Mechanical Engineering Internship Story: Honda
PJ Green
Mechanical Engineering
What company did you intern with and where are they located?
Honda Alabama Auto Plant located in Lincoln, Alabama
How did you identify and apply for your internship? Are there any specific resources you used to find the opportunity (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)?
I went to the career fairs and also went on the career fair plus app to find out which companies were coming to the career fair and see which majors and positions they were looking for.
What was the application process like?
At the career fair, I introduced myself and talked to the recruiters and I got invited to fill out an application for the specific plant I wanted to work at and then got selected for 2 rounds of interviews and then got asked which term I would like to start work!
Tell us about your internship experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?
At my internship at International Paper I
● Compiled data on SAP and displayed cost analysis on maintenance work orders to develop a 5-year maintenance plan.
● Analyzed pump curves to handle troubleshooting with sump pumps that connected to the Sludge Press machine.
● Utilized pump curves to deadhead two booster pumps in Pulper Building.
● Attended a two week training program and worked with mechanics handling Pumps and Seals, Precision Maintenance, and Fasteners which led to a depth of understanding and knowledge about paper mill products.
At my most recent Co-op rotation at Honda
• Crafted a new cart layout for spare parts to address major cart congestion in the weld department of line 2 to increase production time and eliminate injuries.
• Conducted weekend robot inspections to ensure no air leaks were present and that the robots were sustainable and in good quality for manufacturing equipment.
• Designed a protection device for a pin that could sustain high temperatures for a welding robot in Catia design Software.
I learned a lot in my cart layout project because I got to see an entire process about how engineers draft out a project and got to learn a lot of soft skills in how you need to communicate with different contractors and operators to grasp the bigger picture of what the engineer designs will affect other people that are primarily utilizing the equipment.
In what ways did this internship help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?
I got the experience of office duties with designing along with going out in the field or production floor and getting hands-on tasks which I enjoyed because I got to see what I like and dislike outside of a classroom setting.
In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your internships? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job?
I was able to retain more hands-on activities I did in Mech lab and Solid works and I was able to effectively perform my tasks with Catia design software and different drilling techniques. This way I was able to be more independent and I could handle more demanding tasks and be more reliable.
Do you have any advice for other students looking for internships like yours?
Start early! Do not be scared because you are a freshman or sophomore! Go to the CDCR and get professional help with developing your resume and practice mock interviews so that you can best prepare for opportunities that come about.