From Student to Emerging Engineer: Emily Daley’s Journey Through Growth, Mentorship, and Opportunity

As she approaches graduation, electrical engineering student Emily Daley reflects on a transformative year shaped by hands-on learning, leadership, and deep industry engagement. From her involvement with the Emerging Engineer Program to attending IPC APEX EXPO and exploring career-defining opportunities, Emily’s experience highlights the power of mentorship, networking, and stepping outside one’s comfort zone. In this interview, she shares how these experiences have broadened her perspective, strengthened her technical foundation, and helped guide her toward her next steps in the electronics industry.

Charlene: Share a little background on yourself (A little bio would be perfect) and maybe something about the next steps, future plans, and aspirations.

Emily: My name is Emily Daley and I am currently a senior electrical engineering student at Michigan Technological University as well as the outgoing student board member for the Global Electronics Association. This past year with the Association has been immensely insightful and beneficial in considering my next steps. I will be graduating in a month and have been working on establishing post-graduation plans as a result. I can honestly say that the experiences that I have had this past year with the board have opened my eyes to so many more opportunities within the industry. Not only did I fly out to California for APEX this week, but I came home for a night before flying out to Chicago to visit one of the companies that I currently hold a job offer with then will be headed out to the next company next weekend. This is something that I would never have foreseen 4 years ago upon entering college. Next steps for me involve visiting more companies, accepting a job offer, and configuring details pertaining to the area in which I choose to live.

Charlene: Briefly explain why you were interested in the Emerging Engineer Program?

Emily: Being in the emerging engineer program last year allowed me the opportunity to see firsthand what IPC standards were and how they are created. I had the chance to sit in on various committee meetings, professional development sessions, and technical talks. I was able to network with so many industry experts and see the current state of the electronics industry. I certainly grew a lot during my first year in the emerging engineer program and undoubtedly desired to return and expedite that growth.

Charlene: What are the most valuable aspects of the Emerging Engineer Program?

Emily: Undoubtedly, networking is a huge aspect of the emerging engineer program. The connections I have made during my time in the emerging engineer program continue to foster my growth beyond the conference. The opportunity to be involved in committee meetings is also a very valuable aspect of the emerging engineer program. As a student, we often hear about IPC standards, but it is rare that we as students actually ever use them. Being involved in committee meetings is highly important and beneficial to our future careers.

Charlene: How important is mentorship in developing talent? What did you enjoy from the mentorship experience? What was difficult during the process?

Emily: Speaking from experience, mentorship is majorly beneficial to young engineers. I love that I am able to reach out to so many different people when I have questions and those people are willing to help and mentor, even in their already busy lives. I can certainly say that a lot of my mentors can be viewed as more than just a resource, but a friend as well. One thing that can be difficult during the mentorship process is asking those hard-to-ask questions. As a young engineer/student, it can be intimidating to look at professionals and ask certain questions that seem obvious or low level. It is often difficult to consider that these people were also once in our shoes and likely asking similar (if not the same) questions.

Charlene: Do you feel that the experience at IPC APEX EXPO provided you with knowledge that can be valuable for your career progressions?

Emily: Yes, it is always beneficial to learn about all areas in the industry, whether broadening your skillset or just increasing your technical knowledge.

Charlene: Did you meet any prospective employers? What are you looking for in an employer, what role or position would you pursue?

Emily: Right before APEX, I was blessed to have 2 companies reach out to me with job offers within the same hour! I had been looking more into hardware engineering and PCB design for a while, but I chose to branch out a little in my applications considering my other experiences in PCB fabrication, assembly, and manufacturing. One of these roles is for a manufacturing engineering position and the other for a product engineering position. Both companies invited me to come out and see the sites to get a feel for the company before accepting a position there. I was actually able to meet with the vice president of one of the companies during the APEX Expo, providing me a little more insight into the company before I fly out there next weekend. I was also able to finish establishing my trip to the other company (which would be right after my return home from APEX).

I networked with a few companies during the expo, but nothing really stood out as a dream job location. I am currently leaning towards the product engineering role as I feel it will allow for more growth
opportunities, I have not however written any roles off the table at this point in time. The manufacturing position at the company I just returned from does show a lot of potential as well. To be perfectly honest, I never went into college with the pursuit of a specific job. I chose the field of electrical engineering for a better comprehension of the things that I enjoyed. I could see the mechanical side of things, but I could only see components that meant nothing to me on the electrical side which made that field so much more intriguing.

Within the department, I quickly became involved in various areas such as PCB fabrication, assembly, and manufacturing as a whole. I took on an internship working in embedded systems design. I was also able to enhance my PCB design skills amongst other skills like troubleshooting and schematic capture.

My main consideration in searching for an employer is growth potential. I plan on getting an MBA eventually, but I also desire more technical experience before then. I tend to stay quite busy and thrive in a fast-paced environment. In searching for an employer, I search for growth opportunities and a company who will foster that growth.

I do believe that product engineering or manufacturing engineering will be a good starting point for me in the industry and I will embrace these opportunities as I configure my next steps.

Charlene: What’s your next step(s) in terms of professional growth and/or career aspirations?

Emily: My next steps are determining which company I will end up at. I will be graduating in a month and have been working to get everything set up for a smooth transition in presidency with our student chapter as well as networking with companies, determining which role to take and where. I just returned from the Chicago area, having just visited the first company who reached out to me before APEX and I will be visiting the Minneapolis area next weekend to check out the other company and surrounding area. I joined an A-Team while at APEX and hope to become more involved in standards development as I advance in my career.

Charlene: Why would you recommend students consider career paths in electronics manufacturing?

Emily: Electronics manufacturing is such a large field, there are so many careers within the industry. If anything, looking into electronics manufacturing can be overwhelming since there is so much opportunity. As I said before, I was looking into PCB design initially, but my experience in electronics manufacturing and fabrication has opened so many more doors for me that I likely would not have considered too hard before. I joined my student chapter at the end of my first semester of college and quickly became involved with the executive board there as the technical lead and eventually the president. I knew how to hand solder before entering college, but I learned how to use pick and place machines, solder paste, reflow ovens, and more during my involvement in our chapter.

Taking on a leadership role so early on gave me more motivation to learn new things about electronics manufacturing so that I could help others to learn and answer their questions. I would certainly advise students to get involved and challenge themselves. Take on any opportunities that come and do not be scared to dive in. I applied for the student member liaison position my sophomore year and when I did not get the role, I applied again the next year and got it! I immediately applied for scholarships when I heard about the opportunities that the foundation had and I was quick to be in contact with
any issues if they arose within the application process.

I am certainly guilty of being held back by fear at some points, but at the end of the day fear is just an emotion and once you get past that initial fear, development is at hand. My best piece of advice is to go for the opportunities that lie in front of you, what is the worst that can happen? Get involved. Growth comes from that discomfort in unfamiliarity; embrace that unfamiliarity and embrace growth. In reflecting on this past year, I considered my flight out to APEX last year and how I had never before even been on a plane, let alone gone across the country alone. I was willing to step out of my comfort zone and embrace that growth opportunity. In 53 weeks, I went from no experience flying to having been on 20 flights.

I have benefited immensely from my involvement with my student chapter. As president, I was able to steer the chapter in a new direction, increasing outreach events and opportunities for industry connection. I have been able to speak firsthand on the benefits of the Foundation and Association opportunities as a whole. This past year, I was able to lead a group of students to the SMTAi conference in Rosemont Illinois where my team and I competed in a robot competition and the other students were able to walk around the expo, increasing their industry exposure and connections. We stopped at 2 companies for tours on the way to and from this conference, allowing students to see both a PCB Fabricator (American Standard Circuits) and a company who focuses more on assembly (Miller
Electric). Our chapter has put on a soldering event each month where students are able to come in and learn to solder or to use solder paste, pick and place machines, and reflow ovens to populate their PCBs. We have put on various lectures, student run and industry professionals alike; From breakout board design and development to industry talks on flex cables, signal integrity, and choosing your post college path. I have worked to make our student chapter welcoming to students of all majors, allowing those with no experience to come in and gain that exposure to the electronics industry.

Charlene: What has been the highlight of the IPC APEX EXPO?

Emily: The highlight of APEX is all of the friends and connections that I have made. The emerging engineer student group flocked together more this year than last year and we got the chance to talk to one another more, sharing personal insights and experiences with one another. I was able to reunite with so many friends and connections that I have made this past year during my time with the board and in the emerging engineer program.

Charlene: Please share three new things you’ve learned during your time at IPC APEX EXPO?

1. I had the chance to connect dots between commonly known IPC standards within the industry and what those standards are. Oftentimes, engineers will output a series of numbers that mean next to nothing to most students since we have had minimal exposure to IPC standards, sitting in on more committee meetings helped to better bridge that gap. (I focused more on meetings this year as I attended more professional development courses and spent more time on the expo floor last year)
2. I learned of new student chapters or chapters that I have not networked with before. I had the opportunity to meet the president of UC Irvine during the conference. I was also able to help out 2 developing student chapters, providing insights into what our student chapter does to engage students.
3. I learned the importance of being a well-rounded engineer with the ability to comprehend the entire process in order to make a better judgement call on certain choices (specifically tailored towards design but applicable in various departments).

Charlene: Please share a few sentences on what this experience meant to you personally?

Emily: Attending APEX was an exciting opportunity. I had the opportunity to make new friends and connections within the industry, share my insights with the developing student chapters and incoming student board member, and reconnect with friends. I was able to dive into sessions that both broadened my knowledge and enhanced my expertise. I sought advice on career choices as I will soon conclude my college career and move into the next phase of life.