Student success impacts in communication and professional networking contexts

Student-driven success in professional networking contexts is qualitatively surveyed and assessed in an engineering-specific technical writing and communications (TWC) course at The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina. 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. Although not a graduation requirement at The Citadel, internships provide a real-world application of learned communicative strategies, reinforcing the skills needed to participate meaningfully in a professional community. Internships allow students to enhance their learning and problem-solving skills while partnered with scientists and engineers conducting work on innovative technology. In order to increase the students' success in securing an internship, students applied the TWC content and skills fostered in the course while networking and interviewing for one of these opportunities. Engineering students who implement some of the TWC skills and content typically see an immediate return, garnering a paid internship or an employment offer. The TWC skills are a link between classroom theory and concepts and real time impacts. Through a student-led survey tool, this paper also seeks to identify the range of TWC content that can be refined and leveraged during networking and interviewing events. Quantitative results indicate that TWC skills are relevant immediately, requiring very little scaffolding with other courses. This study provides a baseline of data and information to continue developing the TWC course and content. Using student- and faculty-derived data and reports, this paper identifies valuable TWC-to-career applications as well as existing student skill gaps. Student perspectives and reported experience is presented as a driver for curricular development and growth, ensuring the TWC course at The Citadel continues to adapt to engineering students' evolving needs and opportunities.