Dig Into an Engineering Internship

Most of Emily Harrison’s last two summers were filled with hot sun, noisy trucks and tractors, the aroma of hot asphalt, watching oozing concrete framed neatly into sections, and getting mud on her boots. It’s a dream come true.

Emily, an intern with Ayres Associates’ Construction Services group, assisted with construction observation and administration for road and bridge construction projects. She documented construction workers, hours, equipment, and work performed; measured quantities; provided computations; and completed necessary paperwork. (The photo above shows Emily on the job.)

The experience has been priceless for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville senior: “Through my internships, I have learned how to successfully communicate with contractors, team members, and the public as well as read engineering plan sets and specifications. Communication and technical skills I learned during my internship will allow me to better compete in my career field and will, in my opinion, give me an edge over those who lack work experience.”

During National Engineers Week, we highlight the great work of engineers to increase the understanding and interest in engineering and technology careers. And the world is in constant need of great engineers. The future possibilities are endless.

An internship is a great way for students to fully appreciate infrastructure design and construction through getting hands-on experience – or in Emily’s case, getting her hands dirty.

What does it take to be an intern? Good standing in your college or university, an interest in engineering, and pursuit of a degree in a technical field. Ayres has openings in many disciplines – from roadway and structural engineering to architecture, landscape architecture, and bridge inspection. The time to apply is now. You’ll need some confidence. We trust you to make day-to-day decisions. Our best interns show initiative and great problem-solving and communication skills. There are no dumb questions. This is a learning experience.

What’s your commitment? At Ayres summer interns generally work from mid-May to mid-August and can be at any level in their college careers. You can expect to work hard. As our employee, this experience will provide you with many advantages. Interns are under direct supervision of a professional at all times; however, we expect you to perform like any full-time employee.

What can you expect? Many interns provide construction observation for roads, dams, bridges, roundabouts, water and sewer lines, and other infrastructure. This provides students with a well-rounded experience. With engineering plans in hand, interns and their mentors review the design and specifications and make sure the project is built spot-on – from the first shovel of dirt to the last inch of poured pavement – and that it meets numerous standards for the built environment. Students who don’t work on construction assist engineers in the office with a variety of design and reporting tasks.

What do you get? Emily sums it up best: “Every experience is a learning opportunity. You may learn that you love the type of work you did in your internship and continue to learn useful skills that will help advance your career in the future. On the other hand, you may learn that the type of work you did in your internship really isn’t what you expected. In that case, you will have learned a lot about yourself and how you wish to alter your career goals. In addition to the experience you will gain, internships allow you to network within your career field and make lifelong relationships. As they say, ‘It’s not always what you know, but who you know.’ ”

What does Ayres get? Having trustworthy interns complete day-to-day duties frees up our engineering staff to focus on particularly challenging aspects of a project. Internships also allow our firm to observe and track potential employees. Several past interns now work at Ayres as permanent employees.

The time is now! Interested in an internship, co-op opportunity, or full-time job? We are accepting applications immediately. Our recruiters are at employment expos throughout the country, from Florida to the Midwest.

And most of all, Happy National Engineers Week!

Kim Ballweg, Supervisor of Construction Engineering, has been Emily’s internship supervisor for the last two summers.