Searching for an internship or job can be difficult at any time of year, but it can be even more so during a global pandemic. But there’s good news! A summer internship or having a job right out of college isn’t the only thing that’s attractive to employers. If you have found yourself running out of ideas on how to obtain your ideal job, now’s the time to design your backup plan.
What’s a backup plan? A backup plan provides you with alternative options on how to spend your summer. Maybe your goal for the summer was to find a job as a Product Design Engineer, but those opportunities are becoming slimmer and more competitive, so now you need to think of other meaningful ways to spend your summer.
It’s best to think of at least three plans for your summer. Plan A should always be the dream – what you really want to do. Plan B is something that still aligns with your overall goals, but is more broadly defined and expands your scope. Plan C can then be something that that fills your time and boosts your professional development skills.
Plan A: Product Design Engineer at an agricultural manufacturing company in the Midwest.
Plan B: An alternative engineering role, such as Test Engineer or Biomedical Engineer, or another technical experience, such as research projects or micro-internships.
Plan C: Part-time employment in non-engineering field (i.e., on-campus, in customer service, etc), join National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), and enroll in a strategic communications course.
Each of these plans provides meaningful work and actions towards the goal – Plan A. Even if you are wondering how a strategic communications course is beneficial, think about it this way: As a Product Design Engineer, you’ll likely have to present your designs or pitch your ideas to management, so it’s important to have public and strategic communication skills. Plus, there are many courses online that are able to provide you with a certificate after successful completion.
Once we reach the other side of the global pandemic, employers are only going to be concerned with how you managed your time and how you reacted during this time of uncertainty and change, so prepare now. ECS Career Advisers are virtually available to help you design your three plans for the summer.