We had another session of our weekly Career Conversations! These are sessions our staff moderates in which different employers and alumni in the engineering industry speak about their companies and opportunities offered for students!
We had Wolf and Greenfield, Amphenol, Electric Boat, and ISO New England speak at this week’s session.
Here is what you missed
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Q: What are you looking for in candidates?
A: We look for critical problem solvers, people who can retain complex data information quickly: risk-takers, and independent individuals. There’s a strong consideration at Amphenol for people who work well or have experience in high-speed data communication, signal integrity, and any work in electrical engineering, cables, wiring, sensors, etc.
Q: What are your internship programs like? What is the timing for applying?
A: Now is the time to apply and prepare for interviews; many companies are looking for candidates now. In terms of the internship pools, Amphenol has 150-200 interns a year, though this past year, it was limited to 75 due to the pandemic. ISO New England usually has about 20-25 internships, but they have 21 spots for next year.
Q: Does Pass/Fail matter? What should a candidate who had an opportunity canceled due to the pandemic do to move forward?
A: We understand that the pandemic has impacted many people in a variety of ways. What you can do is be motivated and enthusiastic about the work and the company; show your ability to adapt, and take initiative by getting involved in projects or skill development. In terms of pass/fail, we have not thought it. We don’t think anyone, including ourselves, will turn away applicants for pass/fail course grades. However, it is your responsibility to articulate your experience, skills, and knowledge that best match the position you seek.
Q: Should students exclude canceled internships from their resumes?
A: No, even though it was canceled, it gives us more context; if they were considered for something, it’d be good to know because the candidate was considered for something, but that will/can be discussed in an interview.
Be sure you check back next Wednesday for our next Engineering Conversation at noon!
