As a college student, are you worried that your knowledge alone won't be enough to impress potential employers? Do you feel you lack the necessary practical technical skills to get a job? Perhaps you've come up with an engineering solution to a problem in your school or community, but you're not sure how to take the next step.
I struggled to bridge the gap between classroom theory and practical application. But if you combine academic knowledge with practical projects that solve social problems using technology, you can ace any interview.
You don't have to travel alone. Here are some lessons I learned as a student.
Speeding up cash lines and accounting processes
I am a cloud support engineer in a company in Hyderabad. India. I am also an active IEEE volunteer, being one of its young specialists, impact creatorAnd brand representative.
In my role as an impact maker, I share my ideas in engineering, computing and technology with the media to highlight trends and consumer habits. As a brand ambassador, I teach students and professionals how to display IEEE branding on websites, newsletters, banners, event materials and other materials.
When I was in my first semester computer engineering student in Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha UniversityIn New Delhi, I was frustrated by the long queues to return books to the library of my affiliated college, HMR Institute of Technology and Management. Even getting a new library card took a long time. I was determined to solve the problem.
Over the course of six months, I single-handedly developed a program to scan student records. ID cards and speed up processes. For my efforts, I received the school's first Technocrat Award.
There were rumors about my programming skills, and I have received many requests to help solve other problems. An intriguing statement came from the director of India's largest national agency. broadcasting company, All India Radio. I was asked to simplify the accounting process. At that time the company only used Microsoft Excel along with the paper system. It only took me six months to create a fully functional accounting program that made the process significantly more efficient.
“When you combine academic knowledge with practical projects that solve social problems using technology, you can ace any interview.”
This opportunity was a big breakthrough for me. The technology I created redefined what the broadcaster did and could be used across its other offices, expanding my reach.
During my first corporate interview after graduating from university, the interviewer was surprised to learn that I had published 15 research paperscompleted 15 projectsand even had a patent application pending. (The government has since issued a patent.)
The HR representative and technical round interviewer weren't expecting the recent graduate's research to be published, and they were impressed. I was interested to see their reaction.
Students must understand the importance of doing something exceptional beyond learning theory and concepts. Gaining practical skills before you graduate is a great way to stand out from other engineering graduates.
Ask the right questions
Before I take on a new project, I ask myself five simple questions. They may seem obvious, but some details are often forgotten. Even as a student, when you start working with clients, you should have a process for gathering the information you need.
When it comes to getting the right information, I focus on the five Ws: who, what, why, when and where.
- WHO uses the current model?
- What its features?
- Why Is the current model insufficient?
- When is the right time to deploy a new solution?
- Where should it be deployed?
Once I get these answers I will start using design thinking develop a strategy.
My clients are usually looking to improve existing solutions rather than start from scratch. I need to know what works and what doesn't in the current program.
Remember that while this process may be simple for you, it may be new for your client.
Here are what I consider the five stages of this process.
Understand the problem. Once you have identified the customer's problem, the next step is to listen to the customer fully without making judgments. You need to truly understand the pain points and why the current application isn't working. Listen carefully, ask questions and try to empathize with the client's problems.
Research and ideas. Do your own research. It is very important to conduct field research to better understand the client's requirements. One of my projects was to help farmers get loans directly from the Indian government instead of through credit agencies. banks. Farmers were frustrated by how long it took to receive loans. While doing my research, I was shocked by the high fees that agencies charged for processing the necessary documents.
I wouldn't know this just by reading scientific papers. You need to study your client's pain points.
Next, start brainstorming. Think about how you can improve your current model. You may need to do some research to find other products that could solve this problem. Also consider changing the design of the current version. Allow yourself to brainstorm as many ideas as possible, then review them with your client and ask for feedback.
This can give you a clear idea of what the client likes about the options and help you better direct the rest of your research and ideas.
Technological research and prototyping. At this point, you've created a short list of ideas to solve your customer's pain points. Then research all the technologies you need to use. If you need training, use training platforms such as Coursera, EdX, IEEE Learning Network, UdacityAnd Udemy.
Once you've identified and researched the technology you need, it's time to create your first prototype.
Test and improve. Test the prototype, collect customer feedback by carefully recording it, and then refine it based on the feedback.
This will help you understand what improvements are needed and identify gaps in your model. This brings you closer to the client's requirements. Use this information to improve the design and creation of the product.
It is important to note that this stage may go through several iterations. You may have to keep improving the results until the design works for the client. Revisit your initial pain point notes often to ensure you haven't forgotten anything in the final design.
Protect your intellectual property. Many students and young specialists skip an important step in protecting your idea, such as copyrighting, publishing an article, or filing a patent. I have seen many students present their ideas at hackathons and competitions and think that winning cash prizes is enough to put it on their resume. They should really defend their ideas.
Join IEEE
Having spoken at more than 1,000 IEEE seminars and other events in more than 25 countries, I am concerned that students are not using their technical knowledge to its full potential. To learn more about how to use your time and skills as a new engineer, check out my YouTube channel.
Don't wait for the opportunity to knock on your door. Create your own opportunities by participating in IEEE technical and non-technical events and participation in the student training program, EPIC at IEEE.
IEEE Participation, Volunteering and Networking (PVN) Model– which I came up with – works.
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