Getting packing industry experience before graduation is a great way to supercharge a career. However, accessing that experience can be challenging. Enter: Econocorp’s Northeastern University Co-op Program.
But let’s back things up a little...
Supporting the next generation is crucial to the future success of any industry. And at Econocorp, we believe in rolling up our sleeves! That’s why the ability to give back via educational opportunities is so important to us here. Between my work as Chair of PMMI’s Future Workforce Committee, our teams' work with schools, and beyond, we’re committed to putting in the effort necessary to achieve a better future.
To that end, with both Carter–who you’ll hear from later in this blog–and I being Northeastern University alums, it seemed like a natural fit to partner with the school’s Co-op Program, which offers experiential learning to future engineers. Read on to learn more about how we are participating in this 6-month-long internship program.
Packaging Industry Experience & Benefits of Co-op Programs
We firmly believe that hands-on experience is the best teacher. Through the Northeastern Co-op Program, students aren't just observing. They're actively contributing to our team, tackling real-world packaging challenges, and gaining practical skills that will serve them well in their careers. And you know what? It's a win-win. Students get unparalleled exposure to the industry, and we get to benefit from their fresh perspectives and enthusiasm.
Even cooler? This program is one of the largest and most innovative experiential learning programs of its kind in the world!
According to Northeastern, “Co-op is central to the College of Engineering student experience, helping to build a foundation of skills and experience so students become highly competitive candidates when they graduate and enter their full-time job search.”
While participating in the program, the participants have the opportunity to:
- Discover and refine short- and long-term personal, educational and career goals
- Explore the fields of engineering and the range of jobs available in an ever-changing world
- Apply academic studies to real-world challenges
- Develop a professional engineering identity*
And all in a real-world setting with mentors who have decades of experience to offer insights from. That’s why we were so excited to have Kristin Zachariah join our team this year through it.
Hear From our Intern About Her Co-op Program Experience
I don’t know about you, but to me, there’s nothing like hearing about someone’s experience directly from them. So, while Kristin is still working on her internship with us, we wanted to hear from her about her experience with the co-op program so far. I’ve shared some of the highlights of what she had to say below.
On Her Background & Interests
Kristin: I just finished my third year at Northeastern, so I’m about to start my fourth. My major is mechanical engineering and design combined. This was actually my first co-op, so I was definitely nervous during the application process last fall. I hadn’t done a co-op before, and a lot of companies seemed to prefer candidates with experience, so I felt pretty intimidated.
One thing I was looking for was hands-on experience. I knew a lot of people in my major who ended up in research or lab-heavy co-ops, and that’s not really my style. I wanted something where I could really build and interact with things.
Econocorp’s listing stood out because it emphasized hands-on experience and working in the same facility where the machines are made. That really appealed to me.
On Her Match With Econocorp
Kristin: It’s [her pairing with Econocorp] matched up really well. The engineering team here does a lot of SolidWorks modeling, which I love. That’s honestly one of my favorite parts of mechanical engineering. I’ve gotten to really develop my skills with that, and now I feel much more confident than I did before.
Carter and the other engineers have been great about letting me explore other areas too. From early on, they made it clear that if I was curious about something, I should speak up. I don’t have much interest in electronics, but I really like hands-on mechanical work, and Carter gave me a project early on to design a simple change part for a TwinSeal machine. He let me install it myself, and I had so much fun. After that, I asked if I could keep working on projects like that—and I have!
I’ve been able to design, prototype, and test parts on my own, and go back and revise them when needed. It’s been such a valuable experience, and I’m really grateful for how intentional they’ve been in aligning the work to my interests.
I’ve even been taking pictures of my prototypes along the way to document the process. It’s cool to look back and see how my early designs evolved into working parts.
Kristin's Photos Documenting Her Experience
On Her Favorite Part of the Experience Overall
Kristin: I’d say it’s a combination of things. First, the flexibility—being able to try things outside my job description has been amazing. And second, the people. The engineering team is so nice. Even during my first week, they’d invite me to lunch and include me in conversations. I’ve learned so much just from talking to them about their backgrounds and career paths.
Also, everyone—even outside of engineering—has been so helpful. Whether I’m working on a machine or just observing, people are always happy to answer my questions.
How Co-Ops Make Econocorp Stronger
But Kristin’s experience is only one part of the picture. Our team here at Econocorp has been a vital part of our participation in the Co-op program, and it’s one we’ve all really enjoyed. Carter Neumann, our Director of Manufacturing at ECONOCORP, and Megan Cincotta, one of Econocorp’s Design Engineers, have worked closely with Kristin on this project.
Carter is a fellow Northeastern alum and has worked with co-ops throughout his career in different roles. Since Carter and Megan have worked a lot with Kristin, I’ve shared some of what they have to say about the experience below.
On How This Internship is Different
Megan: When I was an intern in college, I was just given a list of really basic tasks—it was the same thing every day for two summers and two winters. So I’ve tried to get our interns involved in different areas of engineering, letting them try their hand at a variety of things. That way, they get a better understanding of what engineering is really like on a day-to-day basis.
Carter: Yeah, I think there’s a stigma around internships—like, “Go get coffee” or “Go file this.” But our co-ops are often just a few classes away from graduating with their full engineering degrees. They bring a lot of capability to the table.
Obviously, we’re not handing over the most complex, high-stakes customer orders, but they can become subject matter experts in certain areas and even a resource for our full-time engineers. At the very least, they’re another person we can bounce ideas off of.
On Co-op Programs
Carter: I did three co-ops while at Northeastern. After my third one, I ended up working full-time at that company after graduation. So yeah, it’s a great way to get your foot in the door.
Megan: I also had an internship—but not at Econocorp—and it wasn’t the best experience. I didn’t really engage with other employees. It was very separate. So it’s been nice to integrate our co-op students more into our day-to-day here. We have fun, we chat, we check in with each other. That’s been really nice.
On What Leadership Means to Them
Carter: It’s really rewarding to see someone go from little or no work experience—maybe even their first 40-hour job—to becoming a contributing team member. And because we have a relatively young engineering team, there’s not a huge age gap, which creates a comfortable environment for them to learn. They’re not just surrounded by engineers with 20+ years of experience—they’re learning with their peers.
Megan: It’s been really fulfilling. It’s nice to know I’ve helped someone enjoy their first real industry experience. Like Carter said, I have a background in robotics—I was on a FIRST Robotics team in high school—and I recently started mentoring there again. This feels very similar: teaching new skills and helping someone build confidence.
On What it Means that Econocorp Cares
Megan: It feels great. When I was on my high school robotics team, we really relied on sponsors—whether it was donations or just employees coming to help us out. That made a huge impact on me. So to now work for a company that’s doing that for today’s students is pretty special.
Carter: The biggest thing is realizing that this isn’t a burden to the company. The students bring real value. They’re a net positive for the team. Whether or not they end up working here full time, we’re helping expose them to the real world of engineering—and hopefully that experience benefits them in whatever career they pursue.
At the end of the day, the Co-op program is a fantastic way to connect with and support the next generation with packaging industry experience, and we’re proud to participate in it.
If you’re interested in working with us to support our efforts, connect with us below.
Sources:
* (n.d.). Undergraduate Co-op. Northeastern University College of Engineering. https://coe.northeastern.edu/academics-experiential-learning/co-op-experiential-learning/co-op/undergraduate-co-op/
