Jesus Enrique Gomez Llanos Tirado took his aerospace engineering degree to new heights with his new position at Odonata Research LLC.

Originally from Mazatlan, Mexico, Gomez Llanos started his academic career at Wichita State in 2013, graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 2017 and his master’s degree in 2019. While at WSU, Gomez Llanos worked for several departments as a student employee, including the Shocker Career Accelerator.

Gomez Llanos operationalized his skills to make new connections and find internships, which helped him secure his full-time position.

“Internships helped me to realize that aerospace engineering had more applications than I previously thought,” Gomez Llanos says. “Although I always had an idea of doing something similar to what I currently do, internships allowed me to get some exposure to the manufacturing side of aerospace engineering.”

In his new position, he’s looking forward to new challenges and opportunities. Since he didn’t have a lot of previous experience in the field he was applying for, he researched the company and found ways to bridge his experiences to the position’s job description. He says this helped him land the job and ease the transition into his new role.

Gomez Llanos also has a few words of wisdom for other WSU students looking to find full-time jobs or internships.

“My advice would be to never stop looking and never give up,” Gomez Llanos says. “Sometimes you have to try a different position or company to learn if it’s something you wanted to do or to use it as a way to open yourself to new opportunities.”

Ultimately, he says if you’re in doubt about your career journey, the Shocker Career Accelerator is here to help. We couldn’t agree more.

The Shocker Career Accelerator helps prepare students for their future careers by connecting them with employers and providing career development services. Contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, or stop by and see us in the John Bardo Center, Suite 162.