5 Takeaways From My Summer Internship: The ARCO Experience
INTERN BLOG BY DOMINIC LAMPO – What’s up! I’m Dominic Lampo from College Station, Texas and I will be going into my junior year pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Notre Dame. When I was introduced to ARCO, I was halfway through my sophomore year, I had no idea what I was going to do for work, and as a Mechanical Engineer, I didn’t even think construction could be an option. But after talking with a current Project Manager representing ARCO on campus, I was drawn to a growing company with an overwhelming positive work environment. With my internship coming to a close, I write to highlight my biggest takeaways from this amazing summer.
Don’t Pack a Lunch
It was an ongoing joke around the office that I would take what I call “Lunch Socials.” I would never pack a lunch, but instead, make an effort to go eat with someone new every day. Now this is an expensive route to take, but I am no longer investing in just the food I eat, but the people I work with. Lunch Socials not only provided me answers to the endless questions I have about my career but taught me how to blend in with an existing community. It provided an avenue to talk to colleagues about things other than assignments I was tasked with and I got to hear their story. Everyone here has a different “ARCO” story so take some time to learn something from them… maybe don’t even pack a lunch.
Put Your Best Foot Forward
As I am sure like many others, I want my work done flawlessly every time. This is especially challenging to accomplish when I don’t know how do the tasks I am given. In the beginning, I would find myself asking a lot of questions about very specific details of the assignment I was given which can be overwhelming. As my summer progressed, I learned questions are good, but are better when you can bring something to the table first. Make sure the instructions are clear and after that, put your best foot forward to give your question substance. It not only helps you understand your assignment better, but is the best way to portray your effort.
If There Is a Will, Find The Way
From my experience on the ACE team, this is a job that is ever-changing with many different projects, each with their unique complexities. Especially as an intern, everything I was apart of was initially foreign to me but it was never something I couldn’t figure out, and that is the key. Whether it was researching from scratch the ins and outs of a wastewater treatment plant or getting comfortable with calling subcontractors of scopes I didn’t know, learning how to be an “adaptive expert” to figure things out is the way to success. If I couldn’t research it, I asked around in the office. It taught me to be resourceful. Be open-minded to a challenge. The more you have seen, the faster you can learn and adapt.
Time is Valuable
Everyone and everything is on a schedule, so by default, you are too. There are weekly meetings with clients, trainings, and check-ins as an intern, that all happen regularly. I learned how to manage a busy schedule while having fun on the weekends. You’ll find what works for you, but to start, the most helpful for me was every morning checking my emails, and to do list from the day before. Then communicating with my mentors what was on the agenda for the day. You can’t prepare for everything, but this generally kept me on track to use my time as efficiently as possible. Time is valuable, so don’t spend it all in one place.
Make Your Presence Known
It is important to meet as many people as possible, yes. But I feel as though many of those relationships aren’t maintained. Through this internship I have learned the benefits of going above and beyond to connect with people at the office, gym, even my favorite sandwich spot. It can be as simple as a smile and wave in passing, that leads to a genuine conversation over lunch, and then now you know one more person. If you can focus on having meaningful interactions with full-time employees and interns alike, that extra step goes a long way both for you and them. Now this does not mean you attempt to eat three burritos in under an hour, or be the spokesman for Layfette Highway Specialties, but make your presence known. The summer is what you make of it, try to enjoy it! Everyone has something to add and experiences to share, so embrace being apart of the culture for the time you can.
Additionally, I would like to thank all the interns, Commissioning and Multi-Family teams, and specifically the ACE team for making my ARCO experience a great one. The ARCO Family is full of hardworking, well rounded people and is a community to strive for.
Interested in learning more about internship and co-op opportunities offered at ARCO/Murray? Check out our programs page by clicking here.