Co-op/Intern/Summer Student - Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineer – Stantec
I’ve chosen this position at Stantec because of my knowledge and interest in their particular field. Stantec offers the ability to work in numerous different areas such as; CAD, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering, to name a few. This interests me because I would like to explore some of these areas of expertise. Another reason I chose Stantec is because of their locations. They have offices in Canada and the U.S. This particular job/internship/Co-op is located in Alberta Canada, one of Stantec’s smaller offices. This gives a great opportunity for growth and advancement as well as being recognized as a valuable employee. I also think it would be an interesting experience to work outside the country. Besides working there are endless outdoor activities, lots of snow, and Tim Horton’s ! (Canadians are obsessed with this place) It would be nice to have a change of pace and see if living outside the U.S. is really what I want.
The posting asks for applicants that are recent graduates or second year + Mechanical Engineering students. They also call for experience in AutoCAD and exposure to construction “activities”. I’m currently a senior in MET and have used or been “exposed” to everything they require in my past jobs/internships. I have experience using AutoCAD and other software packages to design building layouts or parts for machining/casting. I have also done landscape designs and layouts via CAD. In my most recent internship I used CAD software and prints to communicate with engineers and staff. I believe this gave me the skills and experience to effectively do this job.
Besides the main job requirements there is a list of professional skills they would like to see. They stress the ability to be able to work in a challenging fast-paced team environment. During my time at Purdue and in my jobs/internships I have worked on numerous projects. The majority of them have been team projects and I believe they have given me the ability to effectively work in a team environment and provide the best results possible. I understand that some of the best ideas and innovations have come from people working together and it’s a critical skill to have.
What will I learn at Stantec? In this internship, Stantec is looking to help the applicant(me) “gain experience in the design of buildings mechanical systems including HVAC, plumbing, and piping systems.” I have taken many fluid classes and solved many fluid dynamic problems. It’s an area of engineering that interests me and it would be appealing to see it from their prospective. Since Stantec is mainly focused on designing buildings and civil engineering projects I would get a chance to be exposed to this side of Mechanical Engineering. Most of my experience has been dealing with parts or machinery.
Browsing Stantec’s website has provided me with more knowledge on how they operate and what they do. Under their career tab the header states; “One Team. Infinite Opportunities.” Right off the bat you can see they are very dedicated to their employees and know that they are capable of anything. There is nothing better than working in an environment where people enjoy their work and motivate each other to reach the highest standard. This is exactly the type of environment I would like to work in. Another aspect that I like about Stantec is their awareness of the environment. While they have their hand in designing buildings, industrial applications, and transit, they always consider the surroundings and its impact. These efforts and awareness have resulted in Stantec winning multiple awards for their planning, design, and construction.
Instructor commentary
You have clearly researched this position and considered how it suits your needs, which is good. I think there are three things that might improve this analysis: more consideration of how you can help the company (which will help you produce your cover letter and resume); concrete examples of experiences that align with what the job ad requests; explicit discussion of how your analysis shapes your cover letter.
You make statements including the following:
This is a good start, but you need to identify specific examples of what you have created with AutoCAD and specific instances when you have worked as a member of a team. The golden rule is to show, not tell. Specific, concrete narratives will stick where general statements will not.
Also, recall that the assignment description states: "Think of the Job Ad Analysis as a prelude to the Cover Letter." You should make tentative determinations about what the central theme or argument of your cover letter will be and how you will use the material in this analysis correspondingly. You want to treat this analysis as groundwork for the documents ahead of you, which means attention to both content and structure.
Overall, however, this is good start, and there is much you can build upon as you construct your cover letter and resume.