Catie Mohrmann: Prepared for the working world

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Recent S&T grad Catie Mohrmann (center) is pictured with career opportunities and employer relations staff (left to right) Julie Pittser, associate director; Colleen Kapeller, recruiting assistant; Edna Grover-Bisker, director; Sara Earl, recruiting assistant; Adrienne Neckermann, assistant director; and Hilary Beam, administrative assistant. Photo by B.A. Rupert

Who says engineers aren’t multidisciplinary?

Meet Catie Mohrmann, who graduated this May with a bachelor of science degree in ceramic engineering. She now works with engineers of other disciplines — mainly mechanical — and for a company that makes interconnect devices for the electronics industry.

 Mohrmann’s new job — she’s a test lab engineer for Samtec Inc. in New Albany, Ind. — is an unusual one for graduates in her field. But Mohrmann doesn’t think of herself as a typical ceramic engineer.

“I didn’t just go to companies that were looking for ceramic engineers” when she was interviewing for that post-graduation job, says Mohrmann of St. Charles, Mo.

“I sold myself as an engineer, a problem-solver. Thanks to my Missouri S&T education, I feel as though I can learn to solve problems, even out of my field of study.”

In addition to her education, Mohrmann credits S&T’s career opportunities and employer relations department (COER) for helping her learn how to present herself to employers. She took advantage of many of COER’s services: from the fall and spring career fairs (attending all but one since her freshman year) to the resume-critiquing service, where COER staff “go over it line by line — and put a lot of red ink on it.” She also subscribed to COER’s MinerJobs email list to learn about job opportunities. She had more than a dozen job interviews, many of them in COER’s interview rooms in Norwood Hall. And she received post-interview evaluations of her performance, another service offered by COER.

“Some of the evaluations weren’t that great,” she says. But they helped prepare Mohrmann for future interviews.

As a result, by the beginning of her senior year, Mohrmann had four job offers. She picked Samtec — the interconnect device manufacturer — because the job fit her analytical nature.

“Being a ceramic engineer, I was in the lab for one or two courses every semester,” she says. “I learned to take an analytical approach.”

As a student, Mohrmann also held a summer internship with Honeywell’s federal manufacturing and technology division in Kansas City, Mo., where she conducted testing on critical military components. That testing experience also helped prepare her for the Samtec job.

Mohrmann advises incoming students to take advantage of COER’s services — and to go to as many career fairs as possible.

“It’s scary at first,” she says. “But by the time you’re a senior you will feel more comfortable talking to recruiters when it matters.”

By Andrew Careaga

Learn more about career services offered by Missouri S&T.

Comments

  1. theertheswaran.b says

    It is quite heartening to know that Missouri S&T students are excelling in their career too,even in this Economic meltdown period.Yes when my son chose to be with S&T for his MS in Mechanical Engineering “Muthukumaran Loganathan” from India, who will be completing his post graduate this December-2012 is set to go in places which gives an immense feeling that what he chose was correct decision, and with great respect and feeling of gratitude I salute the professors who are doing great service to the student community, it is not only education but also a confidence that students get here,a wonderful institution, kudos to one and all.
    congratulation “Catie Mohrmann” and thank you professors, you are all great lights who are doing a fabulous selfless service.
    I am thankful to all for making this possible.
    With immense gratitude
    theertheswaran.b
    (ishwaran)
    India