careers

Student Employment

Introduction

For the most part, the Bechtel Center is staffed and operated by student employees known as Peer Mentors. Whether an undergraduate or graduate student, each Peer Mentor is versed in a variety of skills from computer aided design to manufacturing and prototyping disciplines. It is the job of a Peer Mentor to assist Bechtel Center members in completing their projects from the design consultation stage all the way up to the manufacturing stage. The process of becoming a Peer Mentor at the Bechtel Center begins with the completion of the center’s Volunteering Process. 

How to Volunteer

If you believe you have the passion and temperament to effectively teach and assist other students in any of the center’s areas, these steps are your roadmap. Beginning with the Inter-Lab Volunteering Process, meet Peer Mentors from every area and experience the wide variety of working environments that the Bechtel Center has to offer. Then take a deeper look at a specific area of your choosing to complete the process.

  1. Join the Bechtel Innovation Design Center Discord Server with this server link
    • The Discord is the Center’s primary means of communicating with members and volunteers
    • If you have any questions during the process, ask them in the #general-chat channel
  2. Complete the tasks required to pass the Inter-lab Volunteering
    • This module is a required prerequisite to any area specific modules
  3. Complete the tasks required to earn an Area-Specific
    • Each area-specific module is a requirement for hiring consideration

Inter-Lab Volunteering

The Inter-Lab Volunteering Process consists of a number of small activities designed to give the prospective Peer Mentor a brief glimpse into the opportunities and resources available in each Bechtel Center lab space while introducing them to the project management system, safety certification, and some of the current Peer Mentors.

Steps

  1. Review the Inter-Lab Volunteering module on Brightspace
    • The entire module must be completed to continue
  2. For each individual Inter-Lab Activity, consult with the relevant lab staff to create a proposal in the Project Management System for that lab’s activity
    • You will be consulting with lab mentors and making a new project for each activity
  3. Complete the relevant safety quizzes in the Project Management System 
    • Required safety training is listed in each resource under “Your Training”
  4. Consult with the relevant lab mentors again to schedule your reservation for that activity
  5. Complete the Inter-Lab Volunteering
    • Important: Seek a discord consultation with a Peer Mentor from each area to schedule an acceptable reservation time to complete the activity for that area. 
  6. Upon completing the Inter-Lab Volunteering Brightspace module, proceed to the next step of the volunteering process: Area-Specific Volunteering

Area-Specific Volunteering

The Area-Specific Volunteering Process is unique to each prospective Peer Mentor depending on which area they choose to take a closer look at. Each sub-module consists of a series of different activities designed to give a better understanding of the various machinery, software, best practices, etc. for the area it represents in order to give a prospective Peer Mentor a better overall understanding of the space while simultaneously training them in usage of the equipment and providing existing staff a means of evaluating their potential as a Peer Mentor.

Steps

  1. Review the Area-Specific Volunteering module on Brightspace for the area you’d want to work in
    • You will only need to complete that sub-module to continue
  2. Consult with Peer Mentors from the relevant area to create a single Proposal in the Project Management System for the entire Area-Specific Volunteering process
  3. Complete the relevant safety quizzes in the Project Management System 
    • Required safety training is listed in each resource under “Your Training”
  4. Consult with the relevant lab mentors again to schedule your reservation for each activity
  5. Complete the Area-Specific Volunteering for your desired area 
    • Important: Seek a discord consultation with a Peer Mentor from the desired area to schedule an acceptable reservation time to complete the activities for that area. 

Disclaimer

The Volunteering Process is used as a means of evaluating a potential Peer Mentor’s skills, temperament, and compatibility with other students and center staff, therefore completion of the process is not a guarantee of employment.  

Administrative Student Employment

This role is for students looking to gain administrative experience in a company-like setting. Administrative assistants will aid in supporting our center by fulfilling clerical and organizational duties.

Full-Time Non-Student Employment

Individuals seeking full time non-student employment should check the Purdue Careers portal. When and if any positions open for permanent staff roles they will be posted using the University’s formal hiring system which can be found here.