Exotec

While attending l'INSA Centre Val de Loire, Aurore realized that she should make the most of this opportunity! So, she made the decision to spend a semester abroad in Québec. Now, with a degree in both industrial engineering and management engineering, Aurore Schmutz, at the age of 24, works as an Industrialization Engineer at Exotec.How did your prior work experiences prepare you for your current role at Exotec?During my fourth year at engineering school, I had a four-month internship in lean management at one of the biggest tire companies in France. That was an interesting experience since it definitely made me a stronger person. It really taught me how to fight for myself and become more confident in my abilities.&nbsp; But, most importantly, it made me realize that I didn’t want to be just another employee working at a large company.&nbsp;This experience also made me more interested in working at smaller companies, like Exotec, where I would feel trusted, be given responsibilities and be able to contribute to change while making a real-world impact.What does your role as an Industrialization Engineer entail?My work is so varied!&nbsp;However, I mostly manage projects and make sure that the product team mass produces the prototypes created by the design team.Would you describe your job as demanding?Yes, my job is very demanding given my list of responsibilities. Sometimes, I have to spend a lot of time at work.&nbsp;However, I’m fine with that since I never get bored. I'm always moving and I’m quite satisfied with that.&nbsp;Moreover, since I am the point of reference on a number of products that the team is working on, I’m the one who everyone turns to when something isn’t working properly.Which means that I need to be aware of everything that’s happening so that I will be able to clearly communicate that information to my colleagues.&nbsp;Are you able to prioritize your mental health?Since we have a strong corporate culture, Exotec is always putting on events designed to bring us together.&nbsp;It’s thanks to these events that I’ve become good friends with a few of my colleagues. It's really nice to work with friends!I also have a great manager who genuinely cares about me and my well-being. Every month, he makes time to chat with each member of the team to find out how everyone is doing.Is there a particular project that you've worked on throughout your time at Exotec that you're really proud of?Yes, I recently worked on a very big project: The Skypicker. It’s a robotic arm that picks up products and places them in a preparation container, allowing for a faster and automated order preparation.&nbsp;I was responsible for industrializing this project, which was quite challenging at times given that my role was to ensure that the design team followed all of the guidelines to a T.&nbsp;There were moments where I didn't think that we would meet the deadline given the number of problems we encountered. But, thankfully, we got it done and I was really happy with the end product.What are some of the career goals and/or objectives that you’re working towards achieving this year?I don't have any specific career goals or objectives that I’m working towards achieving this year. I want to develop and do my best in my job through my different missions.However, my long-term goal is to be more environmentally conscious.&nbsp;I want to ensure that the work that I do today doesn’t have a long-term negative impact on the planet.What advice would you like to give to young women and girls who are interested in working in engineering?Before I could offer them any advice, I would ask them to really reflect on why they are interested in working in engineering.Then, I would tell them that the most important thing is just to enjoy your work!&nbsp;Also, although this is not always possible for everyone, I would have to say that working with a good team of people is simply the best experience that one could have since this ensures that you will always have a good support system when going through a tough time.Finally, if you happen to encounter sexist men along your journey, just try your best to ignore them. Focus your energies on letting your work speak for itself, which will ultimately prove them (and their sexist beliefs) wrong.

"Let your work speak for itself!"

Team 50inTech