July 21, 2022

Andrew Slater is conducting an internship at Vermeer Corporation.

Internships are a key step in building a career.

Andrew Slater, a senior in mechanical and aerospace engineering, is conducting an internship at Vermeer Corporation.

We asked him a few questions about the experience.

Tell us about your internship at Vermeer Corporation. What’s your role and primary responsibility?  

I am a design engineering intern in the Environmental group with the Recycling and Forestry segment. The team I am with recently released a new product, HG4000G2. It is a horizontal grinder for creating wood chips and mulch. I am designing new parts and working on enhancement opportunities.   

What’s a typical day like?  

We always start out the day in the office stretching and catching up. I spend most of my day at my desk working in SolidWorks on my projects. I will step out to the producing floor periodically to get more information on projects. We will have various meetings in a week. Some are group meetings about production and others are with the other interns for the intern development program learning about the company and growing professionally.   

How did Mizzou Engineering prepare you for this internship? 

My classes helped me apply my technical knowledge to designing and critical thinking skills to finding solutions. But, the most helpful thing that prepared me for this internship is being on the Torq’N Tigers, Quarter Scale Tractor Pulling Student Design team. The team has taught me about the design cycle, manufacturing and fabrication for a product.   

How did Mizzou Engineering Career Services assist you with securing or preparing for this internship? 

I utilized the resume mad dash and the career fair to help get this internship.   

What have you enjoyed most working at Vermeer Corporation so far? 

I love the caring culture at Vermeer. I feel I can do actual important work for the company. I also received a travel opportunity to see our prototype machine run at a customer site. That was a lot of fun and helped me understand how the machine works.   

What have you learned from your internship experience?  

I have learned about various engineering processes and expanded my communication skills. My coworkers are always super helpful to answer my questions and teach me new things.   

What advice would you give other students wanting to have a similar internship experience? 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Let them know what you know and be inquisitive to try and learn as much as you can. Reach out and try to make connections because you never know where those can take you in the future. 

Thanks for sharing!

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