Introduction

Hello! My name is Palak, and I am a third-year Software Engineering student at the University of Guelph. During the summer of 2026, I completed my first work term at Lucid Corp as an Automation Technician. This opportunity provided me with many new experiences and chances to expand my technical skillset, while working with an amazing group of people. So, on this website, I will be sharing information about the projects I worked on, and the skills I gained during my first work term.

About Lucid Corp

Lucid Corp is a leading North American manufacturer of clear PET food packaging trays whose goal is to eliminate non-recyclable trays from landfills by replacing them with their 100% recyclable packaging. They are committed to building a sustainable future, through their incredible production facilities and warehouse spaces.

My Goals and Reflections

At the beginning of my summer work term, I set a few goals for myself which would help me track my progress to ensure that I am making the most of the opportunity I was given.

1. Improving my problem solving skills: I wanted to work on this area in particular because designing the software to operate the machinery in the production facility requires a lot of precision and thinking about the potential errors that could arise. So, I wanted to learn how to quickly identify such errors on a day-to-day basis. To achieve this goal, I took the time to carefully consider each aspect of the project we were working on, to ensure that all edge cases had been accounted for. I also asked my supervisor for guidance, and made sure to keep his advice in mind going forward.

2. Strengthening my written communication skills: I set this goal for myself once I realized the importance of documentation in software development, especially in an industrial environment. So, I wanted to learn how to properly document my work in a way that it can be easily understood by anyone who reads the documentation, regardless of how familiar they already are with the project. To ensure that I was making progress towards achieving this goal, I asked my supervisor to review my work and provide me with feedback. Consequently, by the end of my first work term, I felt much more confident in my written communication skills.

3. Improving my oral communication skills: I wanted to work on improving my oral communication skills since this role requires a lot of communication among the team members. So, it is essential to communicate clearly with all of my colleagues to ensure that we are all on the same page. In order to achieve this goal, I made efforts to engage in more face-to-face conversations with my supervisor and my colleagues. I also made sure to carefully listen to what they were saying, as well as the manner in which they were speaking, and used that as an example to follow.