Everything you Need to Know about Engineering Internships

If you’re an engineering student or about to be an engineering student, “internship” is a term you’ll hear often. So, what are internships, why are they so important for engineers, and how do you find good internships? That’s what we’ll be digging into in this article. I’m going to share all the internship knowledge I’ve picked up mentoring engineering students over the last ten years as well what I’ve seen in my own engineering career. 

A quick side note – this page is focused on engineering internships in the United States. While the tips on this page may still be useful to other careers or countries, make sure you also research internship advice based on your specific career path and country. 

Types of engineering internships 

The NACE recommends the following definition for the word internship: “An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting.”

What does that really mean?

In the world of engineering, an internship generally means you’re working as an engineering professional while you’re still a student. 

There are a few different types of internships you’ll often hear mentioned. Let me briefly define four types so we’re all using the same terminology here. 

Summer internships

This is by far the most popular option for engineering interns. Many engineering companies and agencies offer paid undergraduate summer internships. Students work alongside full-time engineers for about 8-12 weeks over the summer. In many cases, you’ll be expected to work a normal 40-hour workweek. Relocation expenses or other compensation may also be offered. 

Fall or spring semester internships

Same as a summer internship, but these are typically for a longer period of time (12-15 weeks). In some cases, the internship can be extended for an entire year. Just make sure to coordinate this with your college ahead of time to verify that you aren’t missing out on specific classes that are required for your degree. 

Cooperative (Co-op) Education Program

In engineering, these are typically programs set up between your school and various companies where you perform at least 3 internships, usually with the same company. These internships can happen during the summer, spring, or fall semesters. At NASA, this is called the NASA Pathways program (you can read about my experiences as a NASA co-op here). Many engineering colleges have dedicated co-op programs like at Purdue University and the University of Kentucky. 

Part-time internships

Local engineering companies may offer opportunities to work part-time throughout the year while you’re still taking classes. Some schools may even have a dedicated “course” you can take that will allow you the time to do this while still earning credit hours. If you go this route, just make sure you’re not letting your GPA drop and you’re still participating in some other extracurricular activities. It can be challenging to balance engineering courses while working as an intern.

What should you expect from an engineering internship?

As an engineering intern, you will be treated similar to or the same as a full-time engineer. This means you’ll be given real engineering assignments and doing real engineering work that will benefit the company and give you critical hands-on experience. You’ll likely be working the same hours as full-time employees (unless you have a part-time internship). 

A good engineering company will realize that you won’t have all the skills you need yet, and will give you resources to learn on the job. This could mean some or all of the following:

• Assign you a mentor to ensure you have the right resources and help you throughout your internship.
• Connect you with experienced engineers that will provide you with on-the-job training. 
• Offer you tours to learn about various facilities and teams in the company. 
• Allow you to take specialized classes or workshops (a couple of hours or days long, not a full college course) that are provided by the company. 
• Connect you with student-run organizations or other interns so you can learn from your peers (and make your experience more fun with social events). 

Note, some companies/teams can be a bit clueless when it comes to ensuring interns have the right resources. Make sure to be proactive and ask for help when you need it. You are not expected to know everything!

Why get an engineering internship?

Internships increase your chances of having a successful engineering career by giving you critical real-world, hands-on experience. These experiences not only lead to more job offers by the time you graduate, but they will also help you discover what engineering job functions you like to perform. 

Let’s break this down into more detail. 

1. Internships increase your job offers 

While engineering coursework will give you a good foundation, employers are looking for students who have applied what they learned in class outside the classroom. So, it makes sense that students who have completed one or more internships while pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Engineering generally have more job offers. 

Having a lot of related work experience in the field you want to pursue will give you a competitive edge, which will also maximize your starting salary or total compensation package (salary isn’t always everything!). 

If you research advice from several colleges and recruiting companies out there, you’ll find a few recurring themes on what engineering recruiters are looking for:

1. Grades. Luckily you don’t need a perfect 4.0 GPA, but many companies will set a minimum GPA (usually somewhere around 3.0) to reduce the size of their applicant pool. If you have a specific dream job you’re aiming for, make sure you’re meeting their minimum GPA requirement. Once your GPA is above that minimum requirement, the next two items become super important. 
2. Work Experience. This is where having an internship is important! Some engineering colleges deem this so important that they actually integrate internships into their curriculum. For example, I received a certificate for completing a co-op program at Purdue University. Other programs may even make work experience a requirement.
3. Student extracurriculars. Joining student clubs or participating in other extracurricular activities, especially in a leadership position, will boost your chances of getting hired.

For reference, Iowa State University has a good page detailing what employers are looking for in new engineers. 

2. Internships are the best way to get a job offer from a specific company 

Do you already have a dream company that you really want to work for one day? Interning is the best way to get your foot in the door with that company. In some cases, interning is the only way to get a full-time offer later.

According to the NACE’s 2021 study, “employers taking part in the survey reported extending offers to nearly 80% of their eligible interns.” That’s huge! That means getting an internship with your dream company will greatly increase your odds of getting a full-time offer with that company later. 

Think of it this way: your internship is basically one long interview. You have at least 8 weeks to showcase how you handle technical challenges, your “soft” skills, and how well you fit into their company-culture. 

3. Internships can make you a better engineer

Practical, hands-on experience will make you a more successful engineer. Hands-on experience will help you in so many ways. Not only will it help you score a full-time job like we just discussed, but those experiences will help you develop skills. Skills that will make you a great engineer. And interning is a great way to get that hands-on experience.

By interning, you’re gaining experience in a real-world context. You’ll be applying what you learned in class to real projects. You’ll build up an arsenal of knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills that will jump-start your full-time career as an engineer and will set you up for success down the road.   

4. Internships will help you discover your ideal career path 

College is the time to discover if an engineering career is right for you and what kind of engineering work you like to do. While some classes may help you narrow down what you like (and what you don’t like) to work on, you need to get out there and actually experience it in real life. Internships give you that opportunity.

Internships will give you a taste of what it really means to be an engineer in the real world. You’ll be working on real engineering projects alongside real engineers. You’ll see how different engineers spend their days, what they work on, what kind of meetings they support, and what kind of facilities they work in. And you won’t just be an observer, you’ll actually be doing some of that work yourself. 

You’ll learn that engineering isn’t just broken down by engineering degrees (mechanical, chemical, electrical, etc.), but by different functions (designers, analysts, operators, etc.). 

By interning, you’ll get to discover which engineering functions and tasks you enjoy performing. This will help you figure out what engineering career path(s) are most likely to make you happy and successful.

5. Internships let you evaluate specific companies/teams  

Interning is your chance to “test drive” a company before you commit to a full-time position. You’ll learn about the company’s structure, their values, and their culture. You can then set yourself up for success by finding a company (and a team in that company) that has created a culture that you not only enjoy but can thrive in.

If you spent a summer doing administrative tasks instead of engineering work or you felt ignored and undervalued, those are clear signs to avoid that company (or team) in the future.

During your internship, you will get the opportunity to talk with various engineering employees. How happy do they seem? Are there a lot of career advancement opportunities? How many hours do people work on average? Are there certain groups you enjoy working with more than others? 

This is your chance to “interview” the company at the same time they’re “interviewing” you! 

6. Internships can open the door to other opportunities 

Internships can even give you an advantage in more unexpected ways. The experiences you receive and the people you meet as an intern can provide you with many other opportunities. Internships may increase your chances of getting scholarships, grants, stipends, advanced education opportunities, leadership positions in clubs/organizations, resident assistant positions, teaching assistant jobs, etc. 

Personally, I was awarded more scholarships in my last year of college than in my first year. I truly believe that the combination of frequent internships (starting the summer after my freshman year) and student club leadership positions helped me win those scholarships. 

Can you still find a good engineering job after you graduate without having internship experience?

Yes, you can. There are always exceptions to every rule. But, you may need to put in extra effort to make up for it. Prioritize building critical skills that employers want. Get hands-on engineering experience outside of an internship. Learn to market your talents at networking events and interviews. 

There are many things that can get in the way of getting an internship…like a global pandemic that limited the number of internship positions temporarily. Or needing to stay home to take care of an ill parent. Or maybe you’re getting an engineering degree as a second career later on in life while still trying to juggle your first career. 

Get creative and think of other ways you can still get hands-on experience, such as student engineering challenges, volunteering to help graduate students with research projects, working at a local machine work, developing an app… anything you can think of that will help you build skills in your engineering field. You also can check out my advice to new engineers page which lists out a few more ideas.

When should you get an engineering internship?

Since internships are so important for engineering students, aim to get your first internship the summer after your first year in college. Even if you don’t get accepted into an internship that first summer, you’ll have gained a lot of experience that will set you up for success the following year (resume building, interviewing skills, how to find internship openings, etc.).

Keep in mind that this is just a general guideline. A rule of thumb. There’s no perfect answer for everyone in every situation. You’ll need to consider what’s best for you. For example, if you’re planning to get a Master’s right after your BS in engineering, you’ll have more time to get internships along the way. If you’re planning to stay in academia as a professor after getting your PhD, you’ll have even more time. The important thing is to constantly be looking for ways to get hands-on experiences in your engineering field. And as we discussed above, being an intern is one of the best ways to get that hands-on experience. 

How early should you start applying for an internship? 

Start now! According to the NACE’s 2021 study: “On average, employers begin the recruitment process for interns eight and a half months prior to the start date and seven months prior for co-ops.” 

Let that sink in. 

If you want an internship on June 1st, companies are starting to recruit for those positions as early as mid-September the year before. So, just a few weeks after the new school year starts you’ll start seeing career fairs, companies recruiting at college events, and internship postings online. 

Will you be ready? 

Before you start panicking that it’s already March or that you’re already a few years into your undergrad program, know that it’s not too late to get an internship! If you’re reading this page, you’ve already taken the first step. Take a deep breath, and keep reading.  

On the other hand, if you’re arriving early to the internship party, check out my page on high school internships here. 

How to find engineering internships

By now, hopefully, you realize how important internships are for prospective engineers and want to jump in and start the process. This section will teach you how to find internship opportunities and the following section will discuss how to apply for internships.

1. Talk to your engineering advisor

One of the first things you should do is talk to your engineering advisor. Most engineering programs that are well established and accredited already have industry connections that you should take advantage of. Your engineering department will also be able to tell you when career fairs are scheduled during the school year, online resources you can use, what kind of work-school programs (like co-op programs) your engineering department offers, and other great advice to get you started.

If you haven’t been assigned an engineering advisor yet, you can still check out your engineering department’s website or reach out to the department office via phone or email.

2. Research companies and industries 

Before trying to find specific internship openings, it can help to start with the endgame in mind. Remember that interning is your chance to train for your future job. So, where do you want to work after you graduate? While it’s a simple question, it’s rarely a simple answer. 

To help you answer that question, research potential companies and industries you’re interested in. Here are some guiding prompts for you:

1. What companies employ the most people with your specific engineering degree? Example: google search “largest aerospace engineering employers”. Start researching those companies to learn what people with your engineering degree do. Write down job titles that sound exciting, skills these engineers have, and other repeating key terms.
2. For more versatile degrees, like mechanical engineering, you may also want to narrow down what industry you want to work in. Google “industries that need mechanical engineers” to start. Note, this just helps narrow down your job searches. You can always change your mind and switch industries later (that’s the nice thing about a versatile degree). 
3. Learn about the different job functions. For example, Google search “types of chemical engineering jobs” or “what do chemical engineers do?”.

If you’re still feeling lost, it may help to take a step back and try these career planning exercises. You can also check out tip #3 on this page. 

The goal of all this research is to start learning the lingo in your industry and to narrow down your internships searches to internships that are ideal for you. This research will also help you out when we talk about resumes and interviews below.

3. Search the web for internship postings 

Luckily, we live in an era where pretty much everything can be found via a simple internet search. Internship postings are no exception. However, a simple “engineering internship” google search will give you so many results it can be hard to figure out where to start. Even searching by your specific degree can be overwhelming! 

Here are 5 tips to help get the most out of finding internships online:

Internet search tip #1: Search by job descriptions or functions 

Use the key terminology that you discovered in your industry research above. For example, if searching “aerospace engineering internships” gives you too many options, you can also search “aircraft design engineer internship” or “aerospace thermal analyst intern” or “propulsion internship”. 

Internet search tip #2: Search by location

If there’s a specific region you want to work in, focus your searches by location. What companies have engineering positions in that region? Are there engineering positions related to what you would like to do after you graduate? Keep in mind that some locations may be limited in opportunities and others may have so many opportunities you’ll need to further narrow down your search.

Internet search tip #3: Go directly to a company’s hiring page

A company’s website will not only give you the latest internship posting opportunities but will give you a lot of useful information even if there aren’t open applications. This can include a lot of useful information you’ll need to know (minimum GPA, skills they’re looking for, when the next internship postings will open, etc.). 

Internet search tip #4: Look for subcontractor or supplier internships

Many large companies and government agencies use support contract companies and external suppliers to meet their deliverables. Support contractors may even work along with company-badged employees in the exact same building. Vendors or suppliers may be in a different location, but they provide products to support a company’s deliverables. This information may or may not be publicly listed, but it’s worth a search. Let’s look at some examples:

Example A: You really want to work at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), but weren’t able to get a NASA internship. Luckily, you still have a lot of great options! The majority of the people who work onsite at JSC are actually contractor-badged. So, a quick google search on “NASA contractors” will give you several contractor lists like this one. Look through those companies to see what positions they offer. You’ll likely find a few internship positions where you can work on the exact same project as NASA personnel.

Example B: You missed the deadline to apply for a Boeing internship. You can still look at similar opportunities by searching “Boeing subcontractor” and “Boeing suppliers”. You may even find your engineering school listed as a supplier. So, not only can you look into internship openings in companies that subcontract to Boeing or supply products to Boeing, but you might also be able to work on a Boeing team at your school.  

Internet search tip #5: Use job search or recruiter sites 

You’ve probably already seen these sites pop up in your earlier google searches. Use these sites as helpful tools for your job search. Just keep in mind that not all companies use these sites, so don’t limit yourself to just job search sites.

To get the most out of these job sites, create an account so that you’ll get notified when new postings are added. 

Apply the same search tips we already talked about above when using these sites if you need to narrow down your search results. 

• handshake.com → some engineering schools are using this platform to connect their students with industry opportunities. Check with your school (or just search “handshake + [your school name]”). Examples: the University of Kentucky and Embry Riddle.  

• indeed.com and glassdoor.com → job sites that allow you to search by job, region and salary. 

• linkedin.com → I highly recommend you make a LinkedIn account, not only for job searches but also for future networking opportunities. 

4. Follow your favorite companies on social media 

To get the last information on new internship postings and other tips for a specific company, follow that company on their most active social media site (or all their social media sites), such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If the company has a good social media presence, this can be a fantastic way to get notified of new internship announcements. 

Remember that companies can also see parts of your social media account, so make sure the public portions of your account are professional. You can test this out by opening up a browser you’re not logged into (or use open an “incognito” Google Chrome window) and searching for yourself. Do you see any embarrassing pictures or posts? And, of course, also remember that if you “friend” any company representatives, you’ll want to make sure your entire account is semi-professional (no drunk sorority pictures, okay?). 

5. Attend Career fairs

Go to career fairs that your school hosts. Large engineering schools may even have dedicated career fairs for specific engineering degrees. 

Check with your engineering department for career fair information. A simple google search can also help you find career fairs. For example “Purdue job fairs” quickly led me to this Purdue fall semester career fair page. You can also search by city or by profession. 

If a recruiter is really impressed with you at a career fair and you’re potentially a good fit for one of their open internship positions, they might even set up an interview with you the exact same day. 

Learn how to conquer an engineering career fair here.

6. Reach out directly to the company 

If there’s a specific company you really want to work for and you’re not seeing any internship postings online, reach out to them and ask. Look for a phone number or email for a recruiter or the Human Resources (HR) office. You may be able to email or call the hiring manager directly if their contact information is posted. 

Your email can be super short and sweet. Here’s an example:

Good afternoon, Ms. Freeman,

I am an aeronautical and astronautical engineering student at Purdue University. I would love to work for [insert company name] as an intern. Is your office planning to offer any internships this year?

Attached is my resume for your convenience. 

Very respectfully, 

Jane Doe

555-555-1234

7. Network 

Unfortunately for those of us who dread networking, connecting with people in your industry can open new doors for you. The best way to learn how to network is to get yourself out there and practice.

Watch out for events hosted on campus or even virtual events hosted online. Conferences. Professional engineering organizations. Company outreach events. Mentoring events with representatives from industry. 

If you know what companies are being represented at the networking event, do some research and write down a couple of questions you want to ask ahead of time. 

Have a resume ready at the networking event in case you get a good opportunity to share it. It never hurts to give out your resume in person, even if that person isn’t in a hiring position. Best case scenario, it helps you get an internship. Worst case scenario, they chuck it in the bin later and the only thing you lost was a piece of paper. And maybe you’ll get something in the middle, like advice on how to improve your resume or specific skills that the employer is looking for. 

Alternatively, you can write down their contact information and follow up via email later with your resume. You can also get some business cards printed that include your engineering degree and contact information. A business card can be less awkward to hand out than a resume. 

Have a method of writing down people’s contact information and jotting down some notes, such as pen and paper, or a note-taking app on your phone. 

Follow up via email after the event. In your email, include these three things:

1. A sentence that reminds them of who you are, like “thank you for discussing xyz with me at yesterday’s abc conference.”
2. What kind of position you’re looking for. This can be as simple as saying something like “I would love to work at [company name] as an aerospace engineering internship this summer.”
3. Attach your resume. This will make it easy for them to forward to others in their company. You can also add a link to your LinkedIn account. 

How to apply for internships

These days you can apply for most internships online. However, also make sure to have a printed copy of your resume at job fairs or other in-person events as you might be able to apply for an internship position on the spot.  

The process for applying to engineering internships is generally the same as applying to any engineering job. Here are the highlights:

1. Make sure you meet basic requirements (age, GPA, etc.). Chances are, if you don’t meet their bare minimum requirements, you’ll be wasting your time on that application. If it’s your dream job and you want to apply for it anyway, go for it. It can’t hurt. If it’s not your dream job, then there are probably better uses for your time. 
2. Get your resume is ready. Customize it for this specific job if possible and ask a professional or adviser to proofread it for you.
3. Fill out everything correctly on your online application or else your application will never get forwarded to a hiring manager. 

If a recruiter or hiring manager likes your application/resume, they will reach out to schedule an interview either in-person or virtually. 

Interview processes are similar to full-time engineering interviews. Though they generally have fewer “rounds” of interviews because hiring an intern is less of a commitment than hiring a full-time employee. This means you’ll want to make your first (and probably only) interview count. 

Practice mock interview questions ahead of time. 

Write down questions you want to ask the recruiter or hiring manager ahead of time. These can be general or specific to the company. Avoid questions are you can easily answer yourself with a quick Google search. 

Remember that you can also interview the company. Don’t work for a company that doesn’t value their interns! Here are a few questions to consider:

• What kind of resources do you provide to interns? Do you provide mentors or on-the-job training? Are there student organizations at your company? 
• What kind of projects do engineering interns work on? 
• How many interns do you typically offer full-time positions to later?
• What values do you look for in a high-performing intern? 

Don’t give up!

You will get rejected. It happens to us all. I’d even argue that if you aren’t getting some rejection letters, you aren’t aiming high enough! 

Rejections are a chance to learn and improve. Don’t view them as failures. You only fail if you decide to give up!

In the meantime, look for other opportunities to build your skills. Technical skills as well as “soft” skills. Learn how to increase your confidence. Learn how to market yourself. Ask for advice on your resumes. Interview with a company you don’t want to work for just to practice interviewing (and, who knows, maybe you’ll actually find out that company would be an awesome fit for you!). 

So, what skills do you need to improve on? Answer yourself honestly! 

You got this! 

Related articles: advice to all new engineers and what you need to do before you start your internship.