Becoming a Mechanical Engineer— Finding Your First Job

Engineering students meet potential employers at the annual Career EXPO.

Job Placement Services

One of the most important things a university can do for its students is help them secure a challenging, well-paying position that matches their skills, training and interests. The University of Texas at Austin ranks fourth in the nation for career and job placement services, according to the Princeton Review. The university provides a Career Exploration Center to help students choose and find a career. In addition, UT offers a searchable online database of jobs and internships for companies interested in hiring UT students and alumni. In addition, each of the colleges offers their own job placement/career services. The Cockrell School of Engineering offers the Engineering Career Assistance Center to help engineering students and alumni find jobs, coops, and internships.

Career EXPO

In addition, the Student Engineering Council holds an annual career fair. The Career EXPO is one of the largest student-run career fairs in the nation. The EXPO hosted 259 different companies in 2008, 160 of which were specifically looking for mechanical engineers.

Other Resources

The University of Texas at Austin is not the only resource for finding work as an engineer. For example, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers offers its own free-to-use Career Center. According to a recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for engineers are good, and expect to remain good throughout the next decade, especially in certain fields such as biotechnology, materials engineering and nanotechnology.