Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Hardware Engineering Intern

February 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

I love working in Research and Development and the very handsome on role I've had with projects.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Wave Solder Operator

January - October 2017 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

I worked the swing shift, and it really helped my schedule. I was able to make good money, and balance classes and family in the morning, before going to work at 3 in the afternoon. It is an amazing company to work for and you really do feel taken care of as an employee. A great place to start off, if I had a chance to do it over again, I would have started at SEL right out of high school.

What I wish was different

They really like you to put in your time before trying to move up. There is a high turnover rate working on the floor, so they like keeping their seasoned and experienced workers there. I interviewed for a position in a department with a different colored collar and was told "I hear you're doing a great job down here on the floor, your supervisor doesn't want to lose you."

Advice

You kind of have to find your own groove, the work can be repetitive and a bit mind-numbing at times but it's cool to be a part of something bigger. When Hurricane Harvey hit, we had a lot of rush components that were going into equipment that was being used in Houston. So it's rewarding knowing you are actually helping.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Engineering Intern

April - September 2019 • King of Prussia, PA

What I liked

Positive office environment and community, and interesting work.

What I wish was different

More diverse job responsibilities.

Advice

Always be punctual and put full effort into every task.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Engineering Intern

January 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

Extremely helpful mentors, everyone I've met has been eager to teach me.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Project Coordinating Intern

December 2018 - October 2019 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

Good experience learning Excel in a highly professional environment.

What I wish was different

Assisting project managers was often monotonous repetitive.

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Purchasing Intern

January - August 2019 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

The team I worked with was so helpful and passionate about what they do. It made it so fun and easy to work there. Plus the employees at SEL are all so respectful so it was easy to have good customer service.

What I wish was different

I wish I had been able to branch out a little more to other departments.

Advice

Such good experience for someone looking into the supply chain industry. I learned so much about how a business works and what factors really matter in purchasing products for a company.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Engineering Intern

January 2019 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

I enjoyed the freedom they gave me in completing my work. I do not like to be micromanaged and that was not at all my experience so I was happy. I also enjoyed the faith they had in me to complete the tasks given, as well as their willingness to teach.

What I wish was different

I wish I had asked to work with a variety of other engineers earlier in my internship. It has been great working under one specific engineer for the majority of my internship but it would have been nice to have different mentors and work closely with more people in my department. This would have helped increase my network.

Advice

Try to receive work from as much different people as you can. This will help you build relationships with more than just a few individuals in your department. This can be helpful for a variety of reasons, such as receiving great reviews from MULTIPLE sources, giving your work more credibility.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

software technician

April 2019 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

It is a community, their vision aligns with mine

What I wish was different

pay

Advice

Don't restrict yourself. Aim for it and make an attempt. A year ago, a job title of Software Technician would give me chills probably because I would just assume it will be too difficult to achieve. Now I have my eyes set on my next target. Fearlessly!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Engineering Intern

March 2019 • Lutz, FL

What I liked

The company is clearly focused on its values (such as quality) and cares about its interns. They send them to Washington to learn about the company and are dedicated to their success.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more protection knowledge going into the field and better understood what I would be doing.

Advice

Don't be afraid to try new things and learn new methods to be efficient, and share it with others to help them as well.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Software Engineer

January 2018 • Boise, ID

What I liked

Great Experience.

What I wish was different

Advice

1 One person found this helpful

IT Technician

June 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

Very respectable company. It's an easygoing atmosphere that encourages asking questions and learning. The hours are flexible, so if I can't come in because of school, I can just let them know.

What I wish was different

Honestly I can't think of much I would change.

Advice

Put your best foot forward if you want to work for this company. They hire interns as if they were hiring for the full time position. Treat it like the longest job interview you'll ever be apart of.

1 One person found this helpful

Marketing Intern

April 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

The work culture is amazing. They are supportive and help build interns knowledge base.

What I wish was different

Nothing.

Advice

Be open to all opportunities offered to gain more experience.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Software Engineering Intern

July - September 2018 • Lynnwood, WA

What I liked

Worked on a experimental project that was part of a soon to be released product for the company, their next big thing, which was exciting and motivating. I learned many new technologies which built my resume and prepared me for following internships.

What I wish was different

It was kind of painful working with the existing code base, especially since they were horrible about creating and managing documentation and I was at a satellite branch so I had to communicate via IM with coworkers instead of in person. My boss mostly worked remotely so it was more difficult to get feedback sometimes. Also culture was boring, I wish I had worked harder to find an internship that fit my personality and style.

Advice

Take internships as seriously as possible. I mostly did it as a resume builder, but I could have been more productive and learned more if I had been willing to plan things out including projects, meet and talk to coworkers, and find out more about the company. Also get involved in any events or anything else going on.

3 ${count} people found this helpful

Software Engineering Intern

June 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

It gave me a lot of practical experience with programming as a career. It helped develop my professional skills. I learned a lot about what I like about company culture and how much there is to learn about the profession.

What I wish was different

That I had more time in my day to work part-time during the semester.

Advice

Taking the initiative to reach out to your personal circle and be dedicated to knowing what it takes to succeed at a job are critical things in finding an internship.

1 One person found this helpful

Type Test Technician

June 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

I enjoy learning new things and facing new challenges everyday!

What I wish was different

So far nothing im loving the job i have with the company!

Advice

Never be afraid to shoot for a job that seems a million miles out of your league. You never know where youll end up.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Human Resources Intern

May 2017 - June 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

Lots of good experience working in a large company

What I wish was different

I wish I was given more responsibility

Advice

Your internship is what you make it

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Firmware Engineer

May 2017 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

Lots of freedom to solve and tackle problems. Lots of autonomy.

What I wish was different

The lack of structure really means that you're on your own for solving problems as they arise.

Advice

Set and maintain reachable goals. Without this it's supper easy to loose yourself in a project in a bad way.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Finance Intern

March 2018 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

This job assigns you a lot of responsibilities. It's important to learn your processes and be able to do them well. You will be busy and this job will stretch your abilities and force you to grow and adapt. I've learned so much while here and it's truly helped to develop me as a professional.

What I wish was different

It would have been nice to have an opportunity to travel. I work and study in Pullman at WSU, but SEL is a global company with field offices all across the US and in around 50 countries. Many of my coworkers travel often but unfortunately that is not an opportunity granted to interns as of now.

Advice

Most managers are open minded to your thoughts and opinions on process improvement. If you have an opinion on how something could be done better or more efficiently, share it!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Firmware and RTL Engineer

May 2017 • Pullman, WA

What I liked

It's a very open and constructive environment. I get to do real work for a real project in which I have a real impact.

What I wish was different

Sometimes there is little organization in the way of delegated work, you have to structure yourself and your time to meet abstract goals just as you would in a real job. Beginning here I was really lost on this point, but I eventually caught on.