Hey there! I’m Kelly, the External Vice President in SWE this year and welcome to the kick-off of our new blog! I’m a senior this year, and it’s also my first year in SWE. I’ve learned a lot about our program this year and want to share a couple reasons on why to get involved in SWE. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior like me, there are so many great things SWE can offer and it’s never too late!
Find your people
I started out so nervous going to a meeting at the end of my junior year knowing only two people in a crowded room. I thought, how am I going to make friends in this group when everyone has been going to meetings together for an entire year? But then, Jamie, our president, organized our first officer meeting at Illegal Pete’s. I met up with the girls for chips, salsa, and some great margaritas. Now six months later, Wednesdays are so fun for me because we get to catch up on each other’s senior design projects, job interviews, and eat a bunch of pizza together.
Build your professional skills
On top of the amazing friends you’ll make, our meetings are a chance to develop your leadership skills. So far this semester, a couple of the seniors and I have presented on what career fairs and interviews are actually like. We were honest, our hands get sweaty and we’ve definitely stuttered trying to introduce ourselves to recruiters but we shared these mistakes so everyone could learn from our goof-ups! We covered the best way to prepare for an interview, what questions to ask, and even how to navigate the lines at career fairs. I wish I had known these things my freshman year!
Get a mentor/mentee
I was lucky enough to find a great mentor in SWE before she graduated. My mentor was last year’s External Vice President, Sophie. She and I would grab Starbucks and work together on how to improve SWE’s corporate sponsorship team. Sophie now works full-time for General Motors. In September, she came back on a recruiting trip for her company and actually helped me get an interview for a full-time position!
This year, I have two wonderful ladies who help me out with the external branch. Teagan and Christina have both approached me with some questions about how to apply for internships and how to nail interviews. Teagan and I met up before the SWE conference and researched a company together in preparation for an interview while she was there!
Discover the perfect internship or job!
About once a month, we bring in our corporate sponsors for an industry meeting. Company representatives will present during our meeting about their company, the opportunities available to university students, and the benefits of working for them. So, instead of the intimidating environment of a career fair, we get direct information from employees at these top companies and the chance to ask them questions. It’s a great way to learn more about potential opportunities for summer internships or career paths. Plus, our sponsors are most generally looking to hire SWE members so it’s a great chance to network!
Find your people
I started out so nervous going to a meeting at the end of my junior year knowing only two people in a crowded room. I thought, how am I going to make friends in this group when everyone has been going to meetings together for an entire year? But then, Jamie, our president, organized our first officer meeting at Illegal Pete’s. I met up with the girls for chips, salsa, and some great margaritas. Now six months later, Wednesdays are so fun for me because we get to catch up on each other’s senior design projects, job interviews, and eat a bunch of pizza together.
Build your professional skills
On top of the amazing friends you’ll make, our meetings are a chance to develop your leadership skills. So far this semester, a couple of the seniors and I have presented on what career fairs and interviews are actually like. We were honest, our hands get sweaty and we’ve definitely stuttered trying to introduce ourselves to recruiters but we shared these mistakes so everyone could learn from our goof-ups! We covered the best way to prepare for an interview, what questions to ask, and even how to navigate the lines at career fairs. I wish I had known these things my freshman year!
Get a mentor/mentee
I was lucky enough to find a great mentor in SWE before she graduated. My mentor was last year’s External Vice President, Sophie. She and I would grab Starbucks and work together on how to improve SWE’s corporate sponsorship team. Sophie now works full-time for General Motors. In September, she came back on a recruiting trip for her company and actually helped me get an interview for a full-time position!
This year, I have two wonderful ladies who help me out with the external branch. Teagan and Christina have both approached me with some questions about how to apply for internships and how to nail interviews. Teagan and I met up before the SWE conference and researched a company together in preparation for an interview while she was there!
Discover the perfect internship or job!
About once a month, we bring in our corporate sponsors for an industry meeting. Company representatives will present during our meeting about their company, the opportunities available to university students, and the benefits of working for them. So, instead of the intimidating environment of a career fair, we get direct information from employees at these top companies and the chance to ask them questions. It’s a great way to learn more about potential opportunities for summer internships or career paths. Plus, our sponsors are most generally looking to hire SWE members so it’s a great chance to network!
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