https://www.collinsaerospace.com/

Collins Aerospace

Software Engineering Intern

June - August 2018 • Richardson, TX

What I liked

My favorite thing about Rockwell Collins is the company culture. Everyone who works there is extremely supportive and wants to help you get to where you want to be in life. They'll challenge you to solve technical problems, however they'll also offer support when you get stuck.

What I wish was different

I wish that I would have been a part of an Agile team again. This past summer I was on a "semi" Agile team which primarily just used a scrum board and had daily stand ups. I really missed having the other cadences for the sprints and felt as though that would've helped the project move along more quickly.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions! It's easier to spend a minute asking a question than being stuck on a problem for hours. Also, if there's some other location/job you're interested in with the company feel free to talk to your manager about it. The managers really care about keeping their employees within the company so they're more than happy to get you to where you'd like to be.
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Systems engineer

February - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The work life balance was great

What I wish was different

Advice

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Quality Engineer Intern

May - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Hand's on learning and important contribution.

What I wish was different

Clearer mentorship. It wasn't entirely clear who was my mentor and who I should go to.

Advice

This position wasn't for someone who had not been with the company previously. I had a previous co-op so I was familiar with their workmanship standards.
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Architecture Intern

June 2018 • Annapolis, MD

What I liked

I liked the overall experience. I got to work with architecture, facilities and real estate management.

What I wish was different

I wish I experienced more on the finance side of things.

Advice

Take every opportunity to learn something new, even if it's something that doesn't interest you. Become more diverse in your career.
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Technical Intern

June - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The project I worked on was really interesting. It allowed me to learn a lot about new languages and technologies as well as the engineering process and how that would look like on a project. I was able to see the project start to finish and this gave me valuable skills I can use in the future.

What I wish was different

Advice

Part-time remotely can be a time consuming experience. Be certain of your decision before trying to incorporate that into your school schedule.
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Electrical and electronic intern

May - July 2021 • Windsor Locks, CT

What I liked

The people and the technology

What I wish was different

Not remote

Advice

To learn the most you can
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Industrial engineering co-op

January - August 2021 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I really liked the flexibility I had in regards to my schedule. I like the way Collins treats it’s employees and want their employees to have a good work life balance. The work I was allowed to do was fulfilling and useful and I learned a lot.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been a little more structure to my co-op.

Advice

Communication with your manager is key. You want to always have that line open to ask questions and get updates on how you can improve.
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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • Dallas, TX

What I liked

Very friendly atmosphere, everyone was willing to help me if I needed it.

What I wish was different

Advice

Make sure you speak up and voice your opinion. Managers will like you more if you provide ideas and possible solutions.
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Systems Engineer

May 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The thing I loved most about this job was doing research for future F-35 Helmet Innovations. I had the incredible opportunity of working with high level engineers on my team and communicating with people from our program around the country to find ways to make our system better. It was a small team so I was able to be super hands on with such a cool system, and even work with other engineers to win a department innovation competition.

What I wish was different

Nothing at all, this job was a dream. Awesome team, fantastic work, and an incredible opportunity to work on a program I really admired.

Advice

I recommend the F-35 Helmet Vision Systems team engineering intern position to those with prior internship/co-op experience or those ready to jump into the deep end FAST. It's a complex system with a very small team of highly passionate engineers, so it's a lot of work to understand it all so quickly and be able to actively contribute. Worth the work, though!
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Mechanical Engineering Intern

June 2021 • Carlsbad, CA

What I liked

The freedom to work on my own project for the duration of the summer and actually build a usable prototype.

What I wish was different

I wish there had been a little more introductory information that would have helped me learn more about proper company procedures, CAD design rules, and logistical things like that, rather than learning about them along the way.

Advice

Always ask a lot of questions because it shows the full-time staff that you are passionate about the project they have given to you. Also always be willing to help your fellow interns out or any other coworkers who need help with tasks.
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Software Engineering Intern

June - August 2021 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

Intern events to get people connected and see more of the area.

What I wish was different

Better preperation for interns. Many stories of people not having the appropriate equipment to do their jobs.

Advice

Get as involved as possible to enjoy your time outside of work. Ask questions if you're stuck, people like to help if you show you are willing to learn.
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Software Engineering Intern

May 2021 • Burnsville, MN

What I liked

I like that I learn new things. I like that we use Scrum for project management, because your work is divided into smaller pieces that way. I like that as long as I get my hours in for the week and attend the daily required meeting, my boss doesn't mind what schedule I use (I was able to take a summer class because of this! I worked a little more on mondays and a little less on tuesdays). This is a big company with lots of room for growth and career exploration, and they pay super well for an internship.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more 1:1s with my boss, and I wish the company was more eco-friendly.

Advice

Talk to your boss frequently, at least biweekly. If you want to continue your internship into the fall, just ask your boss, and don't be afraid to bring it up multiple times if your boss takes a while to get back to you. Companies want to keep you as long as they can, because it's cheaper than hiring and onboarding new interns.
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Manufacturing Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • San Marcos, TX

What I liked

I liked the individual attention I received at this job, my manager was excellent and super helpful, I was given a lot of freedom with my projects, chance to design when I told them I was interested in designing products.

What I wish was different

I wish there were other interns at my site and more women in the manufacturing engineering department.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask for help or career advice, everyone wants you to succeed!
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Certification Engineering Intern

June - August 2020 • Winston-Salem, NC

What I liked

The team I worked on Awesome university relations team Large company with multiple locations

What I wish was different

It had been in person (Covid)

Advice

In the future, hopefully it can be done in person absent of Covid. But no matter what you’re tasked to do, give it your all.
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Software Engineer Intern

June - August 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

The experience I had at the company was amazing. I participated on a team of interns in an R&D setting working on an AI project. It's fast-paced, mission-driven, and overall very fulfilling and impactful work. Our manager and mentor were great, the pay was very competitive, and housing was provided.

What I wish was different

The location was a bit of a shell-shock for me. Iowa is vastly different from Houston or Milwaukee, places I'm accustomed to. I didn't have any family in the area, though that may not be a concern for everyone. Cedar Rapids itself is a great city, albeit small.

Advice

Participate in the special intern events when you can. The StartUp Weekend in particular is a great experience that you won't want to miss.
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Industrial Engineering Intern

May 2019 • Coralville, IA

What I liked

The company environment and coworkers.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be ready and excited to learn.
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Stategic Sourcing Intern

June - August 2020 • Brea, CA

What I liked

Remote work flexibility

What I wish was different

More opportunity for in person interaction to network.

Advice

You have to be self motivated in a remote work setting.
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Materials Engineering Intern

May 2020 • Fort Worth, TX

What I liked

I like how their intern programas really well developed so there were a lot of resources available to interns. I also liked that I was given multiple advisors and career partners that worked with me on career development.

What I wish was different

That it was in person. However Covid made that impossible.

Advice

Apply apply apply. 1. Start applying early (as soon as the semester starts) Make a list of desirable internships and what stage of applying you are at and put it somewhere where you see it daily. 2. Call or email the hiring manager and thank them for the opportunity to apply and also do it after you interview 3. Do your research. Stalk the hiring manager/your potential manager and the company on linked in. Be able to converse about both. What drew you to our company is a big question. 4. Make friends and network all you can. I have called up friends of a friend with the intent of networking and it works really well. If you are professional about it they will almost always refer you. Make sure to maintain the relationships you never know when they could work out again.
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Manufacturing Engineering Intern

June - December 2020 • Jamestown, ND

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

The aerospace industry documents lots of paperwork necessary for failure analysis should that occur.
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Electrical Engineering Co-op

June - December 2020 • Cedar Rapids, IA

What I liked

I loved how they really tried to understand my interests and tailor my experience to that. They were also very flexible with taking classes while working!

What I wish was different

I wish that COVID didnt happen so we could have had more team bonding outside of work.

Advice

I would say that Internships/Co-ops are what you make of them. If you put all you have in to it, you will see great returns.
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