I had the opportunity to work in the factory despite all that had been occurring with COVID. It was super awesome to learn about the different technologies that go into the manufacturing and testing process of Printed Wiring Assembly boards. I had the chance to test some of the boards myself which was also a pretty interesting experience.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • Englewood, CO
What I liked
I liked that my engineering work was used by the team. This made me feel like I was contributing towards a greater goal.
What I wish was different
I would have liked the internship to have more structure and to have the opportunity to work with other interns.
Advice
Every internship is different but it is extremely important to try new experiences so that you will know what you like.
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Change Management Intern
June - August 2019 • Poway, CA
What I liked
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems does a fantastic job on making sure interns are getting a hands on working experience. They took us out to the desert to see the UAV's, gave us tickets to the zoo/baseball games, and even had a little shuttle come pick us up everyday for work! It was fantastic hands on learning experience that actually enabled me to move into my next career move with another aerospace defense company.
What I wish was different
I wish I was able to get my hands on with more work within my department! If you are an engineer, it's awesome because you get to really dive in. Since I was in Finance & Administration, which moves a little slower, I found it harder to really get my hands on with work.
Advice
Be open to new challenges. General Atomics challenges you to not only connect with peers but with professionals as well. They even challenge you to present at the end of your internship in front of the Executive Board, your peers, and supervisors.
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Manufacturing Engineering Intern
June 2019 • Spanish Fork, UT
What I liked
Great people to work with. Lots of opportunities
What I wish was different
Wish the mentor program would have been more established
Advice
Find someone you get along with in the department and have them mentor you
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Project Engineering
July - September 2019 • Poway, CA
What I liked
General Atomics is a well structured company. They almost never lay off any workers and accommodate to those who want to move around within the company.
The project engineering role showed me breadth of aircraft and how the many systems interact. The process to make a change will affect manufacturing, production, documents, and of course the customer needs to be informed. Project engineering ensures that these changes are carried out, prove to the customer that these changes are sufficient through testing, and that changes will not negative affect any groups.
What I wish was different
I was their first intern, so there was no clear definition on what work was appropriate for an intern. I had to ask around for work frequently to keep myself busy.
Advice
Bug people. Everyone was super friendly to help and answer my questions
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Project Management Intern
June - July 2019 • Poway, CA
What I liked
All of the employees and bosses were friendly and treated me with respect. It was a welcoming environment. The tasks I was assigned were very meaningful. I learned so much about the aeronautical industry. This internship consisted of 40-hour work weeks but the pay was very good.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been assigned more tasks. My internship mostly focused on one project that took the duration of my term with the company.
Advice
Be prepared to manage your own time wisely.
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Industrial Engineer
June 2018 • Poway, CA
What I liked
I have had a lot of experiencing running meetings, leading projects and presenting to Vice Presidents of the organization.
What I wish was different
Advice
It has helped me take skills in the classroom and apply them to real world job applications
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • Huntsville, AL
What I liked
Interesting work to be done
What I wish was different
Advice
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Industrial Engineering Intern
June - August 2018 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
I liked how I had a real project that I was working on and was actually able to make a difference in the company.
What I wish was different
Advice
Walk out on the manufacturing floor and talk to everyone you see. I learned so much through doing this and it definitely helped my intern project out.
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Fuel Systems Engineering Intern
June - August 2018 • Adelanto, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed the relationships I built with my co-workers, and the project I had the privilege of working on was amazing. I feel like I gained a lot of great experience. General Atomics also provided housing, which on top of a good salary, made the experience really worth any negatives it might have had.
What I wish was different
I wish that I would have had more of an opportunity to engage in hands on work. I also wish the location had not been in the middle of the desert, but I also learned that there are some really nice areas east of LA. I also wish that my company had gotten the contract we were working on, because they are now in a hiring freeze, and I genuinely would have considered taking a full time position with them.
Advice
One piece of advice I would share is to make a huge effort in the beginning to build positive relationships with your co-workers, because they are the people who make or break an experience. If you are on good terms with you, they will help you out, give you advice, and make the day go by quicker.
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Manufacturing Intern
June - August 2018 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Work was meaningful, co-workers were friendly, compensation was great, and location was great.
What I wish was different
Not too big of a deal but I'd rather have less crowded temporary housing.
Advice
Always work on communication.
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Aerospace Engineering Intern
June 2018 • Poway, CA
What I liked
There is always so much to learn and be challenged with. I have been able to actually use the math and software (such as Matlab) that I am learning in my classes in actual projects. My team is very encouraging and easy going.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Mechanical Systems Intern
June - August 2017 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
As an intern I was assigned a mentor who was such a great resource. I had a very hands on Summer experience which I enjoy.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more tasks to fill my time.
Advice
Make friends with other interns! Also talk to the other employees—not just your boss and mentor. Everyone really wants to get to know the interns and they’ll all be very welcoming.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June 2017 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
The research and development projects that I worked on allowed me to experience state of the art technology in production from the ground up (initial concepts all the way into manufacturing). I was given a project that was very useful to the campany rather than doing stereotypical intern tasks as I had experienced at a few of my past internships. My boss and coworkers we're very supportive and helped me finish a design and analysis project that will be implemented on future General Atomics programs. My favorite part of the internship was being able to get up close and personal with many of the high value military UAVs created by the company.
What I wish was different
I have very few complaints about the internship. The only thing that I wish had been different is the time it took to drive there from the USD area because the R&D facility I worked at was located in Rancho Bernardo (30 minutes from USD).
Advice
Ask as many questions as possible in order to learn as much as you can. Never be afraid of looking unintelligent. People understand that interns are not going to have the same knowledge base as the rest of the employees and are generally very willing to help.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June - August 2017 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Exposure to incredible technology
What I wish was different
I wish I had gotten to do more design work instead of coding.
