Student Interns Beyond the Classroom: Ali Nadimi
Ali Nadimi was once a Siemens intern based in Plano, Texas who now works on the Global Technical Enablement team. He’s a lover of engineering, a supporter of innovation, and with his experience with Siemens Digital Industries Software is the perfect example of how to bridge the gap of classroom to workforce. Read on to learn a little more about him:
Where did you attend college, what was your major, and how did you become interested in your field of study?
I have a B.S in Mechanical Engineering and M.S in Systems Engineering and Management from The University of Texas at Dallas. I became interested in engineering because I was fascinated by technology in general. Growing up around cars, the very first thing that intrigued me was when my parents purchased their first car with power windows. That simple creation was the first step towards my effort in discovering and creating products with creativity. I know it was such a small innovation, but it was amazing to me, especially after using manual windows in a car for some time as a kid. I particularly chose mechanical engineering due to my love for mechanisms and systems engineering for learning more about requirement management.
What drew you to Siemens?
Siemens was one of the only global corporation doing business in my country when I was a kid. I kept seeing the logo on many products and even soccer club shirts (Siemens even sponsored Real Madrid for a while when I was a kid). I was always fascinated by Siemens’ technology and global reach and when I got the internship call, I accepted without a moment hesitation.
What are 2 or 3 key things you learned while interning for Siemens?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. People love helping and giving advice. I was fortunate enough to have many great mentors in the Mainstream team that helped me along the way. Most people are more than happy to assist with questions regarding career or work or even help with a project.
Always go 200% in your work. Work ethic is very important, and managers appreciate it. Going above and beyond can even make you more memorable in the company 😊. Always try to take initiative and hold yourself accountable. There is no better satisfaction than completing a project in which everyone is happy.
What brought you to the decision to stay with the company and is what you are doing now different from what you did as an intern? Is it similar?
Great work culture and challenging projects made me stay in the company. My line of work in the full-time position is somewhat like the internship. I still work with Solid Edge (a complete portfolio of product development tools) and I love it. In my internship, my role was more geared towards academic institutions and now its geared more towards customer and reseller engagement.
What is the most impactful/ rewarding part of working in your specific field and for Siemens?
Happy customer, challenging problems, fantastic team, and Solid Edge. Those are the main reasons why I get up in the morning every day and go 200% 😊
