Got answers?

07/18/2014 11:59 AM

By Matt Hawkins

Luis Lorenzo ’16 quickly realized his summer internship at Siemens would show a more diverse career perspective than expected. The mechanical engineering major has taken advantage of his summer to develop relational and technical skills that will enhance his career prospects.  

Lorenzo and fellow interns are working in Siemens’s motor control center design department, which conceptualizes motors of various sizes and protects against electrical issues that might damage the equipment. In addition to completing necessary tasks, the interns are encouraged to take a couple hours each week to explore the West Chicago facility.

“The most gratifying part about my internship experience is the opportunity to try new things,” Lorenzo said. “Everyone encourages the interns to walk around so we can become familiar with how things work and spend some time in different departments to see what they do.”

Lorenzo discovered Siemens utilizes three-dimensional modeling software NX, which he hadn’t yet used at Bradley. Knowledge of the software also happened to be a frequent job requirement he saw in job ads. Thus, he began to teach himself the program during spare time and will continue to dabble in the software the rest of the summer.

“Unlike AutoCAD, I cannot simply download a free student version in order to improve my skills,” Lorenzo said. “Working at Siemens provides a unique opportunity to work on NX.”

In addition to this new horizon, he has discovered the benefits of a broad mechanical engineering background as he refines his skills on the job. Siemens has added to that knowledge base by exposing him to the electrical, industrial and manufacturing niches to engineering. This will be beneficial as he pursues a career.

“I will have many different options ahead,” Lorenzo said. “In time, my experience here will allow me to determine what I want to work on as a professional engineer.”

Lorenzo also has mastered the art of asking questions in a technical field as the internship has challenged his communication abilities.

“There are always new questions to ask because each day provides different scenarios that we may not fully understand,” he said. “Over time, I have learned that when I ask a question, I must be specific and provide an ample amount of detail.”

Though the technical and communication skills require most of the focus and energy this summer, Lorenzo has discovered a crucial piece to any positive work environment: fun.

“Even though there is serious work to do, workers still know how to have fun and make the environment enjoyable,” he said. “If you bring a positive attitude to work, then your time will be more enjoyable no matter what the job is.”