By David Nakayama - Published July 15, 2021
Interview with DET International Exchange Program Interns
Text and Photos by David Nakayama, DET Corp Comms
Bangkok, Thailand, June 22, 2021-Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, Delta Electronics Thailand stays true to its commitment to foster world-class local engineering talent in Thailand with its annual international intern exchange program. Due to travel restrictions, class 2021 will do most of their training at Delta’s Thailand plants.
Today we talk with two efficiency-obsessed Thai engineering students, Kristin Laohaudomchok and Kantida Jullasrikaiwal (left and right in the above photo), about their experiences at a global workplace with our Delta Thailand International Exchange Program.
Please tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from? What are you studying, and why did you choose this major/field of study?
Kristin: I study at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering in the Industrial Engineering Department. I specialize in solutions to improve manufacturing processes.
I chose this department because it matches the way I want to work as an engineer. An industrial engineer’s work usually involves things like data analytics that I have a major obsession with.
Kantida: I’m an Industrial Engineering student in my 3rd year at Burapha University in Chonburi Province, which is part of the Eastern Economic Corridor or EEC industrial zone of Thailand.
I chose to study Industrial Engineering because for me the very definition of industrial engineering is making things perfectly efficient. That’s really cool!
How did you find out about the Delta International Exchange program, and why did you join?Kantida: The Delta International Exchange Program came for a promotion event at my university in December 2020. I joined this program because I am interested in taking short study courses in Taiwan for 10 weeks and it's a great chance for me to study the systems and processes in a plant.
Kristin: I learned about this program from a professor at my university and I think that Delta is a major electronics company here. I wanted to have experience in working at a factory, so I joined.
How long is your internship at Delta?
Kristin: My internship is for 6 months from June 1, 2021, to November 30, 2021. At Delta Thailand, I train and work as an intern engineer in power supply production at the Delta Plant 5.
Kantida: My internship is from April 1, to October 29, 2021. I train and work at the Delta Plant 3 in network infrastructure production.
What are your main roles as a Delta Thailand Intern, and what is the most interesting part of your work?Kristin: As an industrial engineer intern I count and record times at each station on the production line. I plot the line process chart by using the data I record myself to analyze and improve the time spent at each station. Then, I do line balance to make the time at each station meet our expected goals.
Kantida: My main role at work is doing time study and line balance. My routine starts in the morning at 7:40 AM when I check the speed line of the conveyor and how many machines can run.
The most interesting part of my work is to analyze the reason our output cannot meet our target. This is a fascinating puzzle.
What do you think are the most valuable skills you can gain from your internship at Delta Thailand, and how will it help you in your future career?
Kristin: At Delta, I can gain the skills to improve work processes and solve unexpected problems on top of a wider set of skills like the ability to work as part of a team, communication skills, or showing initiative.
My internship activities give me the chance to develop these skills and to complete my achievements.
Kantida: For me, it’s communication skill. I think IE is a field that requires engineers to communicate and work with a lot of people. We have to listen and rephrase, ask and answer to the point. When we speak, it’s important to be clear and audible.
More than that, we have to be empathetic. We can’t just understand instructions, but we must also share in the emotions of others. This skill can help me in my future career. It will improve my communication when I talk to the operators or co-workers so I can be sure no one gets confused or has questions.
How is your supervisor supporting your internship experience, and what are you learning about working with others?Kantida: My supervisor supports me in a lot of ways, such as with useful information, advising me on how to achieve my assignment and also cheering me on.
When working with others, I learn to listen carefully and speak clearly about what I want. I ask questions when I’m confused and I think about how I can be a team player.
Kristin: He assigns me interesting tasks, teaches me the skills for industrial work, and gives me good comments about my work.
What do you find unique about Delta Thailand?
Kristin: I am very interested in the entire working process here and the way to make work finish on time. So it’s a great environment to explore and discover.
Kantida: The uniqueness of Delta is that we have a goal to change our traditional production lines, which have many operators doing manual tasks, into automated production lines which have robots that reduce human error. This helps to improve and simplify productivity with new technology.
Delta also does a lot of continuous improvement in all aspects of production and operation.
What are the most important factors for you when choosing a company to work at after graduation?
Kristin: For me, it’s the type of work, workplace environment and of course salary.
Kantida: Working hours, company culture, and opportunities for growth. I think these three factors are the most important to me. I want a healthy work-life balance, I don’t want to just put all my life into work.
Company culture is something that I am serious about because we have to find a work environment that we enjoy. Lastly, is the opportunity to grow. This is not just financial growth. I mean the chance to improve my skills and to feel more competent.
Can you share your next plans, and do you have any ideas to make the internship experience better?Kristin: I feel this program will be better if Delta makes it the process to become a trainee faster. Then we could get a wider variety of work experiences.
Kantida: I want to take the IELTS and TOEFL exams and take a short break after graduation for one month. To make my internship experience better, I have to think positively and enjoy all the activities or assignments.
I do a lot of things here, even it’s unrelated to my field, to get more knowledge and experience. It also helps me to find what type of job I enjoy and would like to base my future path career plan on.
Broaden your horizons at Delta
Are you a Thai engineering student eager to test your skills and get practical on-the-job training? Find out more about the Delta International Intern Exchange Program from our Delta Thailand Careers Page or contact our HR today.