Work Descriptions

First Term: Site Integration

Second Term: Dow Pharmaceuticals

Third Term: Engineering Solutions -- Process Engineering

Fourth Term: Methocel Plant -- Run Plant/Improvement role

How did you find this position?

I found the position through the job fair and through a Dow Chemical info
session. The same person holding the info session was also the person who
interviewed me. He remembered me from the info session.

What prepared you the most for your co-op experience?

I think one of the most important things that prepared me for co-oping in general
was my previous job experience. Just knowing what employers expect from
people in general as far as work ethic is important. Classes obviously helped
especially when working in engineering solutions but I think as long as you know
how to work hard and are not afraid to ask questions and seek help people should
have no trouble with a co-op.

Who should do a co-op?

Anyone interested in a co-op position should seriously look at accepting. There
are many benefits to taking one: you gain real world experience, it looks great
on a resume, you get to see different positions before you graduate giving you a
better idea what position you want as a full time, extra spending money, it delays
graduation without having to pay for extra terms(some may say this is a bad thing
but you work for the rest of your life, an extra year of college is a good thing),
allows you to take a break from school to refresh for the next semester. I honestly
do not see any downfall to taking a co-op.

What are the benefits of a co-op?

After working four terms in four different positions I now know what type of role
I want to start in when I take a full time position. If I work for Dow I now have
over a year of experience with the company, I know how many of their processes
work and should help to shorten the amount of training I will have when I start.
I have also seen many things that you do not see in a classroom, you get to see a
plant and process and it is very hands on.

What is the most important thing you learned from your co-op experience?

I think the most important thing I have learned is how to work with different
groups of people. In a plant you are not just working with engineers like in a
classroom and this experience helped me to work with technicians, maintenance,
operations, quality and other groups.