ODL A Great Place To Work!
Caroline
Experience Information
Employer: ODL
Job Title: Product Engineer
Major: Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
ODL's Headquarter is home to ODL's manufacturing plant, as well as the corporate office which produces door glass units and enclosed blinds. ODL resides in Zeeland, Michigan. Design engineering, manufacturing, and quality engineering teams are all in the same building which allows for accessible face-to-face communication. ODL values their employees and their work culture tremendously.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I worked on design feasibility and verification. I designed and performed experiments to identify and compare the robustness of potential design solutions. I also completed comparative analysisýs of design concepts. I learned how to document results to clearly compare the performance of multiple design concepts. And lastly, I dove deep into Design and Manufacturing Engineering documentation and gained technical skills. I had the opportunity to learn how to complete important design and manufacturing engineering documentation as well as understand the importance of each document.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
I learned how engineering, quality, and manufacturing work together to develop and produce product while participating in product launches. I learned how to work on a team with members of all different disciplines. Alongside in depth engineering and manufacturing technical skills, I learned engineering professional skills like to how conduct meetings and communicate effectively. I gained confidence, passion, and good habits, great work ethic, and many other valuable skills that I will take with me throughout the rest of my professional life.
Favorite Part of the Experience
Walking into ODL for the first time I felt so welcomed. I was treated like a real engineer and was given the opportunities to make an impact in their company. My voice was heard and my work felt valuable. ODL has a lot of experience working with co-op students so they knew exactly how to give each student a beneficial learning experience.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I learned lessons and skills that I will be able to take with me throughout the rest of my professional engineering career. ODL shaped me into the engineer I am going to be in the future, and provided me with a passion to continue to keep learning throughout the rest of my career.