The job you start post-grad will be one of the most important pieces in your career. It won’t necessarily define your career, but it could. The average American will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime.
Now that stat might terrify you. I know it seems pretty daunting. And if you think work is supposed to be miserable, than yes, it is scary. But believe it or not, there are millions of people who love going to work.
There’s one thing you can do to make sure those almost 100k hours are not spent banging your head on your desk, like much of Corporate-America
11,061 engineering students surveyed between October 2017 and February 2018 have chosen these as the top 50 most attractive, or desirable, employers. A lot goes into what makes an employer so highly coveted.
The top reasons given by those surveyed were:
- To have work/life balance
- To be secure or stable in my job
- To be dedicated to a cause, or to feel that I am serving a greater good
- To be competitively or intellectually challenged
- To be entrepreneurial or creative/innovative
- To be a leader or manager of people
- To have an international career
- To be autonomous or independent
- To be a technical of functional expert
It’s true that now, more than ever, that people care about how their experience at a company will be. Employees and Employers have realized it is about more than clocking in 9-5 and putting into your 401K to access after 40 years.
People want their career to be impactful. And good companies know that the success of a business is not all margins and costs. It is not all branding and marketing.
It takes dedicated and passionate employees make the companies that change the world, and that takes a culture.
Companies that care about their culture take care of their employees. They ensure that even if an internship is a short time in the grand-scheme of a career, it is impactful.
They are designed to not only ensure you as the employee’s success, but also the company as a whole.
Here is our comprehensive list of companies with the best internship experience, chosen by students.
The Top-10 Engineering Internships from 2018
1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
This should be no surprise to almost anyone in the engineering world. NASA has been at the forefront of engineering and innovation for over half a century.
Everyone knows they put the first man on the moon, but they have contributed some pretty significant advances to the STEM world. These include the first U.S. Satellite in space, the Hubble Telescope, and the Apollo 13 mission control brilliance (see the 1995 masterpiece feat. Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon).
The same way they paved the way for space exploration, they have set the gold standard for what the internship-experience should be. They capture the essence of top-notch internships. They invest in, value, respect, and train their interns to both educate and prepare them.
They offer premier internships, fellowships, and scholarship opportunities to undergraduate, graduate, and even high school student. All in the U.S.
Take a look at opportunities here:
Jet Propulsion Lab Opportunities
2. Tesla Inc.
Formerly Tesla Motors, this has been the most innovative car company in the last 40 years. If you’re an engineer and don’t respect some of the things they have done, you might want to change your major. They have revolutionized the electric car and it’s capabilities. Founded in 2003, they delivered their first set of keys in just 5 years. That same year, Elon Musk became CEO and kicked-off some of the most important advances in Battery-Power, Solar-Energy, and Semi-Autonomous driving.
While it has had it’s financial and production struggles, the name recognition and commitment to investing in students puts Tesla at the near top of our list.
Take a look at opportunities here:
3. Space X
Elon Musk strikes again. Musk serves as CEO of this, now, aerospace giant. Not to discredit the great NASA (they are #1 on our list), but Space X is the NASA of the 21st century. They are the most innovative engineering company in the space industry and their accomplishments show it.
The Falcon 9 was the first rocket to re-fly after its initial use. It also accomplished the first upright landing on remote pads. The Dragon Rocket became the first private spacecraft to visit the International Space Station in May 2012. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket in production today.
4. Google
Google doesn’t really need a summary. Odds are you’re reading this on Google. The search-engine tech giant is one of the most desirable companies for any employee. It has better global name-recognition than almost any company. Their unorthodox work environments and quirky recruiting tactics have caught the attention of many in the job market. There’s a whole movie about it featuring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. I’m sure it’s 100% accurate.
While Google is notably a tech company, they offer more than just software engineering internships. They have plenty of opportunity for Mechanical and Electrical positions. They offer plenty of MBA opportunities too, so if you’re one of these Engineer + Business Masters type, apply away.
Naturally they also have the most intuitive job-board/career website we’ve ever seen.
5. Boeing
If you’ve flown on a commercial airline, you’ve probably been on a Boeing. You can’t think flying without this aviation mogul. They have truly changed the way people travel. From military to commercial impacts, this company has been one of the most innovative and cutting edge in aviation.
From the B-29s made famous by the Enola Gay dropping the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the B-52 bombers, the 737 and 747, to the B-2 Stealth Bomber, no one denies what this company has accomplished in the last 100 years. They continue to innovate and invest in their future.
Find opportunities here:
6. Lockheed Martin Corp.
Much like Boing, Lockheed has shaped the way people move. They are one of the largest aerospace companies across hundreds of disciplines and endeavors. The top-secret research and innovation department famously called Skunk Works has turned this company into the worlds leading fighter jet OEM.
The famous F-16, F-22, and F-35 are the most impactful fighter jets in the last 40 years. They also own Sikorsky who makes world-renowned vertical lift machines such as the Blackhawk and CH-53.
They also have operations in missiles, space, and other advanced defense technologies.
Check out their opportunities here:
7. Apple
Few companies have done what Apple has. They have not only innovated through technology, but changed culture. They have reoriented the way people live. They brought personal computers and portable music devices to the masses. They revolutionized music sales. They pioneered smart phones and the way we use them.
On top of that they have developed a business around their brand better than any other company. Say what you want about the way they do it, but you cannot deny the hold they have on so much of the computer, tablet, and phone market. They have made technology stylish and convinced many people that the style and ease of their devices are worth some pretty high premiums.
It’s no wonder the brand they are makes them one of the most desirable companies to work for.
8. Disney
This one surprised me at first. We’ll be honest, we had no idea you could be an engineer for Disney either. But the more you think about it, they are a massive company that does a lot more than you think.
If you think of the environmental impact of all of their parks alone, you could staff a full engineering firm. Not to mention the ever-changing build-scape of their parks and rides.
Not only that but they are truly a technology company. They tell stories in innovative ways through cutting edge technology.
Come on. Their experiences have to be magical.
9. G.E.
General Electric is a multinational conglomerate with segments in aviation, healthcare, power, renewable energy, digital industry, additive manufacturing, finance, lighting, transportation, and oil and gas.
It is one of America’s historic companies
It was one of the original 12 companies on the DOW Jones Industrial Average. In 1927, Ernst Alexanderson of GE made the first demonstration of his television broadcasts. They made the first Jet engine after WWI. If you’ve been on airplane, its engine was probably a G.E.
It is well known that they are one of the most competitive companies for engineers. They do take care of their employees.
See opportunities below
10. Amazon
The once online bookstore, now e-commerce titan, Amazon boasts itself as Earth’s most customer-centric companies. They are not lying; they are the way commerce is done online. Not only do they control the movement of physical products, they also have businesses in cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
Not to mention Seattle is a pretty cool town. See opportunities in the link below.
The Role of Culture
You’ll probably have noticed that the companies that top this list are some of the biggest and most notable. That’s because the success of a business is not all margins and costs. It is not all branding and marketing. It takes an army to make the companies that change the world, and that takes a culture.
Companies that care about their culture take care of their employees. They ensure that even if an internship is a short time in the grand-scheme of a career, it is impactful. They are designed to not only ensure you as the employee’s success, but also the company as a whole.
So take action and find some jobs on this list. If you think like I did, you are probably saying, “Oh I could never get a job at [insert your dream company]”.
The odds are, there are thousands of other young engineers who feel they don’t have the ‘experience’ or ‘pedigree’ to get this job. They won’t take action. But you should. It might take one hour of your time, but could change your life.
Stay nerdy out there.