Career Application Essay

Since my results from the many assignments we have completed for this class ( Strong, Interest Inventory, MBTI) direct my interests and talents towards the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field, I decided that interviewing an individual from my previous job position would be the most beneficial for this experience. This last summer I was an engineering intern at Autocam Medical, a manufacturing company located in Kentwood, primarily focused on producing a variety of high precision items for the health industry. In this employment environment, I am constantly working with experienced engineers, machinists, and production management personal so I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to broaden upon my career

Jerry is was not only a experienced and intelligent coworker, but also a good friend. We had many conversations at work over the summer and he was a great candidate for this interview. I asked Jerry a number of questions about himself and also the company since he has been with Autocam for over two decades now. Jerry graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. His engineering position at Autocam Medical requires a standard 4-year degree in certain programs such as, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Design, or Process Engineering. The average starting salary for this position is $54,000. Jerry is involved in the design and setup of new part launches for the machinists to begin manufacturing along with evaluating existing manufacturing processes to find areas available for improvement. Jerry is crucial to steady and continuous plant operation since he is one of the few individuals who handles the large technical problems and changes on a daily

I asked him questions like, “What is it about this company that has made you want to stay here for over two decades?”, “Do you feel as if your undergraduate education prepared you precisely for you job position?”, and “What do you advise me to do to succeed in becoming a better engineering student and employee?”. The interview was around 20 minutes long and Jerry gave me much more information that I predicted he would. He told me that there will almost always be job availability for engineers in the manufacturing industry and that the west Michigan manufacturing economy looked very bright for the future. This was great news to me since I plan on completing my engineering degree at GVSU and staying in the greater Grand Rapids area for my early career. I also learned that working at Autocam Medical, a global orthopedic contract manufacturer, would provide incredible industry experience and skill. He mentioned that starting in the medical industry is wise since it opens options for me to move into different industries with very little resistance, opposite to an engineer trying to move into the medical industry from outside industries such as automotive or construction. The final positive factor I learned from Jerry was the advice he gave me to succeed in my field. Contrary to what you would believe, Jerry emphasized the key to succeeding in engineering and almost