Devesh Jha

What motivated you to apply for Co-op/Internship

It's a golden opportunity for any engineering student to be able to get some hands-on experience and be trained by professional engineers in any industry.  I was keen to work in the power/utility industry and see the work being done on ground zero. Also, the internship experience helps get your P.Eng sooner.

Can you describe your position in a few sentences?

My position required me to do a variety of things ranging from technical studies to administrative duties. Mainly my department dealt with connecting Distributed Energy Resources (power generation facilities) to the grid. Tremendous amounts of technical analysis were needed to ensure electrical safety along the transmission lines and throughout the distribution network. I assisted engineers in performing these analyses, paperwork, and also handled communications with customers & consulting engineers.

Did you receive training to perform your engineering duties? Please Explain.

Yes, and the learning curve was very steep. I was given heavy responsibilities and thus proper training was given for any technical duty assigned to me. Also, safety was considered paramount, so for any field visits, proper PPE and intensive safety training were provided before going out for field operations.

What was your work atmosphere like? (flexibility, formality, team-centric, supportive)

The office environment was very professional and formal. However, there were breaks during the day where all team members got together and socialized. Everyone on my team was very supportive and helped every way they could to ensure the interns succeeded in their work term.

What new skills were you able to learn/develop during your Co-op/Internship?

Working in an office environment with other professionals itself is a big learning opportunity. Other than the tremendous amounts of technical/engineering knowledge, professional conduct, communication skills, teamwork and real-life problem solving were some of the major skills I learned over the term.

How did your experience compare with your expectations?

It was definitely more challenging than I'd imagined and also job satisfaction was very high as we were solving real-life problems.

What was your proudest moment? 

Initially, the workload felt very overwhelming and some days I had to put in long hours to get work done, but with some extra effort and smart work habits I was able to keep up with the expectations engineers had from me. I'm proud of the professional growth I've had over the past year at Toronto Hydro.

What advice would you offer to current students thinking about pursuing Co-op/Internship?

I encourage every engineering student to aim, plan and apply for at least one co-op or internship term before graduating. It might be tough searching and applying for positions but it'll pay off in the long run.