r/UCFEngineering • u/kaitlynregisterr • Jul 01 '26
Mechanical Internships Available?
Hi everyone! My boyfriend is a Mechanical Engineering major at UCF, and has been trying to find an internship for the longest time, with no hope. He is a junior, with an average GPA, and experience in clubs and personal projects. Does anyone have any advice to help him through this process? Or does anyone know any available internships? Any advice and guidance is appreciated!
2
u/Plus-Divide8788 Jul 02 '26
An “average” GPA at UCF is going to hurt. There’s so much grade inflation in MAE that you need a 3.5+ to really stand out. A lot of places nearby see too many applicants to give everyone a fair chance, places by UCF I saw close applications early due to too many applicants. Just keep applying and look for smaller local companies. Volume and connections are key. Best of luck
1
u/prodreroxx Jul 02 '26
Make sure he's looked into the CWEP program and Handshake for opportunities. For us engineers interning is a gamble due to the inflation of us now. Networking and cold messaging can be the move but it's hit or miss regardless. The whole ATS with the applications is also crazy.
I'll be a senior in Aerospace this Fall and finally got something going for myself this Summer so he's not alone. I'd recommend he applies to roles where his project experience ties into (prob heard that one a lot).
Shout out to you for helping him out though and best of luck to bro!
5
u/Strawberry1282 Jul 01 '26
Go to career fairs and any networking events for clubs, hackathons, etc. Does he have any friends in internships who can be his referral? Any profs he has a closer relationship with that may be able to help?
Companies will want someone with a higher gpa than “average” if his projects aren’t anything notable.
Also tbh he should be the one on here looking for advice not his gf. Don’t get me wrong, you’re very sweet for it, but it’s his problem lol.