Careers in Defense

By Willy Franzen

Looking for an entry level job or internship in defense? This is an overview of how to approach the search and a list of companies that might have relevant entry level and internship opportunities.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Georgia National Guard

Jobs in the defense industry usually involve the design, engineering, and manufacturing of defense mechanisms. Defense doesn’t necessarily mean war but defending our country from potential threats and protecting national security.

A lot of jobs in civilian defense deal with engineering and programming, but there are some non-technical jobs as well. You can also join the military and defend the country in a different way.

Most defense jobs are with the federal government, the military, or with military or defense contractors. These jobs often require a security clearance in addition to a bachelor’s degree in a related field. A lot of these jobs are technical in nature, so a degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field is required.

Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Defense

LION - LION is a Dayton, OH based company that designs, manufactures, and markets products “to ensure the health, safety and performance of first responders."

See the complete LION profile

Wounded Warrior Project - Wounded Warrior Project is a Jacksonville, FL based non-profit that aims “to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history.”

See the complete Wounded Warrior Project profile

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is a non-profit dedicated to helping veterans get on the path to success after they get back home, and they're hiring.

See the complete Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America profile

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency - Fascinated by geography and navigation? A career with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency might be just what you're looking for.

See the complete National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency profile

Institute for the Study of War - If studying war sounds interesting to you, check out The Institute for the Study of War’s job opportunities for college grads.

See the complete Institute for the Study of War profile

Central Intelligence Agency - Today is a good day to be an American and a good day to think about career opportunities with the CIA that will allow you to serve your country.

See the complete Central Intelligence Agency profile

Farsounder - If you want to save whales, protect ships, and work on really cool technology, check out Farsounder’s Jobs page.

See the complete Farsounder profile

MITRE - MITRE, headquartered in headquarters in Bedford, MA and McLean, VA, is an “organization chartered to work in the public interest” & they're hiring!

See the complete MITRE profile

Applied Physics Laboratory - The Applied Physics Laboratory is known for is hiring the best and the brightest, and they have a significant College Recruiting program.

See the complete Applied Physics Laboratory profile

Ball Aerospace - Ball Aerospace is extremely aggressive about college recruiting because they're constantly fighting to stay innovative.

See the complete Ball Aerospace profile

SPARTA - If you have a hard science or engineering background that you'd like to put to practical use, then you'll probably be fascinated by SPARTA's job titles.

See the complete SPARTA profile

Battelle Memorial Institute - Battelle has 127 jobs open in 5 areas of focus - Energy, Health & Life Sciences, National Security & Defense, Laboratory Management, and Community & Education.

See the complete Battelle Memorial Institute profile

ATA Engineering - ATA Engineering is one of the Best Small Workplaces according to the WSJ, and they have quite a few engineering jobs that only list academic requirements.

See the complete ATA Engineering profile

Rolls-Royce - As a high technology engineering company, Rolls-Royce is obviously always looking for top engineering talent, but they also need talent in other business areas.

See the complete Rolls-Royce profile

BAE Systems - BAE Systems is a global defense and aerospace company that employs close to 100,000 people across the world. They do an enormous amount of entry-level hiring.

See the complete BAE Systems profile

NORAD - NORAD's headquarters are built into Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado in a way that makes it indestructible, which comes with the aerospace defense territory.

See the complete NORAD profile

Insitu - Let's take a look at the jobs Insitu is offering. Most of their job descriptions contain words, terms, and abbreviations that we don't really understand.

See the complete Insitu profile

Check out the latest job and internship postings in defense.

Careers in Defense

Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Defense

See more companies with entry level jobs and internships in defense: