r/ECE • u/WorldlinessNew5046 • 10d ago
CAREER Am I screwed for EE co-ops?
Hey everyone,
I’m a 3rd-year Electrical Engineering student applying for co-ops/internships, and I’m dealing with some serious imposter syndrome.
I have a high GPA , but zero personal projects. I’ve had to work heavy part-time hours in precision manufacturing and machining to pay for school, so any time outside lectures went into shop shifts rather than tinkering at home. My resume only has standard lab coursework and years of manufacturing work experience.
Does hands-on machining/manufacturing experience carry weight for EE roles, or is it viewed as completely irrelevant OR Should I scramble to build a quick personal hardware project right now?
Appreciate the honest opinion.
7
u/NewSchoolBoxer 10d ago
No. Unless you have < 2 semesters remaining when every application I saw wanted 2+. Maybe some companies are okay with 1 and hiring for a spring or fall term.
What is this mess of every student thinking they need personal projects? I did zero, everyone else I knew did zero, and we got internship / co-op and job offers? You think making a 3 transistor audio amp you copied off the internet impresses anyone or helps you do real engineering work? Students telling other students what they should do?
I read public utility easements, studied quality control data in Excel and edited CAD documents for my internship. No previous CAD experience was expected. I didn't use any part of my degree except general technical thinking skills. I only used 10% after graduation.
Manufacturing work experience won't help you with EE but it will help you get job interviews in manufacturing and power. Your resume is fine. Real work experience in a technical domain helps you interview better.
Don't do personal projects. Consider volunteering and getting out and meeting people and building social skills. Selling yourself in an interview is a skill and a hiring manager isn't going to want you on his/her team if you're socially awkward or won't fit in.
When I first looked at career questions, I didn't understand imposter syndrome. You're majoring in EE. You got admitted and powered through the weed out courses. You are smart and talented and can do entry level work. Most of engineering is what you learn on the job so be eager and do it. All you got to be is an average engineer to have a successful career, if that.
3
u/ThotSlayerGod 10d ago
Sorry but how do you even volunteer for experience, from where I’m at (Ontario) unpaid internships are illegal. I graduated with ok gpa (80-85% ish) but no internship/coop so I’m struggling to even find a interview 😭. I am willing to do unpaid internships for experience but idk if that is even allowed
1
u/WorldlinessNew5046 9d ago
This is probably the most refreshing dose of reality I’ve heard in a long time. Online forums make it feel like if you aren’t running a full R D lab out of your bedroom on top of coursework, you’re dead on arrival. Hearing the perspective from someone actually in industry who got hired on fundamentals, real work ethic, and social competence is huge.
Seriously, thank you for the reality check. I needed to hear that.
1
u/texas_asic 10d ago
If you're graduating after your 4th year, have high grades (and can demonstrate those skills during the interviews), and have precision manufacturing and machining experience, you're going to have a stronger resume than 80% of candidates. Cast your net wide, but you're competing with a lot of candidates who have very little work experience, no personal projects, and probably lower grades.
Paying for school with a heavy part-time job in manufacturing is pretty impressive in my opinion, especially while maintaining a high GPA in EE. Play that up on your resume. It indicates that you're both smart, and a hard worker. As an interviewer, I'd be looking forward to that interview as I think you'd be more promising than most. What country are you in, and what kind of EE jobs/industries are you applying to?
1
u/WorldlinessNew5046 9d ago
Really appreciate the kind words and perspective, that genuinely means a lot and made my day. It’s super encouraging to hear that kind of feedback from someone who actually sits on the other side of the interview table, so thank you for taking the time to write that out.
To answer your questions, I’m based in Canada.
When I first started university, my mindset was actually set on going into the power sector. But as I went deeper into my degree, I developed a huge interest in VLSI. From everything I’ve seen and heard, breaking directly into VLSI with just a bachelor’s is pretty tough since most of those roles lean heavily toward graduate degrees.Because of that, my plan right now is to target FPGA or embedded systems roles right out of undergrad to build solid hardware experience, save up, and then head back to school for a master's in VLSI. I haven't fully decided yet whether I want to specialize in digital or analog—I genuinely love both sides of it right now. The long-term goal is to use that master's to finally pivot into VLSI design.
From your experience, do you think this is a realistic path to take, or is there anything you'd suggest doing differently?
1
u/texas_asic 9d ago
That seems reasonable. If you go the digital design route, verif is traditionally the easier pathway to a job because that's where most of the effort is. One caveat is that LLM's are changing the staffing picture and it's not clear where things will land, but productivity is clearly improving with the use of AI.
1
u/WorldlinessNew5046 9d ago
Thanks for pointing that out—that's really interesting regarding verification.
When you mention LLMs shifting the staffing picture, do you see that mainly squeezing junior/entry-level headcount because routine testbench and assertion boilerplate can be automated, or is it likely to flatten hiring across all seniority levels?
Also, curious about your perspective on industry resilience-given that power engineering relies so heavily on physical infrastructure, field commissioning, and strict regulatory codes, do you view power as being considerably more insulated from AI disruption than VLSI design/verification over the next 5–10 years?1
u/texas_asic 9d ago
heh, my crystal ball is broken. I do think AI is going to start by squeezing jr positions first. At the same time, there's a boom right now driven by AI, with a lot more ASICs fighting it out in the marketplace.
Longer term, I do have deep concerns about Moore's Law, both financially and technically. Fab costs are also growing exponentially, and physically, transistors are getting really tiny and physics will eventually force it to a stop.
1
u/HeatSinkHero0922 10d ago
Your experience counts especially in the EE roles that focused on hardware. Highlight the machining and precision work rather than scrambling to build a random project.
1
u/WorldlinessNew5046 9d ago
Thanks a lot for the advice. I was getting pretty caught up in the pressure to churn out random side projects just to check a box. Lol
3
u/Scary-Run-5614 10d ago edited 10d ago
you are not screwed.
contrary to what a previous commentor said, i do think personal projects are important. i think you are definitely much more likely to get interviews if you have personal projects on your resume. they do not need to be copied and pasted off the internet; you can use it as a resource to create your projects.
also, your friends can help you out here. you can ask your friends if they are willing to work on a project with you, which can help with the workload since you are working a lot outside of lecture hours.
alternatively, you can join a design team. i am not sure if your university/college/institution does this, but if there are student-led design teams, you can join those and you can gather quite a bit of experience in a semester or two.
that being said, personal projects & design teams are both quite time-consuming, so try to get what you can done. in terms of hands-on machining/manufacturing experience, i do not think it carries weight for ee roles. but, the fact that you have work experience is a good sign and employers will look for this; even if the skills aren't relevant.
what i recommend: look at the job descriptions for jobs you are currently interested in, take a look at the skills, job responsibilites, etc. try to take what employers are looking for in these job postings and create side projects related to the skills mentioned. your projects dont have to be CRAZY. you just need to show to the employer, "hey i know this stuff/skills and i can explain my project well". or, join design teams that could give you the relevant experience. also, you are in 3rd year with your graduation approaching. this can actually be a good thing as many companies typically hire EEs who are graduating soon such that they can convert them to full-time. you can use this to your advantage.
if it helps, there are plenty of companies who hire new grads without experience. of course this differs depending on where you are located; i find that this is sometimes the case in canada. regardless, you will be okay and you ARE deserving of this degree. from one 3rd year EE to another, imposter syndrome is so valid to feel. its not easy, but i promise everything will work out and you will be just fine. i hope this helps. feel free to shoot more questions.