How To Become A Process Engineer Internship: What It Is and Career Path

What is a process engineer internship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Sanchari Chowdhury Ph.D.,

Robert Taylor

Process engineer interns are enrolled students or fresh graduates looking to gain practical experience to match their theoretical knowledge. Working in a team of process engineers, they will assist in the work of process improvement.

Process engineers strive to perfect and optimize industrial processes. Their main area of impact is large-scale manufacturing, but they may be employed in chemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and even IT or sales.

As an intern, you will glimpse various aspects of the work, from component manufacture to computerized design, lean processes, and creating documentation. Use your time wisely to absorb new information, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

What general advice would you give to a process engineer internship?

Dr. Sanchari Chowdhury Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Chemical engineers are sought after by a wide range of companies, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, biomedical, food, nuclear and other power generation industries, delicate and heavy chemicals, and environmental protection, to name a few. It will help if you are looking to work for a company that allows them to narrow your focus on the area of chemical engineering that interests you the most. During this uncertain time of the pandemic, we may not be seeing as many as job opportunities as we would like to see. However, it is also true that local recruiters are looking to hire people from within the state to avoid any complications due to travel. So, looking for opportunities within the country is a good option. When it comes to job applications, persistence is the key. Don't get discouraged if you don't hear back after five applications; sometimes, it takes more than fifty applications before you land a job. If your plan includes graduate studies, this may also be a good time to do that.

ScoreProcess Engineer InternshipUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,495

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 15.18%

Black or African American 4.25%

Hispanic or Latino 10.42%

Unknown 3.88%

White 66.11%

Gender

female 31.28%

male 68.72%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a process engineer internship

Explore process engineer internship education requirements

Most common process engineer internship degrees

Bachelor's

74.6 %

Master's

12.0 %

Associate

6.7 %

Start to develop specific process engineer internship skills

Skills	Percentages
Process Engineering	9.49%
Process Improvement	6.91%
Data Analysis	6.90%
Continuous Improvement	6.53%
PowerPoint	5.41%

Complete relevant process engineer internship training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New process engineer interns learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a process engineer internship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real process engineer internship resumes.

Research process engineer internship duties and responsibilities

Lead large cross-function project across the business to determine AE's total COPQ.
Lead the kaizen project team in the gel-dipping area to improve the dip pans and gelatin feeding tanks availability.
Lead and assist maintenance in resolving equipment malfunctions, troubleshoot process problems, and organize and implement preventative maintenance procedures.
Implement a PLC device to the plant's chemical mixing room for improve data tracking and quality control.

Prepare your process engineer internship resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your process engineer internship resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a process engineer internship resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable process engineer internship resume templates

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