It was an amazing learning experience, both learning about the industry of NASA as well an introduction to Data and Technology.
What I wish was different
N/A it was a great work environment that had a lot of support for students
Advice
Take advantage of every extracurricular opportunity that they offer. It is such a special place to be and work at.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
May - August 2023 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
Amazing and inspiring environment surrounded by rigorous and very smart engineers.
What I wish was different
Location
Advice
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Software Engineer Intern
May 2023 • La Cañada Flintridge, CA
What I liked
Being on lab, working with some of the best engineers and scientists in the world. I got to talk to some amazingly smart and interesting people and learn about the work, as well as work alongside them. I was working on a project so profound - a spaceship that will search for habitability conditions on Jupiter's moon - that I really felt that I was part of something bigger and humanity's push forward.
What I wish was different
Government work can be a little slow and sometimes I felt like I wasn't being pushed to my 100%. I would have liked more challenging work, stricter deadlines and a tighter feedback loop so I could really do my best work and feel engaged at work.
Advice
Do not overlook the science talks. The best thing about working at NASA is the fact that you can learn about the amazing science that the organization does, so it's really important to get your head out of the bubble of your own work especially if you're not in a science group. Open up to new things to learn that may be remotely different from what you're working on.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June - August 2022 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I liked the open culture they have there. Everyone was willing to answer questions, show me around, and was very friendly.
What I wish was different
I wish there was not a big difference in pay between interns from the education office versus HR. Otherwise there's not much I would change.
Advice
I would be sure to take notes in a notebook while you are there. It's helpful to document your internship as it is happening in the notebook and with photos so that you can be better prepared for your final presentation. Meet people! Join the coffee-buddies slack channel and talk to folks from all over Lab.
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Engineering undergraduate student
June - August 2022 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
It was cool to see the labs and equipment that NASA uses to prepare for their missions.
What I wish was different
My internship was not in my degree field, so I was unable to apply my knowledge to the experience.
Advice
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
July 2018 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
The culture at JPL is absolutely amazing. Everyone is so willing to help and teach what they know to others. The projects JPL is currently working on are very exciting and there’s no shortage of tasks that covers a wide range of interests.
I was fortunate to be placed on two flight projects: Europa clipper and Mars 2020 serving two different roles. Mars 2020 is currently being built and is much further along in the spacecraft development process while Clipper is just starting to see actual hardware and is still early on in development. Getting to see two different perspectives has been an incredible experience and has taught me a lot about mission planning and systems engineering.
What I wish was different
I wouldn’t change any part of this experience.
Advice
Apply early. Also, believe that you have a chance to be selected because sometimes the biggest barriers are caused by things that aren’t true. I would also suggest getting involved and joining student clubs like SEDS (students for the exploration and development of space) so you can participate in hands-on activities. These experiences really help prepare you for working in the aerospace industry.
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Year long Engineering Intern
May 2020 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
Interning at JPL has been exciting and engaging since the moment I started in 2019. They offer countless opportunities for networking, learning about the lab, meeting other interns, and engaging in technical talks from highly skilled researchers from around the world. There’s no place that merges science and engineering better than at JPL.
What I wish was different
If I could change anything, I would hope that they could increase the wage to something competitive with similar internships in the aerospace field. There is no doubt to the prestige that comes with interning at JPL, but earning a comparable wage to afford rent and living expenses more comfortably would be appropriate.
Advice
If you would like to intern at JPL, which is a prestigious research laboratory, get into research! And get into it early. There’s no better recommendation than prior work experience, especially when it comes to labs like this.
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JPL Earth Science and Technology intern
May 2020 • Los Angeles, CA
What I liked
Great community and support from mentors
What I wish was different
The internship was remote due to COVID-19
Advice
Make sure to form a good connection with your mentor
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
January - June 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I really enjoyed the culture, everyone was passionate and happy to share their experiences
What I wish was different
Worked with a larger team
Advice
Reach out and talk to as many people as you can
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Electromagnetics Engineer
February 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I love the environment. The people I work with are often the best or only person in the world in their specific field. JPL also does a great job at hiring passionate employees. The people at JPL love what they do and care about their impact. The responsibilities have been great as well. I am only 20, and this last summer I ran one project, I was the lead mechanical engineer on another, and I managed five interns.
What I wish was different
It is a government facility, and with that comes a lot of due process. But other than having to wait a while at the IT building to get laptop issues fixed, I really cannot complain. JPL is an incredible work environment and I absolutely love it.
Advice
I have come to learn that you should not over promise, but separately be confident. Don't tell your managers what they want to hear, but give them the truth and they will likely respect that more. If you are confident in your abilities, you can learn a great deal of things on the job. It just requires trusting that you will figure it out, and some humility to admit that you don't know everything. Every work environment, but JPL especially has all sorts of resources to learn new skill and knowledge. Whether that is books, courses or people, use them.
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Engineering intern
May - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
There were lots of opportunity for continued learning, including nearly daily seminars on a broad range of topics related to NASA/JPL's missions.
What I wish was different
I wish the internship was much longer.
Advice
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Research Intern
May - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed the learning experience from this opportunity. Researching for NASA JPL was by far the most beneficial educational experience.
What I wish was different
I wish it lasted longer! It was a 10-week internship and I discovered a lot in the short time. If I had more time I believe that I would have discovered a lot more.
Advice
Take the opportunity! It was a life-changing experience and I regret nothing about it.
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Science Writer
May - August 2019 • La Cañada Flintridge, CA
What I liked
JPL is a fantastic work environment. My mentors were very supportive and allowed me to work independently while also checking in regularly. I felt like my work was important and impactful, and that I was contributing to something meaningful.
What I wish was different
The internship itself was overall successful; my primary challenges involved living in Los Angeles without a car. If I repeated this internship, I would live closer to work or quick public transit. I also didn't take advantage of the many intern social events Caltech sets up, mostly because I lived off-campus.
Advice
Set up a detailed project plan and keep it up to date, adjusting when necessary. Stay in close contact with your mentors– I ended up checking in with one daily and had a weekly scheduled meeting with the other, which helped keep me on track, kept them informed on my progress, and allowed for quick feedback.
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Atmospheric Science Intern
June - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
My work was very independently driven and project oriented. I also learned a lot about a topic of great interest for me which is not part of my normal curriculum at Occidental.
What I wish was different
My mentor was very busy so it was a bit difficult to get a hold of him sometimes. There were times when I wished I had a bit more guidance and direction.
Advice
Don't tell yourself you aren't capable enough for a certain opportunity or position even if you have feelings of self doubt. Just throw your name in the ring and try for the job you want. In every job there's a learning curve and and in all liklihood you can handle it as long as you give yourself the chance to try.
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Biology Laboratory Assistant
June - August 2019 • La Cañada Flintridge, CA
What I liked
The community of scientists were so welcoming and there were a lot of opportunities to hear about other scientists’ research. It was also amazing to know that I was contributing to Mars 2020, which I have been following for a while now.
What I wish was different
I wish I had spent more time exploring the campus, but I had my hands full with lab work (which isn’t really a bad thing to be fair).
Advice
Make the most of your time wherever you are! Try to go to any and all talks that are available, and if you find someone’s research interesting, don’t be afraid to ask them to talk to you about it! You might find a potential future mentor or even a new research interest!
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Telecommunications Intern
June - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I really loved the people I got to meet there. Everyone I met was very receptive to talking to interns as well as taking time out of their day to explain things to them. I was emailing random JPL employees asking to have lunch and coffee just to network and get to know people. I did that at least twice a week and never got a no.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
May - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I liked the work I was assigned and the overall missions I got to work on. The work environment and location was a plus. I had my own responsibilities but I also had mentors to help me out and answer questions. I got a lot of different experiences with all the teams and projects I got to work on, they were all in different phases of a project life cycle. So I would get to see the design phase of one project then spend the other half of my day assembling or testing a component for another mission. I liked the people I got to work with and the projects I got to work on.
What I wish was different
Transparency about full-time hiring outcomes.
Advice
You don't have to be a genius to work at NASA. You just have to be willing to put in a lot of effort. Just try your best, be open to learning new skills even if its not in line with your major.
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Mechanical Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
So many cool opportunities to learn! There are thousands if different projects going on at JPL and everyone is open to share what they are doing.
What I wish was different
Compensation is not competitive... but worth it for the work you're doing
Advice
If you have the opportunity to work at JPL - do it! It's an amazing experience.
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UIUX graphic designer
June - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
I loved the location. The people were so open, free and loving.
What I wish was different
I wish we had been given a little help or guidance to where would be a great place to reside for the summer.
Advice
I highly recommend anyone who is given the opportunity to get an intern at JPL NASA to take it! It was an amazing experience. If anyone does decide to take it come with an open mind and do not come expecting anything.
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RF Systems Engineering Intern
May - August 2019 • Pasadena, CA
What I liked
Greatest place to work on earth.
What I wish was different
Wish it wasn't in LA.
Advice
Keep a work life balance. With as exciting as the work is, it's very easy to dive in and spend all your free time just doing more work.
