Internships at Intel for the Winter 2012 semester are being offered to NMU students who are interested in working with computer software and other technological devices.
There are five internship positions for the winter semester and two positions for the summer available.
The winter internship will be a six-month, paid position. It will require relocation to Hillsborough, Ore. and students will miss the winter semester at NMU. While at Intel, students will work on projects aimed at researching developing and testing computer software.
Nicole Ross, senior computer science major, and Axel Kingsley, a senior in computer science presented information about the internships and their experience as interns on Oct. 6 in the New Science Facility.
Ross spent the summer in Hillsborough as an intern for Intel and was allowed to choose her own projects. During the duration of her internship, she researched products and how they operate, developed unit tests for software and ran tests using what she had developed in previous projects, she said.
She was immersed in different cultures while working at Intel for three months and worked with Russians several times, she said.
“It’s like a big pool of different minorities,” Ross said. “There are people from all over the world.”
During the presentation, Ross provided information about the application procedure and advice to interested students. Students should turn in a resume to the Computer Science and Mathematics department by Oct. 17 for the winter internship positions, she said. As a request from those hiring at Intel, Ross recommended that students not put non-technical experience on their resumes.
Applicants chosen based on their resumes will be called for an interview on October 20.
Non-computer science majors are also encouraged to apply. Although they are looking for programming, networking and interpersonal skills, students with any major could be qualified, Ross said.
“The whole experience of doing a technical interview is priceless,” Ross said.
Kingsley spent his summer at Intel working with Mobile Wireless to test WiMAX chips, wireless chips and Bluetooth devices.
“It was a great place to work,” Kingsley said. “Being there was an amazing experience.”
Like Ross, Kingsley also worked with people from different cultures. He worked with people from Israel, making some of the interactions challenging, he said.
Kingsley also gave advice to students who were interested in applying.
“Go into this thinking about it as a much bigger opportunity than it looks like,” Kingsley said. “Also, don’t be afraid.”
Jeffrey Horn, a computer science professor and internship coordinator, works to make sure internships like the ones at Intel are well-advertised to students and gives students the opportunity to get the CS 491 academic credits.
If a student wishes to apply for the internship credits, a faculty supervisor is needed to accept monthly reports and regulate communication between Intel, NMU and the intern. According to Horn, doing an internship away from NMU can be frightening for students, but any drawbacks are outweighed by positives.
“Internships away from campus are wonderful because you immerse yourself in what matters,” Horn said. “You come back and see the university in a new way.”
Zach Dowd, a junior computer science major, is working on applying for the winter internship. Internship experience is very useful, if not required in getting a job in his field, he said.
“It sounded interesting and like it would be fun,” Dowd said.
However, the logistics of relocating and missing a semester at NMU is a concern that Dowd has if he is chosen as an intern. As a member of a fraternity and marching band, his positions at NMU would be put on hold during the internship.
If selected as an intern, Dowd hopes to get real-world experience in the industry, learn how technology works instead of just using it and gain experience with something real.
