Hey everyone,
This week, I’m going to talk a little about my involvement with the USC chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE). This is on my mind this week, because they recently got a twitter and I started following them.
IIE hosts a variety of different activities for its members throughout the school year. These activities are social, informational, and career-related.
This week, a representative from Southern California Edison came to talk to IIE members about different types of job/internship interviews. The information she presented was really helpful, especially for some of the lower classmen who haven’t had too much experience with interviewing yet. However, there was also a lot to gain for those who have already had experience. Events like this are nice, because they are more casual than some other networking events. I was able to ask questions both about interviews in general and questions about the company itself. I know that IIE also had a representative come from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) this week. I wasn’t able to attend this information session, but I’m sure it went really well. It’s nice to be a part of an organization that specifically brings in companies who are interested in hiring students from my major for both internships and full-time positions. The Viterbi Career fair is awesome, but attending small events for students of your major is another great way to gain networking experience.
Another great thing about IIE is being able to meet other ISEs who I haven’t had too many classes with. You’d be surprised at how close you can become with students who you don’t have any classes with. Also, as a freshman and sophomore, I was able to ask some of the older students about which classes and professors were the hardest, and how to succeed in them. We all end up taking most of the same required classes, so there’s a lot of members who have experience with all the different courses. Now that I am a junior, I am able to answer some of these questions that the newer members have. I think that there might be a social event for IIE members next week, so I am hoping that I will be able to attend so I can get to know some of the newer members. Also, I think IIE puts on a luncheon with the ISE faculty once or twice a year. This is a great way to learn a little bit more about our professors outside of the classroom. They have tons of experience in Industrial Engineering that isn’t always covered in the courses they are teaching. By getting to know them outside of the classroom, you can learn even more.
The bottom line is, this is a really great organization for ISE majors, because it helps us all connect with each other, our faculty, and companies who are specifically looking for industrial engineers. And even if you aren’t interested in Industrial Engineering, there are student organizations for a lot of the other engineering disciplines too. Definitely check them out!
On another note:
Tonight, I am going to a Maroon 5 concert!!! They are my favorite band, and this will be my fourth time seeing them live. This week, I had 4 exams, so this concert will be a really nice reward. And to make it even better, the venue is only a 15 minute drive from USC! I couldn’t be more excited! Just another great thing about living in L.A.!
Anyway, everyone have a great weekend!
I ended up going to the IIE PwC info session – it really was helpful! I learned more about the dynamic and structure of the company, and saw where I could see myself fitting in. It was presented by a Trojan graduate, so it was great to connect with her in that way as well.
Hope the Maroon 5 concert was super fun!