Nature of work. As an EECE major, I was asked to create a website. Completely outside my area of expertise but mentor provided me with good set of tools to make it happen. Very satisfying to accomplish.
What I wish was different
Had very little contact with team first few weeks (~30min/week). More time to speak with mentor/customer would have been useful.
Advice
Think creatively and don't be afraid to spend a lot of time planning: it'll pay you back later.
Minimally viable product is another mentality to get comfortable with. Not over optimizing things will quickly save time.
Spend a lot of time on final presentations, rehearse, and be willing to present at other events if asked--exposure to management can be very good.
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Manufacturing Engineering Intern
May - August 2022 • Chicago, IL
What I liked
Good pay, good coworkers, great company reputation
What I wish was different
I wish I was more involved with a specific project or task.
Advice
Have an idea of what you want to get out of the internship. Make sure your boss knows that you want to have a concrete project to show at the end of your internship.
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Communications Intern
June - August 2021 • Dearborn, MI
What I liked
I liked that I was able to work remote and have exposure to a large corporate communications work structure.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more guidance from my boss.
Advice
Ask as many questions as you can! People want to help.
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Hardware and Controls Intern
June - September 2018 • Palo Alto, CA
What I liked
New buildings with a pool table and ping pong table. Could leave work at work and it didn't follow you home. Free food in the kitchen. Lots of other interns to hang out with. Open floor plan, managers don't have their own office so it's less intimidating to go talk to them. Used agile development.
What I wish was different
My manager didn't really have anything prepared for me to do so I was somewhat aimless during my internship. A little more direction and structure would have really helped.
Advice
Create a finished product that you can show off. Don't just contribute to a project, it's less impressive than being done and wrapping something up and handing it off.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2022 • Dearborn, MI
What I liked
the various programs and events throughout the internship (hackathon, city of tomorrow challenge, intern networking sessions, etc.) were all very valuable and I was able to learn a lot from the experience and make some genuine connections, which was nice considering I was remote.
What I wish was different
Advice
Just do everything that you can with all of the events to make the most of it. Also, don't be afraid to ask your advisor to talk with people in other areas of the company. By doing that, I was able to talk to people 1:1 throughout a lot of different teams throughout the company and even with some with partner companies.
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Cyber security internship
May - August 2023 • Dearborn, MI
What I liked
Very technical and informative
What I wish was different
Management focusing on growth of intern more.
Advice
Take things slow, and try to understand things more.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - July 2023 • Dearborn, MI
What I liked
I absolutely loved the atmosphere. My team of interns and leaders were all incredibly supportive and helped me improve many of the technical skills. Being in the work environment remotely, I also improved upon soft skills such as time management, formal/informal presentations, and efficient teamwork without being in the actual office.
What I wish was different
I wish that I could have been in person more often. Being a software engineer that lived far away, it wasn't necessary to go into office regularly. I did have the fortunate opportunity to meet everyone in person once, but that was towards the end of the internship. When I was in Dearborn, it was a fantastic experience and my team was able to work the most effectively when all together, so I hope that Ford can get around to making more internships in person for the future.
Advice
My piece of advice is that the internships are meant to be a place for you to grow. You aren't expected to know everything or be perfect at what you do, so ask questions to learn more. I just finished my freshman year of high school when I had this opportunity, so I picked up on many technical skills by shadowing other interns or senior engineers, asking questions during daily calls, and volunteering to do tasks that challenge me.
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MS&S Intern
May - July 2023 • Houston, TX
What I liked
The company culture, even though everyone was very busy, ensured I had the support to succeed during my internship. Everyone was very accommodating and had a lot of freedom and autonomy.
What I wish was different
This role was remote, and I was hoping to stay in Houston for a longer period to learn more in person, but I'm extremely grateful for what this internship provided me.
Advice
Do your best and reach out to as many people as possible! And most importantly, have fun!
