It’s hard to believe that in a few short days, I will be finishing up my six-month co-op assignment at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, CT. Needless to say, it’s been a great experience in many ways and I’m looking forward to taking much of what I learned into the next chapter of my life. I had my final exit meeting with my supervisor this morning which has made me reflect back on my experiences, both at Pratt & Whitney and my other two summer internship assignments. My current supervisor has only been in the position for three weeks, so my exit meeting was more of him giving me advice as opposed to a formal performance review. I think, to date, it has been the most valuable hour I’ve spent at work in my collective 12 months of experience. It put a lot of things in perspective for me as I am about to graduate from this wonderful university and enter the “real world.”
Co-ops and internships are great. It’s a chance to “test out” an industry, location, and a job function without fully committing. It can be very fast paced, since rotations can be as short as 10 weeks. And don’t forget, the pay is typically two- to four-times what I was earning at my first minimum wage job scooping ice cream. The biggest change for me was getting used to working with people who had been at the companies for longer than I had been living. In high school and college, you’re surrounded by your peers. The typical age difference is no more than half a decade. It’s quite humbling to be surrounded by, and work with, men and women who are the best at what they do.
Here’s what I think you should really aim to take away from a co-op or internship:
1. You don’t know everything. No seriously, you barely know anything. And not everything can be found in a text book, either. Companies don’t expect you to be able to recite Bernoulli’s equation or draw the phase diagram of salt water. Those problems have been solved already. Don’t get me wrong, those skills of analysis will help you tremendously as a practicing engineer. That’s the beauty of a co-op and internship. Everything you will need to know, they will teach you. Or have someone there to help you as you stumble your way through it.
2. The most important skills to develop while on a co-op or internship are interpersonal. Admit that you don’t know everything (see #1). Seek people out for answers you can’t find in a textbook. Chances are that many of your experienced co-workers will know exactly what (or who) can help you solve a problem. You’ll hear it over and over…but networking is an essential skill for any engineer. My supervisor, who has been interviewing many people over the past few weeks, told me he doesn’t look for people with specific Unigraphics NX 6.0 experience (the number one CAD tool used in my group), rather, he looks for soft skills because he knows he can teach the technical things.
3. Appreciate your co-workers. Having an intern or a co-op from a supervisor’s standpoint is much more work than I had realized. Mentoring takes a village and it may be a few weeks before you to get on your feet. During that time, you may be making many trips to your mentor’s desk. Everyone wants to see you succeed, however, so take advantage of those willing to lend you their time. If you can, nominate them for an award…but at the very least, make sure you find away to express your appreciation (even if it’s via email).
4. Go above and beyond. Think of these experiences as a 12(+) week interview. Rather than talking about how well you work in teams, or a time you went out of your way to solve a problem…do it. Collaborate with other interns on a project outside of your technical work. Aim to make the company better in some way. College students offer a fresh perspective. You’d be surprised at how many high-up executives are interested in what you have to say. And think about it, you’re most likely going to be eating lunch with other interns anyway…why not book a conference room and be productive?
See you in January, Happy Valley.
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