Monday, 24 March 2008
Getting the Most Out of the Internship Experience
I recently read a blog by Christine Fiori, director of professional and academic outreach at the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech. Her blog, posted on ENR.com, was called “Interns: To Hire or Not to Hire.” It was an excellent discussion of some of the pros and cons of interning, and specifically the integral part that internships play in the education process. She concluded that internships provide the student, industry and academia with benefits that are essential to the development of engineers.
During the recent multi-regional student workshops, Wayne Klotz and I were asked our opinions on internships. Should you do them? Should they be in the office or in the field? What are the expectations regarding the intern/employer relationship? Generally, our response was that both office and field internships can be very beneficial. We both agreed that at some point in an engineer’s career, he or she needs to experience some field work. Interning and co-opping are two effective ways to gain this vital field experience. Regarding the relationship between intern and employer, we both felt that each had a portion to contribute. In order to be a good employee/worker, the intern should show up on time and be prepared. The intern should be inquisitive and ask appropriate questions without being a nuisance. It is important to remember that the intern is there to provide a service, in addition to having a learning experience.
Employers, on the other hand, need to recognize they are hiring students, and not graduate civil engineers. They have the right to expect a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, but they also should remember that this is also a learning experience for the intern. Therefore, the intern should be given meaningful work that can advance his or her knowledge, experience and understanding of engineering.
There are a number of ways to find internships. Most colleges have an intern posting on a board or Web site. Many firms advertise for summer interns through the local university. If you are interested in an internship, don’t wait until the middle of April to start looking. Start your search in December for the following summer. I know that my firm has already been in the process of identifying interns for this coming summer.
I would be interested in hearing what experiences you have had with internships.
During the recent multi-regional student workshops, Wayne Klotz and I were asked our opinions on internships. Should you do them? Should they be in the office or in the field? What are the expectations regarding the intern/employer relationship? Generally, our response was that both office and field internships can be very beneficial. We both agreed that at some point in an engineer’s career, he or she needs to experience some field work. Interning and co-opping are two effective ways to gain this vital field experience. Regarding the relationship between intern and employer, we both felt that each had a portion to contribute. In order to be a good employee/worker, the intern should show up on time and be prepared. The intern should be inquisitive and ask appropriate questions without being a nuisance. It is important to remember that the intern is there to provide a service, in addition to having a learning experience.
Employers, on the other hand, need to recognize they are hiring students, and not graduate civil engineers. They have the right to expect a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, but they also should remember that this is also a learning experience for the intern. Therefore, the intern should be given meaningful work that can advance his or her knowledge, experience and understanding of engineering.
There are a number of ways to find internships. Most colleges have an intern posting on a board or Web site. Many firms advertise for summer interns through the local university. If you are interested in an internship, don’t wait until the middle of April to start looking. Start your search in December for the following summer. I know that my firm has already been in the process of identifying interns for this coming summer.
I would be interested in hearing what experiences you have had with internships.
Posted by at 11:30 AM in Planning for Future in Civil Engineering