Not many of the companies on Fast Company’s list of “The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” are non-profit, and not many non-profits generate over $1 billion in annual revenue, but MITRE fits both criteria. I know that many of you want to see fewer technical internships, but I’ve also noticed that most of the non-profit internships that we feature on weekends aren’t very technical. MITRE, which has headquarters in Bedford, MA and McLean, VA offers an exception. They are an “organization chartered to work in the public interest” through “expertise in systems engineering, information technology, operational concepts, and enterprise modernization.” They do this work through “four Federally Funded Research and Development Centers,” with one focused on the Department of Defense, one on the Federal Aviation Administration, one on the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and one for the Department of Homeland Security. Continue reading about MITRE…
This has nothing to do with physics, but yesterday was likely the greatest day in Cornell athletics history. I’m a happy guy. I’m also a guy who took AP Physics and found it extremely difficult. Despite the fact that our survival is based on having a basic understanding of physics (like knowing how a spear will fly when you throw it at a mammoth), most of us have basically no clue about the scientific side of physics. That’s not the case with the folks at The Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, MD. The APL is a division of Johns Hopkins University, and it’s “a not-for-profit center for engineering, research, and development.” The Laboratory’s work has a huge impact on the success of our nation—they work in areas like Air and Missile Defense, Homeland Protection, Biomedicine, and Civilian Space. Continue reading about Applied Physics Laboratory…
If I ever make a ridiculous amount of money, the first thing that I’m going to do is buy a private jet—or at least a share in one. It seems like the ultimate way to travel. I’ve been on private planes before, but they had propellers and I was sitting next to or right behind the pilot (not nearly as classy). NetJets is a company that allows wealthy individuals and businesses to buy shares in private jets (since who really needs an entire jet to himself or herself?). They also have a subscription service called MarquisJet that lets you get a guaranteed number of hours of private jet use. It may not make private air travel affordable or cost effective, but it certainly puts it within reach for a lot more people. NetJets is by far the market leader, and they’re also a Berkshire Hathaway company. You know if Warren Buffett is investing in it, it has to be pretty good. NetJets is based in Columbus, OH, but quite obviously they operate all over the world. Continue reading about NetJets…
You may have heard that NASA just had what was probably the final night launch of the space shuttle. I was lucky enough to see one a few years ago from a beach in Connecticut, although it didn’t look like much more than a bright light screaming through the night sky. Our space program is going through a lot of changes, and it seems that current funding for some future programs isn’t what the people at NASA were hoping for. Many fans of the space program are disappointed and pessimistic about the future of space exploration. Luckily, the past decade has led to the rise of private space companies that are taking up a lot of the slack when it comes to space flight. One of these companies is Hawthorne, CA based SpaceX, which was started by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk in 2002. Their focus is on building launch vehicles (mostly for satellites) that are not only more reliable, but also more affordable. Continue reading about SpaceX…
Now, I’m not a rocket scientist, but there’s a chance that you are—or want to be. If that’s the case, then you need to check out Ball Aerospace. And even if your pursuit of rocket science ended with building model rockets as a kid, you still might want to take a look. I first came across Ball Aerospace while reading an article about the 20-foot tall, 130 pound rocket that their interns launched 4,000 feet into the sky. That puts my childhood rocket launches to shame—which it should considering the fact that Ball Aerospace “is a leader in design, development and manufacture of innovative aerospace systems.” They develop things like “spacecraft, instruments and sensors, RF and microwave technologies, data exploitation solutions and a variety of advanced aerospace technologies and products that enable exciting missions,” so a 20-foot tall rocket is child’s—er—intern’s play for Ball Aerospace, which is located in Boulder, CO; Dayton, OH; and Albuquerque, NM. Continue reading about Ball Aerospace…
Not too long ago, the only unmanned aerial vehicles were planes flown by women (yuck, yuck, yuck). Now we live in a world where planes can fly themselves. Sometimes I like to consider myself high-tech for running a business on the web, then I think about the companies that design, develop, and produce autonomous aircraft and realize that I’m not high-tech at all. Bingen, Washington’s Insitu is one of those companies. They build UAVs that have amazing reconnaissance, communications relay, and geophysical surveying capabilities. Most of their work has been with the military so far, but Insitu is operating in an infant industry with an amazing potential for growth. In fact, from 2004-2007 Insitu’s revenue grew by 1,702.4% to $50 million annually. This performance put them on Inc. Magazine’s List of the 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in 2006 and 2007. Insitu CEO Steve Sliwa was also named CEO of the Year for 2007 by Seattle Business Monthly. Insitu is clearly comfortable with taking off. Continue reading about Insitu…
Usually when I’m looking at the job and internship requirements to get a feel for what a company is looking for, I’m looking at things like education, experience, skills, and job functions. It’s not often that I’m thinking about security clearance, but at today’s company, SPARTA, it’s essential for most of their jobs and even some of their internships. (Now, don’t worry if you don’t already have Top Secret Clearance, they still might have jobs for you as long as you didn’t get into too much trouble during your college years or before.) The reason that there’s all this talk about clearance is that SPARTA is a company whose “core business areas include strategic defense and offense systems, tactical weapons systems, and space systems” and whose “major intelligence credentials include intelligence production, computer network operations, and information assurance.” Continue reading about SPARTA…
I like adventures. I enjoy heading into the woods and going fishing or, perhaps, going skiing for a weekend when I’ve never skied before (please don’t let me hurt myself); however, I’m not sure that going into space is for me. Yes, it would be really cool, but I have to admit that it would make me a little nervous. I also can’t afford a trip to space. Maybe in the future traveling to space will be as normal as flying in airplanes and it’ll cost just about as much too, but until then you’ll have to rely on companies like Space Adventures to get you to space. They are a Vienna, VA based company that claims to be the “only company currently providing opportunities for actual private spaceflight and space tourism today.” I’m sure it’s not cheap, but if you have the cash, they can put you in space. Continue reading about Space Adventures…
Internships are often a good way to figure out what you want to do with your life. They are a low commitment way to make sure that your expectations for a given career are realistic. Today’s internships still provide an opportunity for students to try out a career path, but they’re reserved or students who have demonstrated an extremely serious interest in space science research. The Space Studies Board is a division within the National Academies (a non-profit organization that advises the nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine) that focuses on space research. The Board is based in Washington, DC and was founded in 1958. They “oversee advisory studies and program assessments, facilitates international research coordination, and promotes communications on space science and science policy between the research community, the federal government, and the interested public.” If you’re committed to studying space, you need to intern with the Space Studies Board. Continue reading about Space Studies Board…
This is a sponsored post. We’ve worked directly with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center to bring you the inside scoop on their internships.
People say “I’m not a rocket scientist” for a reason, right? You have to be really smart and work really hard to be that guy or girl who is supposed to have the answer to every question, because, well, you’re a rocket scientist. Now, what if you actually want to be a rocket scientist? Or a rocket engineer? What if you want to be an aviator who flies whatever comes after the space shuttle? Where do you start? Space camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, of course. Whether you’re looking to sign up as a camper or you’re a college student who is looking for internships, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is a great place to start building the education and experience that you’ll need to have a successful career in the Space industry. Continue reading about U.S. Space & Rocket Center…
Before we start, two things. Fisrt, if you’re currently doing an unpaid internship in New York City and would like to be featured in a press story, e-mail me at willy@onedayonejob.com. Second, if you want to win an iPod Touch with almost no effort at all, enter our contest. Ok, let’s get started. If you’ve read our article from One Day, One Job on 9 Magazine Lists That Will Find You a Job (it works for internships too), you know that we’re always looking for new lists of great companies who might be hiring interns. We recently came across the Wall Street Journal’s Top Small Workplaces 2008, so of course we’re going to poach from it. The list is alphabetical, and we didn’t even have to go past A because ATA Engineering Inc. looks like an awesome place to work, they appear to have a strong internship/co-op program, and this is just one of many awards that they’ve won. They’re an employee-owned engineering consulting firm, and they specialize in the areas of Spacecraft, Launch Vehicles, Entertainment, Electronics, Airframes, and Software. ATA Engineering is all about teamwork, and their compensation plans and hiring processes reflect that. Continue reading about ATA Engineering…
“Just gas ‘em up and go!” – not the slogan that you’d expect to hear from an aerospace company, but that’s exactly how easy Masten Space Systems would like space travel to be. Masten Space Systems is a startup that is working on “developing a line of Vertical Takeoff and Vertical Landing (VTVL) launch vehicles.” You may have heard of Masten before, as they are also know for offering to launch your junk into space for a reasonable fee. Masten Space Systems wants to create rocket vehicles that are reliable and reusable, and they need Fall interns to help them do this. Continue reading about Masten Space Systems…
Kids are often more realistic about their career aspirations than adults are. They want to be firefighters, policemen, and teachers – professions that are in constant, steady demand. More ambitious children might want a job as a doctor or veterinarian – still steady, but requiring a significant investment in education. The one exception is the kids who wanted to be astronauts. Since the beginning of the space program, there have only been 321 astronauts selected. Ever. Becoming an astronaut isn’t easy, but you don’t need to take one specific path to be selected as an astronaut – pilots, schoolteachers, doctors, scientist, and engineers have all been astronauts. Whether you’re working towards becoming an astronaut or you’re looking to have a meaningful impact on the space program NASA has a variety of interesting internships; in fact, we could spend the next week featuring individual NASA internships. Continue reading about NASA…
