We run a lean organization, so they have the opportunity to do real world work, they're not just standing at a copier machine all day. We want to challenge them, stretch their skills and knowledge base. They get to interact with some of the brightest and most experienced people in the supercomputing business. When their internships end, we hope they leave Cray with a greater understanding of their area of interest, a better appreciation of the supercomputing industry, and the desire to return someday as a professional member of the Cray team. Gail Alverson, project lead for compilers, libraries and tools in Seattle, echoes these sentiments.
Interns are invaluable.
They bring in energy and enthusiasm and help remind us that we're doing really cool stuff. Plus, they're productive, and they're a good recruiting resource. Cray Inc. typically employs a couple dozen interns each year, most of them over the summer months. For their efforts, interns are paid competitive salaries for their work. Cray also has housing arrangements in Chippewa Falls and Eagan for which interns pay only a portion of the costs.