My Co-op Journey

Kinitics Automation – Co-op Engineering Student

JAN 2025 - AUG 2025 | Vancouver BC

Role Overview

As an Engineering Co-op Student at Kinitics Automation, I supported the R&D and Engineering teams across multiple domains, including software automation, data analysis, hardware testing, and 3D design. I developed internal tools and dashboards to streamline data workflows, refactored state machine code to improve system reliability, and implemented Modbus communication for embedded systems.

Automating Data Analysis

I've also developed skills in automating data analysis to improve efficiency and accuracy in engineering projects. I've used programming languages such as Python and VBA to create custom scripts and macros for automating repetitive tasks, extracting data from various sources, and generating reports. My work in this area has helped streamline workflows, reduce errors, and provide valuable insights for decision-making. I am committed to leveraging automation to enhance productivity and drive innovation.

3D Design & SolidWorks Experience

 

I gained hands-on experience supporting the engineering team with 3D design projects using SolidWorks. I created detailed 3D models, produced accurate technical drawings, and performed simulations to optimize designs for functionality and manufacturability. This experience strengthened my ability to translate conceptual ideas into practical designs and enhanced my understanding of design workflows in a collaborative engineering environment

Reflection

I came into my co-op with a clear picture in my mind; what I’d be doing, how quickly I’d grow, and how everything would fall into place. But within the first week, I realized reality was different. The code didn’t always make sense, the data analysis tools could be messy, and sometimes I didn’t even know where to begin. My expectations and the real world didn’t match, and that forced me to rethink how I approached everything.

I had to learn to trust the process instead of focusing too heavily on the end result, and that mindset shift became one of the most valuable lessons of the term. There were days when I didn’t fully understand the codebase, when I had to ask more questions than I expected, or when progress felt slower than I wanted. But those moments pushed me to improve my communication, stay patient/resilent with myself, and take ownership of my learning. By leaning into the process; the debugging, the trial and error, the back-and-forth with teammates. I became more confident technically and more grounded as an engineer.

One thing I’m truly grateful for is the team that supported me throughout. Their patience, explanations, and willingness to help during unclear moments made a huge difference. They created an environment where learning felt encouraged, not judged, and that helped me grow faster and feel more supported in the work I was doing.

Overall, this co-op shaped me far beyond the tasks I completed. It helped me understand how real-world  engineering actually works, how to collaborate more effectively, and how to show up even when things aren’t clear at first. It was a challenging, humbling, and motivating experience that strengthened my resilience and set a new standard for how I approach learning, communication, and problem-solving moving forward.