You made the choice and took the classes. You grasped the knowledge of materials, mechanical and electrical systems, and construction methods and planning. Through it all, you developed a solid foundation in your mind. It’s time to find out if the foundation in your head can put a foundation in the ground. But where are you going to look for that internship where you can prove your mettle?
Begin with a quick internet search for “construction company internship” will yield almost 3 million results. These companies want to ensure that their future workers are entering their sites well-prepared, and by providing supervised field experience, interning with a construction company will introduce you to the needs of a tangible project. Internships are supervised, so you will be able to learn a tremendous amount from those who guide you through your internship, even in just the few months you will be involved in the project. Internships with larger corporations also have the benefit of bringing in multiple students for a given internship session, allowing you to work and learn side-by-side with your peers, allowing you to build up the kinds of interpersonal working skills which cannot always be taught in the classroom.
Some companies also include what are called co-operative education programs, which require you stay with the company longer, but having that extra experience is also an advantage after you are finished. If you are looking to apply a wide set of your construction management skills in a co-operative educational setting, see if the prospective company offers rotations, since those will introduce you to multiple sections of the construction management field and help you to find out if there is a particular section of construction management you like the most.
As you familiarize yourself with the company you are working for, there is also an improved chance that your internship or co-operative experience will lead to direct job placement within the company. There are companies that have up to a ninety percent retention and placement rate for their interns.
There are also internships available through individual general contractors for students. Though there can be a lot of paperwork involved, gaining exposure to working at the construction site itself and the behind-the-scenes office-work required to run a contractor’s business will be beneficial to you and help increase your knowledge of the types of contracts and order forms you will encounter in your construction management career. Exposure to the office of a contractor also often includes the process of working directly with clients in the planning and implementation processes of a project. Though it requires time away from the construction site to write emails, place phone calls, and arrange meetings, having a firm understanding of the client-contractor relationship will help you at any level of construction management, whether you are working for yourself or another organization. Interning directly with a contractor also has the benefit of additional one-on-one time with your supervisor, as opposed to the larger group structure of most corporations’ internships. The increased individual attention can lead to quicker development and even the opportunity to take on projects by yourself, if you have proven your ability early on, which can be a very rigorous test, indeed.
And the private sector is not the only area where you have to look for an internship. Many local governments and even federal agencies have programs where you can gain experience putting into practice the concepts and ideas you have learned in the classroom. Working in the public sector will also increase your knowledge of how public policy and the construction site, two areas which may not seem like they would be found in the same sentence together, meet and influence one another. Instead of your client being a private citizen or a small group of people, your client becomes the residents of an entire region, whose interests are voiced through the governmental body for which you are working. Managing the public can be just as important as managing the construction site in determining the overall success of a given project.
An additional option would be to look into non-profit groups around the area where you live or seek out construction companies which specialize in working with non-profit groups. Often the aim of non-profit groups seeking construction interns is related to the building housing for low-income families or those in dire circumstances. In addition to gaining experience and knowledge in your field, your work will go toward a public service and will have a lasting benefit to the community.
If you have something of a travel bug, talk to an adviser in your department and find out if there are any study abroad opportunities in construction management, as these will also often be credited toward your internship. Study abroad programs will usually cost more than normal tuition, but also allow you to gain hands-on experience while enjoying the unique offerings of another culture.
There are many routes you can take to gaining the necessary experience you need through an internship. Keep your options open and be persistent in your applications and do not just put it off until the last minute. Always remember, too, that your teachers and departmental advisers can provide information about where to look for potential internships.