Engineers, Experience, and Education (Part 1)

My first real experience with a co-op started as I waited nervously at the Gainesville Regional Airport. If you've never been to anything but a big international airport, you're missing out.

The Gainesville Airport had two gates but they didn't have those motorized hallways that dock to a plane. At this airport the passengers were faced with two normal doors that opened directly on the tarmac. At boarding time everyone was expected to walk across the taxiway, step on a stool, and climb into the plane. Just like Casablanca.

I didn't pay for my ticket. A rental car and a room at the Embassy Suites awaited my arrival in Austin. All my expenses were covered by the interviewing company. The next day would be busy with a drug test, interview, and flight back to Florida. I was nervous, but I was excited too.

Why You Want an Internship or Co-op

I distinctly remember how exciting internships and co-ops seemed when I first learned about them. Sadly, I was probably almost three years into my degree. When a professor encouraged my Microcontrollers class to get co-ops (or an internship, they're similar), this is what stuck in my head:

• Co-ops are paid! Instead of me paying to learn, some company might pay me to learn. Not only that, but many Co-ops pay quite well.
• Co-ops often will take you to new cities, even new states. Sometimes a company will fly you out somewhere, feed you, and entertain you just for an interview. If you get an offer, many companies will pay to help you move there and then back to school.
  
• No homework. Go to work to work. Come home and relax, just like a normal human being.
• Get real experience to put on your resume and discuss in interviews.
  
• Work on real problems. Unlike school, people actually notice when you solve a problem. Your work is appreciated.
  

Co-ops and internships sounded awesome. A semester of adventure instead of school. How had I not heard this before? I told all my engineering friends and immediately started to look for opportunities.

When the career fair came to campus, I attended with the goal of getting an interview for a Co-op. The fair was held in the O-dome, a big sports arena with a air-supported roof. Inside, both levels of the arena were jammed with booths for every sort of company imaginable. There were Fortune 500 giants next to tiny companies I'd never heard of.

I walked up to the first big booth and stepped in line. In front of me, four or five students in identical black suits waited for the chance to talk to a recruiter. I watched each in turn perform the same ritual.

Each student would step forward, shake hands, and hand a resume to the recruiter. The recruiter and student would chat for a few minutes. The recruiter occasionally made a mark on the resume. Then finally the recruiter would hand the student a brochure, pen, t-shirt, flashlight, or some other marketing device before the student left. The resume fell into a huge stack. It was an assembly line.

A similar performance repeated for me at each booth. A chat, a trade of papers, and goodbye. Although I stopped at lots of booths, I never got an invitation to further interviews. It felt like an awkward school event. I talked to a bunch of girls, but I never quite figured out how to ask for a dance.

And yet somehow I ended up with an interview and an actual co-op a few months later. But I'll save that story for a later post.

The Book on Internships and Co-ops

If you're a student, especially one in a technical field, please check out my recently published book Conquering Your Engineering Internship: Planning, Getting, and Making the Most of an Internship or Co-op. I think the book is a great resource to help you with every aspect of an internship or co-op: getting hired, learning new skills, making a good impression, having an adventure, and otherwise changing your life for the better. Others agree -- just check out the reviews on Amazon.

I strongly believe that engineering students and recent graduates will benefit greatly from the knowledge in my book. I believe it so strongly that the book is currently available for free download on my publisher's website. Even if you can't afford the paperback, please take a look at the download -- you can buy the hard copy when you get a paying internship. I'd love to know what you think.

Video Lecture on How to Lecture

I just watched a recursive lecture by Patrick Winston. It explained how to lecture using lots of zany little stories and interesting concepts.

Patrick mentioned one interesting idea he called the "near miss". This technique illustrates concepts by demonstrating what isn't part of the concept. For instance, he demonstrates several techniques which do not make for a good lecture.

One final tidbit from the video: Patrick mentioned that he didn't believe people could learn concepts they didn't already almost know. Interesting notion.Watch the video.

Video Link.

Via Ramit Sethi's del.icio.us feed. Link.

The Best Documentaries

Kevin Kelly just released the third edition of True Films. This book has one page reviews of 200 of the best documentaries available. Each review has a few screen captures and an indication of where to rent or buy the films. With a Netflix subscription you can probably rent 80% of these movies.

I've watched many of the films he lists in the book; they are all awesome. Some are even life-changing. None of them have been boring.

Happily, Kevin is testing out an free, ad-supported version of the book. You can download this version from his site as a pdf.

Link.

Find Walkable Neighborhoods

Are you looking for a new place to live? Before you commit, check out the walkability score at Walk Score. Plug an address into the website. Out pops a map of the neighborhood. It gives a score measuring how many businesses, services, schools, parks, libraries, and more are within walking distance.

The walkability of your home and place of work can have a big impact on your quality of life. Having to drive will discourage you from getting out of your house as much, increase your stress levels, and reduce your opportunity for exercise.

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Via Joel on Software.

Disney Cover Songs

Do you like Disney songs? Do you like cover songs? Then Covering the Mouse is the blog for you. Why they even stream samples of the songs!

Link.

Via BoingBoing.

Oil Plug Gaskets

Since buying a used 2006 Honda Element to replace my Jetta and Econoline, I've decided to start changing my own oil again. I'm tired of waiting in grimy rooms, paying too much, and always wondering if the shop is going to make a mistake. Unfortunately, it turns out that auto part stores also can screw up and waste your time.

The oil pan drain plug on my Element has a little aluminum crush washer which ensures a tight seal to the drain pan. According to the manual, you're supposed to change these washers (also known as oil drain plug gaskets) with every oil change. The manual for my Gold 1994 Eagle Vision never mentioned changing a washer, so this is a new thing for me.

You wouldn't think finding a washer at the auto part store would be a problem.
It was. I located a section labeled "oil plugs" which had a small section of expensive washers. Although Auto Zone has a big book which tells you what oil filter to buy for your car, there was no book for the washers.

I walked to the front desk and asked what washer I needed for the oil plug on my Honda Element. Instead of consulting a book or a computer, the clerk walked directly to the washer section and started poking boxes of parts. He handed me a box of M12 Nylon washers and told me this is the kind of washers the factory installed. That seemed fishy, so I asked if he was sure. He was.

I purchased my overpriced washers and went home. Still skeptical, I googled around for what size washer I needed. All I could find was one page mentioned 14mm washers. Mine had about a 12mm inside diameter. I felt quite happy that I had not drained the oil from my vehicle.

Inspecting the box of wrong parts, I discovered that the washer manufacturer had a web site. Even better, Dorman Products has an online parts guide which lets you search by vehicle. Consulting the guide, I learned that I needed an aluminum M14 washer.

I returned my Nylon M12 washers to Auto Zone where a more helpful clerk double-checked the part numbers and exchanged my purchase. It seems to be the correct part: it fit perfectly.

Lessons learned: even simple home maintenance can be fraught with peril and waste lots of time. Also, you reach the nearly-invisible Element oil filter through the passenger-side wheel well (turn the steering wheel hard to the left). Finally, there are still bits of data out there that Google has difficulty finding. I'm amazed that more cars don't disintegrate on the road.

Listen to the Drabblecast

I always laugh when I listen to The Drabblecast. There aren't many podcasts out there that can do that.

The Drabblecast is about 80% flash fiction -- one to two thousand word stories. The tales are generally weird, sometimes gleefully repulsive. Norm Sherman performs all the narration himself, which is part of the appeal. His voices and sound effects are great.

Norm's commentary makes up the remaining 20% of the show. Following the theme, the commentary is also about the weird and absurd. Norm's take on "current events" is a riot, as are his reenactments. My favorite segment of all time has to be his coverage of the gruesome death of a duck in the lobby of an Embassy Suites. Listen to episode 35.

If you cherish the absurd and strange, give the show a listen. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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