Hear from some of our interns who have continued their careers with us
At General Dynamics, our interns do real work that makes a difference. Our internship program is both challenging and rewarding, giving students a taste of what it is like to work in the fast-paced environment of the defense industry. With internships at over 30 locations nationwide, we have a variety of opportunities for students to get their foot in the door. But don’t just take our word for it; hear from some of our former summer interns who have continued their careers with General Dynamics as full-time employees after graduation.
Break Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Stephanie Meckel
Senior Systems Engineer
Intern 2014
Stephanie Meckel shared how her internship helped her prepare for her future career, “Just because I was being hired as a ‘software engineer’ didn’t mean I was only going to have one role or job. I was able to see different types of work which helped me understand what I wanted to do. My internship challenged me to go out of my comfort zone, ask questions and try new things, even if I knew they might not work. It taught me that if you are scared of failure, you won’t get as far as you could if you just try something and see where it takes you.”
Jacob Willinger, a Usability Specialist on the User Experience team, who also got his start at General Dynamics with a summer internship echoes this sentiment, “It’s okay to be nervous and it’s okay to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing; most people feel this way. No one is expecting you to have all the answers when you arrive. As long as you are diligent in your work and make an effort to learn, you will be successful.”
I love knowing that the code you are writing or the product you are designing or building directly impacts a soldier and helps make their job easier. I also love that everyone in the office is open to helping out and teaching you, this isn’t a cut throat or competitive environment. - Stephanie Meckel