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My First-hand Experience into the energy management & automation world
There are only a few top companies in the energy management and automation industry. Schneider Electric is one of those dream companies that every Electrical Engineering student wishes to join. I had been following articles and news about Schneider Electric even before joining the company, and I got the chance to meet some of the #SEGreatPeople while co-hosting an event at my university that Schneider Electric was part of. This showed how much effort the company puts into empowering youth and seeking talent. I was very curious about the culture, work environment, and most importantly, the knowledge I could gain from this design engineering internship. Not only was I given the opportunity to explore the ‘gold mine’ of the energy business together with top talents, but I was also exposed to several events that broadened my horizons.
Diversity & Inclusion for everyone
Being part of a multinational corporation meant that people with different nationalities, races, and cultures all gather under the same roof. I was amazed that the #EmbraceDifferent value was embedded in every employee’s DNA.
In the third week of my internship, I was invited to join the Diwali Celebration, the Hindu Festival of Lights. It was an eye-opener as all colleagues came together regardless of race or religion to celebrate. In addition, we had various events that were organized by the committee such as the Chinese New Year celebration, Christmas Eve celebration, and an amazingly unique Annual Dinner & Dance (Glitz & Glam was the theme in 2019!) which retreated the employees’ hard work throughout the whole year. I knew that this was a place where everyone is uniquely valued for who they were. This resonates well with the saying of “Diversity is what you see, Inclusion is what you feel”.
Part of the Uninterruptible Energy Business
My design engineering internship at Schneider Electric Malaysia has provided me hands-on experience in the energy management business. During my 3 months in the engineering team for Industrial Uninterruptible Power Supply, I was empowered in several major roles such as:
- Assisting engineers in designing secure power systems, which allowed me to apply power system protection knowledge in ensuring proper implementation of current ratings.
- Cross-referencing schematic diagrams and producing Bills of Materials which maximized cost efficiency while meeting requirements. This exposed me to the business aspects of the engineering field, which I never really got to explore during my academic curriculum.
- Producing customized part documents to meet special customer requirements such as non-standard transformers, cables, circuit breakers, etc. This taught me that adaptability in anticipating customer needs is imperative to commercial excellence.
Well-being and Flexibility at Work
As part of Schneider Electric’s well-being policy, many initiatives are implemented to encourage employees to be healthy, happy and to make the most of our energy, both at work and at home.
Flexible working hours allow employees to manage their own time in balancing work and personal life, provided that the work is being completed in a timely manner. The days of clock-in and clock-out cards are long gone. The trust-based relationship enables us to manage our own time to deliver the best results while maintaining good physical and mental health. Additionally, well-being events are held regularly including weekly badminton games, sports programs, festival celebrations, and parties. These events have given me the opportunity to meet some of the best people I know.
What Makes Schneider Electric a Great Company?
Schneider Electric’s Employee Value Proposition is to empower its employees to do meaningful work in an inclusive environment. I find my job very exciting as I get to involve myself in several projects. The tasks that I completed as a design engineering intern were crucial to the success of various projects. This made me feel that my contributions were valued. Over the 2 months, I was directly involved in 8 projects across different regions such as the Middle East, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. As part of one of the projects, I got the opportunity to host an “Engineering Sharing Session” presentation for engineers and drafters, which still gives me a sense of fulfillment until today! During quarterly celebrated department gatherings, many of my colleagues received Step Up recognition awards for their contribution to some of the complicated projects. I feel that giving recognition to the employees’ contributions reinforces the #SEGreatPeople mentality: Great People Make Schneider Electric a Great Company.
I have enjoyed my time as a design engineering intern at Schneider Electric and I would recommend it to everyone, not only for the hands-on experience I received but because of the overall culture of Schneider. Check out Schneider Electric’s internships and career opportunities at www.se.com/careers!
About the Author
Harry Hoon Jian Wen is an undergraduate Electrical Engineering Student from UCSI University Malaysia. He is currently undertaking a three-month internship program at Schneider Electric Malaysia (Gutor UPS), as a Design Engineering Intern in the Engineering department of Industrial Uninterruptible Power Supply. In his academic career, Harry was the president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ international honor society (IEEE-HKN student chapter), which has won several international awards. In his free time, he likes going to the gym and spend time with his family and friends.
