1. Tell me about yourself?
I am down-to-earth, sweet, smart, creative, industrious, and thorough.
I am down-to-earth, sweet, smart, creative, industrious, and thorough.
2. How has your experience prepared
you for your career?
Coursework:
Aside from the discipline and engineering foundation learning that I have gained from my courses, I think the design projects, reports, and presentations have prepared me most for my career.
Aside from the discipline and engineering foundation learning that I have gained from my courses, I think the design projects, reports, and presentations have prepared me most for my career.
Work Experience:
Through internships, I have gained
self-esteem, confidence, and problem-solving skills. I also refined my technical
writing and learned to prepare professional documents for clients.
Student Organizations:
By working on multiple projects for
different student organizations while keeping up my grades, I’ve built time
management and efficiency skills. Additionally, I’ve developed leadership,
communication, and teamwork abilities.
Life Experience:
In general, life has taught me
determination and the importance of maintaining my ethical standards.
3. Describe the ideal job?
Ideally, I would like to work in a
fun, warm environment with individuals working independently towards team goals
or individual goals. I am not concerned about minor elements, such as dress
codes, cubicles, and the level of formality. Most important to me is an
atmosphere that fosters attention to quality, honesty, and integrity.
4. What type of supervisor have you
found to be the best?
I have been fortunate enough to work
under wonderful supervisors who have provided limited supervision, while
answering thoughtful questions and guiding learning. In my experience, the best
supervisors give positive feedback and tactful criticism.
5. What do you plan to be doing in
five years’ time?
Taking the PE exam and serving in
supervisory/leadership roles both at work and in professional/community
organization(s).
6. What contributions could you make
in this organization that would help you to stand out from other applicants?
In previous internships, my
industriousness and ability to teach myself have been valuable assets to the
company. My self-teaching abilities will minimize overhead costs, and my
industriousness at targeting needs without prompting will set me apart from
others. Additionally, one thing that has always set me apart from my
scientific/engineering peers are my broad interests and strong writing abilities.
I am not your typical “left-brained” engineer, and with my broad talents, I am
likely to provide diverse viewpoints.
7. What sort of criteria are you
using to decide the organization you will work for?
Most importantly, I am looking for a
company that values quality, ethics, and teamwork. I would like to work for a
company that hires overachievers.
8. What made you choose your major?
My academic interests are broad, so
I sought civil engineering to achieve a great balance of mathematics,
chemistry, biology, physics, and writing.
9. Have your university and major
met your expectations?
The College of Engineering at MSU
has exceeded my expectations by providing group activities, career resources,
individual attention, and professors with genuine interest in teaching.
My major has met my expectations by
about 90%. I would have enjoyed more choices in environmental courses, and
would have preferred more calculus-based learning.
10. What made you choose this
college?
I chose this college for the
following reasons: my budget limited me to in-state schools, I was seeking an
area with dog-friendly apartments, the MSU web site impressed me, I saw active
student groups, and the people were very friendly.
11. List 2-3 of your greatest
achievements since you’ve been in college and why?
Receiving the SWE
Outstanding Member Award and College of Engineering Student Service Award
I got involved with student
activities to overcome my debilitating shyness. Receiving these awards
signified that I had accomplished a transition from dragging myself to
participate to feeling energized by it.
Receiving the SWE Web Site Award
Without training in web design, I
competed against not only the other student sections, but professional sections
around the nation. Despite competing with more HTML-experienced people, I
brought this award to my section. After getting so much from SWE, I was able to
give something back.
Earning the highest grade in an
organic chemistry class of ~200 people
I worked very hard for this grade and loved the subject, so it was a great feeling to see that the hard work paid off.
I worked very hard for this grade and loved the subject, so it was a great feeling to see that the hard work paid off.
12. Which subjects have you enjoyed
studying the most and why?
I have enjoyed hydrology, fluids,
solid & hazardous waste management, water and wastewater treatment, and
oceanography because I love water and environmental topics.
Calculus and linear algebra excite
me because I love logic.
I enjoyed the writing and analysis
in economic history.
Business law thrilled me because I
have a strong interest in legal matters.
13. Which subjects did you dislike
and why?
Introductory soil elicited little
interest in me, most likely because the professor was inexperienced, the book
was ineffective, and I had little spare time that semester to look into other
resources.
14. Do you have plans to continue
your education?
Yes, but not immediately. I plan to
continue part time with either an MBA or an environmental engineering masters,
depending on which will be more beneficial to my work.
15. How would a professor who knows
you well describe you? One who does not know you well?
A professor who knows me well would
likely describe my personal qualities: sweet, down-to-earth, smart,
hard-working, and conscientious.
As specific examples of those who
did not know me well, my soils professor and soils teaching assistant each
considered me smart and respectful, and both thought that I must have enjoyed
the class a lot, due to my performance.
16. Given the chance, how would you
alter your education?
Knowing now what I like the most, I
would have used my electives for extra math and psychology classes, since I
tend to be well-rounded enough that a variety of classes are unnecessary; my
personal reading is diverse enough. I have found that mathematics and
psychology are helpful to all career and life paths.
17. Which part-time job did you
enjoy the most and why?
Working for PM Environmental was
most enjoyable to me, since I felt like I was significantly contributing to the
company, and I enjoyed learning on my own.
18. Interests?
Some of my interests include dogs, hiking,
snow-shoeing, water sports, writing, reading (especially Charles Dickens’
novels), skiing, drawing, crafts, and computers.
19. What are your strengths?
My strongest strength is the ability
to teach myself difficult material, regardless of the subject (with the
exception of theater and drawing blood from dogs, which I have no talent for).
Additionally, I have always excelled verbally and look forward to writing
opportunities.
20. What are your weaknesses?
I tend to try to do too many things,
leaving little time for myself. I have worked on balancing myself for the last
several months. I am also working on improving my public speaking skills.
21. What sort of serious problems
have you experienced, and how have you handled them?
My apartment building burned down at
the end of January during one of my semesters at MSU. Before the fire got too
bad, I was able to rescue my pets and the neighbor’s dog, as well as my
textbooks and backpack, but I lost most of my mementos and possessions. While
the firemen were preparing their hoses, I drove to school (with the animals in
the car) to meet my lab partners, who were waiting for me. I explained the
situation, emailed my professors, and rushed back to the apartment.
Fortunately, I had renter’s
insurance. I missed about a week of school to deal with the insurance matters
and find a new place to live. In order to salvage my grades and sanity, I
dropped a course and honored my existing student group and research
commitments. Staying active socially and keeping myself well-rounded were the
best healing tools for me. Within a few weeks, I was caught up and had
recovered reasonably from the loss of sentimental items.
22. Do you or have you in the past
experimented with illegal drugs?
No. My only addictions are caffeine
and sugar.
23. Would you be willing to take a
drug test?
Of course.
24. Do you drink alcohol socially?
