Summer 2021 Co-op experience
Jeremy
Experience Information
Employer: Innotec
Job Title: Engineering Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Innotec is an organization that has a couple hundred employees which uses a very flat organizational structure. The company has many smaller teams that work relatively independently of one another to perform their daily tasks while also communicating across teams when expertise or guidance is beneficial.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
I worked on many smaller physical projects and some larger ones. About 40% of my time was spent working on projects, and the rest of my time was spent running production on our assembly line. The projects were almost always geared towards improvements and updates to the line I worked on. One major project was assisting in moving an injection molding machine onto our line, which required many smaller projects like designing and building a feeder mounting plate, building machine doors, and plumbing hoses on the machine.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
The specific skills and knowledge I gained through my experience were mostly geared towards management and people. I learned how to better manage my time and my projects in a fluidly moving schedule, and I learned how to tactfully handle workplace relations.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of this experience, project wise, was getting to work on redesigning a prototype machine that was on our line that did not function correctly. I was able to apply my problem solving skills and engineering ability to a problem that was completely unique and nuanced, which I found very enjoyable. I also enjoyed the people that I worked with. When trying to solve a problem, I was able to get some valuable information and perspectives from them.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
I am sure that I would like to continue to pursue engineering, and I am looking forward to improving myself. I have realized how much I like the complicated technical aspects of engineering, as well as the appreciation I have for the simpler hands-on aspects.
Internship Format
In Person