1 answer
Samuel
Student
Brownsville, Pennsylvania
1
Question
Updated
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What was your engineering internship experience like?
I'm a senior in high school who is going to be studying aerospace and mechanical engineering after this summer. I definitely plan to do some internships and get real experience when I can, like over the summer while I'm in college. My question for those engineers who did internships is what was that entire experience like? Where did you work, what was the schedule like, what kind of real experience did you get, etc. And, if you could do anything better when it comes to getting real experience, would you do anything differently?
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1 answer
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
240
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Samuel,
Thank you very much for this interesting query.
Qualitative practical knowledge truly sets you apart from the crowd. Experiential learning is just as important as formal knowledge. Tacit knowledge is the result of the distillation & codification of human experiences. Discoveries & innovations are integral aspects of this process. Every opportunity for internships, mentorships and apprenticeships must therefore be fully utilized as and when they become available.
I had the privilege of doing my internship with British American Tobacco (BAT) nearly four (4) decades ago. Even then, the industry was already highly automated with elements of robotics in the packaging department. One of the things that interested me the most was that their fastest cigarette making machine ran on a hydraulic coupling - the design incorporated both a pump and turbine using hydraulic oil as the working fluid - which was a significant departure from conventional mechanical couplings in use at the time. I have had the opportunity to handle magnetic couplings in the course of my career as well. Such an experience opens your eyes to possibilities. My experience with innovations extends to ergonomics - designing work stations for machine operators and technicians.
There is always opportunity to improve, irrespective of how well you are doing. Continuous improvement should be the guiding principle - mainly driven by problem solving & innovations.
Thank you very much for this interesting query.
Qualitative practical knowledge truly sets you apart from the crowd. Experiential learning is just as important as formal knowledge. Tacit knowledge is the result of the distillation & codification of human experiences. Discoveries & innovations are integral aspects of this process. Every opportunity for internships, mentorships and apprenticeships must therefore be fully utilized as and when they become available.
I had the privilege of doing my internship with British American Tobacco (BAT) nearly four (4) decades ago. Even then, the industry was already highly automated with elements of robotics in the packaging department. One of the things that interested me the most was that their fastest cigarette making machine ran on a hydraulic coupling - the design incorporated both a pump and turbine using hydraulic oil as the working fluid - which was a significant departure from conventional mechanical couplings in use at the time. I have had the opportunity to handle magnetic couplings in the course of my career as well. Such an experience opens your eyes to possibilities. My experience with innovations extends to ergonomics - designing work stations for machine operators and technicians.
There is always opportunity to improve, irrespective of how well you are doing. Continuous improvement should be the guiding principle - mainly driven by problem solving & innovations.