https://www.collinsaerospace.com/

Collins Aerospace

Manufacturing Engineering Intern

May 2019 • Windsor Locks, CT

What I liked

I like the people. I like how they encourage interns to ask as many questions and to spend time with employees who are doing the job function that interests them. They push you to keep learning. I liked the hardware I get to work on and it’s very easy to bring things up to my managers or people higher up than me. I like how most people at the company don’t look down on me for being an intern. They really seem to value having me there and my input. I

What I wish was different

I wish I had been more assertive at the beginning so I could have started learning and doing more tasks earlier. It took some time to gain the confidence to keep asking for more work or to have things explained to me. The job was so new to me so it was overwhelming and I was worried I would be seen as stupid or incompetent at first but I realized that I’m not supposed to know how to do everything and that helped. I wish I had participated in more of the events they had for the younger people. But I get so nervous going places by myself that I just wouldn’t go to them. Sometimes I wish I had been able to get to know the other interns more. My desk wasn’t near any of them so I never really got to see them or talk to them much.

Advice

Don’t be afraid to ask a million questions. Be curious! This is a learning experience for you. Everyday you should try and learn something new about your job or the business. This is a great opportunity to expand your network so reach out to employees who’s jobs interest you, ask them to get lunch or something similar so you can pick their brain. Meet with managers and get their advice. People will love having the chance to help someone new and young and just starting their career. Some businesses will have an intern mentorship program. Get up in that!! Get a mentor and bug them like crazy. They most likely chose to sign up to be a mentor so they know what they’re getting into. They want you to ask them questions, they want to help you, and they want to be a resource for you. That’s what they’re there for. Mentors can be anyone and can come unexpectedly too. I met one of my mentors while volunteering with Collins. Try and stay active in the company if you like working there. This may give you a higher chance of them asking you to come back. I get A LOT of anxiety at all the things I mentioned above: putting myself out there, reaching out to strangers, asking lots of questions in the fear I’ll come off as annoying or pushy. But I had to keep reminding myself that it’s okay to do all that stuff, it’s almost expected for someone in the position of an intern. People will like that you show interest and initiative. And, yes, there may be times where you crash and burn. Maybe someone doesn’t have the time to answer your questions or get lunch or seems annoyed, but you just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again! It will be okay and it will help so much in figuring out what you would actually want to do after you graduate. If theres a time where you feel like you don’t have a lot of work on your plate or you’re bored, don’t just sit there and wait for someone to give you work. Go ask for something to do. Constantly ask your coworkers if there’s anything you can help them with. Or are there tasks you can do to help alleviate their workload. Sometimes this may get you doing something boring (They know it’s boring but it’s probably something that needs to get done regardless and they will appreciate that you did it for them), but it will get brownie points in the end. It’s also really good to use this time to figure out what you definitely DON’T want to do with your career and that’s what can be so fantastic about internships. Most places encourage you to shadow other roles and learn about the different paths you can take. Take advantage of that. And one last thing, SPEAK UP. If you come into your new role and realize it isn’t for you, say something!! Most managers will not take it personally if you realize you don’t like what they have you doing. For example: you applied to be a project engineer and after doing it for some time don’t enjoy it, speak up! At Collins they encourage interns to speak with HR and their managers if they aren’t enjoying what they do so they can see about getting them into a role they will like. HR will tell you on the first day they want to make sure you get the most out of this experience so go to them if you feel like you’re not being challenged or your not enjoying what you do.
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Embedded Systems Software Developer

November 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Valuable insight to the software industry. Real world application of my coding

What I wish was different

I wish I would have gone in knowing a bit more about integrating software w hardware.

Advice

Be willing to fail. Ask lots of questions any time you feel stuck
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Supply chain

May - August 2019 • Windsor Locks, CT

What I liked

Ability to move around and was able to get experience in different parts of the company

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to take on more projects to create more of a responsibility feeling

Advice

Work hard in your internship, impressions matter
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Software Engineering Intern

May 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Hands on experience, doing real work rather than busy work

What I wish was different

On boarding wasn't that smooth

Advice

Ask a lot of questions
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Program Management

August 2019 • Windsor, CT

What I liked

The people there were very welcoming and treated me like an employee. They had expectations for me but also were always available to answer questions and also gave me plenty of opportunities to learn each day.

What I wish was different

I wish I asked more questions, it took a while for me to realize how much information and networking was at the palm of my hands.

Advice

Take ADVANTAGE, they love interns and they especially love giving interns full time positions
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finance intern

June 2019 • Burnsville, MN

What I liked

The people, environment, and knowledge learned.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Take in all the knowledge you can.
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Security Guard

September 2018 • Burnsville, MN

What I liked

Relaxing environment with high payment.

What I wish was different

Extra people to work with on shift.

Advice

Always take your job seriously.
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Design Engineering Co-op

May - December 2019 • Rome, NY

What I liked

I liked my responsibilities, my team, and the town

What I wish was different

Warmer weather

Advice

Check your work
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Finance Intern

June - September 2019 • Everett, WA

What I liked

I liked the mentorship that I received throughout the internship. Having an established relationship like that is super beneficial for navigating a new experience.

What I wish was different

I wish I had actively learned more Excel beyond the required certification. The spreadsheets class alone and the certification felt like it wasn't enough to efficiently perform business finance related tasks so I had to learn new Excel features and shortcuts quickly on the job.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share is to not be afraid to ask questions. People are almost always willing to help others out.
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Industrial Engineering Intern

January 2019 • Coralville, IA

What I liked

I really liked being involved in layout projects.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more time to work on things.

Advice

Get to know as many people as you can.
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Avionics Finance Intern

June 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I really liked being able to experience a big company and a variety of roles! The people were great and I got tons of exposure.

What I wish was different

I wish I had busier from the start. The first month I didn't have enough work to fill up the week, but by the end I almost had too much to finish.

Advice

I would suggest that anyone entering an internship network with as many people as possible. I would just send people emails asking to talk for 30 minutes about their experience, no one ever said no.
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Project Management Intern

May 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Learned valuable career advice, friendly work environment.

What I wish was different

Wish I could have worked with more interns.

Advice

Try to network as much as possible, they are very helpful and want you to succeed here.
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ACE Co-Op

May - December 2019 • Jamestown, ND

What I liked

That I got to see how all aspects of a manufacturing business work.

What I wish was different

If there was a bit more designing.

Advice

Make the most of it, don’t be scared to reach out to your supervisor for more challenging tasks
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Test Engineer Intern

May - August 2019 • Windsor Locks, CT

What I liked

The work environment at Collins Aerospace is wonderful. The tasks are challenging and employees are always willing to help you better understand the task you've been assigned.

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions and never think a task is too difficult to handle when you've got employees around you willing to help.
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Quality Engineer Co-op

May - August 2019 • Windsor Locks, CT

What I liked

Independent projects and autonomy to explore different avenues. Responsibility on serious projects and tasks

What I wish was different

More involvement in certain projects and events that occurred at random

Advice

Be prepared to be a fly on the wall. Most of the quality engineering work is management related, despite being an engineering role
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Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Everett, WA

What I liked

Lots of hands on experience in design and testing

What I wish was different

None, great experience

Advice

Work hard and be outgoing
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Software Engineering Co-Op

June - August 2019 • Rockford, IL

What I liked

Excellent company to intern with as an Electrical Engineering student. The company has plenty of positions pertaining to this degree that they are looking to fill with interns. I had priority choice over what sub-field of Electrical Engineering I wanted to explore. The pay is also extremely competitive with that of typical college interns/coops.

What I wish was different

The company's on boarding process has been in a state of flux up until recently. My start date was delayed causing me to lose out on 2 weeks of pay.

Advice

I'd highly recommend applying to Collins Aerospace as an engineering major, especially for electrical engineering students. EE interns make up 10% of the intern population, but EE intensive work makes up 50% of the available positions.
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Software Engineering intern

June - August 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The teamwork, learning agile, solving problems that I didn't have lots of experience, learning about the domain, learning about others domain roles and college experience

What I wish was different

Stayed on weekends to have fun and make friends.

Advice

Don't go home on the first couple weekends and force yourself to meet new people.
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Design engineer intern

May - August 2019 • Winston-Salem, NC

What I liked

I really got to make a difference here. My opinion and actions were actually useful and they really made it feel like I was a true part of the team

What I wish was different

The first few weeks were tough to adjust to everything. But it got a lot easier as time went on

Advice

Don't be afraid to mess up. I learned the most about myself after making mistakes
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Software/Systems Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The company takes great care of their employees, especially their interns. They give you real work as an intern and empower you to grow in your role. My manager was incredible. He always helped point me in the right direction and truly took the time to listen to any of my concerns. Work was technical and difficult but there were may team bonding/company events (that occurred during workday and were paid) that helped and made work days more fun.

What I wish was different

Advice

Take advantage of the opportunities you get once you are in an internship/co-op role. I was asked about participating in multiple different projects over the course of the summer. Each were very different from each other and that helped me see different areas that I may be interested in learning more about/pursing a full time role in.
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