What I loved about my internship was the in-field experience. From day one, I was treated as an actual employee and taught what I needed to know. Something that stood out from this experience was the respect that others had when I asked dozens of questions and the enthusiastic responses when I found/presented more efficient ways to accomplish tasks.
What I wish was different
The only downside to my internship was I was assigned to a job site out in the middle of government property so I was separated from my group. Due to being out of town, I'd have to wake up at 4:30AM and catch a bus out to the site, usually making it home at about 6:30PM.
Advice
The only piece of advice I have is to think outside the box during an internship. If you have questions, ask someone! Something I wish I did at the beginning of my internship was to figure out the most efficient way of writing my reports. Luckily, I figured out how to program formulas in my Microsoft Word reports to ensure accuracy and save time. Things like that help you, the next intern, and stands out to your employer when you show your problem-solving skills.
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Nuclear Reactor Operator
June - August 2019 • Atomic City, ID
What I liked
I loved having the exposure to a side of engineering I had not really known much about before I started. It was surprising to see how many mechanical engineers are needed at a nuclear operating site.
What I wish was different
The commute was a little long from Pocatello to the site
Advice
Always say yes to anything someone is trying to show you or help with
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Computational Materials Scientist Intern
August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I enjoyed the atmosphere of INL. It's a bunch of scientists that just enjoy doing cool things.
What I wish was different
Not much, I really enjoyed everything about it.
Advice
The best chances of getting an internship are meaningful connections (i.e. professors who have seen you research, even better if you have researched with people where you want to work). Always ask for opportunities to do research.
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Electronic Instrument Testing Technician
May - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Great people, got to practice what my degree is in
What I wish was different
Driving time to work
Advice
Stay busy
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Test Engineer Intern
August - October 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
There was a lot of room for learning and innovation. I had one project to work on, but it involved many different jobs, including circuit design and simulation, PCB design, software/program development, and prototype construction, soldering, and testing. It also included some data collection and performance evaluation.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time to be there and to take part in more projects.
Advice
The only way I was able to make it into this internship was through networking and making a good impression with the work I did in Senior Project. Once at INL, I talked with the people I worked around, learned from them, and they saw the good work I did. Now they are great connections for me if I want to work for INL, even if it isn't in the same department.
My piece of advice I would share is that networking is essential!
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Drafter
November 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Great company, employees, and benefits.
What I wish was different
Everything was great!
Advice
Prepare for your interview more than you think you need to
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Student Researcher
May - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The exposure to cutting edge developments in material science and the opportunity to contribute to further developments by using my skills in data analysis. And, of course, the opportunity to learn more about analysis and data acquisition on the job from world class experts.
What I wish was different
I feel like I could achieve more with greater autonomy and I feel like the process of obtaining the certifications necessary to be more autonomous could be substantially streamlined. As it stands, this process is motivated mostly at your own insistence.
Advice
Expect to spend some time studying. Be prepared to self-motivate, drive your own engagement, and communicate with your supervisor. One must make their own success in this position.
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Web Developer
June - September 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I was able to be tutored by my own mentor, who took a lot of time from his schedule to be able to teach me more about the Computer Science field. There were also lots of events that they had around the facilities, and I was able to get paid for going to those events.
What I wish was different
Sometimes it can be difficult to be able to keep up with a full-time schedule week-in and week-out. I wish they could have allowed a little more leeway towards allowing me to work less or work more depending on the week.
Advice
There is a lot to cover with these internships. They don't expect you to know everything when going into the job, but they do expect you to try and learn as much as you can. That's the main idea behind the whole internship.
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Mechanical Engineer
July 2018 - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The new type of work and different learning environment.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more responsibilities and I wish people were more clear about deadlines
Advice
Know your worth, think highly of yourself and that you stand out.
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Planning and Financial Controls Intern
May - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I learned a lot about working for a government contractor and how to apply basic budgeting skills.
What I wish was different
I wish I had done the internship earlier in my educational career to gain more real-life experience.
Advice
I had the opportunity to get to know many people in key positions at the lab. Be sure to talk with them and get to know them. They often have valuable advice and it can lead to more opportunities.
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Computer Programmer
May - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The internship program
What I wish was different
Was able to work more
Advice
Ask questions
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Cyber Systems Analyst
January 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The experience gained there was more than I could get out of 1 year+ of studies. So many resources and opportunities for the interns!
What I wish was different
I wish I had been more aggressive at taking the many opportunities offered to me!
Advice
Take the trainings, volunteer for any opportunities, you never know when they'll let you be a part of something, even if it was originally intended for full time employees.
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Business System Intern
July 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Not being micro-managed. Freedom to start and end day whenever as well as flexible schedule for time off.
What I wish was different
The projects were not overly related to my major. The company moves a bit slower in getting requests, such as finding projects to do. Good intentions but requests usually not followed through to completion.
Advice
Make sure you ask your mentor what you'll be doing in detail for your internship. Make sure they have a plan for you.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June 2016 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Great place to learn basic field engineering skills
What I wish was different
I was satisfied with my experience
Advice
Go and talk to the people who work there and become integrated into the organization instead of sitting in a cubicle all day
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Cyber Security Intern
January 2019 • Dayton, OH
What I liked
Hands-on experience with industry-standard tools, became familiar with industry laws, regulations, and practices.
What I wish was different
More meaningful work
Advice
You can learn as much as you want to at INL. Take advantage of it!
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Power Management Intern
June - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The people make the job amazing. I was so lucky to work with an amazing group of people, and they took time out of their already busy days to teach me.
What I wish was different
I wish I could have spent more time there.
Advice
Keep an open mind, and try to learn something new every day
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System engineer intern
June 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Everyone is very helpful and the projects were interesting to work on.
What I wish was different
I didn't have to commute so far to work.
Advice
Go for any internship applying what you have learned and soaking up the knowledge that can only be gained by be ing in the work force.
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Intern
February 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I loved my work the most. I learned so much in the lab and I always had fun doing it.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time in the lab and got more data.
Advice
If you're thinking about applying, just do it. It is so worth it.
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Safeguards and Security Intern
June - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
My mentor was extremely helpful and taught me a lot over the course of the 15 weeks I worked at the INL. I was able to meet and network with many important people to advance my career path and expand my own network.
What I wish was different
Nothing comes to mind.
Advice
Be prepared to work hard, but it definitely pays off.
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Computer Science Intern
May 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The people are so kind and adaptive! They will do anything to help their interns succeed and have a good experience at INL.
What I wish was different
I wish I would have known more about distributed systems before starting this internship.
Advice
Be open about programming languages! Just because you learned C++ in your classes doesn’t mean you’re going to actually use it very much. You will have to learn many more.
