NYao

I have a 2.78 in a top 5 mechanical engineering program,i'm a junior. I've submitted many resumes for internships, but received not even a single interview. I have no real work experience besides two years of research in an engineering lab, and i am second author for a paper in a good journal. Right now, i really can't find anything to do in the summer. Last year I applied for REU programs, and got turned down for all 4 that i applied for, most likely because of my GPA. I really can't take classes during the summer again. What else can I do? i really don't care how much money i make, as long as i can get some work experience.

311Griff

too bad you can't weigh your college GPA huh? If it's in a "top 5" program, then surely you'd have a much higher GPA in an un "top 5" program.

A buddy of mine got an internship with L3 communications, and then was hired on and he ended his undergrad with a 2.5 GPA at an un "top 5" program. The GPA he used, however, was the GPA for the previous semester prior to being hired, which was a 3.2. L3 didn't specify what GPA they wanted (cumm, major, most recent, etc.), so he chose the one that looked best. They haven't asked to this day--He's been there for 3 years now.

hazmat

What does your advisor say? I find it hard to believe that you cannot find any internship/job. I think you need to look wider.......don't compete with your classmates but find other programs. Don't give up yet.

NYao

my advisor doesn't know anything about jobs/internships, career office people look at my gpa and says "go ask your uncle/look up the newspaper" i really don't know where else to look, almost every program i've looked at has a 3.0 requirement. i'm not giving up, but i just felt there is no chance for me to get out of this hole, besides getting a higher gpa.

311Griff

Does your school have a career center? go to the person in the career center and ask them to help you research opportunities, like hazmat said, don't limit your options.

BTW, if your advisor you speak of above is the career resource advisor, then your school needs a new one!

NYao

i guess i can go to the career center again, but most likely they'll give me a some internship book that u can buy from the bookstore. what do people in my situation end up doing? it seems like either people stay home and do something like lifeguarding or get a fabulous internship.

sleepybunny

what school are u from, Nyao?

Twonius

I feel your pain. I'm graduating from Purdue (not top 5 but still top 10) in May. I havn't had an interview since September, and I'm starting to question the advantage of attending a Prestigious University when all my frinds who went to Party Schools already have jobs (good paying ones at that). Of course I only have myself to blame... I could've transfered.

P.S. Normally I'm not this depressing

NYao

I goto Michigan, and I think engineering is probably the worst major to do at a prestigious college. I've asked several employers at career fairs, and they told me that although they hire more at Michigan, than Michigan Tech, the difference isn't that great. I have friends who were horrible students in high school, and have gone to colleges that offered them scholarships(this speaks for itself) and they have told me that college is actually easier than high sschool, and they are pulling 3.8s. I have studied about 20 times harder in college than i ever did in high school and my gpa in college is over 1 point lower.
My friends from bad schools have already had at least 5 interviews and already found summer internships. While, i have not had one single interview.

All i'm hoping for at this point, is to finish last year of college, and then do something that might not pay well, but gives me an edge over other people.

311Griff

It might be your resume, in fact it probably is. Have you had it looked at? Sometimes less is more on a resume. Get some guidance with that, and hopefully once you can get your resume to do some talking (i.e. get your foot in the door/bum on the chair--however you look at it), then you'll be able to shine in the interviews (this, and your network are really what matters), and get hooked up.

fourinone

perhaps a stupid question, but did you actually put your GPA on your resume?

NYao

yes, i did, i was told that it is optional, but not putting gpa usually indicates a gpa lower than 3.0, and mine wasn't really too bad, i didn't want to give the impression that it might be below 2.5

VicS

I am not a pro at this, but try not putting your GPA on your resume (who says that you have to?) and maybe doing a relavent skills resume (skills first, experiance 2nd) if those skills are more relavent to the jobs that you are trying to get, as compared to your experiance (i am sure i dont have to say this), but reseach the jobs and the compay thoroghly to see what they want from you.
I think physchologicaly not putting any GPA rather then a less then 3.0 GPA is better, because 2 something GPA might be phsychologicaly repulsive, although it may be rationaly not (seeing you are in the "top 5" program).

mechengUIUC

I'm basically in the same boat. I'm a junior in mech. eng. at U of I, and my GPA is only about a 2.6. Most companies want at least a 3.0 to even look at your resume. I need to go to the career center so that they can help me examine my options, but it sorta seems like I'm stuck. My chances of getting an internship are dimished because I basically sucked up my first two years, and my chances of getting a job post-graduation with a mediocore GPA and no internship experience are even worse. My extracurriculars aren't bad (FSAE, SAE board member), but it seems like a GPA bars you from even being considered for most jobs.

I guess I have no one to blame but myself, but it still is a crappy situation.

NYao

it is very frustrating, and 2.6 at Illinois is a lot of work too, I think prestigious colleges are overrated, it is better to do well at a bad school.