ITW

Mechanical Engineering Intern

May - August 2023 • Glenview, IL

What I liked

I am grateful for the opportunity to work on two major projects, which involved building different systems from the ground up. ITWx Intern experience developed my technical, programming, research, communication, and documentation skills. Apart from that, I loved meeting people, learning from their passions and career pathways, and understanding ITW's entrepreneurial culture. An internship at ITW was indeed a phenomenon experience and a well-spent summer.

What I wish was different

Not so much really! Life outside of work kind of got boring because I didn't know anyone in the area, so I relied so much on my adventurous soul to make the best of my time and avoid feeling alone. Instead of worrying much about being alone, I invested so much time in prayer–I got closer to God as I consistently had Bible studies with friends. As an international student, something that would have been different is how I approached the new life and learning to be comfortable living on my own. On the other hand, I wish I had learned how to use public transportation and maybe had an idea of what life in Glenview was like before moving in. That would have saved me long travels and time over the weekends figuring out where different services are provided, like natural hair saloons, etc.

Advice

As a rising junior in the internship, I didn’t have a lot of academic knowledge that it required -- at that time, I didn’t have a lot of mechanical-engineering-based classes, all the classes in the first years were introductory classes. That’s the side that I had to kind of open up to because over the internship I had to work with sensors and on SolidWorks, more advanced features in SolidWorks that we hadn’t learned in classes. I had to code and in the internship, I used a different programming language from high school and it was a bit of a challenge learning it from scratch. To be able to do this and at the same time enjoy the internship, you need to ask a lot of questions and not really rely on your knowledge. you have to understand that people are there to help you--you just have to let them know how they can help you. Be curious and excited at all times!

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Mechanical Engineering Intern

January - August 2023 • Troy, OH

What I liked

I liked the opportunity to work on certain tasks by myself however allowing me to ask questions if needed. I also enjoyed running tests throughout the semester. During the semester some of the projects that I worked on were building up prototypes, running tests on certain parts of the machines, plotting data from tests run in the lab as well as from the field sites I also liked working in different departments and assist on projects they were working on. I felt that being able to be part of each departments projects was a great way to better understand how the machine was put together. During my second term I felt to be more involved in decision making and testing. My main focus during the second term was focusing on the new software for the CLINE machines. Over the course of the second term, the main focus was to get the new software tested and made sure nothing needed to be adjusted or critiqued before the release date. Also, was a part of building more prototypes with the most up to date designs that will be on the new release of the machine. The team has been very helpful during the 2 terms that I have worked, and I could always count on them if I needed help or had questions on something I was working on.

What I wish was different

The only thing I wish was different would be getting the chance to work on some design work during the first term. Though they said that will begin in the second term as you learn more about the machine and understand how each part functions. Also, I feel it would be beneficial to have the co-ops more involved in some projects together to assist each other if needed and to learn with someone who has the same amount of experience.

Advice

Some skills that will be useful are having a basic knowledge of hand tools, excel, plotting data, and communication skills. It is always okay to ask someone for help, everyone at ITW is very helpful and will lead you into the right direction. You will frequently present in front of either your team or people from other teams on results you have found from the tests you completed. Always have the motivation to work to better the team and the people around you.

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Sales Intern

June 2017 • Itasca, IL

What I liked

The opportunity to make a real impact as an intern.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten to participate in more customer facing activity.

Advice

Not every task is going to be something your passionate about or exciting. Take pride in your work, create meaningful connections, and contribute value to the company where you can. Do these things consistently & at the end of the internship you may be rewarded with an offer.

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