I love my job at Plex Systems. It has everything I ever dreamed I would find at a workplace – smart, helpful co-workers; flex time so I can always fit in the things I want to do outside of work; and a friendly, open atmosphere that encourages social interaction and knowledge sharing. I even have my own office, and the kitchens are always stocked with free snacks.
This all sounds great, but what’s the kicker? Well, I started at Plex Systems over two years ago. And I’m only 20.
I’m a computer science major at Kettering University, which is structured differently than most other schools: instead of attending classes for nine months and taking the summer off, Kettering students have 11-week school terms, separated by 15-week work terms. The idea behind the program is that a student, known as a “co-op,” will have a significant amount of real world experience under his or her belt – and a very attractive resume – by graduation, but this depends completely on the quality of the student’s employer co-op program.
The six Kettering University students currently part of Plex Systems' co-op program, including me (far left).
Thankfully, Plex Systems has everything a co-op could want from an employer. I work directly with employees from some of the best manufacturers all over the world, helping me not only enhance my technical skills but also giving me a perspective on a variety of different business processes. In addition, being able to work on a project, deploy it and instantly see an improvement for the customer provides a deep sense of satisfaction at the end of the day.
The goal of Plex Systems’ co-op program is to train and develop students to position them for full-time jobs with the company after graduation – a win-win situation for both the student, who has a job right out of college that he already knows and loves, and for Plex Systems, which gets an employee who is already prepared for his job.
So far, the program has shown great success; eight students from several universities have completed the program and become highly productive Plex Systems employees. I really feel that this is just one example of Plex Systems’ dedication to not only the company, but to its employees, customers and the community as a whole. It is one small but important part of Plex Systems’ model of excellence.
Cameron Beatty
Cameron Beatty is one of six Kettering University students currently part of Plex Systems’ co-op program. Stay tuned as Cameron shares more about the program and how his experience is helping prepare him for his career.
