Nicholas Varas

What motivated you to apply for a co-op/internship?

Desire to learn new things and a heavy interest in project management.

Can you describe your position in a few sentences?

I currently work in the Paint department on the CR-V line at Honda of Canada Mfg., where I am in charge of leading and managing large investment and innovation projects. Some of my projects, with multi-million-dollar budgets, are set to completely change the way we work as a department, with the driving factors being efficiency, quality and innovation. As a project leader, I am directly responsible for managing every aspect of the project, from concept creation and research to installation, testing and maturation!

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

Yes, I received training to help me develop both my personal and professional skills. From training in project management, automation and business flow, to confined spaces and working at heights, I have been able to expand my knowledge to support my engineering duties.

What was your work atmosphere like? 

Our work environment is an open-office concept, focused on mentorship and teamwork. I am very fortunate to be able to work on a team with many friendly and like-minded individuals, which allows me to thrive as an engineer in training.

What new skills were you able to learn/develop during your co-op/internship?

The primary skill I was able to develop was project management, which was the main goal I wanted to achieve when starting my internship. In addition, I have also been able to develop my communication, presentation and time management skills, as well as learn new skills related to pneumatics, machine vision, and artificial intelligence.

How did your experience compare with your expectations?

I believe that my placement at Honda greatly exceeded my expectations as an engineer in training. Right from the start of my internship, I was trusted with leading small-scale expense and investment projects, which is very uncommon for most junior engineering opportunities. By being given the opportunity to hop right into the action and learn by doing, I was able to quickly and efficiently develop my professional engineering skills. To date, I feel very confident in myself as I have been able to achieve incredible accomplishments in the short span of time that I have spent at Honda.

What was your proudest moment?

My proudest moment was being able to see an installation that I designed by myself eventually become reality before my own eyes. Being able to start a project from scratch and see it actually help improve the conditions of the production line is an incredibly satisfying feeling.

What advice would you offer to students thinking about pursuing co-op or internship?

I believe going on an internship is an incredible way to gain experience as an engineering student. Specifically, it is a great way to see how all the theoretical knowledge you learned in university is actually applied in the industry. With a longer placement of 16 months, I was actually able to feel like I belonged at Honda as part of the team, but at the same time, I have also been able to make my own mark on the company for the better.