Electrical Engineering Co-Op Story: Neptune Technology Group

Nathan Plourde

Electrical Engineering

What company did you intern with and where are they located?
Neptune Technology Group in Tallassee, AL

How did you identify and apply for this position? Are there any specific resources you
used to find the opportunity (i.e., Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)
I found this position through IEEE, the Electrical and Computer Engineering
professional organization

What was the application process like?
Originally, I applied online. This led to a phone interview with my manager for this
past term. I declined originally because of time constraints in later semesters. I
then went back to talk to them at the Career Fair and interviewed them in person.
I was called to get a tour of their facilities.

Tell us about your experience. What type of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was
there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?
This summer I worked on signal prediction charts for them. This position is
infamous for being the most boring position for the COOPs to go through. This
position is very routine and repetitive. I did, however, get to work on random
projects elsewhere in the company.

In what ways did this experience help you prepare for your next destination after
Auburn?
This experience taught me communication and organizational skills. It also
brought me good references for later job applications.

In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for this
experience?
Since my position was not very technical, I did not have to use my class
knowledge very often. The big thing for this position is to know how to code and
have a logical mind.

Are there specific topics or skills you learned from class that you put into practice on the
job?
I learned how RF signal’s strength corresponds to the distance it travels.

Do you have any advice for other students looking for an experience like yours?
Enjoy your time, if not get some good references out of it