Real-Life Experience: Internship Program

NorthWestern Energy first started our summer internship program in 2015. Since then, 100 college students have interned with the company, operating in capacities that span across various departments within NorthWestern Energy.

Each intern, throughout the course of their internship, completes a major project assignment that benefits both them and NorthWestern Energy. Each project is unique, ranging from designing transmission line segments to filming videos of employees for recruiting and career outreach.

Of the 100 students who have interned with NorthWestern Energy, 25 have gone on to be hired as full-time employees of the company. Damon Irvin, now a Compensation Analyst, began as a Compensation and Benefits Intern in the summer of 2022. Reflecting on his time as an intern, Damon said he appreciates the technical skills he developed, as well as the personal relationships he continues to build.

“My internship led me to the full-time position that I currently am in,” Damon said. “It gave me a platform to prove myself as a valuable asset and ultimately get me my starting job out of college.”

Cody Liles, also a past intern, now works full time in NorthWestern Energy’s Supply Chain Department and credits his internship in getting him to where he is today.

“My time as an intern at NorthWestern Energy taught me a lot about not only how the company operates on a day-to-day basis, but also the utility industry as a whole,” Cody said.

This year, NorthWestern Energy is pleased to have 17 interns. Each is working on their own major projects, as well as completing daily tasks and making a true difference in both NorthWestern Energy and the communities we serve.

NorthWestern Energy’s interns gain realworld experience that benefits them throughout the rest of their careers. For engineering interns, for example, professional relationships and engineering experience outside of education are extremely important.

“Now that I have actually been able to work with engineers, I have a much better understanding of what these workplace relationships look like and how the skills I am learning in school can be proficiently translated into something tangible,” said Jasen Denowh, Construction Engineer Intern.

Kinzie Quintana, Engineer Intern, deeply values the benefits she has seen from her own internship.

“The experience I have gained from this internship is the best benefit any internship can give you,” Kinzie said. “Having this training and gaining the knowledge prior to becoming a fulltime engineer makes me a more valuable asset to the company, and I will be able to perform full-time engineering duties right out of school.”

Other interns have appreciated their time with NorthWestern Energy as well. For Safety Intern Zoe Doherty, who was rehired for a second summer, her last two years have been well spent researching, interacting with other safety professionals and even doing training exercises with field crews.

“NorthWestern Energy has given me two years of real-life experience that you just can’t get in a classroom.” Zoe said.

Zoe has been able to build many meaningful relationships with those around her. In safety, she says, it is important to be able to connect and relate with a variety of people. Zoe also partnered with fellow interns Carson Shuman, Devin Amtmann and Heaven Dagel to organize a volunteer opportunity and food drive for the Chelsea Bailey Butte-Silver Bow Animal Shelter in Butte, Montana.

This event was one of many organized by NorthWestern Energy’s 2023 interns. In addition to the main projects completed over the summer by the interns, each was asked to organize a volunteer event that benefited a nonprofit organization in their local communities. Volunteer efforts are extremely important to NorthWestern Energy, and are therefore made a high priority in each individual internship.

For Heaven Dagel, Community Relations Intern, volunteerism is a focal point of every day on the job. Her internship focuses on establishing positive relationships within the community and working with businesses and customers during a variety of activities, such as volunteering at the Montana Folk Festival and coordinating with customers about NorthWestern Energy’s advanced meter upgrade project.

“I enjoy working with people and trying to make a difference for the better — and this internship has given me just that,” Heaven said.

Ultimately, that is the purpose of NorthWestern Energy’s internship program: to make a difference for the better. Whether that be in the departments interns operate in, or the company as a whole, interns make a valuable difference, offer innovative solutions and so much more.

Learn more

If you are interested in our internships, visit NorthWesternEnergy.com/jobs or reach out to us at job.inquiries@northwestern.com.