College Experiences That Helped a Manufacturing Engineer in Medical Devices Succeed
Emma's success stemmed from extracurricular involvement in a sorority and engineering fraternity, developing "soft skills like how to be an effective communicator," and pursuing academic passions, leading to a pivotal biomedical ethics course that revealed the field of human factors engineering and ultimately shaped their career path in medical device manufacturing. The exploration of personal interests, rather than solely focusing on technical skills, proved invaluable.
Communication, Teamwork, Career Exploration, Extracurricular Activities, Passion
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Emma Stramberg
Manufacturing Engineer
Medical Device Company
Cal Poly SLO
N/A
Engineering - Biomedical
Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical, Manufacturing, Operations & Supply Chain
Operations and Project Management
Greek Life Member, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Join extracurricular activities to develop soft skills such as communication and conflict resolution.
2. Take courses that genuinely interest you to explore different areas within engineering and discover your passions.
3. Don't be afraid to explore different areas and take advantage of college resources to find the right path for you.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
The biggest thing I did in undergrad was definitely join some different extracurriculars. I was part of a sorority and also an engineering fraternity.
I think that definitely helped me gain a lot of the soft skills I needed in this role. It wasn't so focused on the technical aspects, like root cause analysis. Instead, it was about developing soft skills like being an effective communicator, holding conversations, and resolving arguments.
I'd also say picking courses I was passionate about, not just what I felt I had to do, was super helpful. Because of that, I took a class on biomedical ethics and learned about human factors engineering.
I discovered why we design things the way we do to lead to an ideal system. That really opened up a whole other world of engineering outside of just biomedical. It has gotten me to where I am now.
So, I'd say definitely don't be afraid to explore what you're passionate about. Test the waters and take advantage of all the different resources you have at college.
Advizer Personal Links
linkedin.com.in/estrambe