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Important direct outcomes of new engineer socialization include understanding one's roles and responsibilities, learning the knowledge and skills required to perform one's job, understanding one's company culture, and gaining acceptance into one's workgroup. Studies have shown that achieving these outcomes positively impacts job retention, satisfaction, and performance. However, while the proactive behaviors new engineers implement to achieve these outcomes have been a primary focus of recent literature, there is a lack of understanding regarding the challenges new engineers face while attaining these outcomes. It is crucial to understand the challenges new engineers face to mitigate these obstacles and better prepare engineering students to enter the workforce. This research aims to (a) identify the specific challenges newly hired engineers face and the actions they take to overcome these challenges during the socialization period, and (b) identify aspects of undergraduate education that new engineers believe can be improved. Researchers interviewed 26 participants from four of the largest aerospace and defense organizations in the United States, and their responses were analyzed using an open coding method. Coders identified 26 unique challenges and 13 distinct solutions during this study. Challenges included a lack of engineering knowledge, unclear role boundaries, lack of organizational support, and navigating an unfamiliar environment. Of those 26 challenges, 15 significant challenges faced by newly-hired engineers are presented in this paper. Several solutions involved interacting with coworkers, shadowing and observing coworkers, and utilizing available resources. Knowing what challenges newly-hired engineers will face and what solutions they may use is helpful for undergraduates entering the workforce. When asked how undergraduate engineering education could be improved, the newly-hired engineers desired a more significant focus on practical training, more exposure to industry-like environments, and a greater emphasis on soft skills such as technical writing. This study aims to minimize the gap between academia's and industry's expectations for new engineers' required knowledge and skills, help prepare engineering students for the potential challenges they will face during the socialization period, and highlight potential areas of improvement within engineering organizations and undergraduate engineering education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents information about outreach projects completed by 13 students in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program offered in an aerospace engineering department at a U.S. midwestern university during summer 2021. The outreach project was a component of the REU program. This paper provides a detailed description of the outreach project goals and procedures and explores the project's impact on the students. Anonymous responses to openended questions show the positive impact the projects had on the students, including the satisfaction they received from designing and completing the projects from start to finish and potentially helping to broaden the participation of underrepresented students in STEM. Using an open-coding data analysis method, four themes based on student responses were identified. These themes include students' positive response towards the outreach project, their increased understanding of others' diverse walks of life, feeling uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations, and gaining more confidence in pursuing their chosen degree. The paper concludes by presenting recommendations for other engineering REU sites considering similar outreach projects for their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational socialization is the process of newly-hired employees adapting to the new working environment and roles in organizations. New hires and managers are the two critical members of the socialization process. Limited literature has revealed the managers' perspective. Moreover, the comparison between the socialization actions of newly-hired employees and engineering managers has not been fully explored. Based on the proactive actions and the supportive actions identified from twenty-six newlyhired engineers and seven engineering managers, this study compares the two perspectives by following Morrison's framework of primary socialization tasks (i.e., Role Clarification, Task Mastery, Acculturation, and Social Integration). Similarities and differences between newcomers' and managers' actions during the socialization process are revealed, specifically in the context of the U.S. aerospace and defense (A&D) industry. This study expands the research literature to reveal both perspectives of newly-hired engineers and engineering managers. This study aims to help newly-hired engineers and engineering managers reduce misunderstanding during the socialization process and inform engineering educators and college students to prepare to enter the A&D industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]