Table of Contents
Internship opportunities are available in critical project areas. Develop skills on the job in areas like: problem-solving R&D, electronics design, assembly, and testing; software development; high-level UI/UX review. Read more for details on the skill areas you can develop. Sample across projects or dig deep into one area. How best to apply:
Application
Please email your cover letter, resume, and academic transcript in PDF format. Be truthful, but not modest in your application. If you believe something is useful to the cause here, no matter how “fringe” or indirect the relationship, include it, and if necessary, explain why you did.
Cover Letter
Cover letter may be one to two pages long with reasonable format. If longer, the writing should be concise, and warrant the extra length.
In the cover letter, please write concisely about:
- Experience relevant to the skills noted below in “Skills” – even very informal experience or peripherally-related experience is worth nothing
- Why you are interested in your specific field of engineering
- Your reflection on one of the “Exploration Topics” below
- What requirement(s) an internship fulfills for you
- Questions (2-3) you would like to discuss during an interview, in brief
- Errors or unclear items in this web post
Please briefly research one topic of particular interest to you and also include in your cover letter a paragraph in which you write (approximately) one sentence for each of the following three listed points. Biomedical applicants, please include PubMed in the research. Electronic or electro-mechanical systems engineering applicants, please include IEEE publications in the search.
- Why does this topic matter to you?
- What is one as-of-yet unanswered question in the state of the art regarding this topic?
- What kind of tools would be required to start looking for a solution or answer to that question?
Exploration Topics
- Reflect on the etymology of the word “engineer”.
- What are soft skills and why do they matter?
- What does each of the following mean, and which is more important? (a) technical skill or (b) critical thinking
- What is self-efficacy and why does it matter?
- How do you organize your time?
- Comment on a topic in engineering ethics, discussing both sides of the issue.
Resume
One page is usually sufficient. Functional resume with examples is fine.
It may be helpful to the application if you tailor your resume to this internship opportunity.
Additional, extracurricular activities, hobbies, and informal experience matter. If it is important to you, it’s important here. It all connects and informs.
Skills
How You Work
Broad and open thinking, creative problem solving, solutions oriented, self starting, collaborative, communicative, detail oriented in task execution, productivity aware.
Functional
Software development, code, databases, any experience is relevant; languages and frameworks of immediate applicability: C (embedded), Verilog, nodejs (electronjs, see frameworks in for example: https://github.com/RainEggplant/express-mongoose-template), mobile apps for Android, iOS
Electronics: component selection and specifications, inventory and availability management, assembly, disassembly, testing, lack of fear around
Office collaboration: Understanding proprietary and confidential practices, spreadsheets, writing, notes (notebooks and/or digital notes), presentations; ideally Libre/Open Office and/or Google documents
Maker stuff: 3D printing, DIY CNC systems, engraving, g-code generation from design to output and running the machines
Computers and networking, including security (system scans and diagnostics), troubleshooting
RF & SDRs
Mechanical design: hands-on, spatial skills, CAD tools
Hand and bench tools: DMMs, Oscilloscopes, basic hand tool skills for small parts, or large parts and projects (cutting, drilling), wire and cable management, wire terminations, visual inspection, calipers
Electro-mechanical: motor control, electronics integration, 3-axis / 4-axis fundamentals of CNC control, troubleshooting stability, tolerances, hysteresis
Troubleshooting and repair of electro-mechanical assemblies, even consumer items
Web maintenance and improvement, including fundamental CMS skills, if not more code-oriented skills
Open source software
UI/UX evaluation (web / software)
Scientific literature: research, extraction, and abstraction
Technical writing, editing, proof-reading, readability
Graphic design, illustration, diagramming
OS: Linux, *nix, MacOS, Win: sysadmin across all / any, git-bash, bash (*sh) automation and scripting
Biological and medical sciences, physiology, biomechanics, ergonomics
Control and data acquisition systems (SCADA)