My First Engineering Internship at NVIDIA
My internship at NVIDIA was my first real engineering experience after working as a SolidWorks TA, where I taught CAD fundamentals and design principles. Teaching gave me a solid foundation, but stepping into NVIDIA’s fast-paced environment took my skills to a completely different level.
Working Remote During COVID-19
One of the biggest aspects of this internship was adapting to a fully remote environment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What should have been an in-person experience at NVIDIA’s Santa Clara headquarters became a virtual journey with some unique challenges:
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Virtual Onboarding: Building connections with my team through screens instead of in person required a lot more effort. I scheduled regular virtual coffee chats with team members to try to build relationships despite the distance.
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Technical Issues: Setting up complex CAD software remotely was challenging. From VPN connectivity issues to figuring out how to access secure design repositories from home, I had to learn to troubleshoot technical problems on my own pretty quickly.
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Remote Design Work: CAD work usually benefits from over-the-shoulder reviews and hands-on guidance. Instead, I had to adapt to screen-sharing sessions and detailed written feedback. This forced me to develop better communication skills.
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Work-Life Balance: Managing the blurred lines between work and personal life while working from my apartment was tough. I had to develop strict routines and set up a dedicated workspace to stay focused and productive.
Despite these challenges, the remote format ended up strengthening my self-reliance, digital collaboration skills, and ability to communicate technical concepts clearly. These turned out to be valuable skills for my future career.
C++ Automation Scripts
One of my main projects was developing C++ scripts to automate repetitive tasks in our CAD software. This boosted efficiency significantly, reducing manual work by about 15% and letting engineers focus on more important design tasks. It was my first time using C++ in a real-world setting, and seeing my code actually streamline processes was both exciting and rewarding.
Learning GD&T and Precision Engineering
I also got hands-on experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), making sure every design met precise manufacturing standards. This was a big shift from my academic projects, where tolerances were often just an afterthought. At NVIDIA, precision was everything. Every component had to be manufacturable at scale, and I ended up becoming the go-to person for verifying compliance with GD&T standards.
Design for Manufacturability
Applying Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles was another huge learning experience. I learned to think beyond just creating a perfect CAD model. Each design needed to be optimized for cost-effective and scalable production. This really challenged me to balance creativity with real-world constraints and reinforced how important practical engineering design is.
3D Modeling and Large Systems
A big part of my role was creating detailed 3D models of equipment and data center layouts. Going from modeling individual parts to designing large-scale systems was honestly eye-opening. It required a lot of attention to detail and a strong understanding of spatial organization to make sure everything fit together seamlessly.
Learning New CAD Tools
During this internship, I worked with multiple CAD tools including Creo, Windchill, SolidWorks, and Fusion 360. I was already good with SolidWorks from my TA experience, but mastering new platforms broadened my skill set and gave me a deeper understanding of industry-standard design workflows.
Remote Collaboration Skills
The pandemic environment forced me to develop better virtual collaboration skills:
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Documentation: I created comprehensive documentation of my work to make sure things were clear across time zones when we were working asynchronously.
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Digital Communication: I learned to explain complex design concepts clearly through written explanations, annotated screenshots, and recorded walkthroughs since live demonstrations were not always possible.
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Time Management: Working with team members in different time zones required careful scheduling and prioritization to make sure we hit project deadlines.
Looking Back
Looking back, my time at NVIDIA was a really valuable first step into the engineering world. It bridged the gap between the theoretical knowledge I had as a TA and the practical skills you actually need in a high-tech industry. This experience sharpened my technical abilities and solidified my passion for engineering design, automation, and problem-solving.
Navigating a remote internship during unprecedented circumstances also developed my resilience and adaptability. These skills proved just as valuable as the technical knowledge I gained. Being able to stay productive in a virtual environment despite the isolation of the pandemic showed my commitment and self-motivation.
It was honestly the perfect start to my journey. One that would later lead me to robotics, AI, and deeper explorations into intelligent systems.