Welcome! I’m still a college student, and this is the first internship I’ve ever had. This summer, I worked as an engineering intern at _name of company_ from June to August.
As you can imagine, my team and I have learned so much about the work these past couple of months that we’ve been dying to share with the world. So here it is, the top 14 things we learned:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Importance of communication skills |
| 2. Emphasis on problem-solving abilities |
| 3. Value of teamwork and collaboration |
| 4. Need for adaptability in a dynamic work environment |
| 5. Continuous learning and professional development |
| 6. Effective time management and organization |
| 7. Networking and building professional relationships |
| 8. Balancing technical skills with interpersonal skills |
| 9. Understanding industry-specific tools and technologies |
| 10. The significance of attention to detail |
| 11. Importance of seeking mentorship and guidance |
| 12. Learning from failures and embracing resilience |
| 13. Developing a strong work ethic |
| 14. Recognizing the impact and responsibility of engineering in society |
1. Work On What You Are Passionate About
Interning at a company is more than just getting paid to do work; it’s also an opportunity for you to try new things, learn from others, and grow your skillset.
When I first started my internship at Qualcomm Technologies, I didn’t know much about the hardware side of engineering and was concerned that other engineers would think I wasn’t capable enough because of my lack of experience with hardware design or coding.
A few weeks into the internship I learned that everyone has different career paths and some people are far more experienced than others in certain areas (such as myself). Don’t let other people’s passions influence your focus on what interests YOU most!
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2. Learn New Skills And Gain New Experiences
Learning new skills, gaining new experiences, and meeting new people were the best parts of my internship. The ability to do this was in large part because my company valued its interns and allowed us to work on meaningful projects that brought value to the company.
3. Take Initiative
As an intern, I’ve been fortunate enough to have many responsibilities. Some are more glamorous than others (like designing a new smartphone app), but all of them require me to take initiative and be proactive.
This means that if there’s something I don’t know how to do or even if there’s just something I think could be done better I’m not afraid to ask questions or offer my opinion on the matter.
On top of that, it’s important for me as a leader and problem-solver (not just someone with good ideas) to make sure that everyone is on board before moving forward with any project or decision; otherwise, things can get messy quickly!
The bottom line: don’t wait around until someone tells you what needs doing next; instead, step up and volunteer yourself for whatever tasks come your way so long as they’re within reason and aligned with the company’s goals and values.
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4. Help Others Around You
- Help others around you.
- Be a team player, not a lone wolf.
- Show respect for others and be considerate of their time and efforts, especially if they are more experienced than you.
- Listen carefully to what others are saying, even if it’s not your area of expertise. And don’t interrupt unless necessary!
- Communicate clearly but concisely (this can be challenging when you’re stuck on a problem), and work with the rest of your team to solve problems together instead of going at it alone.
- Efficiently solve problems that benefit everyone involved not just yourself!
This means being willing to ask questions when necessary or taking the lead when appropriate based on how much knowledge/experience each person has regarding different aspects of engineering (e.g., hardware vs software).
It also means being OK with doing things differently than before because who knows? Maybe there’s an easier way out there somewhere!
5. Manage Your Time Wisely
As an engineering intern, you’re going to have a lot on your plate. You’ll be working long hours, and there will always be more work than you can handle. That’s why it’s important to manage your time wisely.
If you don’t prioritize the tasks at hand and use your time effectively, then all that valuable experience could go to waste. Here are some tips on how to do just that:
Prioritize what needs to get done first so that you can focus on completing those tasks rather than wasting time doing something less important in between them.
Try setting aside chunks of time specifically for each task (like 30 minutes for emails or 1 hour for research). This way, when one task is complete, you won’t feel like there are still other things hanging over your head!
Ask yourself whether or not something is urgent; if it isn’t vital or urgent then try waiting until later when it might become useful again (or even never).
6. Follow Up With People Often
This is one of my favorite things to do, so I’m glad to share it with you.
I’ve learned that the best way to figure out if a job is right for you is by asking questions and talking with people who work there.
If you don’t ask, then how will you know? This process of asking questions can give you insight into your potential new company and how well it fits your needs as a person, but also as an engineer (and in some cases other roles).
It’s important to follow up often with all parties involved when seeking out new opportunities with coworkers, clients, or just about anyone else on the team.
Having frequent conversations helps keep everyone on track and ensures that everyone’s expectations are being met.
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7. Communicate Your Progress With The Team
As you’re working on your project, it’s important to communicate your progress with the rest of the team. You should do this in a few different ways:
Communicate with your project manager about what you’ve done that day. They will appreciate knowing what you accomplished, and if there is anything they can help with or point out that can make things better for everyone on the team.
Most importantly, let them know if something went wrong and how it was fixed so that everything stays running smoothly!
Keep track of what all of your teammates are doing by talking with them regularly. This will help everyone stay up-to-date on where they are at in their projects so no one gets left behind (and also helps prevent any arguments).
It’s also helpful when someone has questions because they’ll know exactly who to ask!
8. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is one of the most important things you can do as an engineer, especially in your first internship.
I often found myself in situations where I didn’t understand what was expected of me or how to complete a task, and asking for help was necessary and had no negative implications on my ability to learn and do well as an intern.
Don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t understand something engineering requires a lot of self-motivation and self-reliance, but it’s okay to ask for help when you need it!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help even if you think you should know the answer. As engineers, we rely heavily on experience for knowledge about our field;
However, this does not mean that everyone has equal amounts of experience (and thus knowledge) at all times during their career! It’s quite common for professionals in academia & industry alike:
There are always new concepts being developed from scratch every day which makes learning one’s field difficult without external assistance from someone who understands those concepts better than yourself.
9. Take Breaks When Needed
- When you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a break.
- If you’re working yourself to death, stop. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your supervisor or colleagues.
- Your health is important! Don’t be afraid to take a day off if it’s what you need at the time.
- You should never feel guilty about taking time away from work when necessary whether that means taking an afternoon off or taking a vacation (or both).
- Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether something is just another bug in our code or if it might be something more serious, like having cancer and not knowing about it yet (it happens more often than people realize).
If anything seems wrong with your body, don’t hesitate in going through the proper channels until all tests have been done and everything has been ruled out once and for all before making any major decisions about your plans.
Because there are too many unknowns out there which could lead us into trouble later on down the road when we least expect them!
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10. Be Patient
Patience is a virtue. It’s something that can be learned, practiced, and developed over time. Patience helps build character, relationships, and confidence.
When it comes to patience in engineering internships, there are two kinds of people: those who are patient on their terms and those who aren’t patient at all.
The former will wait until they feel like they have enough information before making a decision; the latter will make their decision as soon as possible.
Even if that means ignoring important details or getting ahead of themselves with assumptions about how things will turn out in the future.
Both types are common among interns but there seems to be no correlation between these types of interns’ success rates at work or school (I feel like this might just be me).
11. Listen To Others Around You
As an engineering intern, I learned a lot of things. But the most important thing that I learned is how to listen.
I’m not just referring to listening as in hearing things or understanding what you’re being told, although those are important skills.
Instead, I mean paying attention and using your ears actively by paying close attention to how people say things and act around others so that you can learn from them and apply their concepts back into your own life.
Here are some ways you can do this: Listen carefully when someone speaks. Observe what they do with their body language. Notice what interests them. Find out which skills they have mastered and which ones they are still working on improving.
Pay attention to what makes them feel uncomfortable or nervous about sharing something personal with someone else.
Be aware of times when people seem hesitant about sharing any information about themselves because it might make them look bad or insecure at first glance (like if there was something funny happening at work but no one would admit it).
12. Stay Positive And Remember Why You’re Doing It
As an engineering intern, there are going to be a lot of challenges. You’re going to run into obstacles, but you can’t let them get you down! One thing that helped me during this time was staying positive and remembering why I’m doing it.
I knew that if I quit my internship now, then the next time a similar opportunity came along in the future I would be even less prepared than I am now.
Instead of getting worked up about things that didn’t go my way or feeling like it was pointless because I wasn’t able to create as many cool projects as other interns did.
I reminded myself that every day is another opportunity for learning and growth one step closer toward achieving our goals!
Here’s how:
- Stay motivated by recognizing where progress has been made (even if it took more time than expected).
- Stay positive by thinking about how awesome it will feel when all your hard work pays off (and share those feelings with friends/family).
- Remember why you decided on this career path in the first place (why did they say “Yes!”?).
13. Network With Teammates And Get To Know Them Well
I learned to network with teammates and get to know them well. I became close friends with my manager, mentor, and boss, who all helped me through this internship. We still keep in touch today!
Also, get to know your coworkers. You will be working very closely with these people for at least six months, so you must become friends! They are going to be your support system during this period.
14. Be Kind, Caring, Professional, And Courteous To Everyone Around You–They Will Respect You For It!
On your journey as an intern, there will be many different people you interact with. Some of these people will be your coworkers and some will be strangers. Regardless of who they are, you must treat everyone with kindness and respect.
If someone asks you a question, don’t make them feel stupid by giving an answer that is too simple or condescending. Instead, explain the answer in a way that they can easily understand and relate to their own experiences or knowledge base.
If someone asks for help with something they’re working on or struggling with and especially if this person has been around longer than you take the time to provide them with guidance/pointers/tips.
Because even though things may not seem like it at first glance (or even after several glances), everyone needs help sometimes! It’s what makes us human beings more relatable than machines ever could be!
Just remember when being kind makes our world a better place! We all deserve respect from one another no matter what our background may be so let’s do our part by showing each other just how much we care about each other!!!
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Conclusion
Overall, my internship was a great learning experience. I learned a lot about myself, the industry, and what it takes to be successful in this field. It also helped me to get more comfortable with talking to strangers and making small talk, which I wasn’t good at before.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on internships in the engineering industry:
Internships in the AEC Industry: Insights and Experiences: Discover firsthand accounts and valuable insights from interns in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry.
Lessons Learned from Engineering Internships: Gain valuable lessons and experiences from engineers who have completed internships, providing practical advice and guidance for aspiring interns.
What I’ve Learned About Engineering Through Internships: Read a student’s blog post sharing personal experiences and lessons learned during engineering internships, offering unique perspectives on the field.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about engineering internships:
What are the benefits of doing an engineering internship?
Internships provide valuable hands-on experience, allowing you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings. They offer an opportunity to gain practical skills, make professional connections, and enhance your resume.
How can I find engineering internship opportunities?
You can search for engineering internships through online job portals, company websites, career fairs, and networking events. Additionally, academic institutions often provide resources and guidance for finding internship opportunities.
What should I expect during an engineering internship?
During an engineering internship, you can expect to work on projects related to your field, collaborate with professionals, and learn from experienced mentors. You may be involved in tasks such as data analysis, design work, research, and assisting with ongoing projects.
How long do engineering internships typically last?
The duration of engineering internships can vary. Some internships last for a few months during summer breaks, while others can extend for a semester or even a full year. The duration is often determined by the company or organization offering the internship.
Are engineering internships paid?
Many engineering internships are paid, but the compensation can vary depending on factors such as location, industry, and company size. Some internships may also offer additional benefits such as housing or transportation allowances. It is essential to research and inquire about the compensation structure for each internship opportunity.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.