Three Reasons to have an IMLP Internship - GE Power & Water

College goes by really fast.  And for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to know exactly what we want to do after we graduate, it can be scary and worrisome trying to figure out how to narrow all of our options down.  That’s where internships come in. But once again, most people only have two or three summers to try different jobs and companies out.  That was something I struggled with when I was trying to figure out where to do my last internship after completing one in Atlanta, GA with GE Energy Services two summers ago.  But three weeks into my second internship with GE at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, I’m definitely glad I came back

The People – As anyone who has worked at GE can tell you, the people here are amazing.  At a big corporation, you might expect that people become apathetic, bitter, or unwelcoming of newcomers.  And coming in as an intern, you expect that as someone pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole, few people will care about your work or about you.  That is completely untrue at GE, especially as an IMLP intern.  I’ve been introduced to so many people and even upper-level executives because everyone here is interested in what new perspectives interns can bring.  I’m naturally a shy person, but I know that anyone I meet here will always be very welcoming and supportive.

Professional Development/Support – Along with the general welcoming attitude, there is also a high level commitment to helping interns develop themselves during the internship.  The focus isn’t just on what you can bring to the business through your assignments, but also what GE can provide for you as you develop professionally.  I’ve been through intern-wide resume reviews and interviewing workshops as well as more individual strength and weakness coaching with my boss so that I know that I’ve grown as a professional by the end of my ten weeks.

High Expectations – You aren’t going to get assigned to irrelevant projects.  The projects that IMLP interns work on are important to the business.  For example, all of us IMLP interns in Wilmington are working together on a PC asset reclaiming initiative that could save the business up to $200 million annually.  Everyone has high expectations of interns, so you have the opportunity to live up to and eventually surpass them – just another example of the wealth of opportunities you can take advantage of as an IMLP intern. 

Courtney Harano is an IMLP intern at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy in Wilmington, NC.  Her previous experience was as an IMLP intern two summers ago at GE Energy Services in Atlanta, GA.  Originally from San Jose, CA, she is currently finishing her Masters in Information Systems Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.  Instead of interning last summer, she studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan.  Outside of schoolwork, she enjoys volunteering, editing videos, and cheering for the San Jose Sharks.