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I currently in my second year (fourth semester) of the aerospace engineering program (with a business minor) at one of the larger public universities. Currently I have a GPA of 3.837, but I expect that to fall due to the increasing difficulty of the program and other unrelated issues. I'm trying to get a sense of my ability to get hired with my stats at this point and what I should do regarding internships.
I started a paid "internship" at the Department of Transportation in one of their research centers as a research assistant last summer. I am given a great deal of responsibility with little guidance and expected to complete the research projects (which include database administration and development) and given presentations before state/federal officials. I call it an "internship" as it's a hybrid between an internship and a job, as I will be allowed to continue working there, rather than it just being a single summer. However, while my job includes a great deal of collaboration and discussion regarding the projects I am given, it is not in the aerospace business. What should I do? Will it hurt me a great deal to be interning here, rather than an aerospace corporation when it comes to getting a job in the field?
Secondly, what is the typical GPA of a hire at a major aerospace corporation in your experience? I expect that I should be able to finish with at least a 3.0 as I know that is the hard cutoff for most major corporations. However, what GPA does a candidate usually have, and how important is it once it is above 3.0?
Given my current position (expected graduation GPA is between 3.42 and 3.11, with the upper bar at 3.63 and the lower bar at 3.01) what kind of job options could be available? Should I pursue a different internship. I'm quite terrified about my realistic job prospects at this point. Thanks for any help.
So...first off, I have an MSEE and BSEE, so my perspective should be relevant. I don't know where you go to school, but I went to Georgia TEch for my undergrad and went every semester for four years, making it so the last year, I had only 9 credit hours per semester. Do something similar to this if you can, to keep the grades up. You need to hold your expectations higher for yourself and become a rockstar at graduation, your GPA so far is stellar for a 2nd year engineering student - the weed out classes usually ding many below 3.0 by now.
Next - start talking to your AE professors (it helps if you are doing well in their class and enjoy the material) and see if you can pick up a research internship, maybe 5-10 hours per week. Do that until you meet another prof and like his class and research interests better. If you really know you love AE and don't want to switch due to difficulty, this is the way to get noticed at career fair time (which should be 2 years exactly from now). Over 3.0 will get you campus interviews for employment, no problem. above 3.5 with relevant internships will add anywhere from 5-20k onto your starting salary compared to your 'average' peers, which gives you a higher base to start negotiating future pay from.
Good luck, there's quite a few applications to your degree, not all of them are with defense contractors. These internships, should you find them in your AE group, should help you get a feel for what you really like. Side note - unless absolutely convinced youll be in academia for the rest of your life, go work after your 4 year degree and do your masters after you have 1-3 years work experience.
I intend to keep my GPA up as much as possible, so I'm hoping I can end up with a 3.4-3.5, but I have my doubts about that. The internship suggestion is an excellent idea, I'll look into that. But even if I ended up with a GPA in the range of 3.1-3.3, do you think I would have trouble getting a job? Obviously, I'd like to aim as high as possible, but just wondering as a contingency. I just would like to ensure I am employable in a related industry at around the average when I graduate, at the very least. I know there is no possible way to ensure this, but I just would like to know my chances of being employed within, say, 6 months of graduation. By the way, I'm a University of Virginia student.
Think about what kind of work you want to be doing when you graduate. Do you want to work with airplanes, helicopters, spacecraft, etc.? If your university has a cooperative education program, you may be able to score a position with an employer that does what you'd like to be doing. An internship with such a company might also be an option. Your current internship is valuable because it is work experience, but if not in your field than it is of limited relevance. Your school's career services office can advise you on what your options are. While there aren't a lot of aircraft manufacturers in your area, there are plenty of modification centers and defense firms where you could gain valuable experience.
Big aerospace corporations - like all employers who can be selective - tend to look for GPAs above 3.0. Obviously shoot for the best you can, but you do NOT want to let it go under 3.0 if at all possible.
The good news is, the market isn't exactly flooded with aerospace engineers. Your chances of finding a job will be good, but your chances of finding an ideal job and maximum compensation will improve the better your grades are and the more experience you have under your belt.
What people don't tell you is that even though the last 2 years increase in difficulty, the average grade also increases. Professors for the later classes are willing to work with you so long as you prove you really want to learn the material. Curves tend to be more generous as well. You passed the weed-out classes with flying colors so if you keep working hard I think you're too pessimistic about your final GPA.
Your internship experience will be valuable even if it's not quite in your field. Keep your eyes open for something in your field, but your current experience is far from worthless. 2 summers-worth of internships will put you in the upper echelon of professional candidates even if your experience is in a different industry. Trust me on this one. I had a BSME with a 3.25 GPA and my 2 summers of internships really helped me get a job immediately after graduation. My first "real" job was in a different industry than my internships were.
I intend to keep my GPA up as much as possible, so I'm hoping I can end up with a 3.4-3.5, but I have my doubts about that. The internship suggestion is an excellent idea, I'll look into that. But even if I ended up with a GPA in the range of 3.1-3.3, do you think I would have trouble getting a job? Obviously, I'd like to aim as high as possible, but just wondering as a contingency. I just would like to ensure I am employable in a related industry at around the average when I graduate, at the very least. I know there is no possible way to ensure this, but I just would like to know my chances of being employed within, say, 6 months of graduation. By the way, I'm a University of Virginia student.
I seriously doubt you will have problems getting a job in aerospace with a degree from UVA and a GPA of over 3.0. I will be blunt with you and say that I expect you to be employed 6 months before graduation since I think you will do well in OCI if you keep your GPA high and if you continue to do internships in the summer and maybe even the school year. A lot of people who work in aerospace engineering that I know (I live in SoCal near a bunch of aerospace HQs) have degrees and experience in fields that are not directly related to aerospace.
Intern experience is extremely valuable. When you look at all the job postings around the various companies, many have entry level positions that require 5+ years experience. The internship will normally cancel out the required experience if applying to the same company or factor heavily for a different company.
The above posters are spot on
You wont have a problem becoming employable unless you have serious social issues and do not interview well...which it doesnt sound like.
If i was a hiring manager (and i am) and you had two or three semesters of relevant research internship, i would look at it as a half to one year relevant work experience and pay accordingly. If i was bound by HR guidelines, i would lobby for the top end of the e2 grade (e1 being intern). Youll be alright, so far, it looks promising.
I noticed yesterday that UVA ranked number one on estimated collective wealth of alumni for a public university
I don't know about your field. But in civil engineering, employers make it very clear that they don't care about what school our degree is from our what our GPA is. All they are looking for is someone who does what they are told, and is willing to work the longest hours for the least money and benefits. Honestly, majoring in civil engineering was the biggest mistake of my life.
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