Alex Mattison recently completed an internship with the Corporate Relations unit in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. His role as Data Intern involved managing and analyzing data to inform the team's strategic planning and decision-making processes.
Some of that data related to job postings, job applications, events, internships, marketing, and more. As an intern, he used the data to inform the teams outreach strategies. For example, for 2023, the team dedicated extra effort to increasing aerospace opportunities because the data indicated that there would be a high student interest in aerospace.
“One of the reasons I wanted to work in Corporate Relations was to gain more exposure to a wide variety of industries and companies in engineering,” he says. “The team works with big companies, small startups, and everything in between, so I learned a lot about the different opportunities that are available. I was also interested in data analysis and how it can be applied in the workplace, especially in the industry of business consulting, which I was considering as a career. Staying in Kingston was also important to me because I wanted to continue my involvement on QRET outside of my internship work hours.”
"Another part of my job was helping with recruiting events on campus" says Mattison. “I supported the Corporate Relations team in planning, promoting, and running the events. I got the opportunity to lead an entire event with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and Pratt & Whitney Canada. These events were a fantastic way to improve my organization and public speaking skills as well as make great connections with engineering employers.”
"My internship experience at Corporate Relations exceeded my expectations in every way. I was lucky to work with a great manager and team who were always eager to support my professional development. The best part about the team was that someone was always willing to take the time to give me feedback so that I was able to learn more every day,” says Mattison.
“Alex was always looking for efficiencies and opportunities to optimize processes,” says Nick Jewitt, Manager, Corporate Relations. “He would turn a manual data assessment task into an almost entirely automated process, saving our team hours per week. He is an innovative, hardworking team player. We are really glad that he chose to work with us."
Mattison found that he would like to continue working with small teams in the future because he enjoyed getting to know his coworkers more closely than he would have in a larger company environment. "I liked that my work significantly contributed to the team's overall effort," he says.
He grew up in Vancouver and started taking a keen interest in universities that offered engineering programs in high school. After a visit to Queen’s in his final year, he was drawn to the vibrant atmosphere on campus: “There was so much energy and so many smiles everywhere you go. I wanted to pick a university with a strong engineering reputation and a strong sense of community, and it was clear that Queen’s offered both.”
“I thought moving to an unfamiliar environment away from home would be intimidating, but my first week at Queen's was a blast! I was surrounded by students who were all in a similar situation, and that gave everybody something to connect on right away. The environment at Queen's is very welcoming since most students live so close to campus, and the school spirit is especially present in Engineering,” he says.
Mattison chose the Applied Mechanics stream of Mathematics and Engineering to explore multiple areas of interest. He was fascinated by energy and aerospace, so he was considering Mechanical Engineering. He also grew up loving math and wanted to explore its theoretical side and applications to robotics, cryptography and business analysis. "The math courses were some of my favourites during my general first year," says Mattison, "which solidified my decision to choose Mathematics and Engineering."
The Queen’s community has so many opportunities to offer. In addition to the academics, students can be part of design teams and clubs. Mattison has been involved in the Queen's Rocket Engineering Team (QRET) since second year. Initially, he worked on the internal structural parts of the rocket and a testing apparatus for the hybrid engine that the team was developing. During his internship, he continued his work on the team and got more involved in making the external carbon fibre parts of the rocket. He also worked as a tutor with EngLinks in third year, which was a great way to practice his communication skills.
He closes by sharing one of his biggest takeaways: "Whatever job opportunity you have, think about the skills you will build and the people you will work with. Ask yourself whether the skills you will learn on the job apply to the industries or companies where you want to work in the future. For most internships, you will have many opportunities to build on your soft skills, such as communication, professionalism, presentation, and accountability. These soft skills are applicable no matter what career path you take.”
This article is relevant to the following Strategic Actions as defined in the Strategic Plan:
