Xcel Energy

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • Becker, MN

What I liked

I like the variety of experiences I had by working on capital projects.

What I wish was different

I wish there were not COVID 19 so everybody will be there.

Advice

Be a quick learner; don't pretend to be professional because there are a lot of skills needed for a variety of projects so pay attention, communicate with the team, and plan for the tasks since during my internship there were a lot of projects that we were working on at the same time. Multi-tasking is the key here; don't say "first come, first served" this doesn't work if you are an engineer.

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Marketing and Customer Engagement Intern

June - August 2021 • Minneapolis, MN

What I liked

The team was very supportive and engaging.

What I wish was different

I wish I interacted with all members of the team on a more regular basis.

Advice

Be open to doing new tasks and trying new fields. Be open to building new relationships within and beyond your direct team.

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Electrical Engineering Intern

May - December 2019 • Hendricks, MN

What I liked

Being on a construction site watching a wind farm and substation be built. Plenty of overtime and team building events. Develop inspection test plans for main power transformers. Provide QA/QC for control house wiring, collection line installation, switchgear installation, commissioning, and energization. Review CAD schematics of power and control. Complete 3 safety obervations per week in SafetyNet software. Use Samsung tablets to record inspections in ArcGis Survey123 and attach them to maps in Collector App.

What I wish was different

More diversity and professionalism. Employees hanging trump posters and american flags and discussing politics, kapernick, race, prying into personal info made uncomfortable and disrespectful atmosphere and held to a different standard than non-minority interns.

Advice

Up to you to make yourself useful and to find one thing you want to become an expert and be master of that area and solve your bosses problems.

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Corporate Accounting Intern

May - August 2020 • Minneapolis, MN

What I liked

The team aspect and their dedication to teaching and making me understand all of the different processes.

What I wish was different

I wish it would have been in the office, but due to the times being remote was successful.

Advice

The Xcel team did a great job being flexible with the remote experience and moved quick to adjust in all situations.

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Nuclear Analysis and Design Student Co-op

January - August 2020 • Minneapolis, MN

What I liked

I liked how helpful and understanding all the nuclear engineers in the department were. The management and leadership was also great, everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic. Everyone had a clear passion for the job, which helped make me feel more passionate as well.

What I wish was different

Any changes I'd make would be related to the pandemic- working from home was not as engaging as working in the office.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions, even for clarification.

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System Protection Engineer Intern

November 2018 • Amarillo, TX

What I liked

Plenty of experience with relay logic and company policies. Not a data entry job, my work is in the field right now!

What I wish was different

I wish I had known about it sooner!

Advice

Asking questions is the best way to learn. You won't know everything and you just might ask a question that requires everyone to research.

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Field Checker

June - August 2019 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

Fun summer job not hard or labor intensive by any means

What I wish was different

Worked 9 hour days Mon-Thurs and 4 hours on Fri why even work Fri just do 10 hour days Mon-Thurs.

Advice

Bring a Lunch its hard not to go out to eat everyday.

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Finance Intern

May 2019 • Denver, CO

What I liked

I enjoyed the corporate culture at Xcel as well as the multitude of different projects I was able to work on.

What I wish was different

I wish that their was a bit more training at the beginning of the internship.

Advice

Try to work with your colleagues early on when you get stuck or have ideas on how to improve a process.

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Mechanical Engineering Intern

June 2019 • Amarillo, TX

What I liked

Meeting senior engineers and hearing about their history as a student & how it impacted their overall work experience.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more opportunities to meet with the different sectors of the company. There’s several thousand employees across the board which ultimately creates hundreds of different departments, with hundreds of different tasks.

Advice

Enjoy it! Working full-time isn’t easy when all of your friends are out having fun in the sun, but take everyday as an opportunity to grow in your field!

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Electrical Distribution Standards Intern

May 2018 • Saint Paul, MN

What I liked

Moderate Flexibility, Minimal commute

What I wish was different

More challenging work, More interaction with others

Advice

Utility work is the grunt work of a EE, it needs to get done, but don't expect anything grandeur or enthralling.

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Engineer

July 2018 • Denver, CO

What I liked

I get to work with good people at a stable company. Applying my skills to manage projects, analyze data for system efficiency, and find the root cause of problems.

What I wish was different

There is a large learning curve to become a professional instead of being a student. I wish that the training for a new professional was more robust.

Advice

Even jobs of the same title will have different roles depending on how the group you work with functions. Don't expect that everyday will be the same.

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Area Engineer Intern

May 2018 • Englewood, CO

What I liked

Good company, PTO for interns, decent pay

What I wish was different

A little more guidance

Advice

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System Protection Engineering Intern

May 2017 • Minneapolis, MN

What I liked

The people I meet on a daily basis and learning new skills like SQL and VBA

What I wish was different

More team projects

Advice

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Mechanical Engineering Intern

March 2017 • Bayport, MN

What I liked

Friendly, laid back culture. Everyone is happy to take time out of their day to explain how something works.

What I wish was different

I would have liked the opportunity to work more hands on with the machines and PLCs, but that is not allowed under union rules.

Advice

Don’t put pressure on yourself to contribute early. It’s unrealistic and not expected. Instead focus on learning, and you’ll find that you’re contributing naturally.

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Human Performance Improvement Intern

June 2018 • Hugo, MN

What I liked

I love working in a large corporation. I have asked many of my older siblings and cousins and they all say that they wished that had worked at a larger company beforehand.