I liked the 50/50 split between hands on work and CAD work at Magna. The other engineers were also extremely helpful in teaching me how the company operated as well as answering questions I had on certain processes throughout my internship.
What I wish was different
I wished there was a greater emphasis on the design aspect of products as an intern. Although I have only completed my first of 3 internship rotations with Magna through Grand Valley, I believe more specific aspects of product design could have been implemented.
Advice
One piece of advice I have is to always ask questions to deepen your understanding of products and processes and offer assistance on projects the engineers are working on.
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Product Engineering Co-op/Intern
January 2020 - August 2022 • Kentwood, MI
What I liked
I liked being able to work on projects with full time engineers to design products for vehicles that I see on the road every day. I gained a lot of knowledge about engineering, automotive, and what it looks like to work in industry. Magna is full of helpful and friendly people that helped me grow in my intern role and ultimately be hired on as a full time product engineer.
What I wish was different
Nothing.
Advice
Be sure to soak up as much information and knowledge as you can from the professionals around you at your internships and co-ops. Do not be afraid to ask questions.
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Environmental, Health and Safety intern
May - August 2021 • Newaygo, MI
What I liked
Allowed hands on experience and a lot of opportunity for social networking with other interns across the state. I was also able to attend a big automotive event and meet important figures in the industry including Magnas CEO.
What I wish was different
I wish that I could have started a little earlier in May.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share is to meet as many people as possible in different roles. Meeting people outside of your department is just as important.
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Core Application Mechanisms Engineering Department Intern
July - August 2020 • Novi, MI
What I liked
The wide range of responsibilities and how the company handled precautions for the pandemic.
What I wish was different
Would've been nice to be a little busier
Advice
Use this opportunity to ask as many questions as possible because employees are very willing to talk about their experiences and give advice.
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Human Resources Intern
May - August 2018 • Plymouth, MI
What I liked
My co workers and all of the work they had me do
What I wish was different
I just had a long commute
Advice
Find a job you like and call in love with it
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Engineering Intern
April 2019 • Grand Rapids, MI
What I liked
The people at Magna are awesome. Company culture encourages innovation and they provide all the tools necessary to do so. The upper management, at least in my case, were very flexible with time off and working overtime. Magna offers job security where other automotive Tier 1 suppliers do not.
What I wish was different
The pay is not competitive and there are not any other benefits offered (e.g. housing stipend).
Here is the caveat...the work is very dry and boring. This is not a fault of the company, rather the industry itself.
Advice
Take the opportunity if you are pursuing this internship to gain experience. If it were not for the very, and I mean VERY, boring work, the company would be great.
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Finance Intern
May - August 2019 • Auburn Hills, MI
What I liked
Great company culture!
What I wish was different
Certain intern events.
Advice
Take as much in as possible and network!
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Powertrain Test Engineer
January - August 2019 • Troy, MI
What I liked
Magna is a great company to work for, they really care about their interns!
What I wish was different
nothing really
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask to work in a different group, Magna fully supports your engineering development
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Trim/Textile Engineering Intern
May - August 2019 • Novi, MI
What I liked
I liked being able to explore a new industry (the automotive industry) and learning alongside a group of other (typically engineering) interns. It was interesting to learn about the specifics of textiles and materials.
What I wish was different
There wasn't a lot of room for creativity, with most of the tasks hinging on precision, accuracy, and time-management. The lab is constantly busy with inventory easily piling up if you don't work efficiently enough.
Advice
Working hard pays off, and not brushing off when instructions are given is important. The machines used and tests run require specific procedures, and they must be accurately recorded. It's a lot about working accurately and efficiently.
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sales intern
May - August 2019 • Troy, MI
What I liked
I was able to interact with other employees and I felt like I was doing meaningful work
What I wish was different
I wish I went to more meetings
Advice
Make sure you ask questions
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HR Intern
June - August 2019 • Birmingham, AL
What I liked
I loved the hands-on experience I was able to gain in the HR training department. The work gave me insight as to what real world HR professionals do in their day-to-day tasks.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Finance Intern
May - August 2019 • Auburn Hills, MI
What I liked
Company Culture
What I wish was different
Intern Events
Advice
Be open to new experiences, and network as much as possible.
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Marketing Intern
May - August 2019 • Troy, MI
What I liked
The intern program Magna had to offer. With over 150 other interns there were many educational opportunities both inside and outside of Magna.
What I wish was different
Advice
Ask more than too many questions!
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Purchasing Intern
May - August 2019 • Auburn Hills, MI
What I liked
My first experience in the corporate environment. It was nice to get hands on experience that I can now directly relate to my classes.
What I wish was different
I did not get to do much of the day to day. It would have been nice to have D2D responsibilities.
Advice
Have an open mind and ask a lot of questions.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
May - July 2018 • Holland, MI
What I liked
I was able to work with a wide variety of people and learned a lot of aspects of engineering. I met a lot of great people.
What I wish was different
I wish there could have been better organization within the company.
Advice
To learn everything you can, and meet as many people as you can.
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Multi Media Design Intern
May - August 2018 • Troy, MI
What I liked
I like what it was like to gain real world experience in the video industry
What I wish was different
How long I worked there
Advice
There’s no better way to learn than finding a job/internship that gives you hand on experience.
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Product Marketing Intern
May - August 2018 • Troy, MI
What I liked
Great experience, fun work environment, exposure to multiple departments.
What I wish was different
Small workload
Advice
You get out what you put in during an internship. Take every opportunity that is given to you and you will feel far more accomplished.
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Exteriors co-op
May - August 2016 • Troy, MI
What I liked
I worked very closely with an engineer, it was a great first experience because I had a lot of guidance.
What I wish was different
All of the other co-ops were basically someone at the companies kid, so they had interesting work ethics.
Advice
Ask for work if you don't have it. There are always more people who can give you work.
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Engineering Intern
May - August 2016 • New Hudson, MI
What I liked
I loved watching a brand new plant come together
What I wish was different
I wish I could still be there
Advice
Introduce yourself to as many people as you can, and remember that you are there to learn, ask questions wherever you can, no matter how basic they seem.
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Validation Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Auburn Hills, MI
What I liked
I loved working on my own. I had a mentor but once I was taught how to do a specific job my mentor let me proceed on my own. It made me feel like I was part of the validation team instead of just being an intern.
What I wish was different
I wish I would have been able to stay longer with the internship program.
