For years I have wanted to be a computer engineer, but what does that entail? I’ve learned it encompasses many different fields and that technology reaches all aspects of our lives. My internship is at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the governing body of highways, airports and any other travel for the state of Massachusetts. Going into this, I had ideas of what I would be doing and what I wanted to get out of this. I wanted to gain a better understanding of how the technology industry is used within the department to communicate with others and the essential role that technology plays in the transportation industry. Technology such as computers, Autonomous vehicles, and network shared drives are a huge part of the industry. Being able to share information, receive information and update the public about what is going on in their state is essential. This will help my career path because I am truly unsure of what I want to do with my degree, so to see technology being utilized in many different fields will help me determine where I can use my skills to help improve the technology people use in different industries or help me determine if I want to create new technology. This internship is the beginning of determining what I want to do with my life.
What do I want to be when I grow up?
Alexander Pinarreta
Computer Engineering
After reading this I realized I've had a lot of the same thoughts as you, such as deciding in what field I want to work in once I finish my degree. In many ways my internship is similar to yours, as I focus a lot on communicating with other companies using a variety of different technologies. With a computer engineering degree, there's so many options to choose from once you finish, and many doors will open to many career paths. It sounds like you're really enjoying your internship, and that it also helped open your mind to other job possibilities in the future. I feel the same exact way, as I've thought about other internships/jobs to pursue in the future outside of computer engineering. Keep up the good work!
I agree with you on the thought of having no idea what to do with our degrees. Finding a place in the industry takes a while, but I hope with your internship it becomes more clear. It's so interesting to see how much there is you could do without even knowing these roles exist. Best of luck with the rest of your summer and internship experience!