10 Things to Know About Interning at Shure
Having rocked the rigorous application process for summer internships at Shure, five of our 2015 summer interns paused in their work long enough to share their impressions of the Shure experience.
If you're considering applying for a Shure internship or know someone who should apply, you'll want to learn from the pros what it's like once the "Woo-hoo!" of the offer fades and the "To-Do" of the summer begins. Let me introduce you first…
Bobby Caldrone, Accounting Intern
Samantha Cramer, Supply Planning Intern
Abbey Kennedy, Global Market Research & Analysis Intern
Justice Reed, RF Wireless & Circuitry Intern
Joe Schoolcraft, Audio Electronics Design Intern
#1 How did you find a place to live in the Chicago area during your internship?
I found my place online. I lived in an apartment in Rogers Park. It's a great location. It was only a short drive to work, close to the beach, and close to transportation to downtown Chicago. Shure made it easy to connect with other interns to see where they were planning on living. Shure also helped locate good communities to live in.
#2 What's it like to walk into Shure fresh and new? How did people treat you?
Any nerves I had quickly subsided when I met the other interns starting that day. Everyone was "good people," and by that I mean people were truly interested in getting to know one another. The associates I met instantly made me feel like I was part of the team. Everyone was interested in the work I was going to be doing over the summer. Each of them took the time to explain their position in the company so I could really get a feel for the opportunities I would have at Shure.
#3 What is your typical day like from start to finish?
I bike to work, and I shower in the locker room Shure has onsite. By 8:30, I go to my desk and check email. Then I get rolling on whatever project I'm working on that day. I take a snack break around 10, then lunch at noon. I get an hour break for lunch, but I usually don't use all of it. I bring lunch, but another good alternative is the Shure Cafe. They make great food, and it's very reasonably priced. Generally I'll eat with a former intern who is now a full-time associate. After lunch it's back to work, which consists of a lot of soldering and de-soldering parts, using audio analyzers, oscilloscopes, and other test equipment, and just doing whatever the senior engineers ask me to do (tech stuff, not getting coffee and bagels). I'm out the door between 4 and 5 PM most days. Some days I'll stay late and get a few extra hours in if I have a lot to do.
#4 How does your manager set expectations for you?
My manager checks in with me on a daily basis to see where I stand on the projects and tasks that I've been assigned. (I have deadlines that I have to meet.) Once I got oriented, my manager gave me an overview of the projects I'd be working on and asked me if there was anything additional that I would like to do during my time here.
#5 What is your favorite part of your job?
I think my favorite part of what I get to do is designing things that accomplish something. The thing that drew me to engineering was the design process, and it has been really cool to be able to create and implement things that have a tangible impact on our products and processes.
#6 What's the social life like for interns?
Many interns will eat lunch together, whether we bring lunch or go out. We get together occasionally outside of work hours as well. Shure plans several intern outings and events. One of the mainstays is an annual intern and manager Cubs game every June, where we all take a half-day to enjoy a game together.
#7 How does your internship compare to that of your friends outside of Shure in terms of roles and compensation?
My friends have internships all over the country for a variety of companies. My compensation is either the same or higher than a lot of my friends, so I'm pretty pleased with that, especially the stipend for housing [editor's note: the housing stipend is available only for out-of-town interns]. As for roles, you hear horror stories about interns having nothing to do or being assigned tedious tasks like getting coffee or filing. At Shure it feels great to be working on projects every day that I know directly help the business and its associates.
#8 What surprised you the most about your internship?
The most unexpected thing for me about this internship is how much my work can make an impact. I come in and have to do things that really can make a difference and help others with their jobs.
#9 What are you hoping to accomplish by the time your internship ends?
I have one big project that will last all summer. It's a neat project because I get to work with people outside of my department. As with any big project, though, there is downtime while waiting for other departments and companies to get back to me. Fortunately, there are always a lot of side projects to work on, and this keeps me busy. I hope to have my main project wrapped up and ready for testing, and to have done a lot of useful side projects, by the time summer ends.
#10 What are you learning from your internship that will help you in your first job?
I've learned so much working for Shure. I've learned more about accounting from real-world experience than from any class, as well as the technology behind it all. In addition, I am learning how to interact with a diverse group of people and adapt to people who have different personalities. I think this internship has made me completely ready for my first job.
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