We probably all need a soul cleansing break this summer and we hope your first priority is your mental and physical health! We also want to help relieve the stress of worrying about what to do over the summer so we've put together a guide with info on the many different ways you can spend your summer and have something for your resume too.If you have any questions about any of these opportunities, please contact the Center for Engineering Career Development at engineeringcareers@virginia.edu.
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS AND SKILL BUILDING AT UVA
UVA Launchpad
Apply HERE
APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 10th
8-week on-line program to prepare students for the world of work by combining liberal arts coursework, technical “bootcamp” style training, and career-focused projects
Students will earn 6 credits ($3700 in and out of state)
Financial aid available
June 21, 2021 - August 12, 2022
Current 1st, 2nd and 3rd students are eligible to apply
1 required course (includes real-world projects), 1 elective, 1 bootcamp
FAQs
UVA Handshake
View all Internships HERE
Engineering specific Internships HERE (we've pre-filtered by keyword “engineer”)
TIP: From the “Relevance” drop-down menu, sort internships by “date posted” to see the newest postings. They'll have a red tag that says “fresh”
TIP: Sort internships by keywords that describe the type of work you'd be interested in - for example: robotics, cybersecurity, manufacturing, medical device, environment, IOT, Drone, fabrication, CAD etc.
SHORT TERM PROJECT BASED WORK
Virginia Alumni Mentoring (VAM) Bridges Projects
See Projects HERE
Gain experience with short-term, project-based work through Bridges, a new program from VAM (Virginia Alumni Mentoring). Bridges is an initiative to connect UVA alumni and students through project-based work. Alumni post short-term, well-defined projects that students can complete in 1-4 weeks. Students gain real-world project experience that they can put on their resumes. Alumni gain support and increased productivity. Most importantly, Bridges is an opportunity for UVA alumni and students to build meaningful relationships. Projects are paid and unpaid and will be posted throughout the year. Find projects under the “JOBS” TAB in the main VAM menu bar.
ParkerDewey.com Micro Internships
See Projects HERE
PARKER DEWEY offers year-round, paid, micro-internship opportunities with a variety of employers. Usually 20-50 micro-internships are open to apply to on any given day, and new opportunities are posted frequently. According to Parker Dewey, international students are eligible to participate be sure to speak with Parker Dewey and UVA'S ISO to learn more. TIP: If you apply, answer the short-answer questions (e.g., “why do you think you would be a good fit for this position”) thoughtfully the answers to these questions are a key factor in getting selected.
SKILL BUILDING, PROJECTS, AND HACKATHONS
Robertson Media Center Creative Challenges
Start Challenges HERE
The RMC Creative Challenges are hosted by the Robertson Media Center in Clemons Library and include a series of short video tutorials in a particular field of creative technology. The tutorials will help you acquire new skills in video production, 3D modeling & printing, as well as AR/VR technology with professional looking projects to put in your portfolio which you can showcase to future employers.
Major League Hacking
Find Hackathons Here
Hackathons are opportunities for anyone who has an interest in technology to learn, build & share their creations over the course of a weekend in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. You don't have to be a programmer and you certainly don't have to be majoring in Computer Science. Now that many hackathons are virtual, you can explore hackathon options all over the world! BTW, employers love to see hackathons on your resume.
Game James
Find Game Jams Here
Like hackathons, game jams can be a fun way to learn a new skill and meet other people who share your interests. Great for beginners or seasoned game makers.
Google Kick Start
Register Here
Kick Start is a global online coding competition, consisting of three-hour rounds of a variety of algorithmic challenges designed by Google engineers. Participants can compete in one or all online rounds held throughout the year, and will have the opportunity to develop and grow their programming abilities while getting a glimpse into the technical skills needed for a career at Google (top participants may be invited to interview at Google).
Projects With Student Organizations
Search Student Orgs HERE
Find orgs that match your interests and get involved in a project, competition, and/or committee work. Want a few examples? Check out the SOLAR CAR TEAM, ENGINEERS GOING GLOBAL (works on both international and domestic projects), and the GIZMOLOGISTS. We've compiled a list of engineering related student organizations here.
Being a member of a student organization can be a great way to work with other students to dream up a project to work on for the summer (even if the club isn't active over the summer). You can let other members know that you're interested in working on a project and are looking for ideas and/or people to work with.
Open Source Projects from HackYourOwn.org
Sign up HERE
Hack Your Own is a non-profit charitable organization - the perfect space for developers to team up to build cutting-edge projects with a team of peers. To create the best experience, each group will be assigned a professional mentor who will guide and coach you on your engineering learning journey, from all angles: finding a project, designing and planning, architecting your code, code quality, testing and DevOps. Projects are about 4-5 weeks in length and you'll be matched with a team of 5 peers. Cost is pay what you can.
Engineering Project Ideas from Make:Projects
See Projects HERE
Explore projects in craft and design, drones and vehicles, fabrication, education, science and technology! Lots of inspiration here!
FREE SKILL-BUILDING COURSES
Linkedin Learning View Courses HERE
Access courses and tutorials on numerous topics (including Tableau, iOS development, CAD, and more). LinkedIn Learning also offers video training on hundreds of academic and industry topics (e.g., electrical engineering, design thinking, mechanical engineering, data visualization, etc.).
Coursera For UVA
View Courses HERE
You have free access to diverse courses and training through Coursera for UVA. Courses are available online and can be accessed anytime and anywhere. UVA's Coursera courses are taught by UVA faculty and instructors based on their on-campus courses and scholarly work.
UVA Library Research And Data Computing Skills
View Courses HERE
Courses include Intro to R, Data Visualization in R, etc and most of which are suitable for self-study and free to download.
VOLUNTEERING
Code For Charlottesville
Sign up HERE
Looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity? Code for Charlottesville is a group of individuals from various disciplines who are interested in making a difference to their community. We welcome all skill levels and disciplines, no coding experience is necessary!
Next meeting: April 11th: Openstreetmap mapathon!
Develop for Good
Check it out HERE
Develop for Good is one of the largest intercollegiate technology and design for social good organizations. We strive to create social impact by connecting volunteer engineers and designers to technical projects at nonprofit organizations. You don't need to be technical!
June Deadline
Time committment is 5-10 hours per week
Computers4Kids (C4K)
More info HERE
C4K is a Charlottesville nonprofit organization that combines technology and mentoring to help Charlottesville youth explore passions and learn skills. Use your engineering and technical skills to help with summer camps and programs if you are staying in Charlottesville this summer.
We'd love to meet with you! Want to connect with a career advisor to chat about your interests, learn about more helpful resources, and develop a career development plan? Schedule an individual appointment to MEET WITH US!