Major: Mechanical and Electrical Engineering
Company: John Deere
Location of Internship: Fargo, ND
Internship Title: PTS – Technical Product Engineering
- Why did you choose the company that you work for?
- They do work that feeds the entire world, which is my future career ambition, and they are known for treating their employees very well.
- What were some of the requirements for your internship?
- I work with engineers across the company and at other companies to develop our products and address quality issues. I often work with 3D modeled parts directly in Creo, adding features and modifying designs for manufacturability and to maintain high quality products. I have also had a unique opportunity as the chair of the Student Leadership Team to connect with John Deere students across the Fargo buildings, and implement programs to increase student engagement and improve the overall experience.
- What is your favorite part about your internship experience?
- I get to work closely with a lot of fantastic people that do great work, and they set a high standard that I aspire to live up to one day. I can walk up to a John Deere product on a farm, a construction site, or even a golf course and point to something that I had a hand in designing. My managers have always been willing to teach me and help me do my best work, which is one of the biggest perks of working here at Deere. By the time I’ve graduated from NDSU, I’ll have gotten enough experience at Deere to slide smoothly into a full time engineering career.
- What is the most challenging part of your internship? How have you overcome these obstacles?
- Navigating the structure of a large company isn’t easy; knowing who to talk to and who to ask for questions isn’t easy. But by learning how to find the right person, having a massive network of knowledge and experience allows me to be part of a top-notch team that achieves more than I ever could on my own.
- How did you find your internship?
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Through a personal connection (faculty, family, or friends)
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- Why was it beneficial for you to register for credit(s) through the Internship Program offered through the Career and Advising Center?
- Registering my internship as credits allows me to skip a future elective, of course, but more importantly it also allows me to to focus on doing my best work and learn the “real-world” ways of getting things done.
- What advice would you give a student who is in the process of applying for an internship?
- Apply to John Deere! That aside, just make sure to apply to as many internships as you can. Classroom theory can never replace real world experience, so make sure you are looking for businesses that allow you to do work that you enjoy. If you don’t yet know what you want to do, a company that allows you to try different roles may be perfect for you. Shameless plug for Deere: they let you do all of the above, and more.
