I joined an incredibly welcoming team that was willing to train me on new tasks and ideas. I was very happy with how well Northrop provided accommodations to work from home and continue with the internship program during COVID.
What I wish was different
The internship has been completely remote, but that is not NGC’s fault by any means. I wish I had more opportunity to learn about various projects outside of my daily routine.
Advice
Always try and reach out to coworkers to learn more about what they do! You may find something you are interested in.
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Quality Engineer
May - July 2020 • Palmdale, CA
What I liked
I loved the working atmosphere. It was very collaborative even through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
What I wish was different
Advice
I would strive to ask other workers about their experience and their background. You can learn a lot about a company through the workers stories. I would also have confidence in your abilities in problem-solving. Try your best and do not give in too early.
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Software Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • Herndon, VA
What I liked
I liked the large scale of the company and the ability to create opportunity for yourself. The environment was very low pressure and it was a place to learn and brush up on soft skills. The environment is designed for it to be very low stakes and an environment for growth.
What I wish was different
I wish there was more direction and that the on boarding process was smoother. The projects weren't very well defined so it pays to be a self starter. I wish there were more company events and opportunities to mingle with interns.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask questions and place yourself in an uncomfortable position. Become comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2020 • Woodland Hills, CA
What I liked
I really like the company culture and the work that they do. Being an aerospace and defense company, the work you do there feels meaningful and you can physically see and feel the work you doing being applied somewhere. For example, if you're involved with working on a helicopter, you know that whatever you're being involved with, whether it's writing flight software code or building circuits, it'll be implemented and utilized within the coming weeks. The staff and company there do their best to make you feel comfortable and included in all aspects, whether its activities or inclusivity. During my time there I felt that the company did its best to make sure its employees felt comfortable and tried their best to meet their accommodations and make them happy. As a software engineer, I gained a better understanding of software development and learned a lot about their processes. Working alongside other engineers and being able to get their advice and input allows you to learn a lot and gain experience.
What I wish was different
Obviously, with COVID-19, all the interns for 2020 had to work remotely. It's great that they were able to still accommodate and take care of all the offers they had promised, but work felt a little more disconnected. I know from experience that working in an office environment is a lot more motivating and a lot more interesting. For a company like Northrop Grumman, there are labs where you can see things being built and tested. In an online environment, that's not possible. There's less of an opportunity to move around and see different things. My assignment and tasks for the majority of the summer remained relatively the same, but again, since it was remote working, it was harder to give interns work that they can purely do online. Given the difficult circumstance though, they tried their best to give interns meaningful and interesting work.
Advice
From this experience, I would tell others to not be afraid and really know what they want to do and why they want to do. Some people aren't built to sit in front of a computer for 8 hours a day, while some others are. Always be open to any and all opportunities because it'll allow you to get closer to knowing what you want. In the workplace, don't be afraid to contact other people and talk to them. I found that most employees when they have free time, are really willing to share their lives and their professional experiences. People are an excellent resource because they've done a lot of failure for you and can give you the answers to what they've learned and what you to do in the future. Reach out to people that you find interesting or are in a career that you want to pursue in and don't be afraid to ask them questions!
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College Intern Technical
May - July 2020 • Huntsville, AL
What I liked
I liked that the company was making choices to tackle COVID and that I was even able to still work with Northrop Grumman. The workspace was really nice and I made some valuable connections. Also, I learned even more and I was able to do a lot more work than I was when I worked as an intern there the first time.
What I wish was different
Since I started working during a COVID pandemic, lots of things like shipments for equipment were delayed and I didn't get a personal computer for almost a month. I also want to try to work in a different sector or team next time.
Advice
The culture of the company is amazing, I always felt comfortable to share things that I had done and the team I worked with was very encouraging.
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Software Engineering Intern
June - August 2020 • Los Angeles, CA
What I liked
Great work environment and people.
What I wish was different
Hard to find what you want to work on as a intern unless you network really hard.
Advice
Network as much as possible.
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Software Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Great industry learning experience. I was able to see how software is actually built in a realistic environment, versus just in my classes.
What I wish was different
Since Northrup Grumman is a contractor, all work had to be charged to a certain contract. Therefore intern events required you to stay later, which discouraged attendance.
Advice
Ask questions!
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
May - August 2020 • Palmdale, CA
What I liked
Being fully integrated into an engineering environment and working on projects that were benefiting the company.
What I wish was different
Considering much of the collaboration between employees was virtual due to covid-19, I wish there were more in-person interactions.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask questions. An inquisitive mindset will not only show others that you truly want to learn but also help you build communication skills.
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Embedded Systems Software Intern
June - August 2020 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Everyone was extremely helpful and willing to help teach you new things as well as troubleshoot with you. Good place to learn good business practices/how companies work.
What I wish was different
I wish there had been other interns on my team as well as having more structured tasks assigned to me.
Advice
Be proactive and ask for help anytime you need it. Take advantage of the free learning experiences.
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Software Engineering Intern
June - August 2020 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
Relaxing team and culture. Team is very easy-going
What I wish was different
Remote software development experience could have been better due to the infrastructure not being there for providing a fast and easy way of developing software
Advice
Be open to whatever team you are placed on. Learn as much as you can from the team even if it is a team that you did not initially seem interested in. There could still be useful things you may learn that may apply to other areas you are interested in.
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Pricing and Estimating Intern
June 2020 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
Hard tasks, a lot of learning, insight into the industry.
What I wish was different
The remote nature of the work was not the most ideal, however, I am happy they extended the opportunity despite being remote.
Advice
Ask a lot of questions.
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College Technical Intern
December 2018 • Salt Lake City, UT
What I liked
Great opportunities where you have to be proactive if you want to learn anything. My success and learning was directly related to my hard work.
What I wish was different
I wish the interview with the Northrop at the career fair was more personable and not so rigid. I was asked questions and it felt like they typed my whole answer. When I applied to the SLC Mission Systems sector it was night and day different. I love it here.
Advice
Don’t hesitate to jump in and ask for help, projects, or clarification on tasks.
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Digital Hardware Engineering intern
June - August 2020 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
The staff is incredible. Everyone pours into you and your development as an engineer. I learned something new every day.
What I wish was different
This summer, the internships were virtual which took away from the networking events.
Advice
Don't be afraid to try! I almost didn't apply to this company 2 years ago because I was intimidated by how big of a company they were. I applied, got hired for the summer of 2019, returned in the summer of 2020, and am returning full time in 2021. It's been one of the best experiences!
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Software Engineer Intern
June 2020 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
My task manager at Northrop Grumman encouraged creativity in a very unique way. My summer consisted of a few tasks, but one main, larger project. I had a version of the project completed, and when I showed it to my manager, he said that he had had interns do this project before, but he was looking for a new way to do it. So, he encouraged me to go take another look at it and really go at it my own way. This was a great environment to work in. In school, is it common that every assignment has one main way to complete it. However, for my internship, I was able to exercise my creativity and find a new solution to an old problem.
What I wish was different
Although there were advantages to remote work, I wish my internship had been in the office physically. Advantages to remote work included saving money on gas, a better sleep schedule, better mental health activities, and a more positive impact on our environment. However, as this was my first internship, I would have preferred an in-person experience. This would have allowed me to network more efficiently and perhaps accomplish more throughout my time. I am more of an extrovert, and I place very high value on face-to-face interaction and networking, so and in-person experience would have suited me better.
Advice
The biggest piece of advice I could give anyone going into a Software internship as follows, and it's deceptively simple... Do more. Do more than all of the other interns. Do more than your managers expect of you. This does not just mean do more in technical terms, but also do more in terms of networking and soft skills. I made sure I did more than was expected of me, and it allowed me to not only continue my internship past the summer, but also land a return offer. If you finish a task, go to your manager and ensure it's done correctly and ask for another one. Be the intern that reaches out to upper managements and sets appointments with them to network. Do not wait for management to reach out to you. I spoke with my manager twice per week, and my manager's manager (the project manager) twice a month at least. If you're in a meeting with a lot of people and someone from upper management is giving a presentation, make sure you ask at least one question if there's a QnA. Believe it or not, upper management will remember you if you reach out and ask questions more than any other intern. DO THE MOST!!!!
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Hazard Analysis Intern
May - August 2020 • Promontory, UT
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
Get to know as many people as possible, especially early in your degree. The more involved you are as a freshman and sophomore, the better off you'll be as a Junior. I didn't get hired until I has done my junior year, but I'd been talking to Northrop at every career fair until then, and participated in outreach so they knew me.
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Software Developer Intern
June - September 2020 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
I loved that we were given assignments that actually made a difference in the company and were challenging.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Mechanical Engineer
May - August 2020 • El Segundo, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed both they type of work I was doing and the warm and welcoming environment. Northrop Grumman also did a wonderful job to foster friendships between interns.
What I wish was different
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask your manager or mentor to change what type of work you are doing to better align with your interests.
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Security Intern
May - August 2020 • Melbourne, FL
What I liked
Interns had zoom calls with VPs, the CEO, and other leaders in the company. I liked the hands-on experience I had and feeling I was part of the team I was working with. You don't get treated as an intern, you get treated as one of them.
What I wish was different
We didn't get to have many intern activities due to covid. I would've taken advantage of those events, but thankfully we had many through Zoom and Skype.
Advice
Take advantage of the opportunity you were given and get to know people from not only the campus where you are working but other campuses as well. You never know when an opportunity will arise somewhere else and how valuable the connections and network you made will pay off and come in handy.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - July 2020 • Fairfax, VA
What I liked
Everyone is very friendly and it was a great place to work. I got lots of experience with a tool I have never used before.
What I wish was different
I wish it was longer, COVID cut down the internship to 6 weeks but I am glad they still even had a program.
Advice
Don't worry about equipment, they will send you everything you will need before you are about to start.
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College Intern Technical
May 2019 • San Diego, CA
What I liked
I got really good experience in a working environment. I learned relevant skills.
