Super good pay, inclusive environment, well-established with extremely high reputation locally, regionally, and nationally. Over 4,000 employees.
What I wish was different
A little more structure for my work time and a desk closer to sunlight
Advice
Always apply. You never know what opportunities will be extended to you until you give them a chance to come to you.
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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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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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Analytical Chemist
June - August 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Great experience in a lab, excellent mentor, published primary author paper
What I wish was different
Town was kind of unpleasant to live in
Advice
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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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Electrical Engineering Intern
June - August 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Good work environment, good workpace
What I wish was different
Location was a long ways away
Advice
4x10s can be rough, but three day weekends are worth it.
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Analytical Chemist
April 2017 - January 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I loved the people I worked with. And the opportunity I had to publish and to gain experience.
What I wish was different
I thought it was a very amazing internship nothing I would change
Advice
Work really hard love your job, be excited and be willing to learn all that you can!
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
January - December 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Learning from real engineers
What I wish was different
Advice
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Cyber security R & D
April - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
It was a great expirence and I learned a great deal from being able to work with cutting edge equipment to acomplish our different projects. There are certain things that you will onlybe able to expirence if you work for a government lab and I was lucky to have the expirence.
What I wish was different
A little bit more structure in the projects that we were assigned would have been wonderful but I feel like I still got a great deal out of it.
Advice
Be prepared to be more creative with your solutions to problems. Also not all work has a concrete deliverable. Sometimes in reaearch and developement you just have to struggle with a problem for six months before you see any kind of a break through.
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researcher
February - May 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I enjoyed the level of professionalism and the great attitudes of my bosses.
What I wish was different
I wish the internship would have lasted a longer period of time.
Advice
If you come to Idaho Falls, INL, please come prepared to talk to other researchers and find out what other projects you might be interested in.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Lots of intern events, multiple projects, hands on testing
What I wish was different
More working with other interns
Advice
Don't be embarrassed to ask questions. Chances are, they'll be embarrassed for assuming you knew something
Help your fellow interns
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Intern
June - August 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
My hours, friendly, and put a lot of effort into giving me a great experience.. Got excited for the real workforce.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Business Analyst Intern
May - September 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
Great company! Lots of learning experiences
What I wish was different
Took a long time to contact after I applied.
Advice
Work hard and if you don’t like what you’re doing ask to learn about something else.
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Intern
May - August 2018 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The opportunity to interact with other minds in my field and how wide my field of study is
What I wish was different
The location
Advice
Go in with an open mind and be sure to work as hard as you can
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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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Construction Estimating Intern
September - December 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
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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Physics Research Assistant
April - June 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I enjoyed the professional environment. The national laboratory gave use sufficient space to work with. Most days I worked on the project at hand. However, some days we had various activities. The work was enjoyable in a great environment.
What I wish was different
Although the internship was at INL it came through a grant by the Visiting Faculty Program under the Department of Energy. One of the professors here obtained the grant and was able to bring me and another student. The opportunity was great, however, due to the nature of the project, I felt somewhat isolated from the rest of the research scientists at the Laboratory. I wish there had been greater collaboration with more of the scientists there. More collaboration would have allowed for more networking and connections which would have been helpful in obtaining a return offer.
Advice
I would say that in whatever situation you find yourself in, work hard. Hard work will set you apart from others. You will find satisfaction in your work and others will respect it as well.
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Nuclear Engineering Intern
April - September 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
I enjoyed the hands-on nature of the internship, which placed heavy emphasis on laboratory work and seeing how nuclear fuel gets manufactured.
What I wish was different
I would like to have stayed longer, but it would have affected my graduation date.
Advice
Be active in looking for projects. Most of the employees are willing to help you or show you what they are working on. If you express interest in their work, they will take the time to train you so you can assist them.
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Intern
June - August 2019 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
People, location, work.
What I wish was different
Some daily tasks not meaningful.
Advice
Be willing to do everything. Seek opportunities to expand your skills
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Nuclear operations
May - August 2017 • Idaho Falls, ID
What I liked
The safety culture and capabilities of my coworkers set high standards for my future work environments
What I wish was different
Although I understand it was a government facility, I wish I had more hands on projects as did some of the other interns. Mine was more of a job shadow
Advice
Be preparing to fight sleep. Early mornings, long drive, and many slow spots can leave you fighting a nap at times. But very worth it.
