Collins Aerospace

Engineering Co-op

May 2023 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

It was with like minded people with a vast wealth of engineering knowledge.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten a co-op more in line with my major rather than a mechanical engineering one.

Advice

Take time to put yourself out there and get to know people. It’s worth more than getting a better chance of a return offer.

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operations intern

June 2018 • Westford, MA

What I liked

I liked learning about operations and manufacturing

What I wish was different

I wish they had had more work for us to do. there were two interns and maybe enough work for only one.

Advice

Make sure to take initiative and ask for work if you do an internship here.

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Industrial Engineer Co-op

January - August 2021 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I appreciated being thrown into the manufacturing operation and being able to pursue any project I found interest in. Everyone on the team was incredibly willing to mentor me, share their knowledge, and bring me out on the floor to show me how things worked. I learned how to troubleshoot machinery and was encouraged to get to know the operators, so I can best fulfill their requests (including ordering/making better tools or submitting concerns to the production managers on different shifts).

What I wish was different

I wish there were more student experience activities. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions, there were a lot less team-bonding experiences compared to previous years. I would have loved to get to know my fellow Industrial Engineers a bit more outside of work.

Advice

Get out of your comfort zone and get to know as many people as you can! The most rewarding part of this experience was being a reliable outlet for the operators and getting to know some of them on a personal level.

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Chemical Engineering CoOp

June 2022 • Miami, FL

What I liked

Location and team

What I wish was different

More R&D in sustainability

Advice

N/A

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2022 • Annapolis, MD

What I liked

I liked the experience of learning Python and connecting with other interns. In addition, working from home was a plus because I did not have to commute.

What I wish was different

Advice

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SEPP Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2022 • Houston, TX

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

It was a great experience to be in a different state and meeting new people. If the company gives you a housing stipend, I recommend looking into university housing to make friends.

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Aerospace Engineering Intern

May - August 2022 • Riverside, CA

What I liked

I loved the work environment, everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful and there were very concious efforts everywhere to get rid of toxcicity and any sort of unwelcoming culture. I got to work on some awesome programs and learned a lot of applicable skills both in engineering and in the workplace.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Accounting Intern

May 2022 • Windsor Locks, CT

What I liked

I love how willing all of my coworkers were to help when I was just getting started. It made the process seamless as I was never left wondering how to do something. This allowed me to be much more productive because someone was always available to help me when I needed it.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to work in-person at some point. My whole experience was remote, and I feel like I could have gotten more experience if I was in the office.

Advice

My advice would be to pay attention to detail. Even the smallest mistakes can cause issues down the line and it is best to minimize this as much as possible.

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Engineering Co-op

January - August 2022 • Wilson, NC

What I liked

Firstly, I enjoyed the atmosphere. My co-workers have all been friendly and willing to help me with any assistance I may require. I also enjoyed the trust instilled in me. I have lead several projects, held several meetings, and worked independent for a majority of my work term. I felt valuable to the company and in turn, they treated me well. I also enjoyed the opportunities to explore other branches of the company and other RTX branches

What I wish was different

Due to managerial instability, I lacked projects to work on for the first 2 months, but as I networked with other employees and departments, I soon found tasks to work on. The location in Wilson, NC is a newer facility acquired by RTX and therefore many changes are being implemented. Because of this, the turnover rate is high at this location. The work atmosphere seems leisurely at times (a pro or con depending who you are). If you are considering working at this specific facility, research the area prior to accepting a job offer to ensure this area is the lifestyle you enjoy.

Advice

I find networking with you piers is valuable within Collins. Since Collins is an RTX company you can broaden your network to other branches such as Pratt and Whitney to land a job in other companies if desired. Other advice, make yourself memorable. Co-ops tend to fall under the radar and often work in the background. I encourage everyone to make yourself known and push yourself. Proving this will demonstrate just how valuable you are to the company and in turn, they might extend a job offer.

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Industrial Engineering Co-op

May 2021 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The endless opportunities to be creative and innovative.

What I wish was different

I wish I had a mentor or someone who could help me out with my work. Trying to find someone that could help out and answer questions has been very difficult due to how busy everyone is.

Advice

I would say that being able to manage your stress levels at work during all the chaotic moments is a must!

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Software Coop

June 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The opportunity to hone in on my programming skills was an experience I didn’t know I needed. However, I found within the first week that my confidence in my abilities was boosted. I found myself apply classroom knowledge to the real world, and that, is an entirely positive experience in itself. Working for a company like Collins Aerospace has given me the certainty to say I want to continue with programming in school and into my professional career.

What I wish was different

Speaking to my experience solely, I wish I had then opportunity to utilize more programming languages on the job. While I now believe I’m quite strong at Python and JavaScript, getting to work in other languages would have made the experience all the better!

Advice

Having only one year of engineering/collegiate experience prior to starting my coop at Collins, I was uncertain I would be able to preform or that I was making a mistake taking time off of school. I can now attest to the fact that this experience offered me more than any lecture or textbook could. The advice I offer is, take any experience you can get outside the classroom because that is where you’ll learn the most and the work will be most applicable to your career skill set. It’s all about growth!

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Systems Engineer

January - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Lots of autonomous, as well as working on real projects that goes earns the business money.

What I wish was different

Advice

Do activities outside of classes, it's the closest you can get to working, and in some cases the only time you'll learn valuable lessons before it really matters.

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Systems Engineer Co-op

May 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I loved knowing I was taking on the same level of work as the full-time employees. Rockwell Collins does an excellent job providing a great experience for their co-ops and interns, so they are more likely to come back and work full time after graduation. There were many summer events for the student employees, with everything from free lunches to paintball and volleyball, as well as mentoring and networking opportunities. Rockwell Collins also has a fantastic working environment, where everyone on your team is supportive and willing to help you accomplish your goals. My team supported Special Operations, and I loved the honor of being part of such an impactful program.

What I wish was different

Something I wish would have been different was the drastic decrease in student employee events that followed the end of summer. During spring and fall sessions, because there is only a fraction of student employees remaining, the company ceases to have events supporting student employees. However, events for New Hires take their place, and remaining student employees (such as co-ops like me who are taking a semester off of school) are always invited.

Advice

One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to make sure you network everywhere. Never pass up on an opportunity to learn something new. Ask questions- your manager and team are very supportive and want to help you succeed! Don't take a day for granted.

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Software Engineering Co-Op

March - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I loved my team! My manager was super nice, my team was incredibly helpful, and I felt like because of the environment, I was able to positively contribute to the projects my team was working on.

What I wish was different

When I got there, it was a bit of a hassle to get all set up. But, once I became familiar with my environment, it got much better for me.

Advice

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Industrial Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Richardson, TX

What I liked

Everyone I worked with was very helpful and caring and they gave me projects that I felt like I could make a difference for the plant

What I wish was different

I wish there were more locations that I could choose between

Advice

Even if you’re not sure if you’re interested, try it out!

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Systems Engineering Intern

June - August 2017 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

My manager gave me meaningful work that left me thinking I really made a difference in the 10 weeks I was there

What I wish was different

I'm not a fan of Cedar Rapids- the job was amazing though

Advice

Keep asking for projects as you can handle them and show initiative

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Business Integration Analyst

June 2017 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

This internship was a great learning experience because it was quite challenging, but not overwhelming. I really got to utilize the SAP skills I already had and learned many more skills along the way which extended beyond just technical skills.

What I wish was different

The only tough part about this internship was the location, but since they hire so many other interns at that location, there were plenty of people my age to do things with and explore the city with.

Advice

Even if you don't know how to do something right away - still try! The best way to learn is by attempting things you weren't sure you could do.

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Systems engineer

May 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Being such a large company they did a great job of still making you feel like a valuable asset to the team.

What I wish was different

Location for sure. Cedar Rapids is nice but Iowa isnt the most beautiful state.

Advice

Big companies do not always make you feel small if you have the right company.

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FPGA Solutions Technical Intern

May - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I really enjoyed meeting new people at this internship. There were about 400 other interns at this location and we all lived near each other. It was great learning from one another and forming lasting friendships. The housing was also paid for and set up by the company specifically for the interns.

What I wish was different

Personally, I had some trouble getting used to the physical work environment. There were renovations being done at the time and my team was placed next to the loading dock and construction zone, so it was very loud and distracting. My desk was half a cubicle and directly next to the trash compactor. Normally, groups of interns are seated next to each other, but I was the exception. I wish I'd have gotten the chance to work with other interns or at least work in the lab or a typical engineering office environment.

Advice

Research beforehand what exactly a position entails. It was a great learning experience, but it would have been even better had I prepared myself to work with VHDL and SystemVerilog prior to the start of the internship.

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