Co-op Stories: Caleb Grenier

By: Caleb Grenier

Before Caleb Grenier left campus after graduating in August 2019 from the Biomedical Engineering program, he graciously shared about his co-op experience with CO-OPS + CAREERS.

Caleb Headshot in CEIS Lobby

  • Where was your co-op?

My second co-op was a return to IDEXX Laboratories Technical Manufacturing department which I worked at during the optional co-op semester. My role was to investigate and update an SOP purification for Avian Influenza.

  • Why were you interested in returning to IDEXX Laboratories?

IDEXX’s R&D department is well known for developing revolutionary testing methods for diseased animals and livestock. The idea of working in a lab performing biochemical processes that contributed valuable research really sparked my interest.

  • What was a typical day like at your co-op?

I would get free coffee from the cafeteria when I arrived. I would then sit down and drink my coffee while either looking over any data I collected from the previous day or planning out an experiment for the day. I would then connect with my supervisor to see if he was okay with the procedure I came up with. I would then perform the experiment(s) for the rest of the work day.

  • While on co-op, what project(s) were you a part of that inspired you?

I was able to collect a lot of important data for the update of the Avian Influenza purification. I was truly inspired by the project and the people I was working with. At the end I gave the biggest presentation of my life to date. I felt a sense of accomplishment because I felt like I was able to contribute valuable work and knowledge to the team.

  • What did you need to focus on inside or outside of the classroom to be successful as a candidate?

Practicing professionalism and networking often outside of the classroom was important to securing this co-op in particular. In terms of being in the classroom, Biochemistry was the most important class I took before this co-op. It helped me have intelligent conversations about science, but it also helped me think critically about experimental design when it came to purification of virus.

  • What advice do you have for students interested in Bio Analytics and working for a company like IDEXX?

Unexpected experimental results are not indicative of failure, in fact unexpected experimental results are what makes you grow and think in ways that the past version of you didn’t.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Caleb! Be on the lookout for our next co-op feature. If you would like to share your co-op experience with us (positive or not-as-expected), or have any questions about the co-op process, please email us at coopsandcareers@wit.edu.

As always, to make an appointment with your CO-OP + CAREER Advisor call the front desk at 617.989.4101 or stop by the CO-OPS + CAREERS Office.

Fall 2019 Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 1:30pm – 4:00pm while classes are in session.

Mock Interview Day 2019

By: Kristen Eckman

Our annual Mock Interview Day was held on Tuesday, October 22nd from 3:00pm –6:00pm in Watson Auditorium. The day consisted of five rounds of 35-minute interviews conducted by 20 employer representatives from companies across multiple industries. Of those 20 representatives, 6 were Wentworth alumni and 4 were Wentworth staff who helped to cover for employer cancellations.

In total, 68 students participated in 97 interviews out of a possible 100, providing an option for some students to conduct more than one practice interview. Many of the employer volunteers were impressed with the caliber of mock interviews and will be inviting students back for formal interviews.

Mock interview day

If you are a student who attended Mock Interview Day this week your next steps should be to follow up with employers by:

  • Sending a thank you email to the employers with whom you spoke. Find our guide to thank you notes here.
  • If a recruiter gave you specific instructions, be sure to follow through on those items and then follow up with the recruiter.
  • Unable to send a thank-you note for lack of contact information? Connect through social media by finding the company and the person you spoke with on LinkedIn or Twitter. Follow their feeds to stay up to date with new openings and other news!

Mock Interview Day

If you were unable to attend Mock Interview Day, be on the lookout for future opportunities to engage with employers and don’t miss the spring CO-OP + CAREER Fair, date TBD. Check WITworks as we get closer to the Spring Fair for updates on employers attending.

Employers – invitations for the spring CO-OP + CAREER Fair will be sent out in the new year. As always, stay up-to-date with news from CO-OPS + CAREERS and events happening on-campus through coopsandcareers.wit.edu.

Thank you to all students and employers who joined us on October 22nd to conduct practice interviews!

As always, to make an appointment with your Co-op + Career Advisor call the front desk at 617.989.4101 or stop by the CO-OPS + CAREERS Office.

Fall 2019 Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 1:30pm – 4:00pm while classes are in session.

Co-op Stories: James Bednar

By: James Bednar

James is a Wentworth senior in the Electromechanical Engineering program with minors in Applied Mathematics and Physics. He graciously shared his recent co-op experience with CO-OPS + CAREERS:

  • Where was your co-op?

My co-op this summer has been at Hanscom Air Force Base, which is predominantly located within the city of Bedford, Massachusetts. I’ve been working as a SMART Program Intern for the Enterprise IT and Cyber Infrastructure Division of the Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, and Networks (C3I&N) Program Office.

The majority of the work at Hanscom AFB is in support of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), which is responsible for acquiring, sustaining, and eventually disposing of complex systems utilized by the Air Force.

Within my assigned organization, engineers are responsible for ensuring that IT and cyber systems are designed, acquired, and sustained in a manner that allows the entire Air Force to benefit from modern information systems. This poses a unique challenge, especially for organizations as large and geographically dispersed as the U.S. military.

 

  • What was your search and interview process like?

My co-op search was unique in the sense that it mainly consisted of a traditional scholarship application. After collecting the references, transcripts, and essays required to apply to SMART, I waited to see whether or not I would be offered a place within the program.

While applicants can list their preferences for potential work assignments, there’s no guarantee that they will get assigned to any of their top choices. I ended up being very fortunate, as I was both offered a spot in the SMART Scholarship Program and assigned to AFLCMC at Hanscom AFB, which was my first choice when applying to the program.

  • What is the SMART Scholarship Program?

The Science Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program is an initiative led by the Department of Defense seeking to provide college students with a pathway into civil service. The SMART Program offers college funding opportunities at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral level in exchange for working as a Department of Defense civilian employee for a few years upon graduation.

When explaining the program, I tell people that the SMART Program is analogous to a civilian ROTC program, where students are contracted to work for one year as a civilian engineer for each year they receive financial assistance from the program. It’s an imperfect analogy, but helps to capture the fact that program participants typically want to pursue civilian service as their chosen career pathway.

  • How did you learn about SMART?

I learned about the SMART Scholarship Program shortly before entering my freshman year at Wentworth. Initially, I was accepted and planned on attending the United States Coast Guard Academy but was medically disqualified at the last minute due to an injury received during basketball practice towards the end of high school.

Wentworth was always my top choice outside of Coast Guard, so I decided to move out to Boston with the hope of finding another way to pursue service in a civilian capacity. After eventually settling on the major of Electromechanical Engineering, I decided to apply to SMART during my sophomore year and was fortunate enough to be accepted into the program.

  • Why are you interested in this work/completing your co-op with your employer?

I have wanted to pursue service in some capacity since my freshman year of high school. The SMART Program provides a great introduction to government service within the Department of Defense, which I hope to build upon as I continue throughout my career.

Long term, I want to apply my technical experience to the field of public policy, and starting my career at Hanscom AFB will provide a great introduction to the crossroads of engineering and acquisitions policy as it pertains to the Air Force. Furthermore, I hope the opportunity to work on enterprise information systems will help inform my decision as I look to study either Applied Physics or Systems Engineering in graduate school.

  • What is a typical day like at your co-op?

A typical day will vary widely depending on what stage a system is its lifecycle. While I’ve been focusing on getting a feel for the organization on-the-job training and shadowing during this co-op, I’m looking forward to working on some exciting systems as I move forward at Hanscom AFB.

  • What advice do you have for students interested in pursuing the SMART scholarship?

First, I would encourage students interested in pursuing this opportunity (or work as a technical professional in any government organization) to “know your why”. Working as an engineer on the civilian side of the Department of Defense (or any area of the government) offers some unique opportunities you simply will not find anywhere else, and the work can be very rewarding. However, working as a civil servant is different than a career in private industry. Knowing why you decided to pursue civil service can help provide perspective when you have those inevitable “what if” moments when talking to friends working in private industry.

More importantly, if you’re truly interested in what the SMART Program has to offer, my biggest advice would be to go for it. The SMART Program provides a fantastic opportunity, and it would be great to see other Wentworth students pursue the program along with me. If anyone out there is interested in SMART or has any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, either around campus or via email.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, James! Be on the lookout for our next co-op feature. If you would like to share your co-op experience (positive or not-as-expected), or have any questions about the co-op process, please email us at coopsandcareers@wit.edu.

As always, to make an appointment with your Co-op + Career Advisor call the front desk at 617.989.4101 or stop by the CO-OPS + CAREERS Office.

Fall 2019 Drop-In Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 1:30pm – 4:00pm while classes are in session.

CO-OP + CAREER Fair Event Recap

By: Abbey Pober

Our annual Fall CO-OP + CAREER Fair was held on Tuesday, October 2nd from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm in Tansey Gymnasium. The event hosted 180 employers ranging from local design firms to international technology organizations and everything in between. It was our most well attended Fair to date, drawing 875 students from all majors, seeking both co-op and full-time opportunities. Students came prepared to spend the afternoon learning and making new connections.

Fall Career Fair

Students who attended the CO-OP + CAREER Fair, below are some tips for following up. If you had a LinkedIn photo taken, look for an email from coopsandcareers@wit.edu in about a month.

  • Send a thank you email to the employers with whom you spoke. Find our guide to thank you notes here. If you need a reminder of which companies with whom you spoke a list of employers is available on our website for reference. Use this opportunity to include a copy of your resume, even if you gave them one at the Fair.
  • If a recruiter gave you specific instructions, be sure to follow through on those items and then follow up with the recruiter.
  • Unable to send a thank-you note for lack of contact information? Stay connected through social media: find the company or even the person you spoke with on LinkedIn or Twitter. Follow their feeds to stay up to date on new openings and other news!
  • You are always welcome to check in with your Co-op + Career Advisor to see if they can provide you with any helpful information, too.

Fall Career Fair Booths

If you were unable to attend the Fair be on the lookout for future opportunities to connect with employers, including the announcement about the spring CO-OP + CAREER Fair. Our next event is Mock Interview Day, on October 22nd , and student registration is now open on WITworks. This is a great opportunity to practice your interview skills and get feedback directly from employers.

Employers, be on the lookout for future recruiting opportunities in the coming months, and for details about our spring CO-OP + CAREER Fair. Interested in participating in Mock Interview Day? Register for this free event through your WITworks account or by contacting Chris McIntyre, mintyrec@wit.edu.

Thank you to everyone who joined on October 2nd for the Fair. A special thank you to our sponsors: BOND BrothersCommodore BuildersDACONElectric Supply Center, NOVO Construction, Schneider Electric, and TG Gallagher. Your support makes all the difference.

 

We look forward to seeing everyone at our next event!