Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Category: Career

How do I sign up to take the FE exam?

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The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is maintained by the NCEES, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Go to the NCEES webpage to register for the exam. Once you have paid the fee you will be able to choose your testing site. The Michigan Tech testing center will be one option. If none of the Michigan Tech testing center dates work for you then contact the testing center directly and ask if other dates can be made available.

The Chemical Engineering department will help you pay for a portion of the test if you request the reimbursement prior to graduating. Drop off or email your receipt to the department office to request reimbursement.

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Should I take the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam?

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Yes, you should take the FE exam because working towards getting your professional engineering license is a multi-year process and the best time to start it is when you are finishing your bachelors degree. 

The licensure requirements vary from state to state, but they usually involve the following steps:
1.  Earn an engineering degree from an accredited program.  Our program is ABET accredited. 
2.  Pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam
3.  Obtain professional work experience
4.  Pass the Professional Engineering (PE) exam

You are already working on step one.  The next step is to pass the FE exam.  You may take the FE exam when you are close to finishing your degree.  The department will also help pay for a portion of the exam if you choose to schedule it during your last year at Michigan Tech.  

Not everyone will end up getting or needing a professional engineering license but whether you will need or want it is difficult to know early in your career.  Taking the FE exam now requires less preparation because the information covered on the test is fresh in your mind.  Your FE exam results do not expire.

See also: How do I sign up to take the FE exam? and What should I do to prepare for the FE exam?

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How can I give the University feedback or register a complaint?

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Michigan Tech has a web form for giving feedback or registering a complaint.  From the website:

The Dean of Students Office at Michigan Tech is committed to fostering a supportive environment where students are listened to, understood, and appreciated. When students have a complaint or concern about their campus experience, whether it is in or out of the classroom, the Dean of Students Office provides help and guidance in resolving the issue.

For more information, go to the Student Concerns and Complaints website.  Working together, we can continuously improve Michigan Tech and the Michigan Tech experience.

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How important are co-ops to getting a job? (and other career questions)

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Steve Patchin, Michigan Tech Director of Career Services, is very knowledgeable on this subject.  He recently co-wrote a posting for NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers in which he cites the data.  Here are the questions (and answers) they address:

  • Company conversion rate co-op/intern to full-time employee: 61 percent (median – 80 percent )
  • Will your company be increasing the number of internships it offers?  77 percent – YES!
  • What does co-op/internship experience mean to companies? (read the posting)
  • What do students see as their value? (read the posting)
  • What do recruiters value most? Co-op or GPA?  Co-op/Internship Experience – 51 percent | GPA – 13 percent | Both – 36 percent
  • Will you make room for top talent? 88 percent – YES!

Check out the article!

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Where can I learn more about the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program?

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The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a set of summer research programs hosted at at many universities, including Michigan Tech.  These are competitive programs and an excellent way to check out if you are interested in graduate school.  A good time to do an REU is the summer after you have completed the spring junior classes in chemical engineering.  If you can get one earlier than that, that’s great too, but the best time is just before senior year.

The REU programs are the opportunity to participate in a funded research program at a research university.  You will work with other REU undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, and the professor in the program (0ften in a lab) on a real project that is aiming towards publication.  They are looking for bright students who may be interested in going to graduate school.  They will be showing you what graduate school and research is all about.  You will make friends and gain colleagues and you will gain research experience and skills. You will get the opportunity to live in a new place and in general check out the scene.  You may get to be on a publication.  If you are not sure about going to graduate school the REU experience will likely give you the experience you need to come to a decision.

The REU fellowships are well funded–you will have enough to live on and to enjoy your summer and to save up for college.  The deadlines for REU applications range from January to late March annually.  There may be some with later deadlines, but they are accepting people in February and March so if they fill up they fill up.

You may obtain more information about the REU program from the NSF website.  Undergraduate students sponsored with NSF funds must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its possessions.  NSF maintains a website that allows you to search by topic for REU programs throughout the country.  A contact person and contact information is listed for each site.

I highly recommend this program to students who are interested in research and/or graduate school.

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How should I prepare for a phone/web interview?

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First interviews over the phone or internet are increasingly common.  Here are some things to watch out for:

Content preparation:

  1. Develop good answers to the most common questions (google around to find a list of common questions).
  2. Have two questions prepared for when they ask if you have any questions (google around to see what questions folks suggest in your field).
  3. Know something about the organisation you’re interviewing with (do your homework).

Language and Image:

  1. Avoid minimising language in your answers (“I’d just like to say…”  “Maybe this is wrong, but…”  “I don’t know much about it but…“.  If you practice you’ll see that you can give the same answer (what you know about the topic) and can deliver it without the preface of “All I know about that is ...” or some other minimising language.
  2. Speak clearly.  If you tend to speak rapidly, slow down.  Make sure your answers do not run on and on-they likely have more to ask you.
  3. Avoid simple yes/no answers.  If you need time to think, say “Hmm, let me think about that for a minute.” to get yourself time and so they know why you’re not answering.  Don’t take longer than a minute.

Preparation and Setting:

  1. Be on time.  Don’t schedule any other appointment too close to the end of the interview; you do not want to have to cut it short.
  2. Be in a private space where you will not be interrupted.
  3. Have a paper and pen handy for taking notes; note down the name of your interviewer and address them formally until they invite you to do otherwise.
  4. Have your resume handy; they likey have it handy and are reading from it.  Mark up your copy with other topics/interests that branch from your resume in case there is an opportunity to talk about these.
  5. Try to project confidence and good will.  How to do this will depend on you, but give it some thought.

Technical advice:

  1. Use a land line for a phone interview to avoid technical problems; if this is not feasible think hard about how good your connection will be at the time of the interview.  If it’s a video interview use a good connection.
  2. If it’s a video interview, look at your camera, not at the image of your interviewer on the screen.  Dress professionally.  Check out the background behind you and choose it wisely.  Check out your technical connections early to avoid delays.

Good luck.  If you have any advice to add to this post, please send it to cmadvise@mtu.edu.

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What are recruiters looking for in 2018?

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For the answer to this question, let’s ask NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers.  Their article highlights these topics:

  • Trend : Recruiters are moving toward informal means of recruiting
  • Trend: Breaking down silos
  • Focus is on industry, not major
  • It’s not all about the technical skills
  • There’s improved communication across campus
  • Note an increased focus on diversity and inclusion
  • Predictions for STEM Recruiting in 2018

Which University does NACE use as their example in their introduction?  Well, Michigan Technological University, of course!  Go to the link to read NACE’s analysis of the 2018 recruiting season.

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How can I get a job, internship, or co-op? What’s the method these days?

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Career Services at Michigan Tech is designed and operated to help you get a job, internship, or co-op.  As soon as you arrive on campus as a first-year student, transfer student, or graduate student, you should visit Career Services and check out their programs and sign up for the ones you need.

Their main events are the fall and spring Career Fairs.  You should go to these every year you are at Tech.  Even if you’re not looking for a job, you should go and see how it is done, get your materials into the system, and learn from watching and participating in Career Fair.  Our Career Fair is one of the best in the nation.

Currently Career Services uses Handshake as the portal for connecting students with recruiters.  Every Michigan Tech student has a Handshake account.  Go to the Handshake login site, log in, and take a look at what there is on offer.

In 2018 I went to an interesting session put on by Career Services.  They said that these days more than 70% of folks (up to 85% by some estimates) get their jobs from personal contacts.  They say the right way to approach Career Fair is to go to the events that precede Career Fair.  These events are less crowded, you don’t have to dress up, and you can give out your resume and talk to the person receiving it. These events are happening the week before Career Fair and throughout the year (info sessions, company presentations, Industry Days, and things like that).  Second, when you go to Career Fair, don’t spend your time in long lines. Go to the smaller companies where you can actually talk to someone and show them who you are. Always bring an up-to-date copy of your resume.  Career Services can help you to improve your resume.

I also learned that the job-search success rates for folks with GPA between 2.5 and 3.0 IS THE SAME as the success rate of folks with GPA between 3.0 and 3.5.  So you can get that job.  You just need to follow this advice and put in the leg work to meet people who may want to give you a job.  Good luck!

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