"Do I Even Belong?": Internships as Gendered Career Socialization Experiences in Engineering

Although many engineering students participate in industry internships during their bachelor's programs, few studies have examined how students with minoritized gender identities experience these roles. To better understand internships as early career socialization experiences, we recruited undergraduate women in engineering to examine how internships influence their career development and goals. Using narrative inquiry in a longitudinal qualitative research design, we facilitated data collection through visual timelines, semistructured interviews, and real-time journal entries with 24 undergraduate students with minoritized gender identities at a large public research university. We applied newcomer adjustment theory and feminist standpoint theory as a conceptual framework to guide analysis and interpretation. Synthesizing stories across multiple qualitative data sources, the findings include five major themes: recognizing and building hard and soft skills; clarification of career interests; managerial and organizational support; navigation of gender, age, and racial dynamics; and access to future professional opportunities. We conclude by offering critical implications for policy and practice, including how corporations and colleges can facilitate positive and productive internship experiences that effectively support students' development as engineers and combat the reproduction of hostile gender dynamics.