Student Stories
Mechanical Engineering Co-Op Story: IntraMicron, Inc.
Jasmine Blewett
Mechanical Engineering
What company did you intern with and where are they located?
IntraMicron Inc. Auburn, Al
How did you identify and apply for your internship? Are there any specific resources you used to find the opportunity (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)?
They found me through my handshake profile and reached out through messages.
What was the application process like?
Simple. I responded to their initial message, expressing interest, filled out the Coop eligibility forms and submitted an unofficial transcript. We then set up an on-campus interview during a Career Fair, which was followed by a casual plant tour where I got to meet some of my coworkers and see the projects and processes, I now get to work on.
Tell us about your internship experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?
IntraMicron is a small company with an intimate team, because of this I worked on a wide variety of projects, doing everything from process improvement and data collection to day to day manufacturing and Quality Testing. This was extra special because I got the opportunity to work equally with the Engineers and the Manufacturing Technicians which allowed me to gain a unique theoretical and practical outlook on production informed by in depth design conversations and hands-on production.
In what ways did this internship help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?
This experience has taught me so much about how much consideration, time and attention go into creating every aspect of a product and how much care must be taken in designing for manufacturability and profitability. During my Coop, I was also introduced to CNC Milling which is a skill that is becoming more and more useful in R&D and production and I have been excited to learn for some time.
In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your internships? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job?
Concepts of Mechanical Engineering Design provided such a useful framework for thinking about and participating in the weekly design meetings I was part of. It taught me how to consider a product with a view to consumer values and define the problem and constraints and communicate them efficiently. The Design Manufacturing Laboratory was also so essential for the essentials of tolerance discussions and Machining.
Do you have any advice for other students looking for internships like yours?
I would highly recommend keeping your LinkedIn and handshake profiles up to date and using them to share your passions and projects, and keeping up with correspondence. Another big thing is that it's never to early to start, I went to Career Fair my Freshman Fall and even though I didn't get a job from it, it helped me start building a network and gain confidence interviewing and clarity on my passions.