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Kevin Tomasetti
Dr. Guenzel
ENC1102-15
April 12, 2015

The Future of the Future: The Key to Becoming a Successful Engineer

In todays modern age we have a surplus of current and aspiring engineers in the world.
We have not only the current and past aerospace engineers who have lead us to the moon, mars,
and far beyond that, but we also have a slew of upcoming engineers desperate to get into the
field. One major issue that we are presented with in todays engineering field is funding for
internships. Luckily we have plenty of people eager to discover the unknown, but unfortunately
the expenses of exploration of extraterrestrial planets, solar systems, manned space stations,
satellite deployment and recovery, just to name a few, are known to be quite expensive. For many
students, internships are the key to getting their foot in the door, but is it worth it? Is focusing so
much on getting an internship the right way to go? Or should students focus on their grades,
doing well in school, and learning the most they can now so that they are ready for the
workforce? Are the engineering firms going to have the funding to hire interns when it the time
comes to apply?
Aerospace Engineering has been one of the fields used to describe cutting edge
technology since Orville and Wilbur Wright first took to the skies in 1903. At that time
aeronautics were more of a reality than aerospace, but with their breakthrough the hopes were
high and the future was bright for the field of aeronautics which would soon develop a similar

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field alongside it known as aerospace engineering. Many other concepts of air flight were passed
around trying to mimic what the Wright brothers had accomplished. Some were successful some
were not so lucky, but the two key factors behind each and every one of these were education,
and dedication to the exploration of the unknown. Without either of these we may have
eventually stumbled upon the key to flight much like Issac Newton had his epiphany due to an
apple falling from a tree. Fortunately in todays day we have both of those qualities. We actually
have more than just those. We have not only the current and past aerospace engineers who have
lead us to the moon, mars, and far beyond that, but we also have a slew of upcoming engineers
desperate to get into the field.
So what does the future of the future of engineering look like? It looks like the youth of
today who are aspiring to become engineers, but how do they go from learning the alphabet to
designing spacecraft to lead us in this modern space age? There is of course getting good grades
in school, but the key to really accelerating a students knowledge and skill in any field of work
is an internship. Internships give students hands on training with what they are learning about in
school. Instead of theoretically calculating the trajectory of a missile launch with given constants
and variables for a lab assignment, the students can work side by side engineers from Space-X,
NASA, or other large firms and get the full experience of what they are learning in school, and
how it is put into practicality. This really allows the students to grasp what they are learning
while they are getting the best education there could possibly be.
In support of internships is aerospace engineer, Carlos Lopez, who talks about his
experience of going through school, and striving to be the best student he could be knowing that
his family back home did not have the luxury that he himself was living. This is due to Carlos
moving to the United States when he was sixteen to get a new beginning making a solid future

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for himself. He moved from Chihuahua, Mexico to the United States where he thrived
academically to achieve an internship in one of NASAs program. Lopez makes this statement
that really defines what internships are doing for college level students who are trying to make
their way into the working field of engineering in general, Something important to remember is
that your people skills are vital. Work with others, get involved in student organizations, intern.
Do whatever you can to gain exposure in the field. Interpersonal skills are huge. Employers look
for people who know how to work with others effectively. This quotation solidifies Lopezs
position on internships and how effective he feels they are toward your success securing a job in
engineering.
Furthermore, the connections that can be made through internships are one of the most
valuable things about internships. The connections that are made, and the impressions that an
intern make on the people that they work with/for can go a long way. For example, after a
students college career is up, his internship is up. Now this college student wants a solid job at
some engineering corporation. Well this student who had been interning for Lockheed Martin,
and had been working with one of the team members under the supervision of a project manager
for the past one or two years has not only some solid references to put down on his resume, and
the work experience to put behind it, but in addition, the student has those people who have
worked side by side with to put in a good word for them to the higher ups. A large amount of the
time corporations such as Lockheed Martin, NASA, or Space-X will hire directly from their
interns. This sort of acts as a job security for some students, although, it is to be taken lightly
with notes that they, the students, are the expendable ones.
The field of aerospace engineering will forever be in demand as long as people still have
the urge and curiosity to study space aeronautics and space. As Oliver McGee, a very

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accomplished person in the field of engineering, a researcher, administrator, adviser to the
government, and other distinguished universities such as Georgia Tech. and MIT explains, Very
few questions remained until Boeing's 787 Dreamliner opened up a new window of opportunities
for aerospace engineers to start looking at how to manage this new technological leap that has
taken place. As quoted from an article featuring McGee titled, landing a Job in Engineering.
McGee also says a few words about engineering as a whole, as well as aerospace engineering
specifically. With its composite structure, 20% or more fuel savings, and world record holder for
speed and distance in its class the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was quite an accomplishment in the
eyes of Boeing, and aerospace engineers across the world. This aircraft is able to vastly decrease
the amount of turbulence in the turbines leading to better fuel efficiency. The Smooth Wing
Technology allows for better airflow over the wings especially with its pivot trailing edge witch
adds to the fuel efficiency of the airplane. Lastly, the one piece barrel structure of the airplanes
cabin area allows for less longitudinal skin splices as well as weight reduction, this again, adding
to the fuel efficiency of the airplane leading to longer and faster flights. This goes to show that in
the field of aerospace engineering there is always going to be more questions. Even when we
believe we have them all answered, something will happen to open up a new window and
countless more questions to be answered, and so there will always be a need for aerospace
engineers, and where there are engineers, there are people trying to be engineers. Interns will
always be in demand because for large companies and engineering firms they are cheap labor. To
the interns they see their hourly wage and begin to drool, whereas the company hiring them
knows that they are saving a vast amount of money by hiring interns by the hour instead of
having a full time contracted engineer paid by salary.
Continually, according to the University of Michigan their engineering department had a

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total of 641 internships accepted through the 2013-2014 school year. 544 of these 641 (8)
internships were bachelors students while eighty seven were masters, and ten were doctoral.
Therefore, we have a large majority of students working on their bachelors who are also
receiving internships related to engineering. This shows that there are plenty of internships
available to students who employers feel are worth training and taking them onto their team of
engineers. However, only about 5% of these internships received were from aerospace
engineering majors. This was not just the case for aerospace engineering though. There is a
cornucopia of different fields of engineering, meaning that although engineering is in high
demand, the specific field in which you are studying is still very competitive. Finding a way to
set yourself apart from the crowd is a big key into getting employers attention, and with the slim
pickings of interns that come from each field, students may find that their road to an internship is
a lengthy, and tough one.
That being said, perhaps students should be more focused on their grades rather than jobs
they may not get. Students could be using their time to keep school material fresh in their mind,
reviewing for quizzes, exams, or actually doing homework rather than putting it off because they
have to go to an internship and work on projects that may either be way above or below them
academically wise. So they arent getting too much of a benefit from the internship anyway,
except of course the monetary, and hierarchical connection aspect of it. College kids tend to be
poor, with all the expenses of school, housing, and food, they see that $3,300 monthly salary and
fall head over heels for it, when this may not be the best route for them. If they even qualify for
the job, salaries will vary from job to job, their ability to schedule classes will become a lot more
flustered due to many internships having set business hours, as well as the time they will be
working will take time away from their schooling which is what they are paying thousands of

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dollars a semester to attend and get their degrees. Companies may see that you had an internship
for the last year or two of your college career, but when they see classes failed, dropped, and low
GPAs they are definitely not going to look twice at those applicants. So perhaps its best to just
use spare time to be studying and completing assignments rather than worrying about getting to
work on time, completing tasks, and making the higher-ups happy. With outstanding grades its
difficult for companies not notice you.
What if students still want hands on experience but dont qualify for an internship? What
is an alternative? On campus clubs are a great alternative to someone who doesnt feel that
internships are right for them. There are many engineering focused clubs on a number of
different campuses that future employers will look at, recognize, and associate with to get to
know what kind of person the applicant is. A great example of this is Virginia Tech.s team
COLBERT, which stands for Close Object Landing by Earth Research Team. This team entered a
competition to design both a reliable as well as a cost efficient system to send at least two
astronauts to a Near Earth Asteroid, and return them safely. Virginia Techs Team took home first
place with their excellent planning and simulation execution with immaculate results earning
them the gold. This is another thing that employers will see and be extremely impressed with,
although you arent paid a monthly salary which is a big drawback for many college students.
Aspiring aerospace engineers should note, that there are many different ways to make
yourself stand out from the crowd when it comes to applying for a job. Internships,
grades/meritorious accolades, and on campus clubs are the three mentioned which are what
employers seem to want to see. Although grades are important, and clubs are good to show,
internships are what get the job done. Literally, students getting a head start in the workforce
with internships, working side by side practicing engineers and learning from their experiences

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and advice far surpasses any notes or grades you could get in a class.
Students interested in ascertaining engineering internships relative to their field should
follow these three suggestions to have the best chance of scoring the job. First, get good grades,
you have to have good grades to even be considered for an internship. Not to mention that you
are going to need all the knowledge you can get when you are in the line of work. Secondly,
apply yourself, dont go through the motions of casually doing homework for the participation
grade. Apply yourself and learn so that when you do get into the real world of either a job or just
an internship you are prepared and have a good foundation to grow upon. For engineering
college majors an internship is the golden ticket, with a median monthly salary of $3,300. Which
leads to the third and final point of making good connections. Talk to people, do your job well,
make friends with your coworkers to make personal connections to solidify a job postgraduation. Do well in school, apply yourself, and make connections, its all up to the students to
get that intership. With that I say, go for the gold. Dont let people tell you what you cant do,
apply for internships, get those internships, and be ready to change the world.

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Works Cited
Aerospace Engineering Students Design Mission Athena, Win First Place.(2010, August 30.)
States News Service (12 April 2015).
https://login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?auth=shibb&url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?i
d=GALE%7CA236505474&v=2.1&u=orla57816&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

Aerospace Engineer To Speak About Intern Experience. (2013, September 12) UWIRE text, p.1
(10 April 2015). https://login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?
auth=shibb&url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE
%7CA342690912&v=2.1&u=orla57816&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w
"Boeing." : 787 Dreamliner. N.p., n.d.
Web. 19 Apr. 2015. http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787/dreamlinereffect/#/performance
Boivin, Kerri. Annual Report. YC Young Children 63.6 (2008: 101-12. Web.
( 12 April 2015) Pg.(5)

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https://www.eecs.umich.edu/eecs/about/articles/2014/AnnualReport1213.pdf

McGee,Oliver. "Landing a Job in Engineering by Expert Oliver McGee." PR Newswire 17 May

2013. Academic OneFile. Web. (04 April.2015).
.https://login.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/loginauth=shibb&url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
=GALE%7CA330158062&v=2.1&u=orla57816&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w