Sandia has some really nice facilities and they treat their interns very well
What I wish was different
I wish I had learned more about the location to find a better area to live in
Advice
Reach out, make connections and your experience will be that much better
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TITANS Software Engineer Intern
May 2023 • Tempe, AZ
What I liked
The job is fantastic! You learn so much through your team. You get to know modern technologies and especially how a company operates. You also learn how to work remotely.
What I wish was different
I think that a few more connections would be the only thing I could wish for.
Advice
It is a very good job to keep during the school year. Not only are they flexible with time but they are very understanding of your knowledge set.
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Cybersecurity Intern
June - August 2023 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
Cool, fun projects
What I wish was different
I didn't realize that most positions require graduate school at minimum.
Advice
Make connections, be adamant if you want to work there
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Technical Intern
July 2023 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
Work environment and trust placed in me as an intern to do real and impactful work, rather than trivial items or clerical work.
What I wish was different
Advice
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SULI R&D Summer Intern
June - August 2023 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I was exposed to a professional research environment at one of the worlds best research labs. I had no idea what research was like so it was very cool to be able to see it from the inside and learn about it that way. I got to help do real design work on a research team and I could tell that it was actually helpful for the team and in an area that is important and impactful.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Electrical Engineering Intern
May - August 2022 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I had a great experience. I was put on a project suited to my skills and talents, and I was utilized well and efficiently throughout the whole summer.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Student Intern
May - July 2021 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed getting to meet and work with a diverse group of professionals with varied specializations. I was supported every step of the way by my research mentor and manager, and had access to many resources as an intern. The internship ended with a research symposium, which allowed me to present the work that I had performed.
What I wish was different
I wish that I had been able to attend the internship in person, as virtual work lacked the personal connections with my mentors and other interns. It seemed like Sandia normally has lots of engaging and fun events for interns, but paused most of them due to the pandemic.
Advice
Don't be afraid to learn on the job! The people you'll be working with recognize that your education isn't yet complete, and will meet you at your knowledge level. As long as you enthusiastically apply yourself to the work at hand and have a willingness to learn, you'll succeed at Sandia.
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Summer Undergraduate R&D S&E Intern
May - August 2018 • Kirtland Air Force Base, NM
What I liked
The relocation benefits, the 9/80 schedule, I went on a business trip with the web development team, everyone I worked with was patient, passionate and excited to teach me. I felt like the work I was doing actually benefitted the organization and had real-world value for the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Everyone in the facility was nurturing and friendly and answered any and every questions I had. They were welcoming and I learned very quickly that it was a family. I made friends that I will keep close for a very long time, and memories that I won't soon forget. My facility (the Z Pulsed Power Facility) was different, I think. Summer 2017, I also worked for Sandia but not at Z, and I had projects that were handed to me and that was it. At Z, I had the chance to see where the facility can improve and take it upon myself to fix it. For some, that may be stressful, but I like that level of autonomy.
For a general intern at Sandia, there was lots to do. Lots of projects, but tons of fun intern events as well. Barbecues, job fairs, resume reviews galore. It was awesome!
What I wish was different
I was the only one from Stony Brook. I wish Sandia was advertised more out here because it's such a great place to work. I know they work a lot with University of New Mexico (makes sense), Missouri S&T, and other great schools, but I don't think they've reached out this far east yet. I hope that changes.
Advice
Stay curious. Stay ambitious. This isn't just for Sandia Labs, this is life advice: Stay hungry and make things happen for yourself. I would also say it's important to know how to adapt and never stop learning.
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Computer Science Intern
February 2020 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
I feel that I learned more, in terms of practical knowledge, in the first six months of interning than I did in the entirety of my college career.
What I wish was different
It would have been nice to receive more mentorship while working, but that hasn’t really been possible due to the pandemic.
Advice
If you’re jumping careers (or starting fresh out of high school), an internship like this is a great opportunity to bolster your classroom learning with on-the-job skills!
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Undergraduate R&D Cyber Security Intern
June 2020 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
Very nice people, very good work environment.
What I wish was different
My internship was remote which was a truly awful experience. I definitely learned a lot but it was miserable working 8-5 alone in my room, and only meeting with people on Teams meetings a couple times a week.
Advice
Remote internships suck but are still worth the eperience.
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R&D Intern
April 2019 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
The work environment and team oriented work.
What I wish was different
More background specific Work
Advice
If you want to feel like a part of something greater and work with a team of experts SNL is the place!
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Chemical Engineering Intern
May - August 2020 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
My manager and mentor were both very helpful and great to work with during my internship. I was able to learn more about processes and develop new skills that I otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to do.
What I wish was different
The internship was completely remote due to COVID, which was somewhat disappointing and challenging, but Sandia made the best out of the situation and made working remotely very easy
Advice
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Business Intern
November 2017 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
Work-Life Balance; Competitive Salary; Flexible with School Schedule; Real-Work
What I wish was different
N/A
Advice
Be prepared to learn and grow immensely!
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Research intern
April 2019 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
Great community of Engineers and Researchers who are helpful, supportive, and intelligent.
What I wish was different
More hands on experience
Advice
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Year-Round R&D Intern
March 2017 • Kirtland Air Force Base, NM
What I liked
I am working in a lab, and so I do both experimentation, data reduction and analysis and experimental design. From my experience at Sandia, I've found that I enjoy experimental work and would most likely do experimental astrophysics for my PhD research. I'm very lucky that I was able to work in a department that does mainly high energy-density astrophysics (something that I am interested in) and that the project I am working on is beyond just running data and busy work. I also feel like I have a lot of autonomy but my mentors are always available and willing to help me.
What I wish was different
Although I really enjoyed the autonomy, I felt like management was a little disengaged when it came to my work and well-being. I would've liked for my manager to check up on me more often, even if it was through email.
Advice
It's pretty much impossible to produce and learn anything meaningful without working with other people. Throughout the duration of my project, I've had to work with people of many different backgrounds and experiences and have found that this was probably one of the most valuable things I have gained from my time at Sandia.
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Research & Development Intern
May 2018 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
Being able to experience many phases and areas of the R&D process. Work varied from hands on in the lab work to design calculation.
What I wish was different
An option to work more that 40 hours would have been nice. It is understandable why that isn't an option though.
Advice
Where ever you work or intern, get to know your team and try to integrate with them as soon as possible. This will allow you to work on many more interesting things as well as learn a lot from there experiences.
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R&D engineering co-op
June - December 2019 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
I loved the diversity in work i was doing. I also loved how I was being challenged to perform various tasks. I was consistently learning new things and equipment I will continue to use in my career.
What I wish was different
my pay was based on credits taken. My pay was increased half way through my co-op to reflect the credits I had earned prior to beginning my co-op. I would have rather been given the rate deserved in the beginning of my co-op rather than half way through.
Advice
Always ask questions. Coming into the lab there are a lot of things that will be new and unknown. Always ask about something you are unfamiliar with.
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R&D Intern - Undergrad
April 2018 - May 2019 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
You have the potential to learn a lot and gain plenty of experience. Mentors try to expose you to many aspects of research. The pay is quite generous, especially for undergraduate students. And working schedule is amenable and accommodating to any lifestyle. If you get a year round internship, most mentors will try to work around your class schedule so that you don’t have to miss.
What I wish was different
With Sandia being in Albuquerque and me going to school at NMT in Socorro, I would have to drive down three times a week to meet the hour requirements during the school year.
Advice
Mentors can only do so much to help you get the experience you want. Make the most of it by trying to help the technologists when your mentors don’t have anything for you to do.
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R&D intern
May 2019 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
Mentoring
What I wish was different
N/A
Advice
Go to career fair, and apply as undergrad
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Year round intern
May 2019 • Albuquerque, NM
What I liked
I liked being able to apply my degree knowledge and participate in the working environment.
