How has this experience (Internship) made you consider your college path that will ultimately lead to your career? Consider what you have observed and learned about your mentor or other employees at your site, and reflect on your own academic & professional preparation.
The last few weeks at NV5 have been a lot of fun and I feel extremely grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to have my internship at NV5. This internship has made me think a lot about my college path and what exactly I want to do. While I knew when going into this internship that engineering wasn't exactly what I wanted to do I still thought that NV5 would be a great place to help me get an idea of what I want to do. Now that those four weeks have ended I think that the experiences that I’ve had have really helped me find the things that I don't want to do in my future which is something that not many other places can offer. After spending time with my mentor and his coworkers I was also able to see some of the work that they do on a weekly basis. Through this I was also able to see things that I did like that I will be able to keep an eye out for in the future. My internship was also the first time that I’ve worked in a professional environment which was definitely something that I had to adjust to. Over all the last four weeks at NV5 have been very educational to me and I personally feel that it has really helped me narrow down my interests for what I want to do with my future.
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Below you can see some of the pictures of the work that I've been doing over the last few weeks and a digital version of my final product from my project. Over all I feel immensely grateful to NV5 for all the experiences and new things that I've learned and think that the last few weeks have been very educational to me. Thank you to my mentor Miguel Gonzalez and all of NV5 for having me as an intern at your company. How was your work as an intern meaningful to your education?
Since the beginning of my internship I have been doing a lot of work that I have never done before. So in reality this whole internship has been a very educational experience thanks to a combination of things. On day one I started to actually dive into the program known as Auto cad which is one of the most useful tools in this line of work and is a very valuable skill to have. I was also able to go on a site visit which in engineering is a very important part of your job. Throughout the entire internship I have also been able to see what a real office environment is like which is also something that I have never been able to do before. Over all working as an intern at NV5 has shown me what working as an engineer is like which has been a really eye opening experience. How was your work significant or meaningful to the world beyond school and your specific internship site? A majority of the work that I have done has been on Auto cad mainly because of what my project is but having this experience has helped show me what my future could look like which is very meaningful to me. Because I still don't really know exactly what I want to do with my future outside of school working at NV5 has shown me a little bit of what to expect. How did your project go from an idea or inspiration to a final product? Even before my internship started I had a general idea of what I wanted to do for my project. I knew that I wanted to actually create something tangible but in a more formal way instead of just winging it. I also thought that it would be a great opportunity to take advantage of the resources that NV5 had to offer. Going into my internship I had a general idea of what I wanted to do and went into my internship showing my mentor the idea I had, mainly looking for critique on whether it was possible or not. As I spent more time at my internship the project's outcome definitely changed a lot. The project's main goal at the beginning was to actually create a patio but as time progressed I saw that I would have been spending a lot of time at home creating the patio and I also cant afford to create the patio at this time but I'm still working on getting the funding I need. Both my mentor and I thought that creating an official set of drawings on auto cad for the patio would be just as valuable and would also be far more educational to me. How did your view of life beyond high school change or develop during your time as an intern? I think that during my internship there were a lot of things that I experienced that helped me see what I might want to do with my future. Being in a more professional environment where there are a lot of people who have been doing this for a very long time I was able to learn about their experiences and how they got to where they are now. Between hearing about other people’s experiences and interning at NV5 I was able to see that while I might think that I know what I want to do now, that could so easily change in the future. I think that one of the biggest takeaways from my experience at NV5 was that I should always be open to new experiences and that I should always try and take advantage of new opportunities. How might internship influence the direction of your life? My experience at NV5 so far has been very eye opening and has shown me a little a bit of what engineering is and the work that it takes to be engineer. I also think that it has shown me a lot of things that I do and don't want to be doing. While I did enjoy a lot of the things that I got to do during my internship I think that I was also able to see a lot of things that I want to do that engineer's don't really do that often. Overall the different things that I have done over the last three weeks have been very educational and I did really enjoy myself and I think that this internship has been a great place to start finding out what I want to do. Moving forward I will be able to take my experiences from this internship and use them as a guide to help me find what I want to do with my life. How have you advocated for yourself during your internship, or seen advocacy demonstrated in other situations?
So far during my internship there have been many times that I have had to advocate for myself. A Lot of the work that I’ve been doing is new to me and I have been asking a lot of different questions. I have also been reaching out to other employees at NV5 who have offered their help. There are even a few people who work with my mentor who know auto cad really well who have been more than happy to teach me different things and even offer critique on my different drawings in auto cad and other tips that have helped me see things that I looked over the first time. When using auto cad there are a lot of things that I need help with and because of how friendly everyone has been so far I have not been feeling uncomfortable or like I don't know what to do when I get stuck. For almost anything that I don't understand I know that there is someone around who wouldn't mind helping me which has made the last week and a half even more of a beneficial experience. Because of the help that I received in the first week and the past few days I'm starting to feel a lot more confident in my capabilities but I still have a lot of things to learn. Are you following the advice in "How to be an intern everyone remembers"? If so, how is it working out? If not, what are you going to start doing? I think that so far I have been putting in the work to be “an intern everyone remembers”. I’ve been doing this by being respectful of my peers and also being as polite as possible. Everyone has also been very welcoming in this environment which has made me want to do the same. I’ve also been introducing myself and telling people what I’m doing here. I also feel that a lot of the people who are working at NV5 have a lot of knowledge about this work field which I've tried to take advantage of. I think that so far it has been going really well and I feel that because of how friendly everyone has been it has made it much easier to be friendly back. I’ve also started to offer my help with anything that my mentor could need just as he’s done with me. What you plan on doing/creating. For my internship project my plan is to create an outside space including a patio. Because of where I’m having my internship and because of the type of work that my company does I thought that it would be beneficial to involve something that the company would do into my project. To accomplish that goal I have been using a special software known as Auto cad which stands for automated computer aided design. This software is used for many different purposes at NV5 and it is also a very useful tool when working in this line of work. My plan over all for my project is to actually go through the full design and creation process starting with the design of the patio on Auto cad. The outcome for this project is to actually have the full Auto cad design completed and to have started to actually create the patio. While the main goal was to have the patio completed by the end of the four weeks because I’m going to have to pay for all the supplies and I will also be the only one constructing the patio I’m not sure that I will be able to afford the different supplies that will be needed for the final product. I'm also currently feeling that I would not be able to create the patio to the best of my ability within such a short but that may change within the next few weeks. To overcome this inevitable challenge I’m currently working on finding solutions to this money problem. Since the first week of my internship I have actually started to reach out to different connections that I have collected over the past few years. These different people work in different trades including construction and even one man in specific who has a wood mill in Fallbrook who may be willing to trade work for wood. As the project continues I’m planning on continuing to try and find quick and efficient solutions to my money and time complications. This will also bring other efficiency problems into the creation process which will be challenging but also beneficial to my experience What skills you will need in order for it to be awesome. Currently the biggest thing that I’ll need to be able to do for this project to have a good outcome is to able to use Auto cad. Because a lot of my project is revolving around Auto cad I think that the better I get at using this software and the more that I can continue to improve my drafts through critique and other helpful advice the better the final outcome will be. This also involves being capable of being very accurate and precise with my drawings on Auto cad. The other skill that I will need for this project to officially complete it is some building/construction skills to actually build the deck. Because I’m taking the time to try and create an accurate and well thought out version of the patio on Auto cad I think that it would only be fair to do the same when actually building the patio. This will involve a long process of landscaping leveling and actually building the deck. What support you will need, and who you will need it from. Currently at NV5 the biggest type of support that I will need is critique. Because I have never used auto cad or created a deck and I’m working in an environment where there is an abundance of people who have actually used Auto cad and some who have created various infrastructures I plan on reaching out to different employees and asking for some critique and any other helpful advice that they might have. Over all I think that this project is going to be very individual and that there are going to be of things that I will want to do on my own however I know that I will have any help if I need it. Below is one of my first 3D rough drafts of the actually patio that I created on Auto cad (the big ball and cone is supposed to be a tree).
What should I know about you before I start working here?
NV5 is a company that does a lot of different things and it has a lot of departments that specialize in a wide variety of areas. What skills and training are necessary for your position? One thing that I did that helped me was completing an internship in college which I feel really helped me a lot. A lot of the skills that I learned that go into this field of work are skills that I learned on the job. How did you acquire these skills? Through school? On the job? I also got a lot of these skills through college by joining clubs that taught different things like communication and responsibility. Do you consider a career in this area satisfying? In what ways? The career is challenging but it feels like I’m making a difference and having an impact which makes the job a lot more satisfying. Is there anything you wish you'd realized about the world of work when you were my age? The biggest thing that I wish I knew is that in reality you know very little about what's out there, you can't even imagine the opportunities so keep an open mind because you might find something that you really like that may not have been what you originally planned on doing. What is a typical work day like? Most workdays my schedule is showing up on time, then checking emails. Next there are possible meetings that set out what the goals of the day are which is usually fallowed by getting some work done. Next, depending on my workload Ill go to lunch or work through my lunch. The rest of the day is just time to get more work done and continuing to be productive. What is the purpose of this organization? The main purpose of NV5 or the main thing that our company does is offer Infrastructure solutions. Whether is Civil engineering products, Survey, or Geo technical. What does it take to be successful in this organization? Some of the skills that you should have when working at NV5 are having a good attitude, being hard working and being open to criticism. Not only do you have to be able to learn from your mistakes and try really hard to not make them again but you also have to be able to learn from others mistakes as well. What other advice do you have about working here? Because NV5 does so many things when working here you should try to broaden your experience and try new things to find what you really like. How important is getting along with other people in your career? Working together in this environment is very important because everyone is working as a team and with clients and the main goal is to keep the clients happy. Reflection After my first week at NV5 I think that I have started to get my bearings a little more but I still have a long ways to go. Over all there can be quite a lot of connections made between the environment that NV5 and HTHNC offer. Both of these places offer a very collaborative environment where people are working together. It is also a very positive environment where people are very welcoming to newcomers and are always willing to lend a hand. So far one of the biggest skills that I’ve started to develop is learning how to use Auto cad. Auto Cad is a commercial computer-aided design and drafting software application that is used by almost every employee at NV5 and is a vital tool that is used to develop the infrastructure solutions that NV5 offer. During my first week getting a basic understanding and learning how to use this software was mainly what I was focusing on and as the internship continues I’m hopeful that I will continue to gain more skills and be able to use the software on my own. Not only is this software great for NV5 but it's also a very valuable skills for my field of interest. What strikes you most about your workplace?
One of the more surprising things about the workplace at NV5 is how involved everyone is. Even though there are a lot of people doing a lot of different things spread throughout the office it is actually a very collaborative community. Another thing that has surprised me is how the setting of the office does appear very professional and quite however after actually meeting everyone and being in the office for a few hours I realized how the workplace is still professional but also very relaxing and enjoyable. I think one of the other things that has surprised me mainly because I have never really worked in an environment like this is the amount of time that people work. While there are a lot of people who are moving around the office and doing all sorts of different things I’ve also noticed that there a lot of people that are sitting at their desks working on the same thing for hours. What strikes you most about your colleagues? One of the things that I’ve been happy to find so far at NV5 is how welcoming and kind everyone at the workplace is. There have also been a lot of people introducing themselves which has continued to make this internship a very positive experience. Not only has everyone been very kind but there have also been many people who’ve said they’d be more than willing to help me with things like the online software AutoCad that I’ve been using in the office. Another thing that has made me very happy to be working at NV5 is how respectful everyone has been and how everyone has been treating me as if I’ve been working here for a while. What strikes you most about the job your doing? The most shocking thing about my job at NV5 is the Job itself. While I wasn't really sure what exactly my project would entail it has almost completely been up to me. This is one of the more amazing things about this opportunity at NV5 that has been a little different from what most other people are doing. My job at NV5 has actually been to design a space for my home with the help of the other people that are working here. What are you worried about? The biggest concern that I’ve had so far is just about being in front of a screen all day. While I knew coming into this internship that a majority of my work during my internship was going to be on the computer I still wasn't exactly sure of whether or not I was going to be able to do other things outside of my job that would involve actually going out into the field or not. While I still don't know for sure I think that because of what my project is turning into there will be more opportunities to go out and actually do the work in person. How has this experience (Internship) made you consider your college path that will ultimately lead to your career? Consider what you have observed and learned about your mentor or other employees at your site, and reflect on your own academic & professional preparation.
The last few weeks at NV5 have been a lot of fun and I feel extremely grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to have my internship at NV5. This internship has made me think a lot about my college path and what exactly I want to do. While I knew when going into this internship that engineering wasn't exactly what I wanted to do I still thought that NV5 would be a great place to help me get an idea of what I want to do. Now that those four weeks have ended I think that the experiences that I’ve had have really helped me find the things that I don't want to do in my future which is something that not many other places can offer. After spending time with my mentor and his coworkers I was also able to see some of the work that they do on a weekly basis. Through this I was also able to see things that I did like that I will be able to keep an eye out for in the future. My internship was also the first time that I’ve worked in a professional environment which was definitely something that I had to adjust to. Over all the last four weeks at NV5 have been very educational to me and I personally feel that it has really helped me narrow down my interests for what I want to do with my future. Typical Work Day:
At NV5 based on what I've seen there can be a lot of different things that you can do when working at this company. Because the company is a civil engineering company, in the actual building there are a lot of different people doing a lot of different things. Because the company is designing different spaces and providing solutions for different people there are a lot of people that work on every little detail that goes into creating these spaces. There are engineers, architects, construction managers, and environmental professionals. Overall NV5 has a very important job that takes a lot of time and hard work to collaborate and solve complex issues. When being in the office there is a lot of positivity and strong workers. As far as their polices it seems that the more vital things that they care about is that new people coming into the workplace have a positive mindset and are hardworking. The dress code at NV5 is relatively professional but there is a bit variation in what people where. There are a lot of people who were wearing slacks and a collar or maybe even a tie but there were also people with jeans and a hoodie on. My career day was actually a very beneficial day for me. While a lot of the day was just more introduction's to the workspace I was actually able to start working on an online platform known as CAD also known as computer-aided design. This is one of the more exciting parts of the internship because I will be able learn how to use this technology which will strongly benefit me in the future especially in my field of interest. |