2nd Co-Op Rotation
Cameron
Experience Information
Employer: Innotec
Job Title: Electrical Engineering Co-Op
Major: Electrical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Innotec is an intercontinental company with operations in the USA, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, dedicated to providing innovative lighting and other product solutions for customers. They are a relatively small company founded on a very flat company structure such that all operations are run by small, 5 person teams or "cells" of engineers. Now, some hierarchy has been introduced, but generally speaking, the cells have full responsibility over their products/processes, working hand in hand with each other to provide for customers.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
As an intern within a lighting production cell, I was given cell responsibilities to assist in production and process/machine improvements daily, with monthly obligations to manage cell safety and inventory. Half of each workday I aided in operation of an assembly line, and the other half was defined as project time. I have spent time analyzing and diagnosing scrap issues such as but not limited to electrical failures and process faults. Other projects consist of designing and implementing quality tool improvements, tracking component use, and implementing safety measures.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned project and time management, gaining tremendous amounts of experience moving multiple projects forward in parallel. I gained experience designing features of electrical check tools, operating various machines and programs, building model components/circuits, and troubleshooting product/process failure modes. I learned about injection molding, process improvement, environmental effects on processing, and more.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of my experience was how I was treated. I was given responsibilities as if I was a full-time employee, but also given ample guidance whenever I felt appropriate. The company ensures that each employee has a "coach" to essentially check in with their coachee and help them stay aimed toward personal and professional growth. It was an accelerated learning experience to be given the freedom to develop my own projects and solutions with my own creativity with advice and assistance always readily available.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
This experience has shown me how strongly engineering and management are related in any business. I must continue my professional ventures with mindfulness to keep clear communication and documentation between departments and team members. I have also learned how problems and difficulties offers huge opportunities to learn and improve.