WORK EXPERIENCE
While I was going to school, I was part of the school's Co-op program. The co-op program was a great way to enhance your resume and to make "contacts" in the field you are pursuing (mine was aerospace engineering). Its a great way of getting money and getting work experience at the same time. At Georgia Tech, the co-op system works such that every other semester you are working at your co-op job. Thus if you went to school during the fall semester, you would go to your co-op job the following spring semester and then go back to school over the summer semester and so on. I was fortunate to find a co-op job near my home in New York (or my former home). The company I worked for is called Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. It's main facility (where I worked) is located in Stratford, CT which was about 60 miles from home. It wasn't a distance I could commute but I was able to go home every weekend. If you are not familiar with this company then the names Blackhawk or Presidential helicopter should clarify what this company does. Sikorsky is one of leaders in the helicopter industry. The list below are some of the helicopters which this company produces or has produced
CH/MH53 Series
H-60 Black hawk series
S-92 Helibus
Sea Hawk series
Even though the company mainly produces medium to large sized helicopters, the companies produces smaller helicopters such as the S-76and the newest Army reconaissance stealth helicopter; the RAH-66 Comanche This company using its expertise, have designed CYPHER a un-manned reconnaissance drone. It in theory has the ability fly into a city and give real time feed back to its commander. It is still in the developmental stage and some kinks in it need to be fixed. A lot of things are happening at this company at this moment. The S-92 is the new helicopter they just put into production and the H-60 will be a frame that the company will be milking from for a LONG time. They were weeding out a lot of people when I started but I guess business picked up a year and a half later because a lot of people got hired. I enjoyed my time at Sikorsky and was hoping to get on board as a permanent employee but because of the slump seen in the aerospace industry that didn't quite materialize.
Anyhow, the company has a great co-op system in place and the amount of work experience that you get here is very useful. I have had many of times were I was in class and found that the teacher was teaching something I had learned at my coop job! Great Stuff.
Besides, this job sure as hell beats McDonalds or any cashier job in the world.
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modified Oct 2, 2003