Internships Serve as Stepping Stones to Engineering Careers

Beyond all the obvious perks of an internship (like learning if you really like the job, boosting your resume, and meeting people who can help you with your job search), a really nice bonus is that an internship can turn into full-time employment. Right now Ayres has four interns on staff. We also count 18 current employees who started their Ayres careers as interns – including one who is now a vice president.

Kelley Rich, a fairly new intern-turned-employee in our Denver, Colorado, office, says starting out as an intern was a great first step in her career. She says her internship at Ayres gave her a taste of the civil engineering industry, but perhaps more importantly she was able to use this “trial run” to see if Ayres was a good fit for her. “It gave me insight into the tight-knit culture at Ayres; it not only allowed me to train and learn in an industry setting, but also allowed me to determine if Ayres’ culture matched my own.”

Disa Wahlstrand is another intern success story. Now a vice president in our Eau Claire, Wisconsin, office, she’s been at the company 20 years. But she started as an intern, working at Ayres for two summers during college. She spent most of her time in the field but had a mentor who threw many interesting opportunities her way. “My internship helped me confirm that engineering was the right direction for me, but it also taught me that the company you work for matters in your happiness,” Disa says. “Now, 20 years later, I know I made the right choice for the right firm.”

Ayres regularly offers internships and co-op student opportunities so you can learn alongside some of the best professionals in the many fields in which we serve our clients. Contact Danielle Kretz to learn about when internship and co-op openings are available.