<p>I just saw the list of companies that are interviewing on campus for co-ops. Some will interview freshmen. </p>
<p>Interview sign ups started yesterday and there was a record turn-out by students. However, there are still about 15 companies that still have interview spots open.</p>
<p>BTW: Learned this when I was in grad school: Contact the businesses in advance. If they want to see you, they may schedule private interviews (before or after the scheduled times, at the hotel if they are coming the day before, or leaving the next day, etc.</p>
<p>Gotta say I’m a bit underwhelmed by the list of companies interviewing on campus. M2CK mentions all the high tech companies in Huntsville, yet only one is on this list. What about Boeing, Northrop, Lockheed, and all the other big guys? Do they not recruit at UA?</p>
<p>Yes, they recruit, they do internships and they do co-ops. My H has done recruiting at Bama. BTW…I know that one of them LOVES NMFs. </p>
<p>Which list are you looking at? The original one or the shorter one (those who still have interview spots)</p>
<p>That said, it’s too early for these big companies to be doing summer internships. They don’t know their summer budgets yet…and they won’t interview for summer until next Spring.</p>
<p>The Tech & Engineering Fair is in February… The big companies are definitely there.</p>
<p>Technical & Engineering Career Fair
February 21, 2013
Location: Bryant Conference Center</p>
<p>^ the list under your link in post #3. Click Student Info, then Companies Attending.</p>
<p>Good to know the big guys actively recruit on campus. DS wasn’t NMF, but had similar stats. As a freshman he has no GPA yet, but so far so good. Lowest test score so far is 95. Kid has never had a B in his live, so we expect the same success from him. He’s also very involved in several activities. Hopefully we can get your H to meet with him someday 
Maybe he would like some NY flavor at his company. Or at least some height for the company basketball team.</p>
<p>I know that my H’s company really likes the Bama eng’g grads that they’ve hired. Some of the Auburn grads have had to “grudgingly” admit that the Bama grads have been excellent. lol</p>
<p>Mom2, do you know if these summer internships at the fair are for only the Tuscaloosa area or Alabama, or are there bigger companies there looking for interns for other areas of the country too? (I’m selfish, I would like my college freshman to work near home at least for the 1st summer.) Also at parent/freshman orientation, I know I talked to someone from UA who helps set up internships; when I asked her, she said her department has a large reach and they could possibly help find something in the Chicago/Milwaukee area where we are from. I just can’t remember her department…can you tell me what department this might be? Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>To be honest, if you want your frosh to have a summer internship, you can’t put limitations…many companies don’t hire frosh.</p>
<p>* she said her department has a large reach and they could possibly help find something in the Chicago/Milwaukee area*</p>
<p>As for that person…was she in the Eng’g dept? If so, you might contact the people I listed upthread to find out who she might be.</p>
<p>If you find out, please let us know…many of us would be interested.</p>
<p>?? Was she in the Career Center?</p>
<p>^ I get that. We’re just looking down the road.</p>
<p>One entity that does hire frosh Engineers is the US Army. If you have a base near you, then go to the employment website online…usually the “summer app” window is about a month before Easter. </p>
<p>BTW…Redstone Arsenol gives a $3 an hour bonus to eng’g NMFs. </p>
<p>Some of the companies that I know hire Bama interns…</p>
<p>NASA
Boeing
Miltec
Raytheon
SAIC
Benchmark
US Army</p>
<p>There are many more, but these are the ones that I’m most familiar with.</p>
<p>I am not sure what department I talked to about internships…they were set up in the Ferg with all the other groups during orientation. It might have been the career center. I know whoever I talked to was very nice, and very excited that my son is a CS major…she said there were normally jobs/internships for those in CS. I will have to look through my bag of stuff I got during orientation and hopefully I can find her card.</p>
<p>As for the terminology regarding co-ops and internships, an internship is generally a summer-only or one semester job. Co-ops are generally for multiple terms and involve alternating terms between work and school. Summer jobs are those open to those other than college and high school students.</p>
<p>Especially for internships and co-ops, apply widely and see which companies are interested. You may get an internship or co-op offer that is different from what you originally expected, but will be an excellent opportunity for you.</p>
<p>Also, in looking for internships, beggars can’t be choosers. Unless you have an “in”, ie, a neighbor or relative working for the company you want to work for, chances are you’ll be lost in the thousands of other people applying for the position you’re looking at, especially those that require online app. Being a minority or a female or having military experience, or a relative with military experience, is a definite plus. You may wind up doing something you had no interest in at the outset, even something as “lowly” as picking garbage up off the side of the highway, but you’ve got to get that first job under your belt. And while you may not learn any book smarts at this job, the life experience and maturity you will gain from doing it will be invaluable.</p>