The environment was very welcoming and everyone is friendly. Serious and impressive works are being done and it's surprising how much independence one has on their intern project.
What I wish was different
I wish I had done a bit more during my time there, more involved in multiple projects.
Advice
Get out of your comfort zone and make friends with everyone because it's a great opportunity to learn and create valuable connections.
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Aerospace Engineering Intern
May 2021 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
Flexible work schedule, clear goals for tasking
What I wish was different
A variety of tasks to explore what people at the lab do rather than one specific one
Advice
Connect with as many people as you can in order to secure future opportunities
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Data Analyst Intern
May - July 2019 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
I loved the atmosphere of the Lab. At JHUAPL, you are continuously surrounded by brilliant, teamwork-oriented minds who want to help you succeed and do amazing work. Even better, I gained a lot of valuable data analysis skills that will help me further my career, such as working in UNIX/Linux environments and analyzing real data with MATLAB and Python. I'm very grateful to JHUAPL for giving me the opportunity to work with them this past summer and in the future.
What I wish was different
Nothing! I really enjoyed my experience.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask for help! I remember being very afraid of seeming inexperienced, but that is okay! As undergraduates, we're just starting out when it comes to applying our academic knowledge to the real world. Asking others for help shows that you are committed to the task you've been given and that you want to complete it to the best of your ability.
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College Intern
June - August 2019 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
I loved the collaborative work environment. APL is not cutthroat like the majority of private sector employers. Instead, APL is a great balance between working for a government agency and working for a private company. Additionally, the variability in opportunities is amazing; APL has everything from missile systems, to cyber, to bio-technology.
What I wish was different
No complaints... except for the parking situation!
Advice
Make as many connections as you can. Employees at APL are very passionate about their work, and more often than not would love to grab lunch and explain more to an intern about what they do. There are tons of lab tours offered exclusively to interns, so I recommend going to as many as you can! Also, make sure you show initiative and leadership potential. APL values the ability to collaborate well with a team, as well as self-motivated innovation and creative problem solving.
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Creative Communications Intern
June 2017 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
It was a very hands-on experience that paid well and allowed me to develop my skills in a professional environment.
What I wish was different
It took a year for me to be able to do work the actually pertained to my major.
Advice
Just remember you have to start somewhere, and keep a positive attitude.
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Software Developer Intern
May - August 2019 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
The APL is a good place to work, very chill environment, great location, lots of things for employees to do.
What I wish was different
As a defense contractor, work at the APL can be somewhat slow. I would have preferred a faster paced work environment, such as in industry.
Advice
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Software Engineer Intern
May - August 2019 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
Great people, there were plenty of opportunities to learn from the projects available. This is a solid freshman place to intern at.
What I wish was different
Advice
If you get it, it's definitely really good.
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Computer Science Intern
June - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
Gave a lot of autonomy/responsibility/flexibility to interns. They really cared that I was working on projects that fit my interests and abilities.
What I wish was different
More technical rigor/code reviews
Advice
Application/offer process was very unexpected
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Technical Aide
May - August 2019 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
APL had a lot of intern events and I got to work with other interns. My group had an intern challenge where we met interns across the lab and worked together to solve a problem on campus.
What I wish was different
I wish I had done more code reviews and had more check ins with my mentor. Also, because it was government contract work, things were a bit slow at times.
Advice
Don't be afraid to reach out to people in other groups. There are so many cool, totally different things going on at APL and you don't want to miss out on something you might really like. Also participate in the intern challenge!
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Software Developer Intern
May - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
The environment and culture is great; you can always ask for help and supervisors are frequently available for questions.
What I wish was different
I wish I had spent more time getting to know the other interns in my department. It's easy to get caught up in your projects and only interact with the 1-2 other interns in your office.
Advice
Take advantage of the intern events and unclassified talks when they happen.
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Technical Aide
May 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
Working at APL was a great experience. I learned so much while I was there and worked with some amazing people. It was great seeing what the expectations of a a real engineering job are, especially when all you really know is academics.
What I wish was different
I wish I was still there!
Advice
Take part in every extra opportunity presented to you. Go to intern events, take part in side projects, and go out with your coworkers! It's an invaluable experience, take advantage of it.
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Software Intern
June - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
I worked on NASA funded projects while I was there. Seeing all the behind the scenes computer science and engineering that goes into sending technology into space was really cool.
What I wish was different
I wish I was able to explore more things that APL had to offer. They work on some really awesome things there outside of the NASA projects, but I was only assigned one project.
Advice
Apply to jobs you think might be out of your reach! As a sophomore, I didn't think a place working on stuff from NASA would hire me, but they did and it was one of the coolest experiences I've had in college so far.
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Systems Engineering and Analysis Intern
June - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
APL has a great work environment! Everyone is committed to helping you and teaching you throughout your internship, and people are committed to learning throughout their careers.
What I wish was different
I wish there were more women and people of color at APL.
Advice
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Electrical Engineering Intern
May - August 2017 • Fulton, MD
What I liked
Great Atmosphere, meaningful projects.
What I wish was different
nothing
Advice
Work Hard, Great opportunities can follow.
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Summer Intern
May - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
I really enjoyed the working atmosphere... plus there are lots of really interesting projects at JHUAPL, in a number of different sectors.
What I wish was different
I wish that interns in my sector had been given less of a support role, and more freedom to explore original projects.
Advice
I highly recommend JHUAPL.
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Business Aide
May - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
I liked the atmosphere for the workplace. Everyone is so willing to help out and answer questions I had. As someone at an entry level job, the other employees provided so much support and encouragement throughout my summer position.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more time to network with others in the department.
Advice
Do not be afraid to ask questions. If you are there to learn on the job, employees should be there to help/benefit your experience.
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Computer Science Research Intern
June 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
Knowledgeable and friendly employees combined with challenging material made for a summer that was not only boundary pushing and taught me a lot, but it was fun, and I felt like I was part of the broader APL family.
What I wish was different
The program I was a part of, CIRCUIT, had 14 undergrads in the same room which inevitably led to various dramas and personal issues, so I wish that was kept to a minimum.
Advice
I would absolutely recommend this opportunity to anybody interested in CS or applied neuroscience because it was a lot of work that taught me not only challenging material but how to present effectively, work as part of a team, and create projects from the ground up.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
Everyone really focused on helping the interns learn, there were some fun intern events
What I wish was different
I wish it had more diversity and more collaboration amongst interns
Advice
The project you're working on makes all the difference in your overall experience
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Research and Technical Support Intern
June - August 2017 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
I got the chance to work independently on a very cool project involving Matlab, C++, and software defined radios.
What I wish was different
I wish I would have been on a team project - as I said, it was independent.
Advice
Take advantage of all of the intern events, including tours of certain labs.
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Technical aid
May - August 2018 • Laurel, MD
What I liked
The people who work there were very kind and passionate. They were from very diverse backgrounds. The company also offered clubs, which allowed for easy networking outside of work hours.
