Eastman Kodak Company

Mechanical Engineer Co-op

January - July 2024 • Dayton, OH

What I liked

I liked the variety of projects that I was able to be involved with. At Kodak, the engineers tend to "wear many hats", especially in manufacturing, where I worked. Most of my time was spent doing research in a few different labs (including a clean room), trying to find a way to quantify and fix problems with microscopic particles clogging the nozzles that put ink on a page. This involved a lot of measurement and analysis of data collected. Additionally, I worked to improve some manufacturing processes in the clean room, I updated some procedure documentation, I did some electrical testing for some of the circuitry on the products, and other smaller tasks. I really appreciated that I was able to take ownership of my projects, as I was doing them mostly independently. I had the opportunity to present my work multiple times and I felt like I made real contributions to the company and their goals. I also liked that the people were kind and the environment was very laid-back. It wasn't a big deal for me to take some time off for vacation, which I greatly appreciated.

What I wish was different

I wish my time had been a bit more structured, especially in my second term. When I got there, I don't think anyone really knew what I would be doing (I was the first co-op they'd had in manufacturing in a long time). I was given tasks that were fairly simple, and mostly things the engineers meant to do for a while, but hadn't gotten around to. I transitioned to a different part of the manufacturing department when I signed on for the summer, and my project was a lot more open-ended. I was mostly trying solutions to the problem, gathering data about what worked or didn't. I don't feel like I made much progress there. Another thing - I was mostly working on my own projects independently, which is valuable, but I would have liked to work more closely with another engineers, or even the other co-ops. As the only co-op/intern in the manufacturing department (the rest were in R&D or elsewhere), I didn't get to know my fellow students as well as I would have liked. Finally, there was a lot of stress all around the company, especially in the first few months I was there. I came to understand that there had been talk of layoffs, which eventually happened, and everyone was on edge for that whole time period. The way the higher-ups handled the situation hurt the company's image in my mind.

Advice

It's something I hear all the time, but don't be afraid to ask questions. Everyone I met at Kodak was happy to help me with anything I was unsure of, and was patient in explaining the complex topics to me. One of my coworkers here told me that you should to make your best effort to be an expert at what you're working on. That was my mantra while I was here and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have learned so much.

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Electrical Engineer Intern

May - August 2023 • Kettering, OH

What I liked

I liked the overall nature of the tasks I was given. I was exposed to the routine work and daily atmosphere of an electrical engineer. The first and most major project I was given was to identify and fix the problem of a circuit board controlling image-capturing cameras and LEDs. This required working knowledge of electrical components, diagrams, and digital design, but also the ability to find information, use resources, and grasp new knowledge quickly. I had to research the specific cameras and components that were being used in order to fully understand the functionality of the circuit board. Overall, the tasks I was given gave me great exposure to the world of engineering and what I should expect in the future. Also, everyone is extremely friendly.

What I wish was different

Sometimes I was left without tasks to do and my mentors would be busy with other things. I wish that they would invite me to shadow them and listen to an explanation of the things they are currently busy on, or have more tasks for me to complete. It felt that I was there for nothing at some times and not being given a chance to develop any skills or knowledge. Before hiring me, I wish my mentors could've planned out more tasks to fill up my time during my term here.

Advice

Try to find tasks to do, but make sure you don't bother the mentors too much. They are busy but will gladly and enthusiastically come to you whenever they have time or when they can briefly break free from their current projects. Whenever you have free time, work on learning new things, explore the laboratory, and find other ways to make the most out of your time here. There are definitely a lot of things that I didn't have the chance to experience here, so try to grasp everything you can.

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Mechanical Engeering Co-op

January - August 2023 • Dayton, OH

What I liked

I enjoyed the problem solving aspect of the job. Being presented with an issue and figuring out what we needed to change about the system to come up with a solution was engaging and rewarding. I worked mostly on the ink pumps and conducted testing in the lab to measure the pump's performance. I liked learning more and more about the complex printing press as I got further into my co-op term.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a bit more experience in other aspects of the company, such as the manufacturing side. It was great to work on a team of engineers but I also would have liked to also gain some experience and see what it is like to work on the manufacturing floor. There were also a few times that I did not have a specific project to be working on so I was unsure of where I should help out since I had little knowledge of the whole inkjet system. Overall, it was good to see what it is like to actually work at an engineering position at a company in corporate America and see how your classwork translates to the field.

Advice

Do not be afraid to ask questions!! When I started, everything was very new to me and it helps to ask questions and get more familiar with the technology you are working with. Get to know people at the company not just in your department too. It is good to grow your network.

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Analytical Chemist Intern

January - December 2017 • Rochester, NY

What I liked

I liked learning new things relating to what I was trained during my Laboratory Science Technology classes. It was really interesting of how the process works at Kodak and how their printing and toner were made.

What I wish was different

I wish that the everyday routine was different. It was pretty much the same thing and each week would be different, but after each new month, we go back to the same first routine and so on.

Advice

It is very important to communicate with your supervisor. As someone being deaf, it was kind of hard to keep track of what the supervisor was saying when I am around loud machines everyday. When you communicate, you will easily understand what to do.

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Mechanical Engineer Intern

May - August 2019 • Rochester, NY

What I liked

Great people to work with and not too stressful

What I wish was different

Updated environment

Advice

Take this opportunity as you will learn so much

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Museum intern

June - August 2019 • Rochester, NY

What I liked

The freedom that we had! Most of the major decisions on the project, we made. It was like being your own boss.

What I wish was different

The actual day to day job. Our responsibility was digitizing documents, speeding 9 hours a day digitizing documents can be very monotounes.

Advice

The advice I would give is that don't stress yourself out over the amount of work they give you. At least with my supervisor the work was more suggested than actually expected. Just give your best and whatever you get done is fine!!

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Archive intern

June - August 2019 • Rochester, NY

What I liked

I like the freedom and independence the job had, I chose my own tasks for the day and learned how to navigate archival work in a hands on way.

What I wish was different

I wish there would have been more museum professionals in my building to make connections for the future as I am a senior this year at RIT.

Advice

The job is very independent and requires a lot of prior research and navigate to answering your curiosities independently. It is not an internship for people that thrive in the work field with a group of people.

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