Internship Opportunities in STEM for High School Students

An internship at Department of Defense research institution provides a truly unique opportunity for students to work directly with and be mentored by scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. These experiences and contacts could potentially lead to a career at a research lab. This blog will help with the application process, specifically the applicant interview.

by Nancy Rowland, STEAM Outreach Specialist and DoDEA Grant Project Director in Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Virginia

If you are considering a career in a STEM field, you might want to investigate internships. Internships are a way for students to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom to the work setting. STEM internships are particularly helpful in providing students with real world work experience that allows students to get an idea of what they like and don’t like in a career as well as meeting potential mentors who can share feedback and offer help with future career opportunities.

There are several exciting opportunities for high school students who are interested in the STEM career field through the Department of Defense (DoD). Some examples of these opportunities are through the Army, Navy and Air Force Research Institutes. An internship at DoD Research Institution provides a truly unique opportunity for students to work directly with and be mentored by scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. The experiences and contacts could potentially lead to a career at one of these agencies. A career with a DoD agency does not mean “joining the military”. There are many careers with these agencies that are considered “civilian” jobs.

For more information about internships from a student perspective, check out this student's experience with an internship with the Army - "Meet Sohini Banerjee, AEOP High School Apprentice and Regeneron Top 300 Scholar".

I encourage you to consider a DoD internship. Each application process is slightly different. You can find information about the various applications and due dates HERE.

Generally, the applications ask for similar documents and information. It is good to know what is needed and collect all the documents and information before starting the application. Some examples of documents and information you will need are list below:

a minimum GPA requirement, and all will ask for your school transcript,
teacher recommendations are required (reach out to teachers ahead of applying to ask if they will serve as your reference)
your resume,
response to an essay prompt, and
finally, highly qualified students may be interviewed for the position.

So how can you prepare for an interview for an internship?

If you are asked to interview are have made it through the first part of the applicant evaluation process. This is great news! It means you have a real shot and securing the internship. To increase your chances of success, prepare for the interview. First you should research information about the agency and specifically the position for which you are applying. In your research consider the following:

What skills do you need for this position?
What questions do you have regarding the position?
How many students are applying for the position?
When might I know if I have been selected?

Prepare a list of questions that an interview might ask you and practice your responses. Some examples of questions are:

o Why are you applying for this position?

o What might you gain from the experience?

o What experiences do you have the would be of interest to the interviewer?

§ After-school clubs

As you are practicing your responses keep in mind the STAR method of responding to interviewers’ questions. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result.

Situation: Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.

Task: What goal were you working toward?

Action: Describe the actions you took to address the situation with an appropriate amount of

detail and keep the focus on YOU. What specific steps did you take and what was your particular

contribution? Be careful that you don’t describe what the team or group did when talking about a project, but what you actually did. Use the word “I,” not “we” when describing actions.

Result: Describe the outcome of your actions and don’t be shy about taking credit for your

behavior. What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you

learn? Make sure your answer contains multiple positive results. Read more about "The STAR Method" for guidance.

The evening before the interview pick out clothes that you feel good in and are professional. Professional dress for a student could be a collard shirt and a pair of pants. Nothing low cut or that is too reveling. If your interview is in person make sure you know where you are going or who is taking you to the interview. Give yourself plenty of time for unforeseen events – such as traffic. If your interview is virtual make sure you can access the platform (i.e. Zoom, Teams etc.) and log on 10 minutes early. Finally, the night be for the interview get a good night sleep. This is not the night to go to a big party and be out late.

Once you get to the interview BREATHE! You’ve done what you can to prepare and you have been selected for an interview. As you are responding to questions PAUSE, make sure you understand the question, repeat the question if you are unsure what they are asking. Interviewers are trying to get to know you – be yourself.

After the interview send a “thank you note” either by email or snail mail. This is old fashioned but will show the interviewer that you are serious and have taken the time to follow-up.

Good Luck!

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