Abt does interesting policy analysis and evaluation work that utilized skills I'd learned in class. They are committed to helping people learn and grow in their careers. Work hours were flexible as long as I hit 40 hours per week and we could work from home some days. Nice perks like an on-site gym, free food and coffee. High wage for an internship ($17/hour) in a field were most internships come with a low stipend or are unpaid. My co-workers and co-interns were friendly, though I wouldn't say I made close friends. A number of interns got post-grad job offers.
What I wish was different
The location was out of the way. The company was big and somewhat impersonal, though not totally unfriendly. Abt is not the worst company in the world by any means but they definitely oversell how much their work helps people. We had to log detailed reports of how we spent our time, which would not have been an issue but we were not paid for "optional" intern meetings or career development sessions.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask to work on projects or to attend meetings you find interesting, people at Abt want to help you build your own career around issues you care about.
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IT Consultant
June - August 2019 • Rockville, MD
What I liked
I really enjoyed the work I did and how little supervision there was. There never was anyone watching over us 24/7. Everyone got their work done on a timely manner and the work morale was really great.
What I wish was different
To be honest, I really enjoyed my work experience. There isn't nothing I wished was different. If anything, there were some people let go while I was working there and they had learned of it through an email instead of being called and told personally. I wish they had handled that differently because some of my favorite coworkers left and they took it pretty hard.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share is to be open minded! There are going to be so many different types of different people in the work place; not everyone is going to share your views. And you'll have to work with them. So the best thing to do would be to always keep an open mind and try to work along the best you can!
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Research Interviewer
June - August 2019 • Huntington, WV
What I liked
I liked the experiences from my time at Abt. This job opportunity was completely out of my comfort zone but it made me an all around better person and employee.
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
At times, you can benefit more from the "less" glamorous jobs than the "most" glamorous.
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Research Interviewer
June - August 2019 • Huntington, WV
What I liked
I liked the experience that I gained. I had never done anything like this job asked and it put me out of comfort zone but helped strengthen me all around. I also enjoyed meeting new people as well as gathering information for the CDC.
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
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Senior Research Interviewer
November 2017 • Huntington, WV
What I liked
The pay, how easy the job is, and the coworkers
What I wish was different
Wish managers were nicer
Advice
Just do your job and don’t worry about how many completes you get
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Recruiting Assistant
June 2016 - July 2017 • Bethesda, MD
What I liked
Very informative, plethora of opportunities to work on different projects, good exposure to the field of international development
What I wish was different
Advice
Take advantage of the different project opportunities that exist, network with current employees
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Strategic Communications Intern
June - August 2018 • Rockville, MD
What I liked
My favorite thing about working at Abt was the company's mission and culture. At Abt, I had access to a plethora of resources and information that my colleagues across the company had gathered. I learned so much more than I ever thought I would have. It was also a state of the art facility that allowed me to work with people in different offices, including my supervisor.
What I wish was different
I wish I would have had the opportunity to meet my direct supervisor. She worked in the Boston office and although technology made our communication easy, it would have been nice to meet her in person and be able to work alongside each other.
Advice
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International Development Division Intern
June - August 2018 • Rockville, MD
What I liked
Great work environment, supportive staff, networking, potential job opportunities, experience doing real technical work, actually contributing to projects
What I wish was different
Slow start and delay in getting assigned to projects, upper management sometimes seems out of touch, company's portfolio is so big that they only seem to go after large contracts
Advice
Really put yourself out there and try to talk to as many people as possible
