Co-Op Experience

Many undergraduate students get the opportunity during their college years to complete a summer internship. Others participate in a Co-Op; a 6-month long internship where students are able to fully immerse themselves in a full-time employment position to better understand their place in the workspace. This allows students to further explore desired fields before graduation. This year Portal Instruments had three Co-Op students working in departments from software engineering to marketing and strategy.

Maya Yammine, a Portal Instruments Marketing and Strategy Co-Op said, “At Portal, I learned a lot about myself and how I work with others. I have improved on my ability to accept and—more importantly—act on critiques from my coworkers. Being a full-time Co-Op not only taught me what to expect working in marketing, but also how to connect, aid, and be a part of other departments at Portal. The great thing about Portal is that interactions are very personal and the company is so close-knit, which I feel helps everyone work more effectively overall, in reaching the end goal: bringing a needle-free injector to market!”

Maya worked alongside Caroline Cullen, another Portal Co-Op who described her semester away from Northeastern University as “an amazing experience that [she is] so grateful for.” Like the other Co-Ops, Cullen has “been able to explore the pharmaceutical market; completing market research and analysis, an in-person market research survey, and so many more smaller projects.” Looking back at the experience Cullen says, “Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better first Co-Op as the work environment was so welcoming and everyone is so enthusiastic about the work that they do! Portal Instruments has great core values that motivated me to explore, learn, and develop my career skills.”

On the engineering side of things, Michael Shen, Portal’s Software Engineer Co-Op said, “My time at Portal for my Co-Op has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life despite it being remote. Working with a professional, driven, and inclusive team has boosted both my professional as well as personal development in many different ways. The sense of community amongst the employees is something special and made the Friday afternoon happy hours very enjoyable experiences.”

When asked about Portal’s Co-Op program, Bart Burgess, VP of Strategy and Product Management who worked closely with Yammine and Cullen said “I see our Co-Op program as a natural extension of our working environment. First, we enjoy an entrepreneurial mindset that demands we constantly re-examine our priorities to ensure we deliver on our promise to patients. Next, we all operate as capable self-starters, directing and prioritizing our own activities to make every day matter. Lastly, we value teamwork as the essential ingredient to bring it all together. Students who find themselves capable of working in these ways will thrive here.”

We wish our Portal Co-Ops the best of luck with their remaining years of school and beyond. You can check out employment options at all levels on Portals careers page!