I enjoyed the balance between working in an office environment while also working on the plant floors to ensure safety work. I enjoyed working with the health and safety team while on occasion working with the environmental group. Despite not having higher education in safety engineering, I was successful at completing the work and learning of how to approach safety in a manufacturing plant while also actively gaining real world experience in a professional atmosphere. I felt as if my work made a difference to help keep employees safer and healthier going forward which was just as rewarding as the full time benefits I received.
What I wish was different
I was hoping to work with the environmental team at the time, but a past co-op was selected for that position for my time there. Safety is not exactly my expertise or field of study, but a lot of it made sense and I felt like I was able to work well with it. I plan on returning for another rotation next summer to work with the environmental side that is more related to my field of study which is Geography with a concentration of environmental sustainability. I am fascinated with Yamaha's efforts to helping keep Newnan, Georgia sustainable as it is also my hometown. The other small detail is that I wish I had a reduced commute time. I had to commute one hour each way in heavy traffic and it was something I did not look forward too after working all day. I had an option to stay at my home during the internship, but in the rural area of Moreland, Georgia, we still do not have access to reliable, high speed internet or decent cell phone service for a mobile hotspot. As a result, I commuted a two hour round trip most days to my apartment in Carrollton.
Advice
I did not really know about co-ops prior to learning about this from a family friend. I knew a couple people that worked there which likely helped my chances of getting in, but also was made aware that my honesty was appealing during my interview. I felt as if I did not give the best answers in my interview because I was not entirely prepared to answer some of the questions. After the entire experience, however, I feel so much more confident about my abilities, my experiences, and knowledge that I am far more capable than before the position. Co-ops are also incredibly worthwhile as you work with big name companies to get your name in the field and have wonderful opportunities for letters of recommendations and for names to have on your resume.
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SQA Engineer
May - August 2018 • Newnan, GA
What I liked
Seeing the whole scope of manufacturing from design to after market.
What I wish was different
The order of the 3 main QA groups they have.
Advice
It is hard to improve the quality of a product while keeping cost down as well.
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One person found this helpful
Quality Assurance Coop
January 2018 • Newnan, GA
What I liked
Very helpful experience will the people there. They were more than willing to give you the opportunity to learn and advise you throughout projects
