Hands-On Projects Can Increase Chances of Landing a Job

As a student, are you worried that your knowledge won’t be enough to impress potential employers? Do you think you lack the practical technical skills needed to get a job? Maybe you’ve thought about a technical solution to solve a problem in your school or community, but you’re not sure how to take the next step.

I struggled to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application. But when you combine academic knowledge with practical projects that solve a societal problem through technology, you can ace any interview.

You don’t have to travel the journey alone. Here are some lessons I learned as a student.

Speed ​​up cash lines and accounting processes

I am a Cloud Support Engineer at a company in Hyderabad, India. I am also an active IEEE volunteer as one of its Young Professionals, Impact Maker and Brand Ambassador.

In my role as an impact maker, I share my knowledge of engineering, computing and technology with the media to highlight trends and consumer habits. As a brand ambassador, I teach students and professionals how to display the IEEE brand on websites, newsletters, banners, event materials and other assets.

When I was in my first semester as a computer engineering student at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, I was frustrated by the long queues to check books coming in and out of the library of the affiliated college, HMR Institute of Technology and Management. Even getting a new library card took a long time. I was determined to solve the problem.

For six months, I developed software on my own to scan student cards and speed up processes. I received the school’s first Technocrat Award for my efforts.

Word got out about my programming skills and I received many requests to help me solve other problems. One of them is interesting and comes from the director of India’s largest national broadcasting company, All India Radio. I was asked to streamline its accounting process. At the time, the company only used Microsoft Excel and a pen-and-paper system. It only took me six months to create comprehensive accounting software to make the process much more efficient.

“When you combine academic knowledge with practical projects that solve a societal problem through technology, you can ace any interview.”

This opportunity was a big break for me. The technology I created redefined the broadcaster’s operations and could be used in its other offices, expanding my reach.

During my first corporate job interview after graduating from college, the interviewer was surprised to learn that I had published 15 research papers, completed 15 projects, and even had a patent application pending. (The government has since granted the patent.)

The HR representative and technical interviewer didn’t expect a recent grad to publish their research, and they were impressed. I couldn’t wait to see their reactions.

Students must understand the importance of doing something exceptional beyond learning theory and concepts. Having practical skills before leaving school is a great way to set yourself apart from other new engineering graduates.

Ask the right questions

Before embarking on a new project, I ask myself five simple questions. This may seem obvious, but some details are often forgotten. Even as a student, when you start working with clients, you need to have a process for gathering the information you need.

When it comes to getting the information correct, I focus on the five Ws: who, what, why, when and where.

• WHO uses the current model?
• What are its characteristics?
• For what Is the current model insufficient?
• When when is the right time to deploy the new solution?
• Or should it be deployed?

Once I get those answers, I start using design thinking to strategize.

My clients are generally looking to improve existing solutions rather than starting from scratch. I need to know what works and what doesn’t with the current program.

Remember that while the process may be simple for you, it may be new to your client.

Here are what I consider to be the five steps of the process.

Understand the problem. Once you have identified the customer’s problem, the next step is to listen to them fully without judgment. You really need to understand the issues and why the current application is not working. Listen fully, ask questions and try to understand the customer’s problems.

Research and ideation. Do your own research. It is essential to conduct field research to better understand the client’s requirements. One of my projects was to help farmers get loans directly from the Indian government, rather than going through loan servicing agencies and banks. Farmers were frustrated with the time it took to obtain loans. While doing my research, I was shocked by the high fees agencies charged to process the necessary documents.

I wouldn’t have learned this by just reading research articles. You need to explore your customer’s pain points.

Then start thinking. Think about how you can improve the current model. You might want to do some research to find other products that might solve the problem. Also consider rethinking the current version. Let yourself brainstorm as many ideas as possible, then review them with your client and ask for feedback.

This can give you a clear idea of ​​what the customer likes about the options and it can help better direct the rest of your research and ideation.

Technological research and prototyping. At this point, you’ve created a short list of ideas for solving your customer’s problems. Next, research all the technologies you need to use. If you need training, use learning platforms like Coursera, EdX, IEEE Learning Network, Udacity, and Udemy.

Once you have identified and learned the necessary technology, it is time to create the first prototype.

Test and improve. Test the prototype, collect feedback from your client as you take meticulous notes, then revise it based on the feedback.

This helps you understand what improvements are needed and identify gaps in your model. This brings you closer to customer requirements. Use the information to refine the design and create the product.

It is important to note that this step may go through several iterations. You may need to keep improving the results until the design works for the client. Refer to your original weak point notes often to ensure you haven’t overlooked anything in the final design.

Protect your intellectual property. Many students and young professionals skip the important step of protecting their idea, such as copyright protection, publishing an article, or filing a patent. I’ve seen many students present their ideas at hackathons and competitions and assume that receiving cash prizes is enough to appear on their resume. They should really protect their ideas.

Get involved with IEEE

After speaking at more than 1,000 IEEE workshops and other events in more than 25 countries, I worry that students are not using their technical knowledge to its fullest potential. To learn more about how to use your time and skills as a new engineer, check out my YouTube channel.

Don’t wait for an opportunity to knock on your door. Create your own opportunities by attending IEEE technical and non-technical events and getting involved in the organization’s student service-learning program, EPICS in IEEE.

The IEEE Participation, Volunteering, and Networking (PVN) model that I invented works.