Career Success Guide

________________________________________________________________________ Include: name, year in school, major, and relevant academic or student involvement Example: “Hi, I’m Alex Ramirez, a junior studying Mechanical Engineering at UW-Stout Polytechnic and I recently participated in a design challenge with Engineers Without Borders.” Now You Try: ____________________________________________________________ Step 2: What’s Your Goal? Include: Why are you introducing yourself? Are you looking for an internship, co-op, full-time position, or simply exploring opportunities? Example: “I’m currently seeking a summer internship where I can apply my technical skills and gain hands-on experience in the engineering design process.” Now You Try: ____________________________________________________________ Step 3: What Are Your Strengths? Include: a few technical or sof skills, lab experience, sofware knowledge, or project work that relates to your goal. Example: “I have experience using SolidWorks and recently worked on a project to design a system to deliver clean drinking water to people in remote areas in Africa.” Now You Try: ____________________________________________________________ Step 4: What Are You Passionate About? Include: What excites you about your major? What kind of impact do you want to make? Example: “I’m passionate about using engineering to solve real-world problems, especially when it comes to making systems more efcient and reliable.” Now You Try: ____________________________________________________________ Step 5: How Do You Wrap It Up? Include: clearly express your interest, share a next step, or ask for an opportunity to learn more. Example: “I’d really like to learn more about your current projects and how I could contribute as an intern on your team.” Now You Try: ____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Build Your Elevator Pitch: First Impressions Mater Use this guide to develop an introduction when meeting employers during interviews, career conferences, and other networking events. Your goal is to create a positive and lasting impression in a brief amount of time. Build your pitch step-by-step so you are ready to connect with confdence. Step 1: Introduce Yourself

Pro Tips: Practice out loud until it feels natural and confdent Break it into segments, rather than delivering it all at once If you know the employer in advance, do some research: • Look into recent projects or innovations in their feld • Explore their company values or mission • Reference a recent achievement or something you admire Real-World Examples: Scenario 1: Afer an Employer Visits Your Class “Hi, I’m Alex Ramirez, in Mechanical Engineering. I appreciated your talk about sustainable materials. I recently participated in a design challenge with Engineers Without Borders which allowed me to use engineering to solve real-world problems, especially when it comes to making systems more efcient and reliable. I’m currently seeking a summer internship where I can apply my technical skills, like SolidWorks, and gain hands-on experience in the engineering design process. Could I ask you more about the innovations your team is working on?” Scenario 2: Waiting in Line for Coffee “Hi, I noticed your company logo, are you with XYZ Manufacturing? I’m, Alex, a Mechanical Engineering student at UW-Stout Polytechnic. I’ve been following your recent innovations in HVAC systems, and I’m interested in how your team is improving energy efciency. I’d like to hear more about your internship opportunities if you have a minute.”

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ Putting It All Together Use this space to combine your responses into one complete pitch. Aim for 3–5 sentences. Keep it clear, concise, and confdent!

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