Career Resources for Students during COVID-19

The Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC) is committed to supporting employers and students as they navigate potential limitations regarding travel and in-person interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are equipped to support students through virtual career advising sessions. The best way to reach us currently is via email to ecrc-info@umich.edu.

Employers may still be working on contingency plans for their internship and full-time employment programs. We recommend giving your future employer time to work through this evolving situation before making a decision to withdraw from your committed internship or full-time job. We anticipate your employer will reach out to you on a regular basis. If you do not hear from them, reach out to your hiring manager/recruiter to ask your questions.

Virtual Advising Appointments
Understanding the World of Remote Work
Search Job Opportunities
Make the Most of your Summer

Virtual Advising Appointments

Until further notice, all ECRC career advising will be conducted through virtual appointments to ensure our students maintain their access to career advising. Our virtual advising enables students to talk with a career advisor about any of the following topics: changes to the status of internship/full-time employment, resume reviews, cover letter, job search strategies, evaluating offers, interview prep, mock interviews, curriculum vitae reviews, and general career advising.

ECRC Staff are here to help you!

 

How to Schedule a Virtual Career Advising Appointment

Career advising appointments may be scheduled through your Engineering Careers, by Symplicity, account. Virtual career advising sessions may be conducted via video chat or by phone. To schedule a virtual career advising appointment within your account, following the steps below:

  1. Login at https://engineering-umich-csm.symplicity.com/students/
  2. Select ‘Career Advising Appointment‘ from the left side menu of your Engineering Careers homepage
  3. Select ‘Request New Appointment’ on the next page that appears
  4. You may refine your search using criteria listed on the left, then click ‘Check Availability’
  5. Select the preferred appointment and then submit your request, an email will be sent to you once your appointment time has been confirmed with additional details

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.

Within Engineering Careers, you also have access to search jobs under the ‘Extended Job Search’. To get started, click the ‘Jobs’ tab and then select, ‘Extended Job Search’. In addition to searching jobs posted specifically for Michigan Engineers under the ‘Jobs’ section, the ‘Extended Job Search’ provides you with access to additional national and international job postings. Utilize the keyword search to find engineering related jobs.

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

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