I learned so many new things during my summer! I had no previous experience with Javascript or HTML, but I picked it up and made a final visualization for my project with it.
What I wish was different
I wish the intern program had been slightly more organized, with more events for interns.
Advice
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Electrical Engineering Hardware Intern
May - August 2019 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
I got to work with some very cool lab equipment and learned a ton about the field of RF that isn't explicitly covered in classes.
What I wish was different
Because the company is so massive, there were no specific projects assigned to me so I had to do whatever work was available, which was sometimes derating or data collection instead of interesting engineering projects.
Advice
Northrop is a great first internship as it allows for tons of experience in all different fields. Make sure you take advantage of its massive corporate nature by talking to people outside your department and asking what's involved in the type of engineering they do.
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mechanical design engineer
May - August 2019 • Cape Canaveral, FL
What I liked
An awesome team and an awesome place. People were incredibly helpful and the place has so much history that every corner is filled with stories. In addition, the space industry is rapidly changing and the spaceport is reflecting that with constant launches and new buildings. It was an incredible experience to go and work with hardware down on the floor and then design solutions to problems.
What I wish was different
More consistent work. The work was good but came in waves
Advice
Keep on working and ask around for advice. People have been through a lot and can help you avoid certain choices.
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Administrative Intern
May - August 2019 • Redondo Beach, CA
What I liked
The people I met and the professional experience I acquired
What I wish was different
I wish I had been a little more vocal in the beginning
Advice
Do what makes you scared and don’t be afraid to express your thoughts
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Software Technical Intern
May 2019 • Huntsville, AL
What I liked
I liked how I got to interact with my team almost everyday. I found the agile experience very interesting.
What I wish was different
I wish I had used my time more to learn about the specifics of what I was working on.
Advice
Be involved and be proactive.
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Process Engineering Intern
May - September 2019 • Promontory, UT
What I liked
Everything!
What I wish was different
Nothing.
Advice
Networking is crucial!
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Software Engineering Intern
May - July 2019 • Huntsville, AL
What I liked
Great working environment, helpful team members
What I wish was different
Very open-ended work with somewhat limited direction. I appreciated the trust and freedom given to me, but for a first internship, some more well-defined tasks would've been better
Advice
Learn how to pursue solutions on your own. Don't be afraid to ask questions, but only after you've taken time to try and solve it yourself
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Schedule Analyst Intern
May - August 2019 • Redondo Beach, CA
What I liked
I loved how close it was to where I lived, and the experience was really amazing. Just what I wanted from a summer internship and a future career.
What I wish was different
Advice
Make the most of the internship, as there are so many opportunities that Northrop offered during the summer.
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Software Engineer
May - August 2019 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Meaningful work, good people. Good work life balance
What I wish was different
More training
Advice
Brush up on coding before your first day
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Co-Op Technical
January 2019 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
The technical aspects of the job.
What I wish was different
Nothing! I love it
Advice
Learn as much as you can from anyone you can
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Business Management Analyst
June - August 2019 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Great opportunity to use skills learned at school.
What I wish was different
Company does not have very clearly defined roles for interns.
Advice
To always take the best internship you can regardless of industry so you can find out if you like or dislike that particular realm of business.
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College Intern Technical
June - August 2019 • Dulles, VA
What I liked
The project which I worked on was managed with Agile methods, under the scrum system. Some of the aspects of this structure which I Iiked were that each scrum team was motivated to complete as many tasks as they feasibly could within each cycle. I also appreciated that regular feedback was delivered to the teams, and to each individual within a team.
What I wish was different
Overall, I dislike the management system used, because it puts a lot of pressure on the employees to accomplish their tasks, and sometimes seemed to not give enough time to complete the work; this can be put feelings of stress on the employees. Also, there wasn't much to do during the opening and closing periods of each cycle, which meant that time was wasted. I would much rather have been able to spend that time on the work that I did in the middle of the cycles, because I would then have not felt so rushed.
Advice
Speak with your scrum master regularly; he/she is there to help you!
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Software Engineering Intern
May 2019 • Huntsville, AL
What I liked
I enjoyed all of the learning experience a summer internship can provide an aspiring professional. Of course I learned Java and Python in depth, but I also got to develop my professional - or soft - skills, like communication, being mentored, working in a professional environment, etc. These skills, combined with the skills that I came into the job with, helped me to increase my industry network four-fold.
What I wish was different
The most beautiful part about a summer internship is that it shows you whether or not you will actually like the work you are doing, and allow you to make an educated estimation of how long you will be able to tolerate that industry in the future. For me, I did not enjoy software engineering nearly as much as I hoped I would. However, it did show me that I could enjoy electrical work more. Now, I am working part time as a network engineer with Northrop Grumman and loving it.
Advice
If there was one thing that I think would help especially a first time intern is this: be realistic with how much you enjoy the work you do. This is the best possible time for you to make the decision that either what you're doing is what you want to do for your career, or that you'd like to take a different route and try something new. The sooner this decision is made, the sooner you will feel confident and comfortable with the direction your career path is taking you.
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Program control
May - August 2019 • Dulles, VA
What I liked
I liked the hands on experience I gained from working directly with teams. I got to see all parts of the monthly cycle. They also gave me areas to improve on and what they look for when hiring graduates.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
January - August 2019 • Chandler, AZ
What I liked
Company culture
What I wish was different
Advice
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Technical Intern
June - August 2019 • Annapolis Junction, MD
What I liked
During my internship, I was glad to feel like my ideas and opinions were values by my team and managers. I also enjoyed all of the networking and social events they held throughout the summer for the interns. Lastly, it was awesome having the opportunity to tour many of the other Northrop Grumman sites and seeing where a good fit might be for me in the future.
What I wish was different
For most of the summer, I helped develop the preliminary design report for the system we intended to build. One thing I wish had been different is I would have liked the opportunity to start building during the summer so I could get my hands dirty with engineering work. However, the proposals are important and take a lot of time and work, so I value the many things I learned during that process. Luckily they’ve invited me to come back and work over my winter break, so I hope I’ll get the chance to help build then.
Advice
One of the biggest pieces of advice that I have from interning at Northrop Grumman, is take advantage of the massive network and don’t be afraid to reach out to people. There are so many employees of different backgrounds and working on vastly different projects, and they are happy to share their experience. I learned so much about what jobs I might want to pursue in the future by just reaching out to employees and chatting with them.
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Systems Engineering Intern
May - July 2019 • Colorado Springs, CO
What I liked
I liked the people the most. Their community was welcoming, and I was able to make a lot of friends quickly.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time to get into my work.
Advice
Don't be afraid to try new things. I took a chance going to Colorado alone and it was the best summer of my life.
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Drafter Intern
September 2018 • Clearfield, UT
What I liked
What I wish was different
I wish there had been more training with the software and system.
Advice
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Hardware Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • Redondo Beach, CA
What I liked
The company strongly promotes work-life balance, and the team I was on was very willing to teach me the skills I needed to succeed during my internship.
What I wish was different
The upper-level management isn't diverse, and the company feels old. However, I could definitely see a strong effort towards diversity and innovative ideas in spite of the pushback from the older generation.
Advice
Since the location of Northrop is in LA, the commute is simply the worst. Try to negotiate for a stipend to live nearby.
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Software Intern
May 2019 • Huntsville, AL
What I liked
The environment was very welcoming. Everyone was ready to help me whenever I had a problem.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been able to code more. The first month was spent reading the documentation.
Advice
Get to know the people on your team. Teambuilding is extremely important for efficiency.
