Cerner Corporation

Software Engineer Intern

May - July 2021 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

The team I worked with gave me the freedom to explore/learn on my own, but was also there when I needed help on assignments/tasks. I was also able to experience to full stack and see all the pieces of the software I worked on.

What I wish was different

Advice

Make sure to try to learn and figure out things on your own but also ask questions when you need it.

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Software Engineering Intern

May - July 2021 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

I had a great time working for Cerner. The company culture and environment didn't feel like an office cubical job but rather a friendly environment where everyone is open to anything. The team I worked with was fun and supported me with any issues I had with the projects I was given.

What I wish was different

Unfortunately, the job was remote, which cut my experiences in half since I wasn't able to connect and interact with people on-campus.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about his experience is that you shouldn't be afraid to take charge and join in on different activities the internship offers. Try new things, be open, and meet new people; this will make your experience different in every way.

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Software Intern

May - July 2020 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Everything was excellent. It was a meaningful experience with an incredible amount of learning. It was well structured with mentorship and guidance from a manager. It was sufficiently challenging but there were many options for obtaining help and references.

What I wish was different

It wasn't anyone's fault that the whole thing was online due to COVID, but I do wish it would have taken place in person on Cerner campus.

Advice

Don't be discouraged if you feel like you aren't making enough progress while coding. I found that I was learning far more retrospectively than when I was in the moment feeling like I could do better. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

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Software Engineering Intern

June - August 2020 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

I liked all of the hands-on experiences given where I could learn expeditiously and contribute to the big idea. The HR department in charge of the interns also made sure we had an amazing experience, even with the pandemic going on.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have had the opportunity to see the Cerner campus. I have heard wonderful things about it and how nice it is, but I did not get to see it during my interview, and due to COVID-19 we worked remotely and I never got the opportunity to visit it.

Advice

Make sure to connect with people around you, whether it be your fellow interns or it be senior developers on surrounding teams.

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Technical Apprentice

May 2019 • Malvern, PA

What I liked

I love how much I have already learned. I got so much exposure to so many different technologies, languages, and tools. I also liked the environment. Everyone was incredibly nice and very helpful.

What I wish was different

I wish the Technical Apprentice program had more structure. I would have liked to have gotten some training before I started, just so I don't have to be so much of a burden on everyone asking them questions all the time.

Advice

One piece of advice I would give is to not be afraid to ask for help. At first, I was struggling a lot because everyone was busy with all of their own stuff and I couldn't ask for much help. But even still, after I started asking for help, things became so much easier.

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Software Developer Intern

June 2019 • Columbia, MO

What I liked

I think it is a really great work environment, perfect for a student like myself that has schedule constraints. The internship goes year round with gives me much more experience than I'd otherwise get. Additionally my team I work with is super cool.

What I wish was different

Nothing much really, the pay is slightly low but I don't work on a tight time constraint to get things finished so ultimately it's worth it.

Advice

Be proactive in learning and ask questions, even dumb questions.

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Cerner is a great company to work for. It is clear they want their interns to have the best experience possible and that they care a lot about making sure their interns are prepared for their internships. Everything you work on goes into production and is not just scrapped. What you work on, actually does make a difference. While interning you also get a mentor that is there to help guide you through your work when needed and help you get acclimated to the work environment. This was a great opportunity and a great way to network.

What I wish was different

I'm not sure I would've wanted anything to be different. They really do know how to create an internship program that is beneficial to everyone involved.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions. They know you are not equipped with all the knowledge you need. If you don't know something, ask, it'll save you a lot of time and anxiety in the long run and you'll be able to get more done in one summer than you thought possible.

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Technical Support

April 2019 • Joplin, MO

What I liked

Coworkers

What I wish was different

Training

Advice

Hard but it seems it will be rewarding

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Working on a team that helps to change the way healthcare works in a corporate environment. I hadn't been introduced to such a large company before but Cerner helped me to fit in and gave me work that I found enjoyable

What I wish was different

Projects had a lot of hoops to jump through and red tape to cross. I couldn't do much until I had the authorization to do so. Some days I wouldn't have much work to do.

Advice

Go in with an open mind. There are a ton of technologies and tools that Cerner uses and it might seem overbearing at times. Just know that, as an intern, you're there to improve your skills and gain knowledge and real-world experience. It's okay to not understand something in an environment that you're not used to, just ask lots of questions!

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

The team I was put on was incredibly supportive and always willing to lend an ear or send a link to a different way of coding I hadn't thought of before. I was able to learn a litany of skills in a hands-on environment, including how to program in Ruby and JavaScript, how to write tests in Ruby and JavaScript, how to communicate my progress during daily scrums, and countless other skills.

What I wish was different

Frankly, my only wish is that I would've understood the internships all ended on the same day so I could've signed up to start on an earlier date. I had to leave a couple projects in the midst of the review process, which was frustrating as seeing my projects through to completion was one of the most satisfying experiences I have ever had.

Advice

I was hesitant to ask questions as I didn't want to distract my manager or mentor from their own work, but I shouldn't have been. They were always pleased to help me, and if they were in a spot where they needed to focus and couldn't offer assistance, they would say so. The work space is about communicating like adults, so there's no need to worry about others being passive aggressive or overloading themselves, if you need help, just ask. The worst someone will say is get back to me in an hour.

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Systems Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, KS

What I liked

I enjoyed how my team was willing to help anyone with their issues to their full capability. They showed me what a team is suppose to look like.

What I wish was different

I wish I was given a bit more work to do.

Advice

Network while you have access to many intelligent people with lots of connections and experiences. And learn as much as possible.

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Malvern, PA

What I liked

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Cerner. The project I worked on during my internship was part of a product in production. I was involved in the full development cycling from planning to testing. The work I did was valuable to both myself as a growing developer and my team as it was a project with high importance. My team was extremely helpful and kind during my stay here. There were never any moments where I felt like "just the intern".

What I wish was different

The on-boarding process was slow to start, so I would've hoped the company handled some of those things ahead of time before my start date.

Advice

My advice would be to network and participate in any kind of activities outside of the work place.

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

The internship structure was very thought out and allowed me to have a great experience.

What I wish was different

Some individual teams had little in terms of organization for their intern.

Advice

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Incredible office space, awesome work environment.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Be ready to learn. School taught me 5% of what I needed to know at this job.

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Clinical Apps Intern

April 2019 • Columbia, MO

What I liked

I went into this opportunity with no background in IT and never had much interest in Healthcare, so I had opportunities at every turn to learn new things and gain new experiences. I also got to learn some SQL, which could be a very valuable skill later on. My co-workers are great people to be around and I look forward to work every morning knowing I'll get to see them and learn new things in the process.

What I wish was different

The only thing I'd change is that I'd like to work more hours or be a full-time employee. An internship is meant to give you real exposure to what working at a company is like, give you a glimpse of the culture and workload to see if you want to be a part of it. I think my internship experience has accomplished that extremely well. I wasn't just given busy-work, I was expected to learn how each team operated, what tools they used to do their job, and how that fit into the ecosystem of the company and hospital as a whole. This has been a great experience that has taught me more than I could have hoped.

Advice

Make effort to explore the "why" of how things happen and how the multiple systems that are relied on automatically flow into one another. It will help you figure out what's causing problems instead of repeatedly going back to fix the same issue.

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Software Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

I really liked the culture at Cerner and that I got to get integrated into a team almost like a new employee.

What I wish was different

I wish it was closer to home.

Advice

Don't be afraid to seek out projects if you want them. Also, don't be afraid to ask your team for help. You'll get more out of it, if you put more in.

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Relaxed schedule, casual dress code, friendly team

What I wish was different

faster onboarding,

Advice

Keep track of your projects/work, you will give multiple presentations at the end of the summer on your work.

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Business Apprentice

June 2017 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

My team worked very well together. I had actual projects to be a part of and to lead. Everyone was super welcoming and easy to work with.

What I wish was different

Only thing I can think of would be to have people similar in age to me to work with. I was the youngest person in the office which isn't that big of deal.