- Position allowed the work on all aspects of the packaging industry from paper to board to box.
- Lab position allowed for work on the cutting edge/experimental of products at PCA and the packaging field at large.
- Box plant tour allowed me to see more than I would within the lab alone.
- Was given the tools to develop my own experiment.
- Lab technicians are thoughtful and resourceful.
- Small number of employees makes the relationships more personal.
What I wish was different
I wish there was more explicit time set aside for personal projects vs. what the lab needed done. As a co-op it is hard to find justification prioritizing your experience over the workflow of the lab.
Advice
Ask questions, everyone working at this lab has years of experience you can learn from and are usually doing something you can learn from.
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Packaging Co-op
June 2021 - December 2022 • Mundelein, IL
What I liked
I liked how welcoming they were when I first joined. I was able to settle pretty quickly with their support. Also, my team was very encouraging and always willing to take any questions.
What I wish was different
I wished I dealt with more data-based projects instead of tasks on a daily basis. But I still extended my knowledge in the corrugated packaging industry as well as data analytics through asking questions.
Advice
Do not be afraid to make mistakes or ask questions. In order to learn you have to fail and try again and be able to ask questions after you fail in order to learn and make progress. And use your time wisely.
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Intern
June 2020 • Nampa, ID
What I liked
I enjoyed being given a lot of responsibility on projects and trusted to work on my own.
What I wish was different
I wish I could have learned more about the logistics of the business.
Advice
Internships are great because you learn at a fast rate and increase your work experience. Put yourself out there and network as soon as possible.
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Reliability engineer co-op
June - November 2019 • Counce, TN
What I liked
PCA Counce mill is a wonderful place to work for engineers looking to enter the pulp and paper industry. I enjoyed my coworkers and learning from some of the best engineers in the area.
What I wish was different
This mill is in a very small town, I wish there was more to do in my off time.
Advice
As with any internship or co-op, learn as much as possible and ask lots of questions.
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Accounting Intern
January - August 2019 • Marshfield, WI
What I liked
I liked the quality of the internship and the many different area I gained experience in.
What I wish was different
The location of the company.
Advice
I would recommend that every student take at least one internship. You need experience coming out of college to be successful. Internships are a great opportunity to learn about the industry you want to join and increase your professional worth.
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Factory worker
May - August 2019 • Marshfield, WI
What I liked
My co-workers and the pay
What I wish was different
Your voice would’ve been heard more by supervisors
Advice
Look for something uncomfortable. Any experience is good in order to figure out what you want to do.
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Engineering Co-Op
January - August 2019 • Wallula, WA
What I liked
The people were really fun to work with, and the location was great!
What I wish was different
Co-Ops were often left to work on a project for long periods of time with little progress made. You had to fight for work to do at times.
Advice
Be an effective communicator. Be personable, but not the guy that distracts others from work for hours.
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Chemical Engineering Intern
May - August 2019 • Counce, TN
What I liked
Excellent experience to apply engineering knowledge in the real world. Work directly with a process engineer to help gain a better understanding of the daily roles and responsibility of a process engineer.
What I wish was different
More project based tasks instead of daily tasks would be preferred, but there was still a good mix of both.
Advice
You can get out of the job experience as much as you want to put into the job. There is a lot of opportunities for self learning. At the same time the job can be boring at times, use those slow times to get out and learn as much as you can.
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Chemical Process Engineer
May - August 2019 • Jackson, AL
What I liked
Good work experience, and learned a lot about actual equipment.
What I wish was different
Nothing.
Advice
Work hard and listen to the operators.
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summer intern
June - August 2019 • Wallula, WA
What I liked
I liked the environment i was in, it gave me a little bit of engineering insight and experience to what i actually want to do after graduation.
What I wish was different
I wish i wouldnt have just been a summer job. i would like to go back.
Advice
this experience taught me to not be scared to be around the older folks when going out in the field. as a starting engineer we might feel intimidated by the older engineers.
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Chemical Process Engineer
September 2016 • Filer City, MI
What I liked
It is something different every day. Most the people are friendly.
What I wish was different
Training was not the best. I am a hands on person so I did not get shown the ropes until a month or 2 into the job.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Everyone is more than willing to help out.
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Process engineer co-op (Technical)
January - July 2017 • Valdosta, GA
What I liked
Loves the company culture. Very welcoming, and the amount of freedom on the job was excellent. Just enough to let you explore everything on your own yet still tight enough to push very interesting projects at a reasonable pace.
What I wish was different
I wish I had worked in different areas of the mill as opposed to just the Pulpmill. Utilities worked a lot with power delivery and that interested me as well.
Advice
Don't be nervous, everyone knows you're an intern and know nothing. They won't give you something you can't do, you need to show them you can handle the tasks they give you and ask for even more.
