Eager to kickstart your career with a mechanical engineering internship? We've tapped into the wisdom of two seasoned engineers to help you get your foot in the door. Here's who they are –
🎓 Degree(s)
🏫 School
🅰️ Grades
🔨 Skills & qualities
🧠 Knowledge
2. Types of companies you can apply for
🌟 Career fairs
🤝 Networking
🔍 Resumes
🕴️Interviews
💡 Other tips
4. How to secure a return offer
If you have a STEM degree of any kind, you could become a mechanical engineer.
Here are some degrees I've seen in the field:
- Manufacturing engineering: This is my degree.
- Math and physics are good ones since you can do anything with them.
- Electrical engineering is relevant too. Everything has a physical component and circuits in it, so it's hard to separate. I do electromechanical work for instance.
- Any engineering degree except for chemical engineering or software engineering, because those are really different.
I would advise people to get a Master's degree at some point. You could work in the field with just a bachelor's but with time, not having a Master's can hold you back if you want to get more into the R&D or Master's side of things. It's something more and more employers are looking for and I've noticed that all the people above me have a Master's and my friends are starting to get them too.
– Former intern @ NASA
School doesn't matter. I went to a state university and have worked with people who went to Stanford. Mechanical engineering is a very objective, results-driven job. I show up and either I figure out how the machine works or I don't. It's not an opinion.
So school goes out the window. It's like when you go to your doctor, you're not going to ask what medical school they went to.
– Former intern @ NASA
In my opinion, grades do not matter.
There was one guy who graduated top of his class and went to UC Irvine for a PhD in material science. He came to our company and got fired within a week because he couldn't work with people.
That said, the people who look at your resume (e.g. Recruiters) may care. A 3.2-3.3 is generally considered a decent GPA in this field. If you have below that, don't freak out, but also don't highlight it on your resume.
– Former intern @ NASA
I'd look for the following skills/qualities in interns and entry-level engineers.
- Relevant experience: This means internships or if you don't have internships yet, school clubs and projects like engineering teams or clubs. Some of the projects you'll do are more than what you'll do at your first engineering job!
- Coachability: There are a lot of big egos in engineering!
That's all that matters to me. Experience and character.
– Former intern @ NASA
What specialized knowledge do you need to qualify for an internship in this field? Both of our mechanical engineers said that this depends on the company.
Your best bet is to ask companies directly at career fairs or to check job listings online to see what technical skills they look for.
The technical knowledge you'll need depends a lot on the company. For example, at NASA, I had to know very technical stuff. When I worked at an electronics manufacturing company, they just wanted me to know Excel.
– Former intern @ NASA
That said, both of them brought up being familiar with computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Check the job posting, see what tools they use and prepare for those. Even if they ask for a specific CAD program, don't worry. If you know one, you know them all. You'll just need some time to adjust.
– Former intern @ NASA
It's good to be familiar with any type of CAD software. There's not a lot of pencil and paper anymore. It's all digital. Every company uses a different one, but they're all fairly similar.
For my first job, I was basically a CAD monkey. I took work that engineers had done and turned them into 3D models. After a year, I was so bored, because I wasn't doing anything on my own or being creative. I was just carrying out instructions and I realized I needed to find something else.
But when I became a contractor for Northrop Grumman, one of the big things that got me the job was the CAD program that they used. I'd been using that program for a year straight and knew it like the back of my hand. Eventually, I transitioned to a full-time role (a lot of big employers hire you as a contractor first before taking you on full-time).
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
You can find mechanical engineers in pretty much any industry. Anything product you can think of, there's probably a mechanical engineer that was involved somewhere in the process.
So if you've got a passion for a certain industry and you're good at engineering, there's probably a way to work in that field!
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
As a mechanical engineer, your main options are to work as a design engineer or a manufacturing engineer.
Most mechanical jobs are manufacturing engineering jobs. Companies hire mechanical engineers to design stuff but making it is the real challenge.
– Former intern @ NASA
You also have the option of going into industrial engineering.
If you're more interested in the business side of things, you could go into industrial engineering. It's more focused on management and the systems of people and what machinery they'll use but you still need to be technical enough to know what an injection molding machine does or what CNC mill to buy.
– Former intern @ NASA
Now let's dive into some popular industries for mechanical engineers.
Aerospace encompasses a wide range of things from commercial airlines to space.
Right now I build solar rays for satellites. Start from designing massive deployable solar panels. We're the main power source for satellites in space. They start out folded up and once they get into space, they unfold into their full size.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
A lot of aerospace work is related to defense & military needs.
When I interned at NASA, I designed certain systems to mitigate radiation for astronauts and spacecraft.
I've also interned at a manufacturer contracted by companies like Raytheon and Boeing. The military-industrial complex does the design work and contracts other companies to make them.
In this setting, I worked in the factory as a manufacturing engineer. Because the manufacturing process was so labor-intensive, my main job was to find ways to speed it up. I also used X-rays to scan for defects. One of the coolest things I got to work on was Boeing's Orca, an autonomous submarine.
– Former intern @ NASA
Get into semiconductors NOW. That's something I'm trying to get into myself. The process of how microchips are made is crazy. That field is growing and with AI, for mechanical engineers it's good to get into microchips.
You'd mainly be involved with designing machines that make the chips. For example, I've worked on a part of a stereolithography machine. Those are the things chip manufacturers use to make cuts in the chips. They're the size of a fridge but cost like $40 million / unit.
– Former intern @ NASA
Electrical engineering and computer science are important for tech companies, but you need mechanical engineers to design the computers, build the hardware, and take the design of a computer into an actual product.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Medical devices are pretty big right now. Every medical device needs an electrical engineer to design and make it.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Another category of companies to consider are start-ups.
I worked at a start-up. They'll offer some good benefits because they want to keep people and don't want to deal with staff turnover. They like students and fresh grads because you're full of ideals and they can mold you into their start-up culture.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Hint: You can find plenty of internships on Prosple. We have a vast selection of internships curated for students like you. Just filter 'til you find the right fit!
Neither of our mechanical engineers had much luck at career fairs, but they still encourage students to go for practice.
I wish I had started going to career fairs earlier. I avoided them in my first two years, because I thought they were just looking for juniors and seniors to hire for internships and full-time roles.
But realize that getting an internship isn't the sole purpose of career fairs! You go there and you start to meet people., by which I mean recruiters – a lot of people who come to career fairs aren't engineers but recruiters. They're good at giving a spiel about what the company does and what they're looking for.
So my best tip for students is to go to the career fairs in your freshman or sophomore year and ask the recruiters: "What can I do to stand out to you guys in the future."
They'll tell you "We're looking for this experience, this extracurricular, and these classes." And maybe you weren't going to take a class or join a club, but now you know they're looking for it, so you'll do these things because you know they'll look good on your resume.
It's also good networking opportunity. They send a lot of the same people every year. So you can go back to a recruiter and say, "I took your advice and did this. Is there anything else I can do to stand out?" It'll really keep you on track.
Of course, don't do this for every company. Make sure you know who you want to speak to in advance. It's not worth talking to a company that's doing something you're not interested in.
Another tip is to talk to smaller companies in fields you're interested in. Since they're smaller, they won't be flooded and you can have a longer conversation with them about what they're looking for.
I think if I had started going to career fairs earlier and making these connections, I would have had more luck when I went for my junior and senior years.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
For more career fair tips, check out A student's guide to a great career fair.
Both of our engineers mentioned that networking is important.
Networking is a big thing. It's a small industry – at one company I worked at, one of the executives was married to someone who had family in another company in the same industry.
My network is basically:
- people I've interned with
- professors
- other students I've worked with on school projects – through school projects, I've even met people who worked at SpaceX and Blue Origin.
– Former intern @ NASA
I can't emphasize how important networking is. Here are two stories that illustrate this.
- I applied to NASA internships for three years and didn't hear anything. Then I met someone who knew someone who worked at NASA, and all of a sudden, they got back.
- I have monthly meetings with my boss and the whole team. Whenever they're hiring, they ask us for referrals. They prefer referred candidates over other people. It gives companies more peace of mind. They know they've got one person vouching for them.
So if you want to get internships, connect with people.
- If there's somewhere you want to intern, say "Are you guys doing internships? I'd love to learn more about what you guys do?" Then when they do open up an internship position, you'll be at the top of their mind.
- If you don't have a friend who works in the field, go to LinkedIn and reach out to a connection of a connection.
- Go to career fairs, talk to recruiters, put yourself out there whenever you can.
- Reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn. There's a ton of recruiters on LinkedIn helping these companies hire people. Say "Hey I'm interested, can we talk?" and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to give you 15-20 minutes of their day.
- Find start-ups working on things that are exciting to you. Reach out and talk to someone and ask them about what they do. Even if they're not hiring, their buddy at another company might be hiring!
Whatever you do, find ways to speak to people. That's the best thing you can do to get your foot in the door. Why? Because:
- You may be really talented, but there's going to be a lot of people with the same background. So meeting those people, forming those connections, and knowing someone who can get your foot in the door. Otherwise, if you just fill out an application in a portal, it'll get lost in the sea of applicants.
- This industry is a lot smaller than you realize. There's a lot of people who know a lot of people. It seems like a massive industry with all these employers, but when you get down to it, it's pretty tight-knit. So start making connections early.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
I look up different types of jobs I'd want to do online. I have a standard resume and look at the job posting and tailor my resume so I hit all the keywords.
Remember, the people reviewing your resumes are recruiters, not engineers! So using the keywords they're familiar with will also help them know you're a good fit.
– Former intern @ NASA
For more tips on writing resumes, check out How to craft a winning resume as a college student.
You'll generally have three rounds of interviews for internships.
- Screening call (15mins): They want to make sure you understand basic stuff like what the position is, where they're located ("You know we're in South Carolina, right?"), and your legal status ("Are you an American citizen?")
- Virtual interview with an engineer or engineering manager (30mins): They just want to know how well you work with others. They'll also tell you what it's like to work at the facility they're in.
- Technical interview (45 mins): They'll ask you about CAD and different types of stress-strain properties and the stuff you learn in school. For the most part, if you've been paying attention in class, you'll be fine! At times though, you may also be asked about industry-specific things. For example, I interviewed for a surgical company and they asked me about lasers and laser welding.
– Former intern @ NASA
Technical questions vary by company but I've found the behavioral ones are roughly the same.
- Tell me about yourself. Every single interviewer has asked this!
- How well do you work in teams?
- How do you resolve conflict at work?
- Name a time when you did something you weren't supposed to do. This question is kind of a trap. They're seeing if you'll say stuff like "I did X to increase efficiency but it put other people's lives at risk" or "I took plutonium away from the lab". Don't fall for this!
– Former intern @ NASA
Our senior mechanical engineer confirmed this general pattern of questioning. Here are his tips.
These are the most common interview questions I've encountered.
#1 Tell me about yourself
A lot of times, people will say their name, their school, and what they like to do in their spare time. Engineers are looking for things that are a bit different.
When engineers ask this question, they're really asking "What have you done so far? Why?" A lot of people miss out on the "why". Engineers want to know "Why engineering?" They want to hear "I like to make things" or "I like to solve problems."
#2 Why do you want to work here? / Why do you want this job?
Companies want to know what you've heard or researched about them that makes you want to work for them. They want to hear things like:
- "The job description says I'd be doing these few things. I'm really good at them and enjoy them."
- "I saw that [company] did [a specific thing]. I thought that was cool."
- "So and so is my buddy and says he really loves it here."
They want to know that you've done your research and you know what they do.
This is a good question for students to think about too. If all you've heard about the company is that all you do is sit behind a desk for 12 hours and it's grueling, is that somewhere you want to work? Is that something that you could be successful at?
#3 Questions about teamwork
Mention that you work well with other people. A lot of engineering is team-based. Don't feel like you always have to say "I did X, I did Y." When you're in an interview, you can say "I did this part for our team." "As a team, we developed this." This shows you're a team player and you're not taking credit for everything.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Here are our best tips for answering the most common interview questions:
Both of our mechanical engineers said not to worry too much about technical questions.
Remember that 99.9% of people who interview you are good people who are just trying to do their job. Occasionally you'll get an annoying person who tries to drill you on random technical things, but most aren't like that.
– Former intern @ NASA
A lot of times you expect interviewers to grill you on technical questions. I was expecting to be asked things like "What is this formula?" or "When would you use this concept applied?"
But something like that has only happened to me once. And it wasn't even super technical.
The reality is that they've already seen your resume and seen what classes you've taken. They're not going to verify that.
Employers are more interested in learning the following:
- Who are you?
- Will you fit in with our team?
- Are you able to take criticism?
- Are you able to speak up and share your ideas?
- How do you solve problems? (e.g. if you encounter this sort of issue, how would you approach it?)
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Always say yes when they ask if you have any questions. Here are some good ones.
- What am I going to be doing day-to-day? (Ideally, you'll be working on things that actually help your career – not just checking boxes or re-reading something that someone's already written.)
- What are some skills you want me to have? (Even if you don't get the internship, you now know what you need to land one)
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
For more tips, see Smart questions to ask at your next internship interview.
While mass-applying isn't always the best strategy, it worked for both of our mechanical engineers.
I got my first internship after 800 applications. It's competitive. Now, I get 1 in 20.
– Former intern @ NASA
I'm not saying that mass-applying doesn't work. It ended up working for me, but it can take a while so you want to start early. I started mass-applying for jobs January of my senior year. I applied for about 50 jobs and didn't get an interview until June, after I had graduated. I started working in August – eight months after I started applying.
If I were to redo my job search though, I wouldn't just apply through a portal, where everyone looks the same!
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Get used to being ghosted for both internships and entry-level jobs – this happened to both of our mechanical engineers even though they had NASA on their resume!
You could get up to 4-5 rounds of interviews and get dropped. It happens.
– Former intern @ NASA
When I was applying for an entry-level job, I had countless interviews. "You sound great, I'll forward your information to the engineering manager" and you don't hear from them again, because the engineering manager just decides they're going to go with someone else.
Don't stress about it. You're going to get ghosted. Don't take it personally! I wish it weren't like this but a lot of times you will get ghosted, that's what happens in the industry.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
Both our mechanical engineers mentioned that entry-level jobs can be harder to secure than an internship.
When a company is hiring an entry-level role, they do more due diligence than with interns or experienced hires.
– Former aerospace engineer @ Northrop Grumman
A lot of employers now see internships as a way to get gig jobs done rapidly. So when they bring you on as an intern, they're not looking to convert you to a full-time employee.
For example, at the electronics manufacturer I interned at, they hired me because they knew they were getting someone on-call without having to pay the price of the full price of a full engineer. The reality is, they may not have the budget for an engineer until the next fiscal year, so they look for interns to fill in until they can get one.
Most places are like this now.
– Former intern @ NASA
So if you like a company you're interning at, what should you do?
Network: Get to know people and stay in touch with them: the way the economy works now, a lot of people don't go from intern to full-time. But if you become friends with those people, they'll come to you when there's an opening.
Make sure you finish the whole internship: After a month at an internship, I was sure I wanted to stay at the company. Then it ended up being investigated for fraud.
Just don't do anything really bad. At one of my companies, there was an intern who was a freshman, so I wasn't sure what he was doing there. He drank a lot, often didn't show up to work, and did things that made people uncomfortable. Honestly, just don't be like him.
– Former intern @ NASA