Mastered new skills in an unfamiliar discipline. The environment is pretty positive and progressive.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Cybersecurity Intern
June - August 2023 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
The work environment was really welcoming and relaxed. Everyone was really friendly and there were a lot of fun intern events during the workday. My project was also really interesting; it involved building an optimization algorithm.
What I wish was different
My commute from my house was pretty long, I wish they had paid for housing.
Advice
Work here if you really care about the impact of your work above all else- all the projects here are for social good and will make a big impact on the world if successful.
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Undergraduate Computing Intern
May - August 2022 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed the work-life balance that my team emphasized and the various events that helped grow my career.
What I wish was different
I would have wished for the internship to have been remote.
Advice
I was in a Software Development role and I would suggest getting acquainted with Full Stack Software Development.
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carbon cleanup initiative fellowship
June - September 2021 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
Amazingly adaptable to online environment. Immersive, educational and a valuable experience for career experience.
What I wish was different
Wish it could have been more in person.
Advice
It’s a lot of hard work but it pays off!
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Intern
May - August 2021 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I loved learning more about my field of interest. I enjoyed doing research on materials and using numerical methods such as FEA for the same.
What I wish was different
I wish I could actually be in Livemore, CA in person instead of doing the internship remotely.
Advice
Always stay organized!
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HPC Intern
June 2021 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
A lot of the employees we interacted with were helpful and very nice. I also appreciate that they emphasize how important it is to take care of yourself and not overwork yourself.
What I wish was different
I wish I could have interacted with the interns outside of my program more
Advice
Talk more with the other interns!
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Summer Scholar
June - August 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I liked all the events for the interns. They had speakers come in every week to talk about different projects going on at the lab. They had luncheon networking events and field trip events for the interns to learn about science pertaining to work at the lab, but at other places.
What I wish was different
I wish I had the opportunity to work more with a team. I had to work very independently on my project and I wish I had been able to work on a project with more people involved.
Advice
Go to all the intern events because they are great opportunities to expand your knowledge and make friends
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Summer Student Intern
June - August 2020 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed working on a team with other interns.
What I wish was different
I wish I was able to work onsite, however the company did an amazing job of accommodating us so we could work remotely.
Advice
I would advise that people network and utilize it.
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Research Assistant
May - July 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
Really cool lab! Learned a lot about how the National labs work and made connections for the future.
What I wish was different
Wish I could’ve been there longer!
Advice
it was a position I didn’t think I could get so my advice would be if someone was interested to just go for it!
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Materials Engineering Intern
May - August 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I learned a lot of techniques that I had not previously known how to do. For example, I have a background in chemistry and physics, but most of the summer I worked with biomaterials. I learned how to code using MATLAB, and I was immersed in the LLNL culture.
What I wish was different
I had the best experience working at LLNL. From working with the most impactful group of women in science to having an amazing mentor that guided me throughout the summer, I wouldn't change a thing.
Advice
Network! I applied to every internship opening at LLNL because I knew that I wanted to work there. I also had a really amazing letter of recommendation sent from a previous LLNL employer that had been my boss the summer before.
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Defense Technologies Engineering Student Intern
May - August 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
LLNL fosters an incredible environment of growth and discovery. With all the other employees, access to reading material, and ongoing research, there is an absolute wealth of knowledge at the lab. Interns were encouraged to ask questions, attend seminars regularly, and become involved with the other interns. Literally EVERYONE at the lab was so intelligent and kind. With high budgets and interesting projects, I felt like I was in the ideal location for gaining personal growth and giving meaningful contributions to society.
What I wish was different
I only wish that I better understood my project at the beginning. I had a wonderful mentor, but the whole process was so new to me that I often found myself trying to address the wrong issues or misdirecting my attention towards aspects that really weren't that important.
Advice
Take the initiative to talk to recruiters, mentors, or bosses one-on-one, but then be ready to accept criticism and feedback with sincere appreciation. It's best to be natural and, while still acting with respect, act as if you were genuine friends--you will be soon!. My mentor became much more relaxed and personable when I stopped being so stiff. Doing this helped me to get the job in the first place, and then it later helped me to improve my relationship with my mentor, which really helped to improve my project.
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Summer student intern
June - September 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
The Lab is like a playground for world-class, groundbreaking, mind-blowing science and technology research. The staff are all passionate about what they do. There is a high degree of diversity and an inclusive work culture that leaves little to be desired.
What I wish was different
Advice
Get the most out of the time you have available in these kinds of environments. With such access to published papers, career scientists, and other resources, there is no shortage of ways to learn and develop one’s skills.
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Biomedical Engineering Intern
June - September 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
Great environment with tons of research collaboration, networking opportunities and access to amazing scientific technologies.
What I wish was different
Nothing other than a longer summer to keep working on my project!
Advice
Talk to your mentor about getting exposure to as many parts of the lab as possible.
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Film Analyst
June - September 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
I liked doing research and having independence in my own work. I liked that the lab paid me well and helped me write a scientific paper. I appreciated the time that scientists there took out of their days to give me a tour of their facilities and to educate me on what they were doing. Finally, I appreciated the laid back yet incredibly intelligent work environment at the Lab. I felt that I fit right in.
What I wish was different
I can honestly say that nothing should have been different. The job was awesome and the workplace was perfect.
Advice
I would say that anyone going into working at the Lab should check it out as much as possible. It is not like UC Davis. Only special people have access to the research and knowledge going on there and anyone that is deemed fit for this category should take advantage of the opportunity. Also, networking is huge. There are so many jobs there that contacts need to be made over the summer internship. So make an effort to connect with potential employers.
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Summer Scholar
June - August 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
In the LLNL Summer Scholar program, students are given their own project to complete under the guidance of a mentor. At the end of the summer, they have a lab-wide poster symposium and all the students create posters to present what they learned
What I wish was different
I wish I had gotten to do more hands-on work. The work that I did was primarily on the computer.
Advice
Take initiative and don't be afraid to ask questions!
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Computing Intern
June - August 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
HR was very friendly, had a challenging project that i worked on all summer
What I wish was different
better housing opportunities
Advice
might want to contact your mentor ahead of time to discuss the project
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Computing Intern
June 2019 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
The internship created an environment that allowed students to proactively learn through hands on activities. The mentors reminded us the value in making mistakes because that is when we learn and understand the most - if we did it this way and it was wrong, let’s try it another way. It definitely made the information stick a lot better than just reading from a textbook.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been a bit more outspoken because it did take some time for me to get comfortable speaking in front of people and actively asking questions.
Advice
I say take every opportunity to get an internship experience or two. It is a whole different way of learning and you get to experience how companies work. It is definitely different from sitting in a classroom all day.
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Computation Intern
June - August 2018 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
The people at Lawrence Livermore are intelligent and working on cutting edge technology. Having access to some of the most powerful computers in the world and working around great graduate students made the experience worth while.
What I wish was different
Nothing, everything was great.
Advice
It is cool experience to witness the high level security around the laboratory and learn from extremely intelligent colleagues and advisors. I would definitely apply again.
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Software Developer Intern
May - August 2018 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
Overall, my team organized my project ahead of time, which helped me succeed overall in my project for the summer. They were supportive of my efforts and were always available to talk and discuss the solution I was crafting. The department was diverse and welcoming. The directorate was well organized and always had (and encouraged participation in) seminars and events. Lastly, the lab at large was a great place to be!
What I wish was different
I wish that I took a more active role in planning and code reviewing on my part to help tailor my solution to the requirements and overall vision set by my team.
Advice
Be sure to apply early (usually in September or early October) so that you can go through all the paperwork, interviews, offer review, drug testing, find housing, etc. in a timely manner. Also, you are not chained to your desk - be sure to go to seminars and events in your department, directorate, and throughout the lab. You are not there to just code, but to learn and see what's going on in numerous fields of science, research, and technology.
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Mickey Leland Energy Fellow
June - August 2018 • Livermore, CA
What I liked
The research I did was very cool and the fellowship program included an opportunity to meet and network with other interns and department of energy staff from different national labs and DOE sites.
What I wish was different
I wish the actual research portion was longer; 9 weeks felt very short.
Advice
There a lot of cool, we’ll paying programs like Mickey Leland which take a bit of effort to find and apply for but are definitely worth it.
