Professional Development Advising

Professional Development Advisor

Ms. Linda Thurman, Director for Employer Relations and Student Professional Development and Career & Co-op Advisor, is available to all students and alumni in the Lee College of Engineering at Charlotte. With over 28 years of technical recruiting, employer relations, professional development, and career advising experience, Ms. Thurman is a valuable resource. She coordinates the Multi-disciplinary Professional Development courses (ENGR 3295 and ETGR 3295) as well as hosts various campus events that allow students to engage with alumni and employers. She was the first public board member to serve as Chair of the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Land Surveyors and is now an emeritus member. She was recently reappointed by Governor Cooper to the NC GICC (Geographic Information Coordinating Council). She is also a notary!

Ms. Thurman is available to meet one-on-one with students, employers and alumni to discuss a wide range of topics including:

• Choosing or Changing Majors? Plus two resources to get you started: (1) Exploration Handout and (2) ENGR vs ETCM Handout
• Internships for experience (undergrads & graduates)
• Co-Ops **all students interested in co-op are REQUIRED to attend meeting online or in-person with Ms. Thurman PRIOR to enrolling in the undergraduate co-op program or co-op work session/course. Co-op seminars can result in earned 1-3 credit hours, depending on your major.
  Note: F1 visa students may not be eligible for co-op during the fall and spring semesters due to the immigration policies. Please work with ISSO for experiential learning options.
• Professional Licensure (including the FE/PE process)
• For FE Cord Pick Up, for Graduating Students who passed the FE Exam, please contact Ms. Thurman for info.
• Undergraduate Research Opportunities (outside of the university)
• Study Abroad
• Interviewing Skills and What Employers are Seeking
• The Job Search Process
• Networking
• How to Get Involved as an Alumni
• Graduate School
• Entrepreneurship Certificate Program
• Found a job? Internship, Part-time Job, Full-Time Job, TA, etc…. report it here.
• And more!

Want to chat? Ms. Thurman is pretty casual with her office and meeting times, normally she is in the office
M-F 7:45 am – 4:45 pm.
You can schedule an appointment or feel free to stop by
our main office, Smith 228. Just email or call.
lthurman@charlotte.edu / phone (704) 687-5024.
Students, please include:

• Your Full Name & Major
• The best way to reach you (email or phone-include your #)
• What you want to chat about

Start Planning for your next Co-op Experience
View the short ‘co-op summary’ Google Slide Deck and Learn more about the steps and eligibility for co-ops.

Students interested in a new co-op, can schedule an appointment (online or in-person) with Ms. Thurman (a required step only for NEW co-ops).

Congrats to all the students who are doing a Spring 2025 co-op!

Read what our employers think of our co-op students!

• I enjoy working with the UNC Charlotte team. The Engineering co-op students are always solid performers when compared against their peers.

• We have had several coop students from UNC Charlotte and have had a pleasant experience with each one of them. They are well equipped to come into our company and contribute from the start.
• We would love to see more co-op engineering students. We have a vast experience with co-ops coming out of engineering programs elsewhere, and the caliber of students after graduating a civil engineering co-op program are unmatched. We many former co-ops on staff now and would hire from that pool first.
• Our Co-Op has been a huge help to us and is able to work very independently while performing high quality work.

Read what our students think of their co-op experience!

• First, I want to say that this was an amazing opportunity, incredibly informative about how the industry works, and an all around great experience for me as a student. I really found a sense of what I’m working toward in all of those merciless math classes.  – MEGR student, Siemens Energy
• Reflecting on my amazing co-op experience across two different departments in the past eight months with Duke Energy Corporation. From diving into the mechanical system owner experience at Buck Combined Cycle Station in Salisbury for the spring, to expanding on my electrical and distribution knowledge with Mountain Zone 230 and the Franklin Operations Center for the summer, both opportunities further developed me as a future mechanical engineer and helped me find my true passion for engineering in the energy sector. . I’m also incredibly grateful to everyone involved in Duke Energy’s student programs, both in Regulated & Renewable Energy and Power Grid Operations, for allowing me this opportunity and developing such great programs. I’m excited to carry my newly learned engineering skills with me into the future! -MEGR student
• Today marks the end of my second rotation at BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, and I’m filled with gratitude for what has been an amazing journey. My time in the TX-200 Bodyshop as a Quality Improvement Engineering Co-op has been a deeply rewarding experience, allowing me to immerse myself in exciting projects and collaborate with some of the most brilliant minds in the industry. – MET student
  
  

Career Center

The Career Center is committed to providing comprehensive, innovative services and resources for diverse populations of students and alumni that prepare them for the competitive global market. The Career Center offers self-assessment tools, job shadowing, career treks, informational interviews, and many other options for students and alumni to explore their options and gain relevant technical work experience regardless of the stage of their college or professional career.

• Student Resources
• Alumni Resources