Interning at Intel

Most students would agree that they learned something new during their internship, like the quickest way to make copies or how to carry twelve coffee cups at once.   While these are probably not the most useful skills, they are developed as part of this rite of passage.  As one of the largest and most renowned tech companies in the world, one might think an intern could get lost in the crowd and stuck doing lowly jobs at a company like Intel.  But as Colon Zamora, a five-time Intern at Intel explains, it is quite the opposite.

Colon can’t get enough of the company and just keeps coming back year after year. While his typical day may not seem unbelievably exciting to an outsider he “is given a lot of freedom to go about the projects and solve the problems that need to be solved” he said. The atmosphere and culture of the company is one where “everybody pushes you to do your best while trying to help you reach your potential too.” The antisocial stereotype that many associate with engineering doesn’t apply here, where the environment is actually very friendly and collaborative.

Working for Intel is not all work, all the time. The company rewards you for hard work by giving you eight weeks off every seven years, what they call a sabbatical.  But beware when you leave that a surprise or two may be waiting for you when you return.  “One of my old mentors liked basketball a lot, so my coworkers put pieces of hardwood from a basketball court onto the floor of his office.   While he did not appreciate the remodeling at first, he ended up liking it because his chair rolls around easier” Colon remembers. Pranks and fun are all part of the job, and not just for the intern.

Hoping to land that dream job at Intel? Tiffany Peery the Recruitment, Social Media and Marketing Strategist gave some great advice about what they are looking for in interns and recent graduates. “We like it when candidates are go-getters.  I think ultimately it’s about having a solid resume demonstrating that you have gone above and beyond: doing well in school, a good GPA, but that you have also taken on some cool internships.” For a technology company like Intel, the skillset you have is a big factor in getting hired. Taking the right classes to position yourself well, reading job descriptions, and understanding what it is that they are looking for all put you ahead in the game.

Most of us know of Intel inside from all the laptops and other devices we own.  After reading this blog, hopefully you now know more about what goes on inside Intel.   If you get an internship or job at Intel, make sure you look for Colon as he definitely knows his way around after five years there.  To learn more or apply for great opportunities at Intel, go to www.campus2careers.com.