|
|
|
|
|
Alumni Networking in Action
|
|
|
|
Help a Brother Out
by Nick Constantine, A1451
|
|
|
|
|
|
As I prepared for my upcoming trip to 62 and stared at my closet trying to decide which of my ties I'd most like to lose later in the weekend, my wife told me I should ask around at RPI or at the fraternity to see if anyone would be interested in an internship with our company. I remember saying, "that's a great idea, but I'm not sure how much success I'll have with it in just two days up at RPI. I mean, how many second or third year aero majors will I find that also live in Washington state and would be interested in working at a small company for the summer?" I figured that my chances were slim at the very best, but I set out on my flight from Washington to New England thinking, "this isn't going to be easy."
Fast forward a bit (perhaps 17 hours or so). I'm standing on one of the buses, that's taking us to the location for our 6294 celebration, talking to Jeff Gratz, A1394, about skiing in Colorado and where I work. It's at that instant that I hear someone behind me saying, "you should talk to Spencer, he's from Washington." Funny enough, Spencer was a few people back from me so we started talking. After a few minutes I found out that he is enrolled in the mechanical engineering program and that he is very active in the Formula SAE student racing car program at RPI. I asked him if he might want a summer internship with a small aeronautical company that specializes in aircraft certification and flight test engineering. I think he was blown away at the request. I stored his phone number in my cell phone, telling him that we could speak more throughout the weekend. I think to myself, wow it can't be that easy, can it? Could I seriously have found an intern prospect in less than an hour of being back for 6?"
I spoke to Spencer a few more times throughout the weekend, explaining that I'd need to check with a few people, but that it was more than likely a solid match for what we wanted. After the weekend I requested that he send me a short resume. I also checked with a few alumni who are active with the chapter in order to get a recommendation for Spencer as well as an outside opinion on his knowledge and work ethic.
In the end it all worked out. Spencer spent the better part of the summer working at our company, AeroMech. His job description ranged from aircraft maintenance tests' data entry and statistical analysis for an on-going FAA investigation into pressure measuring sensor drifts to modeling our flight test trailing cone system and developing a stress and load analysis for the system and different brackets used to connect the system to the aircraft. Essentially we were able to have him conduct valuable work that we typically are too busy as a company to accomplish ourselves. His work was greatly appreciated and he will be welcomed back next summer if he plans to be in the area again.
My one recommendation for anyone looking to adopt an active for the summer would be to make sure that you will not be their direct supervisor. For this case study, we chose to have Spencer work under my wife, Aude-Marianne, as she heads up our certification and engineering department at the company. She was able to gather a list of potential projects from our staff and compress them down into what she thought Spencer could accomplish in his limited time. Throughout the summer she monitored his progress and gave him direction as necessary.
Whether you're a specialized engineer working at a small niche firm or the assistant to the managing director of market research for a top tier hair care product company, you can make a difference at the house by helping an active brother with a summer internship or a semester co-op. You'll find that there are a lot of brothers looking to build their experience before graduation. Most of them do not know where to start or how to engage the alumni network. But I challenge each of you to talk about what you do and where you work to a few of the active brothers. You may not immediately find who you're looking for, but it's a start. If nothing else, it will give you a chance to engage in some discussions with a few of the actives. It'll give you a chance to brag to them about how you met Derek Jeter at one of your company's cocktail parties. And who knows, perhaps you may be able to help a brother out with a summer job and a solid place to start building that much needed job experience for their resumes .
It can be that easy.
Nick Constantine currently works as a Program Manager for AeroMech Incorporated. AeroMech specializes in aircraft certification with a concentrated emphasis on Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) approvals for business, commercial and military aircraft. RVSM equipped and certified aircraft have the ability to fly at closer vertical separation intervals (1000 feet vs the older 2000 foot tolerance) above 29,000 feet. Without proper certification in this area, aircraft are restricted to flight below 29,000 feet. More information about AeroMech can be found on the web at www.aeromechinc.com.
|
|
|
In the words of Spencer...
Many of us remember our first summer after freshman year, our newfound freedom and independence, for some of us our parents still trying to hold on, and for others, our parents trying to let go. For a few of us the first summer after RPI meant our first real job. My first job, working with Nick Constantine a1451 at AeroMech, Inc. couldn't have been any better.
As a freshman mechanical engineering student the job pickings seemed rather slim, even with a respectable GPA. Had fate not intervened, I most likely would have spent the summer working a menial job at Home Depot or Lowes. However, with a few chance words and contacts at this spring's 6294 celebration, I ended up with a job that was much more rewarding and applicable to my long term goals.
AeroMech is a small company of approximately 15 employees. They perform a specific type of flight certification that is required by all aircraft to fly above 29,000 feet. The company is staffed almost entirely by engineers, most of whom have an aeronautical background.
Aside from the day-to-day tasks that presented themselves, I was also able to best assist by completing a detailed load analysis report on some of their testing equipment and as well by working on some statistical analysis for some flight test data. With an environment where I could easily ask questions and where people were willing to provide answers, the transition from "school" engineering work to "real" engineering work was quick and painless.
The load analysis I worked on was for a piece of test equipment commonly referred to as a tailing cone. This device, which is trailed behind the aircraft in flight, is used to collect true, or reference, static air pressure. This reference static pressure is them "compared" to the on-board aircraft's static system that is used to display the altimetry readings through air data computers. As a rather long tube and cone attached to an airplane traveling at several hundred miles per hour, the forces on the trailing cone can be substantial. And it was my job, through old-fashioned statics, drag calculations, and also computer-based finite element analysis (FEA), to ensure that the trailing cone would not impart a load onto the aircraft above what the structure could sustain. As a freshman, I would be hard pressed to find this kind of work anywhere else. Not only was I able to see some real world application to what I had been learning all year, but I was able to expand my knowledge on computer aided
design and FEA software.
In addition to the employment aspects, having the opportunity to work at the same company as an alumni also give me a new perspective and deeper meaning of Theta Xi. I feel that I will have a much greater appreciation for the time I'll spend in the house and for what brotherhood means. I heard plenty about the "good ol' days," the cider parties, their house shenanigans and most importantly just some good sound advice that I can apply directly to my position as the house treasurer.
The last thing I brought out of my internship at AeroMech is that I now have another contact with the alumni, someone who I can go to when I need advice. And when Nick wants to know what's going on at the house, I'm his contact.
As I continue to work as a brother and as a student, I'll always remember and be thankful for the opportunity that Nick gave me to get my foot in the engineering door and for the connection I've made with a brother who's been through this all before. I hope that one day I can also assist an active brother by helping them secure an internship or semester co-op wherever I end up working.
|
|
|
Spencer (and Nick) take a break from work with a ride in a sailplane.
|
|
|
|
[ TOP ]
|
|
|
