For National Intern Day 2020 on July 30, the internships team is answering your questions! Our call to action on LinkedIn gathered questions from the public on our internship programs. Below are Q&A for students interested in a NASA Internship!
Question: My daughter and son are 11 & 9 yr old and are interested in joining this program one day. What coaching and mentoring can you give for these tender minds to prepare for the big day? Subjects and electives to choose in their middle and high school?
NASA Internships: Our NASA STEM Engagement is a great resource and starting point! STEM opportunities are available from K-12 to Higher Education. Make sure to follow NASA STEM on social media as well! Don’t forget to build upon soft skills and take on leadership opportunities.
Question: How would a high school junior from Orlando apply for one of these internships? What are the requirements in terms of classes and grades – how are they picked?
NASA Internships: Our eligibility requirements include:
-US citizen
-16 years of age at time of applying
-3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
-Attend an accredited institution
Students apply to specific projects on intern.nasa.gov each session. Organizations within the agency will then select students who are the best fit for their project. We encourage you to visit our website to learn more!
Question: I’m looking to change careers and I am a current Masters GIS grad student. For someone in my position, should I be applying to technical internships or entry level positions?
NASA Internships: You may be eligible to apply to all! When you visit intern.nasa.gov you can learn about NASA STEM Engagement’s internships program, Pathways Program, and Fellowships opportunities. Simultaneously, apply to USAJobs for NASA positions that may interest you! Check out these stories on Careers at NASA Armstrong and 10 Things You Can Be Doing Now to Prepare for a NASA Internship.
Question: What are key items to include on a resume to increase chances of becoming a candidate for an internship position with NASA?
NASA Internships: Students apply through intern.nasa.gov, where they tell us more about their education, skill set, experiences, and more. We encourage students to share with us relevant experience they may have associated to the project(s) to which they apply to! We encourage students to ask themselves: what do you want us to know about you? What makes you stand out among your peers? Check out our fall 2019 Virtual Career Fair for more information – be on the look out for a fall 2020 Virtual Career Fair as well!
Question: How do you get an Internship if you are not a US Citizen?
NASA Internships: We have two opportunities you can check out! The first is our NASA International Internship Program, where only current countries participating with agreements are eligible. The second is NASA JPL’s Visiting Student Research Program, where visiting students have secured funding from third-party sponsors who are not associated with NASA or JPL funding sources. Learn more by visiting these programs directly.
Question: We got a number of questions asking about what kinds of projects are available within physics, communications, and history projects!
NASA Internships: Projects vary at every center each session. Once you complete an application, you will be able to apply the available projects for the specified session. You can use filters to locate specific projects that meet your desired geographic location and skill sets. Projects include both STEM and non-STEM opportunities!
Want to get ahead? You can preview projects to see what’s currently available! Go to ‘Preview Projects,’ select the session you’re interested in, and search for title key words (i.e. aerospace, physics, history, communications, etc.).
Question: To the coordinators: What was it that made these interns stand out the most as candidates? Outside of academics, what characteristics were you most excited to see demonstrated?
NASA Internships: Our coordinators and mentors like to see a variety of skillsets, experience, and knowledge. This includes: how do you demonstrate leadership skills, problem-solving, and build upon teamwork? To further assist you, here are 10 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for a NASA Internship. You can also learn more about what our #NASAinterns are saying by reading their blogs and stories.
Thank you for joining us this National Intern Day 2020! We look forward to your student application and encourage you to visit intern.nasa.gov to learn more. Follow us on social media to ensure you stay connect with NASA Internships: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
