My Drafting Internship

Student: Joshua Holter
Internship: Industrial Assemblies, Inc.
How I heard about it: Through my Design Technology instructor. He told me about the company and I called and set up an interview.

Daily routine

Using AutoCAD, I engineered store displays for major companies. The prints I engineered were approved and sent out to the shop to be built. The project that I was directly involved in was the design of a kitchen unit for Michigan State University. When I wasn't engineering products, my employer would have me update old prints or make copies of new prints so they could be sent out for production. Even after prints were sent out, I checked on products in the shop and made sure that things were running smoothly.

What I got out of it

Every aspect of production relies on a different aspect to run smoothly. I was expected to check and double-check every print that was to be sent out. Without prints, the shop isn't able to build the displays. I also learned to get feedback from everyone. I had to be open to all suggestions and ideas. After all, the people putting the products together know the best way to put them together. If one part isn't drawn to the right dimensions all production stops on the unit until the problem is solved. This means retracing steps to figure out where the mistake was made. I learned to make copies of everything because that is the only way to keep track of things.

Word to the wise

Being involved in an internship that dealt with a possible career path helped me make the decision to stick with that career. An internship helps you to understand how the working world operates and gives you a feel for working in an environment other than the classroom.