This is the series where I tell you what software to learn, what certifications to get, and what projects to do to actually increase the odds that you land an internship. Today we're talking about industrial engineering.
Software to learn
Excel
Start with Excel. It is fundamental. Industrial engineers work with a lot of data, so get comfortable with pivot tables, lookups, SUMIFS, building charts, and analyzing large data sets.
You can practice all of this for free in the Excel for Engineers lessons on this site.
Power BI
After Excel, look into Power BI. It helps you take all of that data and turn it into a visual dashboard that tells a story.
SQL
Next, learn SQL. It's used to pull and organize data from databases, and it becomes really useful once you're working with larger data sets.
Python
Lastly, learn Python. You don't need to become a software engineer. Focus on using Python for data analysis, cleaning data, and automating repetitive tasks.
The certification to get
The one certification I would look into is the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. Lean Six Sigma is all about improving processes, reducing waste, and figuring out why things aren't running as efficiently as they could be.
A project you can do on campus
Try optimizing your campus dining hall.
- Track how many students come in at different times of day.
- Track how long they wait and how long it takes for each person to be served.
- Bring all of that data into Excel and analyze it.
- Build a dashboard in Power BI.
- Present your recommendations for improving the process.
That one project shows data collection, analysis, Excel, Power BI, and a real recommendation. It's exactly what an industrial engineering recruiter wants to see.
For more ideas, browse the industrial engineering projects, sorted by difficulty and time.