How Can I Land an EE/CE Internship and Develop Marketable Skills on a Budget?

[jgordo32]

Hey, so I'm currently trying to decide on a career path between Computer Engineering and Computer Science. I just finished a summer internship in CS and thought it was pretty cool. Next summer I'd like to get an internship in Computer Engineering. Problem is... I have no idea how to get hired in EE/CE.

I've seen lots of guides for CS interviews etc. In addition to having a good gpa and being personable, they all tell you to learn algorithms, design patterns, and other marketable skills. What are some of those marketable skills that I can practice for cheap (I'm still a student) on my own in the EE field?

For example, this summer I built a beer pong table that had some LEDs in it. That gave me some experience with really basic circuitry. I'm looking for more stuff like that thanks!

 

[digitalblggr]

First of all you should identify a field of EE/CE that excites you. Are you looking for more computer engineering oriented internship where you will get to work on CPUs, graphics cards, FPGAs , etc. or are you looking for more electrical engineering side where you can do analog design, signal processing , etc. Either way you are in luck. Hardware companies usually have multiple spots open for different positions. A very good example would be nVidia. You can apply as ASIC engineer , where you will get to play around with ASICs( you will probably be put in Test as an intern) or apply as analog designer.

For the second part of your question , it will definitely help if you get some hands on experience at school. Easiest way to get started is to enroll in project courses. That way you will get some guidance from your teachers and students , and will be prepared to tackle independent projects in the future. For example, to learn more about microprocessors you can build an MP3 player, or a VOIP phone. A good analog project would be an ultrasonic rangefinder.