It has been a few weeks since our Summer 2023 cohort of interns returned to their respective colleges and universities around the world. Each year, we strive to provide interns with mentorship, hands-on experiences and ample opportunities to work on a wide range of challenging projects. We want their time at Hughes to be meaningful––to reshape how they see themselves and their futures. In turn, when summer ends, we often reflect on the many ways they have impacted us. Here’s what the interns’ mentors and managers had to say following this year’s summer program:
What have you learned from mentoring an intern this summer, personally or professionally?
- “Candidates are eager. They want to dig into a complicated problem and show us what they can do with it. Interns are also looking for relationships, not just a job. We had four interns who bonded with each other, went out to lunch together, played cornhole together... It goes to prove, it is not all about the job, but also about the people you work with.”
- “Interns bring fresh new insight and ideas in solving problems. Moreover, they generally bring a level of enthusiasm, energy and interest in learning.”
- “Interns today are much more proficient in software development compared to interns a decade ago.”
- “I always learn from seeing how my intern addresses a problem and I appreciate the new ideas they bring.”
What was your favorite part about mentoring an intern?
- “I love the give and take. I learn as much from them as they do from me. I love opening the door to new possibilities and making it clear that you don’t have to know everything to be successful. That sometimes you need to take chances.”
- “I enjoyed the end of summer project presentation. This gave the intern a chance to present to upper management what they had worked on over the summer, what they had learned, what they had completed, and what, if any, the next steps were in the project. It was very rewarding to see our intern be able to confidently make this presentation and field questions. You could tell there was a lot of pride in what had been completed over the summer.”
- “Witnessing my coaching and guidance advice being taken to heart to achieve favorable results and inspiring the intern to dream bigger and not limit their design rationale by ‘what-if,’ but instead by ‘what could be.’”
What makes our intern program unique?
- “Interns are given real-life problems that bring value to the business to resolve.”
- “Interns aren’t over encumbered with busywork or used as coffee runners. Their work has tangible results and a real impact on our customers.”
- “Our interns are not simply additional staff to complete small projects over the summer. They are an investment in the future growth and success of our departments and company in general. I am looking for the next best fit for the team and an internship is a great way to approach that selection process vs. simply cold interviewing candidates at college day events.”
Why should someone apply for an internship here?
- “It gives them a great opportunity to learn. Unlike many companies, Hughes provides the intern the opportunity to get hands on and learn multiple aspects of the project.”
- “For a challenging, but nurturing, work experience.”
- “It expands their learning experiences outside of the classroom.”
- “Not only are we, as a company, on the cutting edge of our industry, but working for Hughes is more than the job, it is also the people and relationships that you make while you are here that matter.”
It's clear that our internship program is mutually beneficial––with far reaching impacts. We value our interns for their enthusiasm, fresh insights, and passion for learning, and for their tangible contributions to our long-term success. Explore career and internship opportunities at Hughes and EchoStar.