We want to recognize our 2020 interns for their commitment to our summer program and individual drive for professional growth! We have been fortunate to host interns in several departments throughout Interstates, working on-site and remotely across the United States. At Interstates, we value our student relationships and their contributions within the industry. Keep reading to find out how these internships may look.
A Look Into Our Internships
In spring, fall, and summer, we offer internships that range from craft professionals to IT to engineering. These internships aren’t coffee runs, making copies, or taking notes for meetings; they are hands-on experiences where interns are doing similar tasks as those of our full-time and part-time employees. From day one, we consider our student hires as part of the team, and we value their fresh insight and knowledge. Our internships give students not only insight into what their future careers could look like, but also gives them a glimpse into what it looks like to work at Interstates. Mitchell Minderhoud, an engineering intern, shares about his internship, “Interstates has provided me experience in the engineering field and has shown me how to see and think differently in my job. I know this experience will be useful not only for school but my future career.”
Even though COVID-19 caused us to reevaluate what an internship with Interstates looks like, we are still able to have 35 total interns part of a variety of areas of Interstates from 12 states across the US, including Georgia, Missouri, and Texas. Typically, we base many of our interns in one of our regional offices, but, this season, many are working remotely. You can find other interns working alongside our craft professionals as Apprentice Interns or Instrumentation Technician Interns in locations throughout the US at one of our various industrial job sites.
A Look Into An Office Experience
To create a unique experience for interns, we offer opportunities for interns to apply what they’ve learned in class to real-world applications. Not only do our interns learn more about their chosen career paths, but they learn about Interstates and themselves. Marc Belisario, Field Engineering Intern, feels he developed many of the values of Interstates by working here. “I was able to work with different leaders in the company, and they openly and patiently taught me skills for the industry,” says Belisario. The internship event program offered opportunities such as:
- Get to know your DISC Assessment: All Interstates employees, including interns, take the DISC Assessment, a personality test, before starting at Interstates. We review these with interns so they can learn more about themselves, how they can use their strengths to add value to the team and learn about their
- Project Spotlight: With the many services we have, we want interns to have an inside look into our projects so they can better understand Interstates’ work and how each part of Interstates works together. Usually, we bring interns on-site to see a project first-hand. This year, interns looked at past projects in detail to understand our work.
- Company Leaders Q&A: Our leaders want to build relationships with our interns, so they offer an open Q&A session to build relationships. Here, interns can ask the leaders any questions, both about their role and the company.
- Intern Final Presentations: At the end of the internship, we ask all interns to present about their time at Interstates. We invite their supervisors, other interns and company leaders so we can improve our internships. It also allows students to learn about other internships at Interstates that may interest them in the future.
- Weekly Team Building Meetings: One of the most fun parts of an internship is getting to know other interns. To do that, we organize optional activities like games, lunches and social time to connect.
A Look Into a Craft Experience
Our craft interns, such as Instrumentation Technician Interns or Apprentice Interns, are fully engrossed in the electrical processes by working on site. These interns are often working beside licensed journeyman, and our internships set them on the path to also achieve this status. Their hands-on experiences are a way to learn the ropes of what craft professionals do in an industrial setting. They learn and uphold the highest safety standards, adapt to challenges of an ever-changing electrical landscape and learn to work as part of the Interstates family. According to Felicia Hughes, Recruiter and the leader of craft interns, comments that “Being an electrician in the industrial area compared to residential can look a little different. You have lots of moving parts, it’s fast-paced, and your work is typically displayed. It’s just a different environment.” Our team takes pride in their work for our clients, and we want to share this excitement with interns.
Although National Intern Day is a single day on July 30, each day, we celebrate our interns and their contribution to Interstates. Recruiter and lead of our interns in office roles, Greg Plooy, comments, “Our interns are part of the team, and every level of the organization recognizes that. We support them by giving them time to learn and ask questions from anyone.” We recognize that these young leaders have potential far beyond their summer commitments and eagerly await a future where they may consider long-term career opportunities with our team!
