The summer of 2018, I interned at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a Department of Energy (DOE) lab in Idaho Falls, Idaho (how many times can I fit “Idaho” in the same sentence?). And while it wasn’t my top choice at the time, I’m so grateful in retrospect, because it has had a substantial, lasting impact on how I view the world and how I work in a professional setting.

Fear of Better Options (FOBO)

I applied for and was offered two opportunities. One was through the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) program. It bypassed the lab itself and was instead the DOE bankrolling my pay. Essentially, I would be a free intern to the lab if they just placed me. The research area I was picked up for would be studying the processing of biomass.

The other internship was what appeared to be a dream opportunity. In a partnership between Virginia Tech and Germany’s Technische Universität Darmstadt, I would be interning in central Germany modeling the dust coming off of brake rotors for the automotive industry.

I’m not sure which opportunity sounded more boring, but one of them was in Germany!

I remember going for a run to clear my head (I was also training for a marathon) and make a decision. I would give my decision later that morning. After I returned, it was clear to me that I’d be going to Germany. I opted to give my dad a call after that run, though. He didn’t persuade me one way or the other (I’ve always appreciated that about him), but instead, he helped me lay out some points I had never considered. For one, I knew that going to Germany would be leaving my wife and daughter at home all summer with her parents. That was the only thing holding me back, and it certainly didn’t feel fair for me to do that to her. Ultimately, as she always has, though, she offered to let me do whatever most helped my career and even what would make me happiest.

I was so sure after my run I’d go to Germany, but after talking with my dad, I knew I wouldn’t regret staying in Idaho with my family.

The crux, though, was having two great options. It’s so easy to decide when it’s good vs. better, but in this case, both would be fantastic. That FOBO can cause analysis paralysis. The self-reflection I did on how I think through problems has stuck with me and proven a very valuable tool in future decisions.

INL

The internship itself was pretty repetitive and largely entailed the work of a scientist rather than an engineer. One silver lining is that I definitely left knowing I wanted to work as an engineer. Our goal was to characterize biomass as it came through our giant machinery and determine what moisture- and ash-levels were most efficient for processing.

Energy has also been a big passion of mine for a while. I savored the tours of nuclear facilities, nerded out over the cyber-physical security of our grid, and developed an appreciation for government-funded research.

Finding Value

Several components made the experience valuable:

• Thank You Cards—Part of being an intern was that a certain percentage of my time was meant to be used for personal development rather than for my program. I even won the superlative for the intern that attended the most events (getting paid for professional development and not work? I’m all over that!). After each event, I wrote a thank you card to the presenters/speakers stating three things: (1) Gratitude for their time, (2) my background, such as university and ROTC, and (3) a request for 30 minutes of their time to ask follow-up questions. I would send them off through our internal mail system, and more often than not, they or their admin assistant would schedule a meeting. I met with team leads, directors, a vice president, and even the COO of the whole laboratory. I got to deep-dive with the lab’s most brilliant minds and ask them pointed questions about career progression. I’m still connected with most of them on LinkedIn, and I make it a point to interact with them from time to time. My favorite cards are Opie’s Paper Company (Black & White). They’ve got a great design and texture, and they work for any gender or level of professionalism.
• Audiobooks—One unintended consequence of being stuck with tedious, repetitive work was the opportunity to think and listen. I am a meticulous notetaker, so I’ve always been worried about getting into audiobooks. I love podcasts, though, so I gave it a try. My first one was Zero to One by Peter Thiel. Gamechanger. I’ve never looked back. I instead adapted my notetaking to bullet points rather than direct quotes. You can see my book notes here.
• Networking—I formed a lot of friendships while I was there, but I was also deliberate about it. Plenty of people clock-in and clock-out, never really interacting with people. I also knew I was an intern, so I doubted people would want to form a strong connection with such a temporary employee. I started out by cleaning the communal fridge. I signed up on the roster (which didn’t seem to be getting much use), brought in supplies, and left a funny note (Something to the effect of: “Sorry if I preemptively threw away your moldy food while cleaning the fridge. Look for your Tupperware in the sink. ~Jonny the Intern). That got me into a social circle, though, and we started having a weekly journal article discussion. In fact, I signed up to lead one on space mining!
• Double-dip—I finagled college credit out of the whole experience, too! I made my case that I should be able to receive 3 credits for Advanced Economics Internship. It also just so happened that an economics adjunct faculty member from my university was in my work department. I established a great connection with him, and he helped to further foster my love for economics. It never hurts to ask.
• Getting Involved—I played Ultimate frisbee during lunch, I attended Toastmasters, and I tried out anything that would fit in my schedule. It was a blast.
• Deliverables—There were a few strings attached to the internship including a research paper and a poster for the annual intern presentations. You can read my paper here, and you can catch a glimpse of my poster in the header photo. I’m dang proud of that paper! These deliverables also gave me something tangible to share with potential employers. That helps sell your case when it can feel like you’re throwing a net into the ocean.

Ultimately, every experience is what you make of it. I never regret choosing to spend the summer with my wife, daughter, and in-laws. Honestly, my wife and I both forgot I had that opportunity in Germany until I wrote this. I walked away from my summer at the INL having worked extremely hard and read copious amounts of research, and I regularly use what I learned.