Smiths Medical

Embedded Software Engineer Intern

May - August 2019 • Plymouth, MN

What I liked

- Worked on a small team and had assignments that actually impacted the project - Opportunities to learn about many different aspects of the Software Design process - Valued member of the team - Able to lead intern engagement group at the company

What I wish was different

- Decent amount of time spent training instead of actually getting to work on projects - Worked on start of a new project so there were a lot of slowdowns

Advice

Teams and managers appreciate when interns are willing to take on extra work - but they will be even more impressed if you actively seek out and find that work for yourself. Be engaged with your team and find things to work on when you are stuck on a project or waiting for something to be finished for you to continue. Managers are looking for interns who are willing to take on more work without being prompted!

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Systems Engineering intern

May - August 2018 • Plymouth, MN

What I liked

This was my second summer with Smiths. I really enjoyed stretching myself in new material and learning how to effectively lead teams in new processes.

What I wish was different

The setup of the internship requires hours be tracked very obnoxiously. It is effective, but created a sense of distrust for me when I was clocking in and out, versus logging my time.

Advice

Dive in head first. Do try to be social, but learn as much as possible and connect with those around you.

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R&D Intern

May - August 2018 • Plymouth, MN

What I liked

The open, enthusiastic culture, the people working there, the building, that my work felt meaningful.

What I wish was different

I wasn't super interested in the product line and wish I'd got to do a little more early-stage research (my position was focused on product sustainment, though).

Advice

To really take advantage of talking to current employees, especially those a few years out of school, about their experience, why they chose the job they did, and what their past and present goals are/were. It's a great opportunity to network and you'll hopefully gain some insight into the future direction you want to take.

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