Networks, Tips and Technologies to Boost Engineering Careers
Engineers use mathematical and scientific principles to solve problems and improve processes. They work in many different settings, depending on their specialization. Healthcare, aerospace, transportation, and construction all require the skills and labor of engineers.
Resources for engineering students include professional organizations, industry publications, and continuing education providers. Students need many engineering resources to keep up with engineering developments. This guide gives engineering students a place to start their search for helpful engineering resources.
Professional Networking for Engineers
College helps engineering students build their professional network. Students form connections with peers, professors, and academic mentors they can leverage after graduation. Undergraduate engineering associations let students network with peers from other colleges and different states.
The list below highlights resources for college students in engineering. Professional associations help future engineers build a network of peers and mentors as they begin their own career.
ASEE members explore fellowship opportunities and read about the latest developments and advances in engineering research. Students use ASEE's career center to find internship, mentoring, and career options.
With over 200 student associations worldwide, AIAA helps members make peer connections that can lead to professional collaboration. Members participate in international design competitions to improve their engineering skills even before they earn their degree.
IEEE connects members with professional and educational opportunities and volunteer training programs. IEEE features industry-recognized publications, as well as a well-maintained library in different engineering fields.
NSPE welcomes professional engineers from any practice area. NSPE offers professional development opportunities and helps individuals meet licensure or certification requirements in several states. Members can access an active job board with nationwide open positions.
SPE offers free and discounted training seminars and recorded online courses. Members can earn industry-recognized continuing education units.
Environmental engineering bachelor's or master's students get free AAEES membership up to a year after graduation. Membership includes a digital subscription to Environmental Engineering and Scientist, discounts, and AAEES networking event participation.
With over 60,000 members from over 110 countries, AIChE offers many benefits. AIChE gives members unlimited access to live and recorded webinars. Members access electronic newsletters and publications with the latest development and research findings. Members can also use AIChE's career development services.
ASCE offers resources for engineering students, including continuing education units and Professional Engineer Exam preparation. Members can access journals and digital publications and find networking, mentoring, and volunteer opportunities.
Members access technical resources, professional development options, instructor-led training, and an active job board. ASHRAE provides standards and guidelines toolkits and research reports.
ASME members come from over 150 countries and currently number more than 110,000. Open to all engineers, ASME offers training and professional development opportunities, continuing education courses, and print and digital publications.
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Academic and Research Resources for Engineers
Below, find government and private resources for engineering students as they pursue their educational and professional objectives.
A not-for-profit organization, DOAJ gives access to over 10,000 open access journals in science, technology and other subjects.
A U.S. Department of Commerce agency, NIST offers information and data sources for engineers. The website features scientific databases and an engineering statistics handbook.
SciCentral serves as a news hub and ranking site for breaking scientific research news, including engineering-related news. The site provides access to non-news resources, such as literature search tools, utilities, and directories.
The ScienceDirect search engine lets people search for information on peer-reviewed journals, articles, book chapters, and more. Users can access much of the content via an open-access platform.
Science.gov searches over 60 databases and more than 2200 websites from 15 federal agencies. Users can access 200 million pages of U.S. government science information, including research and development information and data.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offers search capabilities through OSTI.GOV. The DOE also shares science, technology, and engineering research information here. People can use the site's search engine to access full text to studies, citations, software, and more.
The NRC Library site provides access to the agency's publically-released documents and data. Users can review much of the documentation online, or get access through the library's record retrieval systems.
Staying Informed: Engineering News, Trends, and Updates
Engineering experiences rapid technological advances and development. Practitioners need to upgrade their skills and update their knowledge often to stay competitive. These publications share the latest news and findings in different subfields.
Civil Engineering Magazine shares ASCE news and information. It covers sustainability, history and preservation, regulatory policies, and innovation. Readers can access the magazine's library of articles, webinars, and other educational materials.
Students can read about how electrical engineering impacts different scientific and professional industries. Electrical engineers influence power management, programmable logic, artificial intelligence and big data, and tests and measurement.
The magazine covers engineering news and cutting-edge developments in different subfields. Visitors can access engineering tools and software, such as simulation software and an energy conversion calculator.
Readers benefit from nationwide engineering news. ENR covers the latest engineering advances in transportation, sustainability, construction methods, and design.
Mechanical engineers can learn about regulatory policies impacting the field. ME Today explains certification and accreditation requirements across the industry and in different states. The magazine provides information on volunteer and advocacy opportunities for students and practitioners.
This magazine focuses on news about the oil and gas industry and the issues it faces. Subscribers can sign up to receive breaking news about the oil and gas industry in Alaska.
With a readership over 6.4 million, Popular Science features the latest news and advances in science, technology, computers, and engineering. The magazine discusses how breakthroughs in these fields affect human existence.
A great resource for college students in engineering, ScienceDaily covers cutting-edge engineering news. The site features research findings in medicine, environmental science, physics, and nanotechnology, as well.
The AIAA Journal focuses on aeronautics and astronautics news and gives readers access to articles dating back 50 years. As such, the journal serves as a resource for college students conducting historical research in the field.
Each monthly edition of the journal features articles on different chemical engineering research areas. Example article topics include transport phenomena and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and particle technology and fluidization.
The easy-to-read, yet scientifically accurate writing makes Curious Cat a good engineering tool for beginners. The Curious Cat blog explores science, technology, innovation, healthcare, and engineering. The blog includes articles, videos, and science-based contests with cash prizes.
The Engineering Ethics blog follows the idea that a "good engineer both does things right, and does the right thing." It presents well-reasoned commentaries on current events examined from an ethical engineering perspective.
A peer-reviewed publication, the journal welcomes submissions from engineering students and practitioners. Subscribers access the digital collection of scholarly articles and research findings from U.S. and international researchers and professionals.
The publication focuses on nanotechnology and nanoscience. Articles highlight different factors that affect today the field today. Readers learn about nanoscience research that can shape the future and direction of the industry.
Engineering Internships
Internships help engineering students build practical skills through hands-on training and guidance. Many companies welcome engineering interns as a way to attract and cultivate fresh talent. Below, see a few of the internship options available to engineering students.
Boeing provides internship opportunities for aerospace engineering students. Undergraduates getting a degree in electrical, industrial, or chemical engineering can apply as well.
The website focuses on full-time engineering jobs. That said, students can find internship programs with support from technical companies nationwide.
Engineering students can see internship opportunities nationwide and read descriptions and reviews of the companies offering the programs.
Google offers internships for engineering students, future computer programmers, and business majors. The website also includes employment opportunities.
Students can find engineering internships and training programs offered by companies nationwide. The website includes internship opportunities for students in any engineering field.
LinkedIn updates its list of internships for engineering students often. The site shows programs from all over the country.
Taking place at the nation's capital, the WISE internship program lasts nine weeks. WISE helps engineering students understand and exercise their role in the legislative and regulatory process.
Apps, Tools, and Technology in Engineering
Resources for engineering students and practitioners need to keep up development and advances in the field. The following engineering tools and applications help engineers perform tasks required in different engineering fields.
The app provides mechanical engineers and designers with a handy reference tool. They can look up specific information on the jobsite, including duct design, formulas and conversion factors, and fan basics.
The app lets engineers ‘finger draw' mechanical components, geometric figures, and other engineering add-ons. Engineers can use it onsite or (literally) on the road. A price under $5 makes it one of the most affordable engineering tools.
Designed for use with the iPad, TurboViewerX lets practitioners view floor plans, mark-ups, annotations, and other measurements in 3D mode. The app comes with zoom, pan, circle, and other navigational options.
The mobile version of AutoCAD, the app performs many of the same tasks as the desktop program. Engineers and other construction professionals can create, view, edit, and mark up materials on the jobsite with their mobile devices.
Users can access 16 different tools to help them with different tasks. The device comes with a level, compass, QR code reader, magnetic flux monitor, and GPS.
WolframAlpha gets information from thousands of domains. Users get instant answers to questions about the weather, movies, engineering calculations and measurements, and design.
Electrical engineers use this software to create efficient, error-free designs and calculations. It performs multiple complex computations and provides a platform for real-time collaboration. Users can customize the software to meet the technical needs of specific projects.
The engineering tool suits field-based engineers working on conservation projects. EFT helps practitioners survey and design grassed waterways and erosion control terrace systems. It also offers hydraulic formulations.
A wireless, Wi-Fi enabled, scalable mixed reality device, HoloLens provides an immersive experience. Users learn new skills or get advanced training in several fields including engineering, manufacturing, and healthcare.
A powerful programming and computing platform, MATLAB assists scientists and engineers. It helps them perform complex computations, develop algorithms, analyze and correlate data, and create accurate models.
Education and Skill Development for Engineers
No matter an engineer's subfield, they face the challenge of keeping up with developments and advances. Below, find a few of the most well-known and readily available resources for engineering students and professionals today.
The Canvas Network offers free courses in many study areas, including engineering and technology. Students use the courses to grow their knowledge of a specific engineering subfield or explore a new one.
Engineering students can access Coursera offerings for free if not applying the class credits to a degree. As of 2021, Coursera offers over 1,600 courses in many academic subjects, completely free.
Most EdX courses remain free for students to audit. EdX works with several academic and corporate partners to build industry-relevant coursework. Students use it to upgrade their knowledge and skills in different professional arenas, including engineering.
Students explore the website's webinars, ebooks, and research papers. The content covers several engineering subfields and different topics for professionals at different career stages.
MIT OpenCourseware offers free openly-licensed learning materials for students and educators. The site maintains several engineering courses in different subfields.
Engineering students can find massive open online courses in almost all engineering subfields. They explore these classes on their own for audit or enroll through their university for credit.
PDHdirect features continuing education courses and professional development options. The site offers the content in different formats, including live webinars, recorded on-demand webcasts, and online instruction.
Engineering students and practicing engineers pick from over 200 continuing education classes. Vetted instructors in engineering subfields including HVAC, renewable energy, structural engineering, and transportation offer the trainings.
RedVector offers continuing education courses for professionals in different fields including engineers, architects, and contractors. The offerings meet licensure, certification, and renewal criteria.
SPE offers classes, live webinars, and recorded courses on many topics of specific interest to petroleum engineers. It also offers an industry-recognized credential with global acceptance.
