Industrial Engineering Summer Internships: Launching Your Aerospace Career

Industrial engineering (IE) offers a versatile and impactful career path. For students, summer internships provide invaluable, career-related work experience, bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world application. Many companies offer industrial engineering summer internships. This article explores the benefits of such internships, particularly within the aerospace industry, using Boeing as a prime example, and offers advice for aspiring industrial engineers.

The Value of Industrial Engineering Internships

Industrial engineering students are strongly encouraged to gain relevant, career-related work experience before graduation. Undergraduates are encouraged to complete at least two internships before graduation-for skill development as well as a competitive edge in the full-time job search. IE students can earn credit for work experiences, whether they be through a co-op or an internship. For each work experience/rotation, a student can earn one credit. A co-op typically involves taking a fall or spring semester off from course work in order to work full time at a company. Although this may delay a student’s graduation date, graduates find the work experience to be well worth the extra time. Participants of the co-op program find that working for a longer period of time, at the same company, allows them to delve deeper into their assigned projects and many times, see them to completion and directly witness the impact the project has on the company. To find co-op or internship opportunities, read the Weekly Blast newsletter sent to IE students.

Internships and co-ops offer numerous benefits:

Skill Development: Internships provide a practical environment to hone technical skills and develop new ones.
Competitive Edge: Completing internships significantly enhances a student's resume and makes them a more attractive candidate for full-time positions.
Career Exploration: Internships allow students to explore different areas within industrial engineering and discover their specific interests.
Networking Opportunities: Interns have the chance to connect with industry professionals, build relationships, and expand their network.
Academic Credit: IE students can often earn academic credit for their work experiences, integrating practical learning with their coursework.

Boeing: A Prime Example for Industrial Engineering Internships

Boeing, a leading aerospace company, offers diverse internship opportunities for aspiring industrial engineers. These internships provide exposure to cutting-edge technology, complex projects, and a collaborative work environment. Boeing is more than airplanes. More than satellites. More than cutting-edge cyber solutions. The company's commitment to innovation and its global presence make it an ideal place to launch an aerospace career. At the center of aviation since 1916, many of our most innovative products are designed and built here. As we transform aerospace, your skills will take center stage.

Opportunities at Boeing

Boeing offers internships in various areas relevant to industrial engineering, including:

Manufacturing: Boeing manufacturing employees build the future of aerospace every day around the globe. Production engineers use their skills to build the future of advanced manufacturing.
Data Analytics: As part of our Information Technology and Data Analytics team, you’ll support one of the largest corporate IT portfolios anywhere. Data doesn’t work in silos - it needs to breathe and interact with other information in order to tell the whole story, not just parts of it. At Boeing, we’re working across our enterprise to let data and information drive our collective decision-making.
Software Engineering: As a software engineer at Boeing your code will power products that defy gravity and fly faster than the speed of sound. Our software engineering challenges are immense. But the possibilities are even greater.
Product Security Engineering: Discover how you can make a difference at Boeing as a product security engineer. Product security engineer Anna Guthrie builds resilient technologies to protect against cyberattacks.
Test and Evaluation Engineering: As a Test and Evaluation Engineer at Boeing, you'll ensure that our next-generation commercial and defense products and systems meet the highest standards.
Electrical Engineering: Electrical engineers work closely with our customers to develop electronic and electrical systems for Boeing aircraft, and world-class autonomous robotic systems for space, terrestrial, and underwater hardware.
Mechanical and Structural Engineering: Mechanical and structural engineers at Boeing develop and apply innovative technologies that shape the future. Adrian supports the efficiency and reliability of 777X wing structures through innovative design solutions.
Flight Engineering: Flight engineers are essential to the development, safety and success of our products and solutions.
Human Resources: Boeing HR professionals support our employees as they manage their career path, develop their teams and chart the course for career development.

Employee Experiences

The experiences of Boeing employees highlight the rewarding nature of working at the company.

Suellen: Suellen achieved her dream to become a Boeing engineer.
Emily: Since interning, Emily completed rotations in four business units and worked on the cargo air vehicle program.
Angelie: Angelie has been with Boeing for 12 years and was diagnosed with autism in April 2019.
Tresha Lacaux: Vice president Tresha Lacaux landed her dream internship at Boeing.
Teresa: Meet Teresa, a product engineer and inventor with multiple patents.
Bo: Bo designs and develops software and hardware that supports the Wedgetail's missions.
Rayni: As project manager for Ground-based Midcourse Defense, Rayni isn't bothered by roadblocks.
Ronak: Meet Ronak, a Boeing India teammate who’s used our tuition assistance to grow his career, studying online and abroad.
Doan: From Vietnam to the United States, Doan learned about our company from engineers around the world.

These stories showcase Boeing's commitment to employee growth, diversity, and inclusion.

Boeing's Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity is extremely important in the engineering field, and the engineer “stereotype” doesn’t truly exist. Engineering is all about invention and innovation, and the field relies on diversity to achieve these goals. Looking at any problem holistically requires diverse viewpoints; no worthwhile solution comes from considering only one. Boeing emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in its workforce. The company believes that a diverse team brings different perspectives and ideas, leading to more innovative solutions.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Boeing is an equal opportunity employer. We are an equal opportunity employer.
Partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund: Boeing's partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund is an initiative supporting HBCUs through campus recruitment, career immersion, scholarships, and more.

The diversity in a city like Chicago teaches you a lot about other people and the society we live in. Loved the diversity of people’s backgrounds, thoughts, cultures, places of origin.

Benefits of Working at Boeing

Boeing offers various benefits to its employees, including:

Tuition Assistance: Our tuition assistance program pays your institution directly so you don't have to. Meet Ronak, a Boeing India teammate who’s used our tuition assistance to grow his career, studying online and abroad.
Caregiver Benefits: Faced with caring for two sick family members, Sandra Lankford leaned on Boeing's caregiver benefits for support.

Skills and Advice for Aspiring Industrial Engineers

To succeed in an industrial engineering internship and future career, students should focus on developing a range of skills and qualities.

Essential Skills

Problem-Solving: The College of Engineering prepared me for my career by providing me with the necessary problem-solving skills to succeed. The College of Engineering taught me to think critically and it made me a better problem solver.
Communication: As an engineer, you will encounter people from all walks of life. If you are understanding and patient with those around you, you will create a better working environment. Everyone has something to share.
Teamwork: This is students’ introduction into the engineering process. You learn that it takes a team effort to drive to the finish line; individuals of various backgrounds and skills must unite to reach a common goal. One of my favorite parts about my job is working with amazing teams across the company in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Adaptability: As a consultant, our work is project-based, so my role varies slightly from project to project.
Technical Proficiency: Having this skills and this degree made me feel more confident in my abilities to work in a highly technical environment, it also exposed me to breadth of topics that I would later see in my professional career.

Advice for Students

Embrace Challenges: I really enjoy the challenge that my work brings.
Explore Interests: Engineering is broad, so take the time to really explore the depths of your chosen major and what you can do with it.
Get Involved: Get involved! It’s so much easier with friends by your side.
Seek Support: Advice for incoming students: Don’t get discouraged! University is a time to make mistakes (and you will), but there’ll be a support system waiting for you. The Engineering Career Center (ECC) is here to help you along the way!
Find Joy in Your Work: What do you want to contribute to society? Whether you want to be a teacher, an artist, a nurse, an athlete, or an engineer, you must find joy in what you do. What brings you joy? How can you correlate this to a career?

Finding Internship Opportunities

University Resources: To find co-op or internship opportunities, read the Weekly Blast newsletter sent to IE students.
Company Websites: Join our Global Talent Network and sign up for Job Alerts to learn about additional opportunities. Apply today for engineering, cybersecurity, data intelligence jobs and more.
Career Fairs: The Engineering Career Center (ECC) is here to help you along the way!
Networking: Traveling to different parts of the nation to meet with engineers and researchers from different areas and learning about a variety of manufacturing processes.

Read also: Comprehensive Internship Advice

tags: #industrial #engineering #summer #internships