As my summer internship winds down, I reflect on my exceptionally unique experience here at Indium Corporation by sifting through memories, picking out highlights of lifelong lessons learned during my time as the Manufacturing Engineer Intern. To say I learned a lot throughout this internship would be an understatement. In fact, I have grown and flourished with Indium Corporation in a relatively brief period of time. My responsibilities this summer required learning keys to Indium Corporation’s manufacturing processes to boost production efficiency. This has driven me to pick the brains of knowledgeable engineers, toolmakers, and operators in order to obtain advice based on lessons they have learned through personal work experience. Witnessing coworkers with longtime positions at Indium Corporation who still curiously seek and find answers to technical questions from colleagues has firmly solidified my belief that one can learn something new every day.
In addition to specialized project work, my fellow interns and I have been fortunate enough to have had Indium Corporation organize weekly Lunch & Learn sessions in which we listen in on presentations given by guest speakers in varying fields of expertise in order to become more literate on topics such as personal finance and professional communication. To top it all off, we got to enjoy our favorite catered meals provided by Indium Corporation! After every session, we have informal group discussions about what we took away from the presentations. And no, these are not your typical cliché presentations. They are highly constructive information sessions. In days following several Lunch & Learns, I have found myself personally implementing pragmatic tips and techniques shared by guest speakers.
What has really stuck with me over the years, and especially throughout these past several weeks, is that there is no better way for me to mature in my professional career than to consistently strive to learn at work to prevent tendencies of merely going through the motions every day. And let me tell you what: I have directly applied the skills and education I have attained in classes to driving my project toward success this summer. When I say, "directly applied", I quite literally mean going back and referencing course textbooks as a resource. When you step back for a moment and think diligently about the task at hand, you are able to build upon what you have learned in the classroom and apply it toward devising your own creations in the real world, all while developing a passion for ingenuity in your field.
This goes to show that a well-rounded progression through one’s career necessitates lifelong learning, even outside of school. We are currently living in a revolutionary age of seemingly infinite data. Extremely useful information is readily available, both on and off the Internet, and it is ours for the taking. My advice for future interns would be to confidently face any fears of stepping out of your comfort zone, whether that involves presenting a slide show or merely asking a question. The worse that can happen is you have a few hiccups along the way. As the old saying goes: "you live and you learn".
Thanks for sticking around until the end, and From One Engineer to Another®, remember to keep a sharp and open mind!
All the best,
David