WORDS OF WISDOM

When asked, “What advice would you give to students thinking about applying for an internship with World Minerals, Inc.?” some of our interns responded….

Make the most of your summer by both working and playing hard—Neil Treat

I would advise them to remain open to working on a project that you may have no prior experience with. It is a steep learning curve, but a much greater payoff in the end. I feel it is an excellent way to get the most out of your experience—Alisha Davis

I would highly recommend working with the process group here in Lompoc if you are in the chemical engineering field. There is a lot of work dealing with process design and fluid flows and the atmosphere is great. Working here has definitely helped me understand the types of things professional engineers deal with on a daily bases. Plus on the weekends you are free to explore the surrounding area in Southern California, and that is a lot of fun—Eric Reynolds

Seize the moment! When I first came to World Minerals, I felt that I should have known the material my supervisors would talk about. At first, I was scared to ask questions. However, I was encouraged to ask questions and in doing so knew I would learn more throughout the course of the internship. I definitely left with more knowledge than what I came in with—Scott Fleming

I would definitely say that they should have a positive attitude about working with the company. Some students apply for internships because it looks good on their resume but they do not always do their best. To the students thinking about applying I would say that they should go in with an open mind, try to learn as much as possible, and be wiling to work very hard—Claudia Diaz

I would advise the incoming interns to be persistent and not afraid to share their ideas.—Brett Mori

Come into this internship willing to learn and with an open mind. The diversity of the company creates an environment where you not only learn about the subject of your studies but also the dynamics of working with people from different countries, as well as the difficulties people face in real world industry.—Perry Naughton

Go in with an open mind and have the desire to learn and better yourself as a student in your respective field, as you will learn things that cannot be taught in a classroom.—Daniel Umipeg

Be prepared to learn and be a part of a great team. The purpose of an internship is of course to learn, but also to become a valuable asset to the company. You will be doing projects you were trained for in school and some that you never knew existed. Make yourself available and take on every task with your best effort, no matter how big or small. I really got a lot of great experience at World Minerals and I am very grateful for the opportunity.—David Phillips

The experiences and hands-on applicability are so genuine and valuable that it is only of worth if you put in your whole heart and put your skills to the test. It is the best decision that I have made toward my future career.—Mike Hoggan

The program is well put-together, with scheduled events extending from a lunch with your advisor to a tour of the mine.  If you do get accepted in to this intimate program, be prepared to work hard because you only have a summer to learn about your project, research your subject, and present your results at the end of the summer to a panel of your co-workers and top executives of the company.—Jamie Schwartzbach