I enjoyed getting the experience of working in multiple different laboratories and learning from the great people I worked with.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been able to be on flex time. Most other interns were able to come into work between 7-9 am but I had a stricter schedule.
Advice
Ask lots of questions!
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HR Intern
July - August 2019 • New York City, NY
What I liked
Very laid back atmosphere, kind people, a good experience if you can get it.
What I wish was different
Advice
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EEO Intern
June 2019 • New York City, NY
What I liked
I liked the flexibility within the office. I was able to work with different units within my office, which enhanced my overall experience.
What I wish was different
I wish I was about to get involved in the investigative unit of EEO more. It's been a little difficult, since most of their ongoing cases are confidential.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share would be to keep an open-mind. This internship wasn't what I expected, but I honestly enjoyed my experience.
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Architectural Engineering Intern
June - August 2018 • New York City, NY
What I liked
The DEP is the city's provider in water filtration and utility, so they require many different types of interns in their different bureaus which enables a vast array of job opportunities for students. As an engineering intern, I got a first-hand in working on DEP facilities buildings for the Facilities, Management, and Construction Bureau, so I was provided with a diverse array of daily responsibilities that did not simply focus on the technical side of engineering. I picked up tons of skill related to cost estimation, budgeting, and management and attended numerous site visits and meetings with the architects and engineers that supervised me who were very informative. The A/Es I worked with not only informed me on the projects we were working on in full detail but also gave me valuable career advice and were open to tailoring my responsibilities around my interests and pursuits.
What I wish was different
I wish it was a more fast-paced environment, but that is merely the nature of public sector jobs. It was very slow at first, and I suppose that is due to the initial transition and supervisors wary of your productivity and skillset levels, but this changed as I outperformed myself and showed interest. However, the pay is much lower than interns working in the private sector. You are not paid for extra hours either and I found myself wanting to stay longer to finish a task so that I could pick up something new right away the next day to get the most out of the job.
Advice
Public sector jobs are very valuable experience, regardless of the lower pay that is given. In particular, working for the City of New York is even more valuable since you are employed by the most fast-paced city at a department that engages with other city departments, which enables you to gain a large understanding of the city's role in structuring urban life for its residents. I highly recommend students to spend at least a summer working for the city before going private, especially as an engineering, architecture, or construction student.
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Instrumentation Specialist
April 2014 • Mahopac, NY
What I liked
The challenges and the dynamic atmosphere, always doing something different and working at multiple locations. I worked on multiple development programming platform. I got the opportunity to work on multiple upgrade project and integration of new equipment in the control system. I enjoyed working as the administrator of the control network responsible to manage the network and assign network attributes to new devices. My job is where industrial programming meets main stream programming languages.
What I wish was different
I wish I had the opportunity to do more automation, and programming of the control system. Once a system is programmed there isn't much changes afterwards because the process generally does not change, unless the operators request a new feature.
Advice
Be humble, ask question and show you can follow directives, try to learn as much as you can from the job because anything you learn, you end up using that knowledge one way or another. This might seems obvious, but it is worth stating: be there on time everyday, and dress appropriately. Finally, send a quick thank you note to those who helped you during your time with the company, and of course ask if you can stay in touch.
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College Intern
June - August 2018 • New York City, NY
What I liked
The bureau as a whole is very welcoming and the program is geared to help you as a student gain any kind of experience you are looking for.
What I wish was different
I wish I was able to extend my position, however my schedule did not allow for it.
Advice
Take advantage of the experience of employees around you. Everyone is extremely helpful and open to questions don't be shy.
