https://dod.defense.gov/

U.S. Department of Defense

Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program Intern

June - August 2018 • Port Hueneme, CA

What I liked

I was able to take the skills that I've learned in classes and apply them to the real world. It was cool being able to use these tools and skills to actually help out the Navy.

What I wish was different

I wish I would have known to be more social and talk to more of my fellow employees to learn the path they've taken to get to where they are today.

Advice

Ask questions because there are always people around you who are willing to teach the knowledge they have.
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Development Program Intern

May - August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Salary Community of interns Work environment Work schedule Interesting work Career development

What I wish was different

Nothing. It was awesome

Advice

Definitely apply for competitive programs because they are very worth it
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Program Specialist

May - October 2019 • Duke Field AFS, FL

What I liked

Great experience managing multiple types of job duties including coordinating with vendors and various sales roles. Great opportunity to broaden your business experience in a variety of different industries (travel, sales, facility management, program creation, event coordination, graphic design, marketing campaigns, etc.). Very understanding of student schedules and willing to work with/around you. The employees and management are truly wonderful people.

What I wish was different

I wish the job would have been more applicable to my marketing degree. I also wish that it would have either had narrower/more focused job roles and responsibilities OR that the pay would have been significantly higher to justify the high level work load and amount of simultaneous roles required of you. In short, there should have been a minimum of 2-3 employees accomplishing the roles of the one job in order to maintain quality and consistency. The span of goals and tasks they needed accomplished were greater than a singular employee could adequately accomplish at a sustainable level. Apart from hiring more employees, they could also have just concentrated more on individual goals and accomplishing them one at a time instead of ask of them simultaneously. Also, the management structure necessary to achieve all of their lofty goals at once would need to be less vertical and more horizontal/empowering. The approval process, unfortunately, frequently hampered or stalled progress.

Advice

Know your worth. Do not allow any employer to ever OVER work you and UNDER pay you. Just because you CAN accomplish all the things they want you to, doesn’t mean you should. Make sure that you are always doing everything the best that you can. It’s better to do one thing AMAZING then 10 things OK. If your employer doesn’t understand this, help them to. If they won’t be helped, don’t compromise the integrity of your work for a paycheck. Always make sure you understand their goals and what they expect of you AND that they understand your capabilities and what’s REALISTIC to achieve within a specified timeline.
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Accounting Intern

May - September 2018 • Indianapolis, IN

What I liked

I had the opportunity to work with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service and their mission is to serve those who serve us. In other words, we serve the military. It was an eye opening experience to work with the US Federal Government.

What I wish was different

I wish I had experienced more during my time in Indianapolis.

Advice

Whether you notice it or not, there’s always somebody watching so act professionally.
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Mechanical Engineer Intern

May - August 2019 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Experience, great team to work with and learn from

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

Don’t be scared to jump in and help out
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Software Developer

May - August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

My coworker, some projects

What I wish was different

The software

Advice

Have patience, it's still quite enjoyable but have, patience
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Program Manager Intern

May - August 2019 • Robins Air Force Base, GA

What I liked

During the internship, I really enjoyed all the amazing people and new experiences! I was able to gain work experince in my desired career, build a stronger network, fly for the first in a plane, visit the National Museum of the US Air Force, and become apart of an amazing team that supports our country.

What I wish was different

Advice

The best advice I learned from my experience is to build a strong network. The greater the network you have, the more opportunities and answers you will have access to.
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Engineering Trainee

June 2016 • China Lake, CA

What I liked

The experience and real world application of work

What I wish was different

Nothing

Advice

I definitely recommend it
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Mechanical Engineer

June 2018 • Kiln, MS

What I liked

I enjoy working for the United States Navy because of the interesting projects I get to work on .

What I wish was different

Advice

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Intern

June - August 2020 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

- Great staff to work with; helped with on the job learning - Got to work on a personal project to help further the Department's mission - Considerable autonomy for an intern

What I wish was different

Advice

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Undergrad Lab Research

June - July 2019 • New Orleans, LA

What I liked

I was able to get real life experience relating to my major and career goals. After I graduate from Dillard University, I plan to attend graduate school so obtain my masters in industrial engineering. I feel like my summer internship has defiantly given me a healthy start into my career.

What I wish was different

I wish the internship was longer. It was only from June to July. I wish I could stay until August so I could receive more practice and experience.

Advice

Do not be afraid to ask for help. It is your education so you should always utilize the resources that are given to you. Don't let a task or project discourage you from giving it your all. we are all here to learn and grow.
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Contracting Specialist Intern

May - August 2019 • Fort Meade, MD

What I liked

My coworkers were excellent and very helpful when I was first learning how to do everything.

What I wish was different

I had a lot of downtime where I had no assignments so I was sometimes bored.

Advice

Make the most of this experience—use it to network and learn about other opportunities in the agency.
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Contract Specialist

May - August 2021 • Hill Air Force Base, UT

What I liked

It opened my eyes to government work. The internship helped me understand how the military aquires and maintains assets.

What I wish was different

I wish covid would have allowed me to go in person. The internship was mainly teleworking.

Advice

I would advise future interns to not be afraid to ask questions.
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Cybersecurity Research Assistant

May - August 2021 • Washington, DC

What I liked

It was an excellent foray into OSINT research methods and intelligence work. I was involved directly with my advisor's research and presentation to elements of SOUTHCOM as well as foreign allied nations in Central and South America.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had more opportunities to network with my superiors, especially since many of them were taken from top private sector contractors.

Advice

Be upfront and give realistic expectations to your superiors.
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Summer Intern

May - July 2022 • Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

What I liked

I loved the opportunity to get hands-on experience with different levels of technology. There was a lot of cool stuff there that I had never seen or learned about before. Everyone was really open when it came to helping me understand the complex topics at hand. They were happy to encourage me to take steps to learn more online with different resources as well as happy to allow me to take an online class to further my knowledge of coding languages like Python.

What I wish was different

I cannot say there was a lot that I would have to change about the experience. My office was very open and welcoming towards me coming onto the job. I wish that I had more time to get further experience with some of the other hardware we had on hand. I also wish I had more time to talk and consult with different individuals on my team. They were super helpful but schedules would always conflict with the different projects each person was on.

Advice

I would advise getting the most out of your experience. Often, networking gets you a long way at making good impressions and learning about exciting opportunities. There are plenty that focuses on groundbreaking jobs that include incredible benefits like student loan forgiveness or something along those lines. Do some research on these as jobs with the US government have a lot more of these than most people realize.
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