Student Success Impacts in Communication and Professional Networking Contexts

Abstract

Student-driven success in professional networking contexts is qualitatively surveyed and assessed in an engineering-specific technical writing and communications (TWC) course required at an undergraduate institution. This TWC course was designed in part to provide pre-internship preparation for engineering students. Data captured from several semesters indicates a positive trend of industry partners’ selection of TWC students for internships and employment. This data is corroborated by student-led surveying of peers who identify important connections between TWC course content and professional application. This paper identifies the range of TWC content that can be refined and leveraged during networking events.