Telecommunication Networks Co-op at Raytheon

Getting an opportunity at Raytheon was one of the best experiences I could have asked for as a developing Telecommunication Systems Management engineer. Utilizing my background in electrical engineering and focusing my coursework around communication systems I was able to find the perfect niche at Raytheon. Raytheon’s co-op position not only allowed me to demonstrate my abilities as an electrical engineer, but in addition allowed me to dabble in some extracurricular programming and system design as well.

For as long as I can remember, most of my passion in electrical engineering fell into the design aspects. Nothing seemed more involving than being able to lay out an entire system using corresponding design software. Now, design positions aren’t just given away and in a lot of companies you need to work up to your role as a system or board designer. At Raytheon, I was able to express my interest in design and actually partake in some design aspects. Since I was new to the system I would be the first level in site planning and development with checks and balances up the ladder. This was something I thought I’d never see so early into my engineering career and I was more than happy to a part of that system.

This co-op not only helped me to gain a lot of experience working along and with a team but also gave me a lot of experience in design and modernized methods of system development. Overall, I’d recommend that you tailor your co-op and career around some aspect of your trade that you’re most interested in. For me it was design and I didn’t think I’d see a whole lot of it coming into the field early on, but if you actually take the time to do your research on the company and the position you might find exactly what you were looking for; be it first, second, third, or fifth co-op you’re participating in.