I enjoyed getting to travel to different sites around the country and viewing similar parts of the NDT industry from slightly different lenses, as each site and even different branches though offer similar work, provide a variety of knowledge and information on the inner workings of the profession.
Working in a more hands-on, practical method, allowed me to apply and hone more immediate abilities and allowed me to apply more active problem solving while on the job.
What I wish was different
Though I found myself in the field very often and gained a lot of valuable hands-on experience gathering testing data for client, part of me wishes I could have had more time to view the process involved in evaluating that data and creating a plan of action for the clients we assisted.
Advice
I would say spend a lot of time listening and if you're confused/don't immediately understand an instruction given to you about a task, please ask questions as soon as possible. Everyone would prefer that you're attentive and making sure you're informed than rushing without enough knowledge. That'll just cause you to mess up and possibly injure yourself.
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Mechanical Engineering Co-op
January 2020 • Marietta, GA
What I liked
The office environment is exceptional. All the co-workers are friendly in the industrial services department. Opportunities are given to do the work performed onsite. The work load is decent, but fluctuates with the times as all other companies do.
What I wish was different
I believe that some organization techniques could be better utilized since a problem is having too many people without work to do and losing things is another problem.
Advice
It helps to communicate, the biggest problem I could see working here is trying to do everything yourself without asking questions. The higher ups are more than willing to help with any questions or concerns.
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Engineering CO-OP
December 2017 - August 2019 • Marietta, GA
What I liked
Travel, variety of design and field work, good team dynamics and mentor-ship.
What I wish was different
Only complaint is that things weren't scheduled very far in advance, and it was sometimes hard to find work.
Advice
Try to self direct as much as possible, don't go for help every time you get stuck, work on something else until you have nothing left but things you need help with. Then go and get it all knocked out at once.
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One person found this helpful
Field Technician Intern
January - April 2018 • Marietta, GA
What I liked
I initially liked the ability to travel and to experience what it was like for someone who does not work in the office.
I liked that I quickly learned what I do not want to do in the future.
I liked that I had this experience; I do not regret it.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more information upfront on what i was getting into. I did not know I was signing up for a internship where I would work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and weeks away from friends and family in locations where there was close to zero contact with the outside world because of remote areas with close to no cell phone reception, with roughly 5 hours of sleep a day.
I felt exploited by the company because there were other coworkers doing the same job, even less, making at least 1/3 more than the intern rate( they were making 18.00/hr with a HS Diploma, and often took smoke breaks to avoid work). I was offended and learned how to stand up for myself in the future when I am offered a wage under market rates.
I wish I had a larger role in the office. My usual duties were the literal bottom of the pole jobs, such as but not limited to: carrying 75lb of equipment up and down 12 flights of stairs because the elevator was broken, standing around and looking important so the company could bill more hours to the work-site, and grinding metal with a stainless steel brush so it can be analyzed by a full-time technician. I felt like an object on site so the company could profit at the expense of my internship experience.
I expressed greater interest in office work, analysis, consultation, FEA, engineering drawings, but I felt that my wants and needs were unheard. I was sent back to the field to do a level of work that required 0 engineering college education and I could preform as a high school dropout. I wished I had more of the experience I wanted from an engineering consulting company doing lab work and not field work.
I almost had hypothermia on my first job. I was soaked in water, when there was windchill and the ambient temperature was around 35 degrees. I did not know any better and put my life at risk.
Advice
For some people, this is their kind of world. This was not the world for me; I was extremely out of my comfort zone. By experiencing jobs like this, you can narrow down, to a bullet, exactly what your ideal career situation would be. It told me that I do not working on the floor of a factory, that I do not like traveling often, my social net is very important to my well being, and that I have a heavy emphasis on a work-life balance.
The job told me how I should redirect my efforts from finding a career, or a job out of high school, to doubling down on my interests. Ultimately, it has pushed me towards graduate school and conducting research in a place where I can maintain a life outside of work.
Observe the interactions between the managers, employees, and customers. They provide invaluable information on how you should expect to be treated. I overheard a few conversations where all the employees were referred to as "workers" and how I noticed a lack of respect for my coworkers because the harder the workers worked, the larger the bonus for the on-site manager; there was no form of kickback for the individuals actually preforming the work except maybe pizza.
That was the point when I stopped working so hard, because I know that I was a disposable individual to the company and would have no future value, despite my education or skill set. I existed as cheap human labor for 4 months. This point was late March. I left the company soon after in early April.
I do not exist to be exploited by a company; I exist to lead a fulfilling life.
