Unit 2 On the Job

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The experience that is shaping the rest of my life

By Hannah Hoag

Every spring millions of university students look for summer work. Some work in retail, others in the service industry, but those curious about science careers can find themselves redesigning mirrors for the Hubble Space Telescope, developing drugs or testing components of a particle accelerator. Internships exist in all sectors, from academic and research institutions to government laboratories to industry campuses.

A summer internship is a great way to get experience in a variety of settings. Students make valuable contacts, learn about lab culture or alternative careers, and may even get published. Moreover, undergraduates get a chance to try out academia or industry before taking the leap to graduate school.

Undergraduates often use the chance to explore research. Most research vacancies are found in academia or at centres such as the Harvard Stem Cell Institute or the Department of Energy's Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. These programs are mostly intended for undergraduates in their third and fourth years. "It tells them whether or not they are interested in doing research in astronomy or astrophysics, or whether they are interested in research at all," says the director of the summer internship program at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Students there may spend their summer analyzing data from X-ray satellites or looking for gas emissions from galactic clusters.

At NASA, summer students can participate in lab work at different research centres across the country. "One of NASA's missions is to inspire the next generation of explorers," says Dave Rosage, director of the NASA Academy and the NASA Robotics Academy at Goddard Space Flight Center, near Washington DC. Undergraduates in the summer research program have a chance to conduct high-risk cutting-edge research.

Interns work on research problems three days a week, with Thursdays and Fridays set aside for lectures, group project work and field trips to other NASA centres.

Abbott Laboratories in Illinois also brings graduates and undergraduates to its campus each summer to identify talented individuals, with the intention of hiring them as full-time employees. “Students leave with meaningful and transferable work experience”, says Christi Lehner, director of college relations.

In addition to research experience, summer internships are full of perks, which students may want to consider when choosing a program. Lunch-and-learn sessions offer students a chance to interact with principle investigators, program directors or vice-presidents.

"You can navigate your way through the organization once you have got through the door as an intern," says Lehner. "It opens up future positions throughout the company."

Most internships provide a window into research culture. At the end of the summer, the majority of students must present the fruits of their labours. It might be a poster for staff and parents or a presentation for board members.

Students often find themselves as co-authors on journal articles. Besides, choosing a supervisor for the final-year thesis is significantly easier when they can go into a meeting and talk about their summer research, list the techniques that they know and give a presentation.

An internship may provide a chance to try out an alternative career. At Jackson Laboratory, science students with an interest in writing can join the lab's public-relations staff for the summer. “They enjoy communicating and translating science to the general population," says Geiger. All in all, the experience and relationships gained from an internship can bring young scientists closer to achieving their dream jobs.