Toyota North America

Production Intern

May - August 2023 • Long Beach, CA

What I liked

The team at Toyota did an amazing job of welcoming me into the facility, having multiple projects for me to work on, giving me weekly tasks to accomplish on my time, and giving me ample time to learn about the facility and company as a whole.

What I wish was different

I'd love to say I have lots I wish was different but I can't think of anything. Without a doubt the best work experience I've ever had.

Advice

The production line can be quite hectic and is not for everyone, so be open minded when starting.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Buying Co-op

January - August 2023 • Saline, MI

What I liked

Great company and culture.

What I wish was different

I wish I came in with more of a plan of what I wanted to accomplish.

Advice

Work for Toyota.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Collision & Service Operations Intern

May - August 2023 • Plano, TX

What I liked

Toyota's college program provides an amazing experience and learning opportunity for students. My team put a lot of emphasis on ensuring that I understood the company, the Toyota values, and the after-sales operations. My first week focused on training, and I had the opportunity to take in-person courses for welding & collision body repair (two things I had never done before), to become a Certified Collision Repair Technician. Due to the focus on training and learning the company, my projects were smaller and less intense. Mainly consisting of process improvements or reconstructing data sets. I also had the opportunity to visit 3 site locations to experience the operations that our programs focused on. Respect for people is one of Toyota's core values, and I experienced this respect and inclusion at multiple points throughout my internship. Inclusion was important to me, so I was able to join multiple business partner groups, one of which had a major community event that I was able to take part in. The Plano campus is amazing to experience in person, and interns get the same employee access to the amenities - a large gym (with a rock-climbing wall!), mini-Walmart, and more.

What I wish was different

There were a few times when my teams were out traveling, which made asking questions and getting new projects difficult. There was more downtime than I anticipated because of this, which led to more of a training focus.

Advice

Get involved with the local business partner groups. They are a great resource to see where you may be in the future and what others have experienced. I would also recommend coming into the office as much as possible, as you can connect with different teams/individuals and managers, especially on the days when many people work from home.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

TFSB Business Intern

May - August 2023 • Plano, TX

What I liked

The Toyota culture is something that permeates through to every business group and the people are great to work with. There are several different companies within Toyota, so collaboration and networking across those companies happen often. Because of this, you get exposure to different industries and can work toward a career that suits you.

What I wish was different

Maybe more networking events earlier on.

Advice

Take the time to talk to any group within Toyota you are interested in, people are always eager to help.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Government Affairs Intern

May - August 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Amazing company and they truly care about you and your experience.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be positive!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

HR Data Analyst Intern

June 2023 • Plano, TX

What I liked

There was so much that I loved about my internship. I had a great a team that was super supportive and helpful during my time. I had a mentor on my team who really guided me on not only team dynamics, but taught me about Toyota’s values as well building good professional habits. He also helped me network across different departments to learn more about data science outside of HR. I had some good projects and they all taught me skills that I wouldn’t have been able to do outside of school without cost. For example, I was introduced to Tableau, which is normally $70 a month for an individual user, but it was free during my time here. The HR department was also so welcoming and did great things for HR interns; I was able to meet with all the VPs of HR and network with them. Overall, it was such a great experience and I’m glad I spent my summer with Toyota to grow personally and professionally.

What I wish was different

I wish there were so more social events throughout the internship to get to know other interns. There were some larger events, such as a trip to the Dallas Cowboys Headquarters and a celebration for interns on National Intern Day, all of which were great. However, having some more structured, lowkey events would have been nice; especially for remote interns who had less formal opportunities to engage with other interns.

Advice

Always say yes to new opportunities. It can be really scary, but it really pushes to try new things and realize you are capable of so much more than what you thought. Don’t be afraid to say hi to someone new, either 😊

3 ${count} people found this helpful

Battery PE

May - August 2023 • Greensboro, NC

What I liked

I enjoyed the culture. At Toyota, respect for people is first. I was provided a good amount of training. At the end of my term, I was OSHA 10 certified and had all the battery training completed. Besides work, I had the chance to participate in the Wyndham PGA championship event (company organized event ) that happens each year around August. There is a lot to do in Greesnboro and the wheather is nice.

What I wish was different

I wished I had Co-Oped more with Toyota as the summer term usually goes by fast. Also, for returning Co-Op/Intern, you have the option to work at different locations in the nation.

Advice

Ask more questions early on in your rotation an take notes to keep track of what you are learning.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Brand Engagement Advocate Intern

May 2022 • Plano, TX

What I liked

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to utilize the skills I obtained from pursuing a management degree and expand on these skills. I am so grateful to have met so many amazing individuals at a company whose values align with my own. I have learned more than I could have ever imagined about myself and I am continuing to grow. Furthermore, my appreciation for the company and its culture has greatly expanded and this internship has allowed me to gain an entirely new perspective on where I want to take my career in the future.

What I wish was different

The only thing that I wish had been different would be the implementation of more social events outside of the office over the summer. Since I was full-time over the summer, and now I am working remotely, I am unable to participate in the team lunches and events that are now being scheduled while I am at school.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about this experience would be to never become discouraged when receiving feedback regarding improving your performance. One of Toyota's core philosophies is Kaizen, which means continuous improvement. Striving for perfection sets an unrealistic standard, so you should focus on your growth. Seeking to improve your own skills by being engaged and putting forth your best effort is incredibly rewarding, and you should take pride in your work progress by learning from mistakes rather than dwelling on them.

1 One person found this helpful

Supply Chain Management Co-Op

January - August 2021 • Plano, TX

What I liked

The culture, the industry, the work, the pay

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Networking is important

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Purchasing Analyst Intern

June - August 2020 • Ann Arbor, MI

What I liked

You receive a mentor/senpai to guide you along the way the whole time. I also was able to have some choice in the projects I did.

What I wish was different

I wish it could have been in-person but because of Covid, it was all virtual.

Advice

Ask as many questions as you can, everybody at Toyota is very knowledgeable.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Ride and Handling Intern

June - August 2020 • Wittmann, AZ

What I liked

Even being an online internship, the entire team I worked with made an effort to connect with me and give me the best opportunity I could have. I was given a lot of responsibility and was able to do projects that impacted vehicle development.

What I wish was different

Being online, I couldn't do a lot of the things my manager and I expected I would be able to do. I did have a large amount of downtime because I was faster than expected in completing tasks (results were okayed by manager).

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask for help, or to follow up with people you need things from. Also, most people are excited to talk about their work to people who are interested.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

2020 Summer Design Co-op

June - August 2020 • Ann Arbor, MI

What I liked

My team was great about including me, answering my questions, and giving me opportunities to make important contributions.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Sales, Marketing and Managment

June - August 2019 • Englewood, CO

What I liked

This was an amazing experience that taught me a lot about the car industry and greatly improved my marketing, sales and management skills.

What I wish was different

Advice

Talk to as many people as you can and don't be afraid to ask questions.

7 ${count} people found this helpful

Collision & Service Operations Intern

May - August 2019 • Plano, TX

What I liked

The people and the culture. So supportive, positive, respectful, and willing to help.

What I wish was different

More big projects!

Advice

Always ask for help or explanation when you don’t understand something.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Quality Specialist

May 2018 • Owensboro, KY

What I liked

Always something different to do day to day.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Lesrn to expect a managers next request upon finishing a task. By doing this I can have a second task finished or an answer for them regarding.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Sales and Marketing Intern

May - August 2018 • Denver, CO

What I liked

I loved having hands-on experience working closely with actual clients to suggest best practices and ways to improve their sales and marketing efforts.

What I wish was different

The relocation process would have been even more effective if I received suggestions for housing in Denver.

Advice

Stay genuine and true to yourself, but be adaptable and collaborative. Always ask questions!

1 One person found this helpful

Sales, Marketing, Service Intern

May - August 2017 • Alpharetta, GA

What I liked

They really wanted to teach you about the company and industry. They assisted us in every way possible and made the work fun. We got to experience field travel as well

What I wish was different

Wish it was longer

Advice

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Production engineer

August 2015 - January 2016 • Georgetown, KY

What I liked

It was a great opportunity for learning and seeing what my future role would be. Also got to meet a lot of important people in the industry.

What I wish was different

The commute got a little old, I wish I had the choice to re locate.

Advice

Stay confident with your work, ask questions, gain friends as soon as possible, and take every learning opportunity when presented.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Paint Production Engineering Co-Op

May - August 2017 • Georgetown, KY

What I liked

A lot of responsibilities are given to you. For example I wrote a bid spec for an 7+ million dollar segment of a project. Not many co-ops give you the chance to ride to such a challenge.

What I wish was different

Very hard to see and understand all of the different departments in such a large plant.

Advice

Listen carefully, write everything down, and don't take yourself too seriously. Have fun and work hard

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Production Engineer

January - August 2018 • Troy, MO

What I liked

Toyota places a high priority on interns to learn lean manufacturing processes and how they have impacted industry. Many opportunities to self improvement. You make your time there what you want it to be, there is unlimited work to be done as a production engineer. They place a high priority on employee safety and continuously improving their processes.

What I wish was different

The amount of oversight that was given to my projects. Being given free reigns is nice but oversight is needed so that end projects results match desirables.