interested? Then get moving! The 2009 race isn't until May 4, but that leaves less than six months to plan and build your hybrid vehicles. So go for it!
The 2009 competition just opened for entries, and I can't wait to see what the teams come up with this year.
The contest is organized by the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and endorsed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Both undergraduate and graduate-level students are eligible.
Teams are judged for their cars' endurance, acceleration and design, as well as the students' presentation skills.
The contest is a great way to test out new ideas and new technologies. It's also a fantastic team-building exercise. In order to develop an effective (and winning) vehicle, it's absolutely essential for mechanical engineers and electrical engineers to work together. You also need people on your team to think about logistics (such as how you're going to get your car to the racetrack in New Hampshire) and funding (building a car ain't cheap!). Students will need to make presentations about their vehicles, and of course, someone has to actually race them!
Entering the competition could put your career pedal to the metal. Representatives from auto companies are among the judges, and from what I heard, quite a few business cards were passed out last year to prospective employees.
Interested? Then get moving! The 2009 race isn't until May 4, but that leaves less than six months to plan and build your hybrid vehicles. So go for it!
What Will McCain and Obama Do About High-Tech Education?
If you listen to John McCain and Barak Obama, the future of the American economy depends upon a well-trained, technology-oriented American workforce.
What does this mean to the average Engineering student getting ready to enter the workforce? Either candidates' policies could result in a greater range of jobs for high-tech employees.
Of course, some of these recommendations, if enacted, would come into play too late to help anyone currently in college. But they could still affect the job environment of the next few decades, so they are well worth your attention.
Obama's policies hing upon getting more American workers, especially minorities, in sci-tech positions. He told ScienceDebate2008.com that he supports what he calls a $4,000 American Opportunity Tax Credit designed to provide affordable access to STEM education. Going into more detail on his website, Obama's plan proposes educating and hiring 30,000 new teachers for "high-need schools;" this would include a large number of new math and science teachers.
McCain proposes financial incentives ("bonuses") for STEM teachers whose students demonstrate improvement in their fields. McCain also strongly calls for continuing educating to keep the current workforce sharp and re-train workers from other fields who have lost their jobs.
Students from other countries studying in the U.S. may have some help from each candidate. McCain proposes green card and H1-B visa caps that would rise and fall based on market needs. Obama says immigrants who earn their degrees in the U.S. should have better flexibility to stay in the country and work, and has proposed examining how to increase the number of permanent visas issued to these workers.
You can find more detail on the McCain/Obama proposals at ScienceDebate2008. In the meantime, let us know what you'd like the candidates to do for your educational needs!
What does this mean to the average Engineering student getting ready to enter the workforce? Either candidates' policies could result in a greater range of jobs for high-tech employees.
Of course, some of these recommendations, if enacted, would come into play too late to help anyone currently in college. But they could still affect the job environment of the next few decades, so they are well worth your attention.
Obama's policies hing upon getting more American workers, especially minorities, in sci-tech positions. He told ScienceDebate2008.com that he supports what he calls a $4,000 American Opportunity Tax Credit designed to provide affordable access to STEM education. Going into more detail on his website, Obama's plan proposes educating and hiring 30,000 new teachers for "high-need schools;" this would include a large number of new math and science teachers.
McCain proposes financial incentives ("bonuses") for STEM teachers whose students demonstrate improvement in their fields. McCain also strongly calls for continuing educating to keep the current workforce sharp and re-train workers from other fields who have lost their jobs.
Students from other countries studying in the U.S. may have some help from each candidate. McCain proposes green card and H1-B visa caps that would rise and fall based on market needs. Obama says immigrants who earn their degrees in the U.S. should have better flexibility to stay in the country and work, and has proposed examining how to increase the number of permanent visas issued to these workers.
You can find more detail on the McCain/Obama proposals at ScienceDebate2008. In the meantime, let us know what you'd like the candidates to do for your educational needs!
Solar power: A growth field for engineers
Venture capitalists are investing heavily in solar power, a move that could make it a growth field for engineers.
According to a report from Greentech Media, venture capitalists invested $2.8 billion in "greentech" companies in the third quarter of 2008, more than double what they invested in the previous quarter.
Since solar is considered a "more explored" investment sector, companies developing solar power technology got the lion's share of that cash: $1.5 billion, or more than half of all the VC's money.
So where does this put other alternative energy fields? They're bringing in less money -- although VCs are still investing record amounts in what appears to be every area of greentech.
Oddly, wind power isn't getting as much interest. It seems that the size of wind-power projects -- think of huge wind farms spread over acres of land -- makes them less likely to inspire innovative approaches from start-ups. That makes them less attractive to VCs.
There are a few lessons in this: Solar, obviously, is a growth field. Innovations that can be implemented quickly are more likely to attract VC funding. And green is in no matter how you slice it.
Got ideas about other growth fields? Let us know!
According to a report from Greentech Media, venture capitalists invested $2.8 billion in "greentech" companies in the third quarter of 2008, more than double what they invested in the previous quarter.
Since solar is considered a "more explored" investment sector, companies developing solar power technology got the lion's share of that cash: $1.5 billion, or more than half of all the VC's money.
So where does this put other alternative energy fields? They're bringing in less money -- although VCs are still investing record amounts in what appears to be every area of greentech.
Oddly, wind power isn't getting as much interest. It seems that the size of wind-power projects -- think of huge wind farms spread over acres of land -- makes them less likely to inspire innovative approaches from start-ups. That makes them less attractive to VCs.
There are a few lessons in this: Solar, obviously, is a growth field. Innovations that can be implemented quickly are more likely to attract VC funding. And green is in no matter how you slice it.
Got ideas about other growth fields? Let us know!
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