Engineering Customized Product at Herman Miller
Andrew
Experience Information
Employer: Herman Miller
Job Title: Options Engineering Co-op
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Herman Miller has been around for almost 100 years. They are an excellent company to work for. They specialize in office furnishings and workplace environments. Because of this our work spaces are always top of the line. The company is very employee focused which they demonstrate in countless ways. Overall a very good company to work for.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I work in the options department on wood storage products. On top of this I investigated the use of a new 3d modeling software to see if it could be used to make our technical illustration creation process more efficient. And in this last semester I used my 3d modeling knowledge to help management solve some communication issues between the applications and engineering departments. It was good to see how management solves problems this semester.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned that while technical knowledge is necessary to perform in an engineering environment it is not the most important component. I found that a strong work ethic, good interpersonal communication skills and the ability to think critically and creatively during problem solving are more important to a successful career than technical knowledge. Management hardly ever uses their technical skills.
Favorite Part of the Experience
It's hard to say. It is very rewarding to work with and be included in a productive team. Also, it was a lot of fun to do some problem solving with management.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has shown me the benefits of a steady job at a good company. However, working here has made me curious about what else is out there. I'm very interested in entrepreneurial ventures which I'm considering pursuing while I'm still young. Working at Herman Miller has taught me that whatever I end up doing I will have a bright future. It has taught me not to settle for anything less.