How did you come across this internship and what made you choose this internship?
In January 2022, I had the chance to participate in NTU PEAK where I was assigned to Team Airbus. After the project, I learned that Airbus had an opening for an Engineering intern. As an avid aviation enthusiast, I was familiar with Airbus and their aircraft ever since I was a child. Without hesitation, I eagerly seized the opportunity to do my internship with Airbus.
What are your main responsibilities as an intern?
As an intern, I undertook various responsibilities to support the team’s day-to-day operations. My primary tasks included creating documents that outlined engineering modifications for aircraft and tracking the approval progress of these documents. I also collaborated with the Airbus Fleet Technical Management-Central Team in Bangalore, India, to streamline processes and ensure the quality of their deliverables. My efforts were part of the process to ensure the airworthiness of aircraft and prevent potential technical delays.
What do you like about this internship experience?
During my internship, I was able to interact with like-minded colleagues who share my passion in aviation. While I was able to tap on my background knowledge in aviation, what I found most valuable was the opportunity to learn a lot about the industry from my colleagues. They were very supportive and were willing to go out of their way to explain their work processes to us. Furthermore, while my colleagues worked very hard, they knew how to have fun as well. Work was never dull, and I had the privilege to share moments of joy and laughter with them.
What were some challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
Part of my responsibilities included communicating and collaborating with another team in India. Many of our deliverables had tight deadlines and it was crucial to ensure that the work was completed on time to prevent costly delays for our customers.
One of the challenges I faced was having to work across time zones. It took some time for emails to be replied to and, because of that, things sometimes get overlooked. Furthermore, the team in India did not have the same software we had in Singapore, which required me to create documents for them. This led to a lot of back and forth and inefficiencies in the workflow.
To address this challenge, I created a dashboard to track all our documents in the approval process and master list with all the details of our pending work. We also organised meetings to ensure that both teams stayed up to date with the latest developments.
How have you developed through this internship? What have you learnt and what are your key takeaways?
Through this internship, I became more meticulous in my work. To avoid backlogs, I had to ensure that the work I submitted was perfect the first time round. Over time, I was able to spot common errors and corrected them quickly. Industry wise, I have learnt more about the behind-the-scenes work that are carried out to ensure the smooth operation of an aircraft in an airline. I am able to better appreciate the vast amount of effort and manpower needed to ensure an aircraft departs on time. Overall, it made me realise the importance of a good working environment, as it makes work much more enjoyable.
What are some strategies that you used to land yourself this position?
When choosing an internship, pick one based on your interests and passion. By doing so, you will look forward to going to work every day. You will be highly motivated to learn more about the industry through the internship. Do not be afraid to talk to your colleagues and ask them for help. Go in with an open mind and be sure to absorb as much knowledge as you can from the people around you. Remember to have fun and make new friends!
