A recent graduate (one year removed) seeking a Materials Science adjacent job (Materials Engineer, Metallurgist, Process Engineer, etc.).
Main Concerns:
- The lack of internship work I have done
- The gap year I have taken for my mental health since graduating. I have been working part time in an unrelated field (swim coach and tutoring (SAT and other subjects)).
Since I can't change the lack of internships, so I have put some of my smaller projects I have done in school. I was wondering if it is better to write down my part time work I have been doing more recently over these projects.
I’ve submitted ~250 applications on and off during the gap year, had about 7 interviews and 2 second‑rounds, but no offers yet. All this has made me think the resume is “good enough” to get looks, but as I have not gotten an offer yet, I realized I need to take this more seriously and receive all the help I can get.
I’d really appreciate detailed, honest feedback on:
- How to balance projects vs. part‑time work on the resume.
- What to cut or reshape or add to be more competitive for entry‑level materials/process roles.
Any and all advice is welcome—please be direct. Thanks in advance.