Gaining real-world tech experience as an intern at Intel Finland

Meet Juuso Kuusinen, an Intel Finland intern currently working for the Emerging Growth and Incubation (EGI) organization. Recently, we chatted with Juuso and heard about his experience as a hardware team intern and how he thinks Intel stands out for tech students looking for real-world exposure to cutting-edge technology.

How did you start your Intel journey?
I saw an open position for an intern, applied, and got accepted. It was a weird feeling walking into the empty office for the first time. Thankfully Intel has this buddy program, so there was someone to show me around. The first weeks went by with organized remote onboarding for all new employees in Europe.

What did the onboarding process look like?

We had a lot of internal training covering the code of conduct and the other key company policies. Onboarding was organized at the regional level, so we had multiple virtual meetings with employees from all around Europe. We had HR contacts who helped in the beginning. All in all, I was happy with how well the remote onboarding went.

What is your team responsible for?

EGI’s mission is to create an environment to identify, incubate and scale new billion-dollar businesses leveraging Intel’s competitive advantages. This innovative environment and start-up oriented culture is a critical engine for Intel’s future growth. Working here has enabled me to become familiar with all aspects of product development, not just drawing schematics for a design that you will never see.

What is your role?

I am an intern on the hardware team and, more specifically, electronic engineering. This fits well with my unique background, and I have also been doing mechanical and software engineering during my time here. As well as working on some typical intern tasks, I’ve actually had the chance to get involved with the design as well.

What surprised you the most about this experience?

I was prepared to be treated as ‘the summer intern’, and it surprised me that I got to do meaningful work and participate in the design process. Also, a good attitude and performance is rewarded, and everyone is encouraged to do their best work. That is not the case in many Finnish companies, where sub-par commitment is often rewarded equally.

What are your plans for the future?

I’ll try to keep working and studying for my Masters degree at the same time. Thankfully, Intel is supportive of flexible arrangements. And I might want to transition to the software side in future.

Why should young engineers be interested in working at Intel?

If you are someone like me who doesn’t quite know how to choose an engineering field, that’s not a problem. Intel does it all. You can see what the work is all about, and if, for example, you don’t like mechanics, you can begin to transition to a field that interests you more.

What do you want to learn from your Intel internship?

As much as I possibly can. And not only gaining technical knowledge, but proper project management, agile software development, design validation, to name but a few. These internships are longer than usual so you can get more out of them.

What would you say to someone considering an internship at Intel?

Go for it! Intel is one of the best places to get real work experience early on. Your schedule is flexible, and you can juggle better with classes and exams. You will also gain valuable experience from a global environment. A top tech company is a great place to start a career—and Intel is a case in point.

Interested in joining us? Check out all jobs at Intel Finland.