The flexibility with regard to my student status. Good experience, very hands on.
What I wish was different
Role was not a traditional co-op role. Very difficult to move around within the company, although co-op’s traditionally rotate departments to get a well rounded learning experience.
Advice
I would advise that a potential candidate uses job boards, reviews, and uses websites such as Glassdoor or indeed to research any company they work for and make sure it is a good fit.
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Digital Technology Project Management Intern
June 2020 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
Since the internship was 100% remote, Collins Aerospace did a really great job of providing me with resources that would help me stay connected with my teammates, as well as other interns around the country. The hours of the internship were great, and it was fun to learn a variety of IT programs that were new to me.
What I wish was different
Sometimes the work was not super exciting. However, the unexciting work was also balanced out with meetings that were interesting, as well as other more interesting tasks. I also wish the internship could have been in person, but that's obviously out of everyone's control.
Advice
During your internship, reach out to people on your team and adjacent teams to learn about what they do and how they got there. Each person has a unique story, and brings unique learning experiences to the table that they are more than happy to share with you!
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Supply Chain Intern
May 2020 • Burnsville, MN
What I liked
My projects were very challenging, yet meaningful to my team and site in Burnsville. What I love about working at Collins is that everyone there is willing to take on any challenge. This has been very motivating to me. When there was downtime with my projects, I still had plenty to do with other daily work and side-projects.
What I wish was different
Honestly not a whole lot. I wish I would have been able to work in person, but due to COVID the majority of the interns had to work remotely. I was also looking forward to visiting our suppliers and doing other events outside of the office.
Advice
You can do anything you set your mind to. The biggest challenge to achieving your goals is your mentality and if you actually believe you can do it. There is plenty trial-and-error along the way, but that is how you become successful. I like to call mistakes learning opportunities because it makes us more well-rounded with our experiences.
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Software Engineering Intern
June - August 2020 • Sterling, VA
What I liked
Got to work on actual projects and everyone at Collins is happy to answer your questions. A really great community.
What I wish was different
Many projects were understandably put on hold, meaning there was less for the interns to work on or shadow.
Advice
Talk to everyone you can, you start to build a network and learn so much from people who have been in the field for years.
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Systems Engineer Intern
May - July 2020 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
Good experience overall
What I wish was different
I wish it wasn't remote
Advice
Make the best out of what you can
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Project Management Intern
May 2019 - July 2020 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
Learned both technical and interpersonal skills by working with a variety of teams. Very flexible schedule and pay was great for an internship.
What I wish was different
The onboarding process was long and stressful.
Advice
Learn as much as you can about all the different opportunities within the company. There are lots of jobs and great learning experiences. Don't be afraid to ask questions or any career advice from the managers or other coworkers.
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Quality engineering intern
June 2020 • Phoenix, AZ
What I liked
I got paid well and got experience I needed
What I wish was different
It wasn't very professional and I felt like I wasn't learning anything
Advice
Go in with an open mind
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Software Engineer
June 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
Got to actively work on code and make design decisions
What I wish was different
Advice
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Marketing Intern
May - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
I loved the people I worked with and that I got to learn something new everyday.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Software Engineer Intern
May - October 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
The best thing about this job was the people in the company. Everyone was extremely nice and supportive of each other.
What I wish was different
I wish there wasn’t as much of a struggle with budgeting/team splitting.
Advice
Never be afraid to ask questions! Everyone is really nice and they expect questions.
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Mechanical Design Engineer
May 2018 • Wichita, KS
What I liked
New experiences to a full-time position with great opportunities for advancement.
What I wish was different
Answer some questions on the interview
Advice
Practice for interviews and know what you want to say.
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Systems Engineer
June 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
I had a great experience with Rockwell Collins. They gave me challenging work and allowed me to have a lot of autonomy and freedom with my schedule and day to day work.
What I wish was different
I was working with a remote team so I wished I had a more engaging and social environment. But that was unavoidable. Still, I loved my team and the people I interacted with daily in Cedar Rapids.
Advice
Definitely try a co-op. You learn so much more than you can learn in 3 months, and work becomes so much more rewarding. Plus, the benefits and connections made are fantastic.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
I liked that if you had questions, you were able to have them answered and be able to find the right people to ask.
What I wish was different
The choice in location.
Advice
The environment is very similar to Rose in that it was an "open-door policy" atmosphere and it was very welcoming.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Everett, WA
What I liked
Rockwell Collins has a very flexible work environment. The managers and staff are all very friendly and understanding. They even allowed me to take days off to travel. I had a very good learning experience since the internship exposed me to different aspects of engineering: Design, Analysis, and Testing.
What I wish was different
Due to the difficult nature of finding a place to live, they can provide more housing assistance to make staying there cheaper and easier.
Advice
To preform well in the internship, it requires a lot of self discipline. Since there is nobody to help you learn a lot of the new material, everything is self-taught. The other engineers, your mentor, and your supervisor are there to help you, but they expect you to learn most of the material by yourself.
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Systems engineering
June - August 2018 • Melbourne, FL
What I liked
Great pay, great benefits, and a wonderful working environment.
What I wish was different
Work was not very interesting
Advice
Fantastic starting place for work experience
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Software Engineer
June - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
The atmosphere was great. Really encouraging and large internship group outings.
What I wish was different
No cubicles and more collaboration.
Advice
Find a good team. The company has great team's and horrible teams.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
Work environment, interesting project
What I wish was different
Location
Advice
Take an internship that interests you
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Software Engineering Co-op
June - December 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
learning, feeling useful, getting to be a part of innovative technological developments, exploring the midwest, the co-op community, having a work/life balance, gaining confidence, playing in the snow for the first time ever, networking
What I wish was different
Collins aerospace is going through a lot of change currently. First getting acquired by UTC, now merging with Raytheon, and also divesting the GPS business in the very same building I work in. HR's been kind of a mess for co-ops due to all that. I wish I would have come when things were a little more settled.
Advice
My concept of what engineering is has completely changed. It gets so much better. Just don't sweat little things and stay passionate.
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Project Engineering Intern
May - August 2019 • East Hartford, CT
What I liked
It was very cool working among very experienced engineers with their phds and seeing how the aerospace industry works
What I wish was different
Felt bored sometimes since I was the only undergrad at the site in East Hartford CT
Advice
Make lots of connections and do the best to go out of your way to help others
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Software Engineer Intern
May - August 2019 • Cedar Rapids, IA
What I liked
The company atmosphere was amazing. I loved the people and the environment of work. Going to work was fun, not a chore.
What I wish was different
The on boarding process was a little slow, and you definitely have to actively look for things to do in Cedar Rapids.
Advice
Ask for more things to do: there is a lot of room-even as an intern to expand what you are working on
