My entire department was extremely friendly, helpful, and motivating. I mostly worked under the guidance of other engineers, typically working on revising old instrumentation systems. However, after a month or so I was trusted enough to head the development of a newly requested instrumentation system and gained the experience of managing the design and development of the system from start to finish.
In addition to the work experience, I found great benefit in the mentors I had during this internship. My most influential mentor was not my supervisor or one of the engineers that I worked directly with, but rather a principal engineer who sat near me in the office. I found his advice and conversation to be just as, if not more, valuable than the work experience I gained from my internship. Consequently, I think one of the hidden gems about working at EB was the number and variety of people I was able to interact and cultivate relationships with.
What I wish was different
To be honest, the bureaucratic nature of a defense contractor can be tough to deal with; and likewise, the slow processing of paperwork can result in delays in gaining security clearance or access to certain software. Consequently, much of the technology seemed outdated and tedious compared to what engineering students are used to at BU. To give a specific example: I used Microsoft Visio to make all my instrumentation system documentation and technical drawings. Visio can seem archaic when compared to Creo or SolidWorks, but it was able to accomplish much of the same functionality.
Advice
If you do accept an internship at EB (or any company), the best advice I can give you is to get to know your department. Not just your direct supervisors, and not just the engineers you work with. Talk with everyone. Talking with an engineer, who I never collaborated with on work, resulted in me gaining my best mentor that summer. Talking with various technicians in my department, led to me solving problems the engineers in my department did not know existed.
You are likely to have a lot of time in the first week or two while paperwork is being processed or your supervisor slowly settles you in. Take this time to get comfortable with the people in your department and start getting to know them. The more people you talk with frequently and are comfortable with, the easier it is going to make your work, and the more personal relationships you will develop.
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Engineering Intern
May - August 2017 • Groton, CT
What I liked
The work was challenging and actually used. It wasn’t just busy work.
What I wish was different
Time off.
Advice
Make sure you get your security paperwork in quickly. And use down time to read and learn.
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Engineering Intern
June - August 2017 • New London, CT
What I liked
I got to see all aspects of how the company operated and met employees from multiple departments. I learned a lot more about teamwork and how it is vital to work together to complete tasks.
What I wish was different
I wish I could of done more electrical engineering work, most of my work involved a lot of non electrical engineering work such as making presentations, coordinating meets, etc.
Advice
Make the most out of your experience and don't be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a dumb questions, even asking the most simple question may help a project.
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Component engineer
June - August 2017 • New London, CT
What I liked
There were many interesting things going on to learn about
What I wish was different
To have more moving around
Advice
Get your application in early, the background check takes generally a long time to complete and go through
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Structural Engineering Coop
February - August 2017 • New London, CT
What I liked
The department I was placed in was really friendly and willing to help me out whenever I needed it. My supervisor was big on treating me like a full employee which was really nice.
What I wish was different
I wish they had helped me find housing or at least roommates.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask for more to do if you are bored. It's much more interesting when you have projects to work on.
