How can I get in contact with people in the profession I'm considering?
I have wanted to become a biomedical engineer for many years, but there are many times when I wonder whether I would truly thrive in this career. I would love to shadow a biomedical engineer, especially as I want to declare my major in college as soon as possible. Is it rude or unacceptable for aspiring students to ask to spend time in the workplace? There aren't many interning positions a high school student is allowed to take up, but even standing on the sidelines for a single day can help students like me get a grasp of what a day of work as a biomedical engineer is like.
#hungry-for-info #choosing-a-major #biomedical-engineering #biomedical #biotechnology #bioengineering #bioengineer
2 answers
Mary’s Answer
<span style="background-color: rgb(253, 253, 253);">Hi Yekaterina, it may be a good idea to attend a summer camp - I found a link to some programs available for high school students - check out number 1 and 3 https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/6-biomedical-engineering-summer-programs-for-high-school-students-587658/7/ - best of luck and hope this helps with your decision. weneedmoreengineers<;/span>
Monica’s Answer
Hey Yekaterina,
There are lots of ways to get in contact with people in the profession you are considering. Some great ways to get started is to network with such folks--this could be attending meetups, informal groups. Use linkedin to find groups and even individuals that you can reach out to. Cold out-reach is surprisingly effective if you express interest in the career fields. I suggest you request for an informational interview first over the phone--no longer than 20 mins. It is a great way to start a conversation, get to know them, make connections. Once you have a couple of people in your network, developed the relationship, you can definitely ask to shadow them.
Hope this helps.