Further Thoughts to “The Life Sciences Conundrum”

The article cited above is reproduced with permission from the author.

Johnston, E.T.B., Editorial, Potentials, IEEE, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 3, Jul-Aug 2006.

This is my first editorial as student editor of IEEE Potentials. I am a senior in electrical engineering and Russian studies at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I am very excited to have a role in IEEE Potentials because I believe that it is an excellent forum for new ideas and information as well as a way to stay connected to everything that is going on in the IEEE.

I would like to encourage you to use IEEE Potentials as an opportunity. An opportunity to share what you know, voice your opinion, or ask any questions that you have of the IEEE student community.

The articles in this issue of IEEE Potentials have a focus on careers. At this time of year, many students are trying to find a summer job that will not only pay for the bills but hopefully add something to their resume for after they graduate. Last year, like many of you, I faithfully went to all of the on-campus recruiting events and sent out resumes to all of the local employers, but then I did something new, I went online.

Now for those of you who have tried this approach, you know how frustrating it can be. I spent hours browsing ads on Monster.com and other job Web sites only to throw up my hands in frustration. Either there were no jobs near me or they required years of experience and a degree that I did not have. Finally, in a moment of frustration, I went to Google, typed in “+ internship + 2005 + engineering” and low and behold the first search result was the “Washington Internships for Students of Engineering” Web page.

Ironically enough, what started as a desperate search on the Internet turned into a very valuable summer spent working at the IEEE-USA headquarters as a WISE program intern.

As interns, we spent nine weeks in Washington, DC learning how public policy is made and how engineers can have an impact on the public-policy decisions government leaders make. Throughout the course of the program, we each researched a public policy topic of our interest. With unprecedented access to government leaders, we were able to ask questions to people that most lobbyists have a hard time getting in to see. In the end, I realized that many government officials have no idea about the science that is behind the issues they vote on everyday and that scientists and engineers can have a large impact on the laws that are made simply by expressing their opinions and sharing their expertise.

In an upcoming issue, I plan to write in more detail about what my nine weeks as a WISE intern taught me as a professional. Essentially, the WISE program opened my eyes to the wider world of what engineers really do. As an EE student, I assumed that my options were research, design, or graduate school when I graduate. There is so much more that engineers can do. While I know that the WISE program isn’t for everyone, I would encourage you to look beyond the typical job opportunities in industry or research. Whether it be interning at your local paper as a science and technology editor or volunteering at a local school, these experiences will give you a broader experience base and a different set of knowledge and skills that employers value. Leadership, the ability to communicate, and a broad background of experience are often more important to a prospective employer than your grade in “Differential Equations.”

Elizabeth T.B. Johnston, IEEE Potentials
elizabeth.t.johnston@us.army.mil

在人类文明史上，哪个国家是靠政府管制做起来的？几乎没有。

— 陈志武, 《陈志武专访：正视我们的不幸福》

Which country in recorded history was built up by its government? Practically none.
— Zhiwu Chen

Just a few questions I'd like to pose: It is easy to say that a person's career choice should not be limited to what he read in the university. But shouldn't be a mindset change on the part of recruiters/employers as well? Are they willing to employ someone who does not have the right educational background?

And to fresh graduates: If you want to work in a field unrelated to the course studied, do your homework, know the lingo of the industry you want to join, work for free (if necessary) to get some job experience, network like hell and then SPIN your CV. Chances of getting that interview will be pretty good I expect. Of course it's hard work. But just because you're a graduate, doesn't mean life is one cushy ride after you get the certificate (Perhaps that's a perception out there that has to be corrected as well).