Tyler Shunk is a rising second-year Electro Mechanical Technology student at Thaddeus Stevens College. Over the summer, he worked as an Electrical Mechanical Engineering worker, gaining valuable industry experience that will support his hands-on education and future career.

We asked Tyler to share his experience.

How did you find out about your work experience?

I learned about my work experience from one of the Career Fairs.

What does your day-to-day look like at work?

I clock in, and respond to emails, before following up on people throughout the plant. Then, I check in with my supervisor and eat lunch. After, I complete tasks assigned by my supervisor.

What is something you were surprised to learn in your time working?

This particular manufacturing plant was slow-paced compared to other places. It taught me that not every plant has to be a fast-paced environment, it really just depends on what type of manufacturing you get into.

What’s been something challenging about your in-field work experience?

The reality of manufacturing is that projects can’t be completed as quickly as one might think. There are several people you must communicate with before getting approvals. Sometimes those people are in different countries. Sometimes parts take a long time to come. Sometimes parts come damaged. Sometimes the wrong parts are sent, or even ordered, so things must get sent back. These things make the project feel like it drags on longer than it needs to, but they are necessary.

What has been the best thing about your in-field work experience?

I got to learn about a lot of new equipment that won’t be covered until my second year of college. This gives me a bit of a headstart, and real working experience. I also had the opportunity to do a variety of hands-on work, while also being able to job shadow other people and ask questions.      

Tell me a story about something that happened one day as part of your time working in the field?

One day, I was job shadowing the controls team. We had an issue where the program kept thinking there were more modules in the program than what we had initially configured. The issue was simply that one of the Profibus adaptors went bad and simply had to be replaced. Later that week, in the same cabinet, the AC went bad and started leaking water all over the cabinet. We determined that was most likely the root cause. We had to carefully wipe down the cabinet and test some of the components to make sure they were all working properly.

Would you recommend seeking out an in-field work experience to other students at TSCT? Why or why not?

Yes, it will teach you things that school can’t, such as the realities of manufacturing. There is so much more that can go wrong out on the floor than when you are in a controlled lab environment. It also gives you the chance to ask questions and learn as a technician.

How do you think this experience will help you in your future?

It will definitely be a great addition to my resume since I have been better exposed to what manufacturing is really like. It has taught me patience, and that you need to focus on getting the job done correctly first as opposed to getting it done fast. Speed comes naturally once you know how to do things the correct way.