Engineering Career Resource Center / Remote Resources for Students

Remote Resources for Students

Understanding the World of Remote Work
Search Job Opportunities
Make the Most of your Summer Break

Understanding the World of Remote Work

COVID-19 required many employers to transition their teams to work from home and test the feasibility of their staff working remotely. Even before COVID-19, remote work has increased dramatically with a 159% increase over the last 12 years (flexjobs). Remote work is here to stay as GitLab finds 86% of professionals believe remote work is the future.

As remote work becomes more prevalent, it can be an option for you to explore as you search for internship or full-time opportunities. It’s important to understand that there are a wide variety of ways that remote working opportunities are designed by the employer. Some companies may be completely remote, while other companies might have a hybrid approach. 

To understand the world of remote work, it is important to educate yourself about the language, skills, and knowledge of the remote work landscape. 

Understanding the World of Remote Work

Remote Job Searching Advice & Resources 

Prepare for Remote Work

Search Job Opportunities

How to Search Job Opportunities

Companies that are looking to hire Michigan Engineering Students will post their opportunities in Engineering Careers, by Symplicity. The ECRC recommends using Engineering Careers, by Symplicity as your main job portal. To get started, log into your account at https://engineering-umich-csm.symplicity.com/students, and then select ‘Jobs’ from the left side menu.

Handshake, the system offered through the University Career Center, is a great supplemental resource. Handshake may be accessed at https://careercenter.umich.edu/content/introducing-handshake. Additional job search links can be found at https://career.engin.umich.edu/job-search-links/. Job boards can lead to success – search sites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and don’t forget about specialty job boards typically run by professional associations or geared toward engineering specific jobs.

Take a look at Remote Work Job & Internship postings:

Be Proactive

  • Network with faculty, family associates, friends, classmates, and former colleagues to determine opportunities that may be available
    • For additional information on how to conduct Informational Interviews see page 25 of the Career Guide
  • Create or update your LinkedIn page to enhance your professional digital identity
  • Update your resume and cover letter so that you are ready to apply when positions of interest become available
  • Practice and enhance your interviewing skills
    • Set up a Mock Interview Advising Appointment 
    • Utilize the ‘Mock Interview Practice Tool’ in Engineering Careers
  • Invest in self-assessment and reflection activities (surveys/tools) to better understand your current strengths, preferences, and value to companies.
  • Follow business/industry news to identify potential new opportunities and trends that will likely grow out of these extraordinary times.
  • Prepare for any industry specific recruiting activities, such as:
    • Consulting: Research case frameworks, practice case studies
    • Technical Interviews: Sample coding challenges

Make the Most of your Summer Break

Develop New Skills

Diversify your Experiences

  • Consider job/volunteer opportunities unrelated to engineering that will allow you to build transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, organization, and leadership
  • Non-technical jobs and volunteer experiences can show your additional layers as an individual, while also demonstrating responsibility, timeliness, and your ability to contribute to an organization’s goals

Focus on Self Care

Self Care Resources