For most student interns, a summer internship is an opportunity to gain real-time industry experience in the field of their interest that they cannot achieve in an ideal school setting. It’s an invaluable learning experience for new grads and employers alike, but it takes a conscious effort from both parties to make it successful. This summer, Aversan was fortunate enough to have an outstanding group of interns join different teams at our Mississauga facility.
At the end of August, we sat down to interview our student interns to hear from them what it’s really like to work at Aversan. We asked each one of them to reflect on the company culture, work content, supervision, and their experience working with us in general. We hope this blog post will help students and new graduates gain a fresh perspective about interning at Aversan and gauge what it would really like to be working in an Engineering and Product Development space.
Without further ado, let’s hear from some of our 2018 Summer Interns!
About Aversan Internship
Elena Wong is attending the University of Guelph as a student in the Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering program. She’s interested in Aerospace but would like to explore a path in business development.
“I decided to join Aversan because of my interest in the Aerospace industry and towards the end, got a deeper insight of both engines driving this industry – Engineering and Business Development. As someone looking to enter the engineering workforce in a couple years, I learned how to work with cross-functional teams and conduct myself in a professional environment early on. Interacting with people and asking a lot of questions helped me figure out things faster. Altogether, it has been a great learning and professional development experience for me!”
Ashley Wong is attending the Rotman School of Management, Toronto in the Bachelor of Commerce program. She has a rich background in graphic design and is always willing to learn about new technologies.
“At first I thought doing marketing for an engineering firm would be challenging but during my time at Aversan, I realized that as long as you’re willing to learn, not knowing the industry or not having the required technical background is never a roadblock on your path to success. From designing presentations to redesigning the GUI, I took up everything that came my way. At Aversan, everyone is so friendly and easy to reach out to that it never occurred to me that I was an intern and not part of their core team. Regardless of my position, the CEO, as well as the Business Development team, kept me involved throughout and my opinion was valued. Besides everything, I loved the workplace culture!”
Akriti Sharma is attending the University of Toronto in the Bachelor of Commerce program with a specialization in Finance and majors in Economics. She’s a quick learner, very enthusiastic and interested in attending a law school after graduation.
“I worked closely with the accounting team and my primary responsibility during the internship period was to facilitate process improvement in their existing payroll system. Working at Aversan taught me how to work collaboratively in a team and build amicable relations with team members for mutual success. Unlike most small and medium-sized companies, no one really micromanages anyone here. The social atmosphere is very welcoming, especially for new employees. I learned how to take complete ownership of your project and lead it from start to finish. Besides new knowledge and better business etiquettes, I walked out with a tangible evidence of what I’ve accomplished during my time spent on the job.”
What was your position and what did you work on?
Elena: “My position at Aversan was Process Engineer Analyst and I created guidelines for each discipline. In doing so, I got a deeper insight into the step-by-step process of product development from project acquisition stage to closing.”
Ashley: “My position at Aversan was Marketing Coordinator. I helped BD-Aerospace team with sales presentations, updating content on the website, contributed to a UX design project as a graphic designer and designed internal marketing material. In doing so, I interviewed engineers for seeking technical context and reported directly to the Account Manager, BD Aerospace.”
Akriti: “My position at Aversan was Accounting Intern and I helped the accounting team to simplify and improve their existing payroll system. I prepared a report and proposed an accounting solution that was not only implemented but also considered a good fit for their needs.”
Do you have any advice for future candidates?
Elena: “First and foremost, talk to people as much as you can. Take advantage of your lunchtime to do so. Everyone is very welcoming and supportive. Do take part in all the extra-curricular activities that you might be interested in and invest your time in networking and team building.”
Ashley: “Step ahead and ask for work. If you take initiatives to go above and beyond what’s expected, your efforts will be noticed. The more you think you can help solve problems, the more projects will be given to you.”
Akriti: “Listen carefully and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Seek opinion from everyone, accept changes and learn from your mistakes. The company offers a very good platform for new graduates to explore different career paths and gain a lot in terms of professional development.”
Anything else to add?
Ashley: “Me and Akriti bonded really well. We took lunches at weird times, talked about how our day was going and enjoyed monthly birthday celebrations, Canada day celebration, and the Aversan’s 15th Anniversary celebration during our time on the job. We experienced a great workplace culture that made learning so much fun.”
At Aversan, we believe in investing in the right people and training them to become the best for our company. We’re a growing business in a booming industry, and if this sounds like the place for you, feel free to comment below or contact our recruitment team for any questions you might have or check out current opportunities – Jobs at Aversan