Leaving Certificate students have an exciting opportunity to explore the diverse realities of an engineering career and discover practical strategies for success as they fill out their upcoming CAO forms.Ena O'Driscoll, Mechanical Engineering student at MTU Cork and Student Ambassador at PM Group, alongside Sean Ryan, Automation Engineering student at SETU and Student Engineer at Jabil, share their university experiences with host Dusty Rhodes. Early STEM encouragement, fostered through school programs and family ties, significantly influences career choices. The discussion highlights the importance of paid internships for developing real-world problem-solving skills and building an invaluable CV. Finally, it offers practical advice for creating standout applications by emphasizing leadership roles, volunteering, and project work, while also stressing the need to balance academic demands with societal involvement through networking and mentorship via groups like the Engineers Ireland Young Engineers Society. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUTEngineering career choice STEM encouragementPaid internships practical experience benefitsCV building leadership & volunteering standoutTime management balancing studies & activitiesCAO strategy Level 7 & Level 8 optionsGUEST DETAILSEna O'Driscoll is a Mechanical Engineering Student at Munster Technological University (MTU) Cork. Ena is an excellent example of maximising university studies by actively engaging with industry. She gained valuable professional experience through an internship and placement with PM Group, a leading international project delivery firm. Following her successful placement, Ena has continued her association with the company and the wider engineering community by serving as a Student Ambassador at PM Group, demonstrating a strong commitment to promoting engineering and bridging the gap between academia and professional life.Sean Ryan is an Automation Engineering Student at South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford. Sean is currently applying his technical expertise as a Student Engineer at Jabil, a global manufacturing services company. He possesses a strong academic background complemented by valuable practical experience, including previous work as a controls engineer at Integer. Sean is highly engaged within his university community, having served as a peer-to-peer mentor and senior mentor to support first-year engineering students. Sean is also Chairperson of the Young engineer society south east. Hailing from a farming background, Sean brings a unique perspective to problem-solving and engineering challenges. Outside of his studies and work, Sean is an active rugby player for both his college team and a local club.  Connect with AMPLIFIEDWebsite: engineersireland.ieSearch podcast player: "AMPLIFIED" or "Engineers Ireland"Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever you get podcastsMORE INFORMATIONLooking for ways to explore or advance a career in the field of engineering? Visit Engineers Ireland to learn more about the many programs and resources on offer. https://www.engineersireland.ie/   Engineers Journal AMPLIFIED is produced by DustPod.io for Engineers Ireland.QUOTESMy secondary school was actually really good in terms of promoting STEM. Every couple of weeks we'd have different people come in and talk about different areas - Ena O'DriscollI'm on currently working as a controls and automation engineer student for Jabil healthcare, which is ideal because it's only two minutes walk from my college and I'm able to go in there part time and the hours are flexible which is amazing  - Sean RyanWe were given real work to work on from day one.  It started with helping other engineers, carried out a study. We were able to find that quadrant that was the problem and implement that change.- Sean RyanI've always enjoyed Maths, Physics, anything problem solving wise. I've always wanted to be an engineer since probably around 14. I interviewed one of my dad's best friends who's a civil engineer. I got into the mechanical side because of my godfather.  - Ena O'DriscollKEYWORDSEngineering studies, STEM promotion, student engineers, automation engineering, mechanical engineering, industry experience, internships

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