Name:Sean Jordan

Internship, Co-op or Research Site:Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

Position Title: Software Engineering Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Mathematical Statistics Major, Computer Science / Judaic Studies Minor

Work Term:Summer 2018, Winter 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

At my internship, I work to develop computer algorithms for a graph analytics platform that helps to detect anomalies in big data. In the past, I wrote code in Java that helped researchers analyze a biopharmaceutical dataset that dealt with patients who are suffering from schizophrenia, in the hopes that better data analysis tactics could help determine which single nucleotide polymorphisms correlated most heavily with the disease. Currently, I am writing code that helps analyze data taken from NAVAIR flights in order to help determine the cause of certain cases of hypoxia and other illnesses experienced when pilots embark on flights.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I first heard about the possibility of an internship with the Applied Physics Laboratory from my grandfather, who worked there in the past. In the spring of my junior year of high school, I applied to their ASPIRE high school internship program, and luckily got accepted. After completing the internship during my senior year of high school, I got hired back as a college intern for the summer, and have been going back between semesters ever since.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

I have really enjoyed meeting and networking with coworkers that have master's and doctorate level experience in the fields that I am interested in. I have been able to gain valuable insight from them regarding the undergraduate and graduate college experience required to work at such a place as the Applied Physics Laboratory. I have also thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the full-time staff to solve challenging problems that require innovative solutions. The Applied Physics Laboratory also has a variety of events geared specifically at interns, so my experience was filled with fun activities that made me feel like I belonged there.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I think that I have written long-lasting code that researchers at the Applied Physics Laboratory can use for years to come on multiple other projects. I have also helped synthesize new datasets and use them to draw significant conclusions, which helps further the missions of the projects that I was working on. Additionally, I believe that I have brought positivity and enthusiasm to the workplace, which has brightened my coworkers' moods.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Don't be dissuaded if you find out that your internship isn't what you thought it was. Give it your all anyways, and if you don't like it, move on to a different career focus. Internships are as much about finding what you DON'T like as they are about finding what you DO like.

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Name:Abhishek Dhaktod

Internship, Co-op or Research Site:Knorr Brake Company

Position Title: Project Management Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s):Engineering Management

Work Term:Summer 2018

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

Knorr Brake Company (KBC) is a part of the Knorr Bremse Family located in Munich, Germany. Located in Westminster, Maryland, KBC is a manufacturer of Braking, Door, and HVAC systems for the Mass Transit Rail Industry. As a project management intern for the Rail Services - Brake Division, I work on multiple projects all across the North America supporting Project Manager and their activities such as updating current database such as Bill of Materials, scheduling, procurement and supply chain activities. Currently I am working on a localization process in which I will be responsible of developing an action plan for the Knorr Brake Company to support projects that come under FTA/FRA "Make in USA" regulations. Since the project involves multiple departments and their internal processes, from the base level manufacturing processes, supplier quality assessment to upper level long term planning, I am getting the maximum exposure an Intern would expect.   

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I heard about the position in November 2017 during a career fair organized by UMBC Career Center. I met the HR representatives and since then I was taken regular follow-ups  on the position requirements and status. The career center helped me design a resume specific to the positional requirements since the HR representative clearly told me that my resume was good for almost all available position but, it she was not able to point me in a particular direction. Finally I got an interview call in mid May which and a few weeks later I got a confirmation call.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?

Project Management is a domain which will help you get maximum exposure in a company. A project manager here at KBC is responsible from the earliest contract stage of a project till the closure or warranty phase. After years of experience, a project manager develops multiple skills like marketing, negotiating, scheduling, managing budgets and customer relationship which is what I am looking forward to in near future.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

Project Managers usually handle multiple projects and they have huge responsibilities on them. These projects are worth millions of dollars and when an intern helps him/her in accomplishing a task at a faster rate, I believe it is a significant contribution towards the organization.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

The subjects we choose and previous experiences/projects and activities can definitely help someone land an internship like this.

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Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Friday!