Intern: Alex Blake
Major: Industrial Engineering and Management
Company: Collins Aerospace
Location of Internship: Jamestown, ND
Internship Title: Production Planning Co-op
- Why did you choose the company that you work for?
- I chose Collins because my supervisor showed initiative and interest in me right away and in fact wanted to set up a phone interview with me the day after the career fair. Also after doing more research of the company and the different locations they are located, it lined up well with what I would like to do after graduation so I saw this as a good way to get my foot in the door for the future.
- What were some of the requirements for your internship?
- I needed to have a basic understanding of Excel. Some basic tasks I am responsible for include running weekly reports as well as helping move material along on the shop floor to meet On Time Delivery dates.
- What is your favorite part about your internship experience?
- Getting hands on experience in a large manufacturing facility along with learning a position that I didn’t know much about in school, and teaching myself to use VBA coding in Excel
- What is the most challenging part of your internship? How have you overcome these obstacles?
- Finding something to do for the first couple months. The main reason large companies prefer interns to do co-ops is because it takes a while longer to learn the company and be able to contribute effectively as well as come away with a positive experience. Honesty I was bored for the first two months because I’m someone that needs to be doing something to stay busy all the time, and I just didn’t have that. I would take the initiative to go down to the shop floor and check in with other supervisors to see if anyone else may need help, and I would help where I could. I eventually learned how things operate within the business and now I believe I am the most widely utilized intern at the plant. I’ve gained knowledge in a wide variety of aspects of the company and now I’m happy with where I’m at.
- How did you find your internship?
- Through an NDSU Career Fair
- Why was it beneficial for you to register your internship for credit through the Internship Program?
- It helped me gain full time status as a student so I could obtain financial aid for the semester.
- What advice would you give a student who is in the process of applying to an internship?
- Research companies you may be interested in and apply to as many companies as you can so you can hopefully have a larger list of companies that you can choose from to intern with. Don’t be afraid of co-ops even though it may set you back a semester for graduation, you will make a lot of money and gain experience that is unmatchable by a traditional internship.
