Internship profile: Engineering graduate Janet Reyes gets hands-on at Beckman Coulter, lands career opportunity

With the help of FIU’s Career Services, recent FIU graduate Janet Reyes secured a paid summer internship in mechanical engineering with global biomedical products giant, Beckman Coulter, Inc.

The internship allowed Reyes, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from FIU, to work on projects that gave her a comprehensive look at the company’s product mix, strategy and business processes.

The company is known for manufacturing medical products used by hospitals and medical professionals to diagnose disease, make treatment decisions and monitor patients. Beckman Coulter’s products are also used to study complex biological problems including causes of disease and potential new therapies or drugs.

Because the company’s products are cutting-edge, Reyes cannot not go into detail about her work. However, she mentioned that during her internship, she helped conduct simulations of new hematology processing equipment that will eventually provide more accurate diagnostic tests.

To help her navigate through the company, she was partnered with a mentor who guided her while providing career and industry insights.

“Internships are a great way to help students explore and define career options,” Reyes says. “My favorite part was getting a first-hand look at efforts necessary to make and improve on the company’s products.”

Reyes had a goal: to find a job that would challenge her and encourage continued learning. She found that and more at Beckman Coulter, where after completing her internship she was offered a full-time position.

“Working in the engineering industry requires more than what I learned in school and textbooks, and my internship at Beckman Coulter taught me that.”  

This story is part of an occasional series that looks to highlight the benefits students derive from doing internships. FIU students are encouraged to seek out internships by working with FIU Career Services, professors and mentors who can assist in identifying these opportunities. Read more internship profiles here.