Ames Construction

Field engineer

May - August 2019 • Pomona, KS

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Ask as many questions as possible. You are there to learn and employers like interns showing initiative. The whole point of an internship is to figure out what you like, and what you don’t like whether it’s about the company or your major in general, and to learn as much as possible in the process.

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Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • Scottsdale, AZ

What I liked

It was a great experience that has taught me more than what I have learned in school so far. Everyone is great to work with and I was excited to come back everyday. They keep you busy and teach you multiple things that are very beneficial in the Heavy Civil Industry. If you are looking for a forever company this is the one.

What I wish was different

There is nothing that I wish was different. One thing that I looked for in a career was not being stuck in the same setting everyday. This internship showed me that this is the correct career path for me. Every intern was assigned to a job site throughout Arizona for six weeks. We then switched to another job site for the following six weeks. It allowed us to get a look at different projects that Ames is taking on. Some of the job sites us interns got to experience were mine sites, road expansions, bridges, and what life is like at the office.

Advice

Show up everyday ready to work and wanting to learn. Ask questions and try even if you might fail. The best part about working at Ames is they would assign me a task and even if I did not know how to correctly complete it, I tried, sometimes failed, asked questions and they taught me how to complete it correctly. Not only did they expand my knowledge, they also expanded my confidence.

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Field Engineer Intern

June - August 2020 • Corona, CA

What I liked

Interns are given a good amount of responsibilities and can take on more responsibilities based on their knowledge and willingness. Managers and co-workers are helpful and always answer questions.

What I wish was different

Advice

The language used in construction (documents, technical terms, etc.) is important, if you don't understand a word look it up or ask someone to explain it's meaning. Understanding the language makes it easier to know what is going on in the field and what documents actually mean. Also, create and keep your own contact list of people in industry that you work with (subs, vendors) because you might need to reach out to them in the future when working on another project.

1 One person found this helpful

Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Scottsdale, AZ

What I liked

Worked with great people, very tight environment where you were allowed to be yourself and learn a lot. Ownership was always around saying hello and genuinely cared about the employees.

What I wish was different

I wish there was a better way to assign tasks, found myself finishing a task and having to ask everyone in the office what help was needed.

Advice

Be friendly and be ready to make jokes, the employees are like family and appreciate people who try to make work more enjoyable while still doing their best work.

1 One person found this helpful

Construction Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Castle Rock, CO

What I liked

They worked hard to involve me in real industry situations in order to prepare me for a real world job.

What I wish was different

I wish I had more opportunities to go into the field.

Advice

Internships are crucial In the construction industry. I would definitely recommend Aiming for at least one before graduation.

1 One person found this helpful

Field Engineer

May - August 2019 • Burnsville, MN

What I liked

Working with my mentor and colleagues on tasks that actually mattered. I was given responsibility and had the opportunity to fail, but then learn from that failure and, with my mentor's aid, improve at my job. I also loved being on the work site communicating with subcontractors and other Ames employees.

What I wish was different

Advice

If you are interested in civil engineering or construction management, Ames is an exceptional place to go. Being on the job site, you will be able to get out of the office and see how plans become reality, learning the difficulties along the way. Working on a construction site, however, means long hours which can be difficult.

1 One person found this helpful