I enjoyed the responsibility that was given to me for a new incoming Co-op that hasn't done an internship or Co-op before. Some of my responsibilities included data retrieval and historical reports using our trend application. Excel was an integral part of the Co-op dealing with the add-in of our trend application to apply formulas to make weekly reports. Shadowing our Controls engineer as well as our Process Automation engineer I was able to gather knowledge on HMI and PLC coding and the hidden side of Givaudan's Devon Site and the way it functions. The community within the company ensured growth and togetherness in a way that every project had multiple people reviewing it.
What I wish was different
This was a new position that Givaudan added this year so it was a new experience for them to try and find responsibility and projects for me to do. It was difficult for them to balance projects for me because I was new and they couldn't give me projects that involved plc coding and the networks behind the process on my own because it is a developmental role/Co-op. I wish that there wasn't as much change that occurred during my co-op term because our team changed from a work environment separated by doors and cubicles to everyone being in the same area, which hopefully would change back in the upcoming months. I would have liked to start earlier as well but complications prior to my original start date pushed it back by a week.
Advice
A couple pieces of advice not just one would be take advantage of the people and community you have at this site because if you don't have the answer someone else will or will know who to point you to to give you the right answer. Many of times I did not have the answers to a problem and would ask other engineers for help and they were able to troubleshoot with me or find the right person to help me with the issue. The other piece of advice I have has two parts, the first being absorb and ask questions whenever you can because even if the info isn't specific to your role you might end up working with that process later on and that information you gathered was vital to completing the work. The second part to that piece of advice is to ask for more responsibility or things to do. There will be times where you will have slow days and just asking for more things to do can make your experience better and help your boss take relief off of their job as well.
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engineering intern
January - April 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
What I liked
At Givaudan there are so many different types of opportunities. You can work directly with the site, or with sites across the region. They have opportunities in processes, project management, laboratory experience and more. Specifically I did a lot of work with contractors to improve the work environment at my site and also helped with processes- eliminating certain machinery to aide environmental efforts, cost benefits and more. Additionally, at the end of the term you participate in a presentation outlining the work you did during the term. I found that to be very helpful because now I have more exposure and feel more comfortable presenting in a professional setting. Finally, the people are amazing! Everyone is incredibly friendly and for my first co-op term this was invaluable.
What I wish was different
I wish I'd had a little more guidance at the beginning of my term. Supervisors here have a lot of faith in your capabilities right from the start, which is great! However, I found that some things would have been easier for me had there been someone teaching me some of the things to look out for in project management. Because of this, my term involved a lot of extra meetings for me to find new areas that need to be added to my scope of work. So, for me personally the transition would have been smoother with some more guidance. This process however does make you learn a lot very quickly.
Advice
I think it would have helped me to know that it's okay to ask your supervisors for help. They always seemed so busy so I often found myself waiting to ask questions until I could have a meeting with them and letting stuff pile up as I tried to work through everything myself. At the end of the day, your supervisor is always happy to help! The people who hired you expect you to have questions so it's never bad to ask.
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Regional Engineering Co-op
January - May 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
What I liked
I love to get experience managing projects that were fully given to me to carry out. Throughout the term I work on a variety of projects including installation of ventilated cabinets in the cheese lab, purchasing and installing shelving for a reactor lab, H2S monitor validations, RedVector Training subscription renewal, and the beginning of setting up autonomous maintenance at the production site. It was nice exposure to be given full responsibility to actually manage these projects myself and have owner ship over them. I got experience with reaching out for quotes, working with contractors, and closing out multiple projects during my time at Givaudan. Lastly, I loved the work environment and the people I worked with. Everyone was super nice and supportive, and if I ever needed help I had no fear to reach out to ask for some guidance.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been able to work on a Capex project more during my time with Givaudan, but with the load of some other projects that I had at another site, I was unable to really get experience with a Capex project. Another thing that I wish was a part of the co-op program was more exposure to some other positions in the company at the start of the work term before the projects started to take up all of the time. I feel like it would be beneficial to give the co-ops a taste of what a couple of other positions in the company would be like if they were in case the wanted to return to a different position to try it out. Besides that I really would not have anything different as I got a great experience for what a Regional Engineering job would entail.
Advice
The same advice I am sharing here is what I said to the other co-ops this term who were having their first co-op experience. Spend the start of each internship getting to understand your position and what you will be working on, along with getting to know your coworkers and supervisors. This will lead to a less stressful transition into both the working environment and the company itself. Getting training early on with different software that is used is also important. SAP is used throughout Givaudan and is necessary for the job. Once you have received some basic training on SAP, got to know the people you are working with, and looked into understanding your projects before jumping into them you will be good to go for the term.
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Engineering Co-op
August - December 2021 • Cincinnati, OH
What I liked
My experience with Givaudan has always been a positive one. I first worked in one of their manufacturing sites before moving to a more project management at one of their lab facilities. My work in the two locations was vastly different. I have found my work at this site very applicable and fulfilling. As a co-op you are trusted with important responsibilities and are exposed to several different areas of the industry. This term specifically I was able to do a lot more project management and worked with contractors daily.
What I wish was different
The main thing I wish had been different at this site was that our supervisor was quite busy so was not often available for mentoring. However, a new engineer will be taking over co-op management and has been amazing at mentoring so far. Other than that, the two regional engineers found they did not have near as much involvement with the regional team as they would like. I believe it would be beneficial to have two site engineers and only one regional engineer so the work is better spread out.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share about my experience is just to always show that you are passionate about your work and willing to learn more. At the end of the day, everyone understands that you are new and wants you to ask questions. It shows that you want to learn more and want to always be better. However, when you ask questions make sure you are actually paying attention to the answers and learning from them versus just asking to ask.
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Transportation Coordinator
January 2018 • Cincinnati, OH
What I liked
Great atmosphere and culture. Very useful training. Great experience overall.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Raw Materials Procurement Co-op
January - August 2018 • Cincinnati, OH
What I liked
Great team and support. Variety of work with the procurement team.
What I wish was different
Advice
Be patient to learn and always ask to join anything going on.
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Supply Planning Co-op
July - December 2018 • Cincinnati, OH
What I liked
Overall it was a great experience. The culture of the company is fairly relaxed and the full time employees are enablers and allow interns to have ownership over projects that add value to the business. There’s also a lot of flexibility with classes, time off if needed, and working from home on occasion.
What I wish was different
The office could have been better. It’s a fairly old building but still not bad.
Advice
I’d recommend showing you’re ambitions and aspirations with the team. It could turn into a full time job, and did for me! Truly a fantastic company to be a part of.
