Internship Reflection Essay Example
This summer with Keeley has been nothing short of an amazing summer. I have learned a tremendous amount of industry knowledge, as well as furthered my professional development. Coming into Keeley I was unaware of the extent of variability that is within construction. Every day looks a little different and can even be chaotic at times. This type of day to day isn’t for everyone, but I personally have really enjoyed it. The people that make up Keeley (Keeley’n) are who makes the culture so empowering. Everyone takes ownership in their work as if it’s their personal business. In past internship experiences I did not experience the personable side of work, and it really makes for a dry work environment. However, Keeley has embraced the idea of an empowering culture. I have fully obtained most of my goals for the summer, but I also have room for improvement.
Within the scorecard, I fulfilled all my goals except for two certain categories. Due to most of the projects being in the preconstruction phase of the process, there was not a lot of onsite opportunities for me. This resulted in less chances to get good catches and complete safety assessments. However, I really enjoyed the preconstruction side and have most interest in that line of work especially in the business development/ sales side of work. For the plus side of my summer goal results, the main takeaways for me would be my increase in preconstruction experience, professional development, and communication skills. I have had the opportunity to lead a couple projects through the preconstruction phase, and it built my leadership and professional skills. I also increased my communication skills in the workplace whether its communicating with people in the field, or relaying information to leadership without giving every little unneeded detail.
Starting out on the projects that I lead felt overwhelming at times. Without having a background in reading design drawings, I struggled at first to identify objects and key parts of the project in order to estimate cost and figure out what sub-contractor categories to set up. Going on bid walks helped to put the drawing on paper into a personable picture. The best way to learn the preconstruction process was to just get involved and learn as I went. The first project I lead was the Ameren- AHQ LL Lighting and Flooring Finishes project. Bid day was a little hectic due to the lack of experience and it came down to the last minute. Some of it was based off the challenge of getting subcontractors to participate. However, the second project that I lead was the Ameren- AHQ LL Conference Center upgrade. This one went much smoother and had a lot more subcontractor participation. We were able to offer a price deduct on this job with combining project leaders, and we were awarded the job the day after submittal. This was a rare case to have a project awarded to us the day after it was due but was exciting for all that worked on it. Leading the beginning steps of a project and winning it was one of the personal goals I had for the summer, so it was cool to see it all come together.
Another project that I worked on was putting together an estimating tool through excel. This tool contains all the man hours that it takes for each different task within its material category. I worked to build these excel sheets and enter correct man hours into each category for project duration. This will be used to know what the safe and effective time span to complete each task is, coordinating with the proper CSI code. I learned some new excel short cuts and tricks through this process.
Other than the construction side of work, I was able to get some other great experience. One of the events I had the opportunity to volunteer at was the Good Sheppard golf tournament. I spent the day assisting the volunteer team with the concessions stand cooking and serving attendees. This was a great experience to see how selfless these people were when helping others. I also got the opportunity to meet with the Industrial Business Development lead Chris Arb and an electrical partner from Guarantee Electric. However, one of my favorite things I did this summer was attending a cardinals baseball game in a suite with the leadership team. I spent an evening with leadership meeting with a potential new customer for an extensive project, selling our business. This was interesting to see how important it is to work on making new and strengthening relationships with partners and customers. That event really displayed the customer centric aspect of the business.
Many of these skills and experiences I have had this summer are very applicable for my future, whether that’s in school or the career path that I decide to take. One of the biggest learning takeaways non work specific would be getting involved and leading something without being intimidated or scared. Doing something completely new was nerve racking for me at first with the worry of messing something up but was the best way to learn and develop myself.
The culture here at Keeley is very different than most, and I believe that is what is the most surprising aspect that I had starting out with this internship. The people that I worked with this summer really had the biggest impact on what I was able to learn, and the goals I was able to achieve. If there is anything that I think could improve, it would have to be maybe more interaction outside the workplace. The happy hour we had with the interns at the beginning, and the one I had with our industrial group really was a great time to have more of the relaxed career growth discussions. I also feel that events like that really help people to develop soft skills and learn to communicate in more of an effective way after knowing their peers on a personable level.
I can’t thank the people here enough, especially the ones within the Industrial group that made this summer the best it could be. I am truly grateful for this internship experience.
