Landing an Engineering Internship in Seattle: A Comprehensive Guide

For aspiring engineers in Seattle, internships are a crucial stepping stone to launching a successful career. They provide invaluable real-world experience, allowing students to apply their academic knowledge and develop professional skills. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to secure engineering internships in Seattle, with a particular focus on opportunities at Boeing and resources available to students at the University of Washington (UW).

The Importance of Engineering Internships

Internships serve as a critical experience for students to apply in classroom learning to a real-world experience. Engineering students who participate in a structured internship may be eligible to receive credit through the College of Engineering. Engineering departments allow students to apply their internship credit to their degree requirements. Available to both undergraduate (via ENGR 321) and graduate (via ENGR 601) students alike, gaining credit helps to provide structure to ensure that students leave their internship with relevant, meaningful experience. Typically, about 80% of graduating seniors report having had a civil or environmental engineering internship.

When to Pursue an Internship

Most often, students get engineering internships after their sophomore or junior year, although many students have secured internships after their first year, or even after their senior year (if they are going to graduate school).

Preparing for Your Internship Search

Before diving into the search, it's essential to lay a solid foundation.

Self-Assessment

Begin by evaluating what internship opportunities may be of most interest to you. This involves understanding your skills, interests, and career goals. Consider what type of engineering you want to pursue and what kind of work environment you prefer.

Read also: Cracking the Snapchat Internship

Resume Building

Your resume is your calling card; everything about it says something about you. Spend time on this and do it well. Don't know where to start? Seek guidance from career services at your university. A well-crafted resume should highlight your academic achievements, relevant coursework, technical skills, and any previous experience, including projects and extracurricular activities.

Networking

Networking is a vital part of the internship search. This entails getting out into the profession and meeting people, getting your name out there, and making connections. Attend industry events, career fairs, and information sessions to meet professionals in your field.

Key Resources for Finding Internships in Seattle

Several resources can help you find engineering internships in the Seattle area.

Handshake

As a UW engineering student, you already have a free account on the Handshake app. Handshake allows employers to advertise for jobs and see your resume. It's free exposure for minimal effort. Many universities use Handshake as a primary platform for connecting students with employers.

Career Fairs

CEE Career Fair: The Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Career Fair is a priority to attend.
Construction Career Expo: Organized by the Construction Management Department.
Engineering Business Association (SEBA): SEBA career fairs are usually held in the FASL.

Online Search Engines

Use online search engines to find internship opportunities. Websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor often list engineering internships in Seattle.

Gaining Academic Credit for Your Internship at UW

Engineering students at the University of Washington can often receive academic credit for their internship experience.

Eligibility and Requirements

Engineering-Related Work: Obtain an internship that is at least 50% engineering-related.
Application: Use a Google form to submit your internship information (NOTE: you will need to upload a copy of your offer letter whose start/end dates correspond with the quarter in which you are requesting enrollment).
Assignments: Complete and submit the internship assignments in Canvas.

Course Fees

The course fee listed in the table should be all that is assessed to your account. Fees like IMA and UPASS should not be added to your account while you are doing a full-time internship. If IMA or UPASS fees are erroneously added to your account, contact UW Transportation services (transportation.uw.edu) or the IMA (washington.edu/ima) directly.

Boeing: A Major Engineering Employer in Seattle

Boeing is a significant employer of engineers in the Seattle area, offering a wide range of internship opportunities.

Opportunities at Boeing

Boeing is more than airplanes. More than satellites. More than cutting-edge cyber solutions. Boeing offers internships in various engineering disciplines, including:

Aerospace Engineering: At the center of aviation since 1916, many of Boeing's most innovative products are designed and built here.
Software Engineering: As a software engineer at Boeing your code will power products that defy gravity and fly faster than the speed of sound. The software engineering challenges are immense, but the possibilities are even greater.
Electrical Engineering: Electrical engineers work closely with Boeing's customers to develop electronic and electrical systems for Boeing aircraft, and world-class autonomous robotic systems for space, terrestrial, and underwater hardware.
Mechanical and Structural Engineering: Mechanical and structural engineers at Boeing develop and apply innovative technologies that shape the future. Adrian supports the efficiency and reliability of 777X wing structures through innovative design solutions.
Product Security Engineering: Discover how you can make a difference at Boeing as a product security engineer. Product security engineer Anna Guthrie builds resilient technologies to protect against cyberattacks.
Industrial Engineering: Discover how you can make a difference at Boeing as an industrial engineer.
Production Engineering: At Boeing, our production engineers use their skills to build the future of advanced manufacturing. Every day around the globe, Boeing manufacturing employees build the future of aerospace.
Test and Evaluation Engineering: As a Test and Evaluation Engineer at Boeing, you'll ensure that our next-generation commercial and defense products and systems meet the highest standards.
Flight Engineering: Flight engineers are essential to the development, safety and success of Boeing's products and solutions.

Boeing also works together with advanced technology on projects for the defense and intelligence communities. As project manager for Ground-based Midcourse Defense, Rayni isn't bothered by roadblocks.

Boeing's Culture and Values

Boeing is a company of inquisitive, talented people. See what it means to be part of #TeamBoeing. Boeing is an equal opportunity employer.

Global Opportunities

Boeing's global presence includes employees and operations in more than 65 countries. They’re proud of their 75-year partnership with South Korea. The most exciting advances in aerospace are being developed today in India. Across 30 key locations in the UK, they employ more than 3,000 highly skilled teammates. And, after 80 years of success, they keep growing.

How to Apply to Boeing

Apply today for engineering, cybersecurity, data intelligence jobs and more. Join Boeing's Global Talent Network and sign up for Job Alerts to learn about additional opportunities.

Benefits of Working at Boeing

Faced with caring for two sick family members, Sandra Lankford leaned on Boeing's caregiver benefits for support. Boeing HR professionals support their employees as they manage their career path, develop their teams and chart the course for career development. Boeing's tuition assistance program pays your institution directly so you don't have to. Meet Ronak, a Boeing India teammate who’s used their tuition assistance to grow his career, studying online and abroad.

Employee Spotlights

Suellen achieved her dream to become a Boeing engineer. Read how Dr.
Since interning, Emily completed rotations in four business units and worked on the cargo air vehicle program.
Angelie has been with Boeing for 12 years and was diagnosed with autism in April 2019.
Vice president Tresha Lacaux landed her dream internship at Boeing. Meet Dr.
Meet Teresa, a product engineer and inventor with multiple patents.
Bo designs and develops software and hardware that supports the Wedgetail's missions.
Meet Jesus Sanchez, a power machine operator in Auburn, Wash.
'Excellence with Caring' is Key: Meet Dr.
Jenna’s career path has been anything but traditional. Air Force, once helped repair our aircraft.
Tristan helps his team create experimental hardware designs for propulsion applications.
Learn how Mya contributes to safety and certification standards for Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
From Vietnam to the United States, Doan learned about our company from engineers around the world.
Tori started her career digging up ancient bones as a budding archeologist.

Boeing's Advanced Research and Development

Discover a career with Phantom Works, Boeing’s advanced research and development division, and shape the future of aerospace.

Boeing's Commitment to Diversity

Boeing's partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund is an initiative supporting HBCUs through campus recruitment, career immersion, scholarships, and more.

Beware of Fraudulent Job Offers

Be aware of fraudulent job offers purporting to be from The Boeing Company and/or its affiliates.

Additional Tips for Success

Tailor Your Application: Customize your resume and cover letter for each internship you apply for, highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the specific position.
Prepare for Interviews: Practice answering common interview questions and be prepared to discuss your technical skills, projects, and career goals.
Follow Up: After submitting your application and after the interview, follow up with the employer to express your continued interest in the position.
Stay Persistent: The internship search can be competitive, so don't get discouraged if you don't get an offer right away. Keep applying and networking, and eventually, you will find the right opportunity.
Data and Information: Data doesn’t work in silos - it needs to breathe and interact with other information in order to tell the whole story, not just parts of it. At Boeing, they’re working across their enterprise to let data and information drive their collective decision-making. As part of their Information Technology and Data Analytics team, you’ll support one of the largest corporate IT portfolios anywhere.

tags: #engineering #internships #Seattle