Summer Internship with Siemens LLC – Kritika Khanna from Amity University
Kritika Khanna interned with Siemens LLC in Dubai this summer, and shares an impressive learning experience over there. Kritika is a student at Amity University. Read on to explore more about her internship story.
I reached Dubai ‘The land of dreams’ on the 18th of May 2014.It was first time that I was travelling to a foreign land and it was Dubai. But the best part was that I was flying on the sponsorship of Siemens my dream company where I was to intern this summer. I felt independent and confident and saw my dream coming close. It was a late night flight and the next day I was supposed to report to office. That night I had butterflies in my stomach! I was already fascinated by the beauty of the City and was worried as to what work I would be assigned from tomorrow, cuz that is what I had come for. The night went comfortable and peaceful and next morning I was all geared up for Siemens.
It was the 19th of May 2014 my first day in Siemens .I reached Siemens, The Galleries Building-2, Jebel Ali Downtown a majestic looking building. At the reception and asked for Mrs. Analiza Castro Assistant Team Leader and Secretary to Mr.Stefan Patz who was the Head of the Engineering Department was warmly greeted by Analiza who then took me to the Engineering Department. My inner voice said “we are here Kritika”. As I walked in, the department looked very quiet. Every one busy on their laptops working, there were huge sheets with complex circuit diagrams hanging and it was all seeming very exciting. Mrs.Analiza handed me over my laptop and charger and assigned me a place and introduced me to the head of the secondary department Mr.Vladimir Varnic and later to Mrs.Sanajana Rajeev, Design Engineer and my trainer. I had an interaction with Mrs.Sanjana and she introduced me to the topic I would be working on: ‘Instrument Transformer Dimensioning” .I was given to study a research paper on the topic and a Power engineering guide.
The next day I was sent for a medical Check-up and signing the labour contract and Siemens revised contract. Henceforth after all the clearances I began with my internship. I being an electronics student found it hard to understand electrical engineering stuff. But my trainer was so corporative and helpful that she dedicated at least one hour from her daily schedule to teach me. I began studying about electric power generation, how it is supplied to far distances, what are the challenges in transmitting such high voltages etc. My theoretical learning was going very well but for my better understanding Mr.Patz arranged for a substation visit. Mr.Abraham Jacob who was heading the Mahawi project, based in Abu Dhabi was to take me for the same. So it was scheduled.
In office I would dine with a group of Indian and Pakistani ladies who befriended me. They later told me that Siemens Dubai office recruits only one intern every year and this year it was an Indian and it was me. They began telling me last year they had an Arabic. I felt very privileged to not only make my parents proud but also my country.
Days went by, the way to office was beautiful. I would get to daily see the tallest building in the world The Burj Khalifa and the costliest hotel The Burj Al Arab on my way to the office. This city has some charm in it. It is a city with people who have come to make what it is today from all over the world. Even in the office we had people from Germany, Serbia, India, Philippines, Pakistan, and Egypt etc. I witnessed an International cultural heritage there.
We had a Siemens intra-net portal and one day I read: “Town Hall meeting -Register”. I asked my neighbour Mr.Joven as to what it was all about. He then told me that it was the biggest annual company meet which is addressed by the CEO. I registered for the same. The meet was to take place in the Yas Marina Circuit, Abhu Dhabi. The day of the meet I reached early that morning and was also set for my first corporate meet. Several buses left from the office to the venue. It was the first time I was going to Abu Dhabi the city looked beautiful with date trees all over. We reached the venue and my eyes were awestruck at the beauty of that place the building looked like a crystal blazing in the sun.Employees from all over UAE were present there. The meeting begun with the address by Mr.Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO Siemens UAE & Middle East and later joined by the board of directors. I met Mr.Dietmar after the meeting and told him how pleased I was to be with Siemens and he replied that Siemens is indeed pleased to have you. The interaction went very well. We all had lunch in the lavish surroundings where I got to interact with other employees from different Siemens offices.The Town Hall meeting was an unforgettable event.
Substation visit: This was an event in my life which made more meaning to my life as an engineer! I was taken to the Mahawi substation in Abu Dhabi by Mr.Jacob and Mrs.Sanjana. We first got equipped with personal protective equipments and were taken around got to see auxiliary transformer, a gas-insulated switchgear, Current Transformers, Voltage transformers etc. Mr. Jacob explained me the technicalities that go behind each component. I also got to see the relay I was working on. By the end of the substation visit we were exhausted but our spirits were still high after what we saw.
The work in office paced up. I had learned how to operate the CTDim software which a Siemens software is. I performed CTDimensioning on several projects such as Kuwait,Sharjah etc. The work I did and my learning gave me a lot of satisfaction. Apart from the technical and corporate learning I also got a chance to attend ‘The Ramadan Etiquette Workshop’ where I was made aware about Ramadan the holy fasting month for the Muslims and the simple Ramadan etiquettes that one should know living in U.A.E. It gave me a better understanding of the traditions, the region and its customs. After the workshop my review on the same was taken and was featured on the Siemens intranet website.
My internship got over on the 3rd of July 2014 but the memories and the learning will last forever. It was not only learning technical knowledge or how to move and work in a corporate but also how to be in new country far away from motherland, adapt to new surroundings and respect every nationality, religion and culture thank Siemens from the bottom of my heart for having made this experience so memorable that I shall cherish forever.
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