Blog Entries

Internships are a great opportunity to gain real world professional experience before graduation. Each summer, Miron Construction welcomes a number of interns to work in all areas of our company. Every intern’s experience is unique. Rather than us tell you about it, we have invited fifteen interns to share their journeys on our blog over the next few months. In previous posts, we met Ben, Makayla, and Mackenzie. Today, we introduce John.

JOHN BEAUDIN – PROJECT MANAGEMENT INTERN

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
I’m Jack Beaudin from Hinsdale, Illinois – a suburb of Chicago. I will be a sophomore at Iowa State University where I am majoring in construction engineering.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN INTERN WITH MIRON?
This is my first internship with Miron. When I started looking into construction, I would always hear about the company. I also had a couple of friends at school who had positive internships with Miron.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION?
Growing up I was always interested in construction as a hobby, but I never thought I could make a career out of it. The summer prior to my senior year of high school, I attended an engineering summer camp at Purdue University. At this camp, a professor talked to us about construction engineering and I immediately gained interest.

WHAT IS THE COOLEST THING YOU HAVE LEARNED SO FAR THIS SUMMER?
Outside of that summer camp at Purdue, entering college I had very little knowledge about construction. This summer, I went on project site tours and participated in small volunteer projects. I love learning how things are built and how everything goes from the drawings to the physical building.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP?
My favorite thing is seeing all the progress that is made on the project site. When I first started, there were only steel beams and the crew was working on some of the footings for the foundation. Now, we have a roof, drywall up in one wing, and the steel for the gym is in place. Being a small part of that progression is exciting. I also enjoy talking to the laborers and carpenters about what they’re doing, and, when I can, getting my hands dirty and helping.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP?
The hardest part was understanding what is going on and being able to go about my day without repeatedly asking my superintendent what he needs me to do. I can now participate in meetings with the owners and subcontractors.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR INTERNSHIP IS BETTER PREPARING YOU FOR THE FUTURE? IF SO, IN WHAT WAYS?
I have gained a significant amount of knowledge related to construction. The internship has helped me learn what happens on a project site, and allowed me to work on my communication skills, whether participating in meetings or getting information from subcontractors.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER STUDENTS CONSIDERING A SIMILAR INTERNSHIP?
Take any chance you can get to learn. You will always come across various problems, but you can never ask too many questions. Get involved in any way possible.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE?
I have enjoyed my experience so far. I look forward to going to work every day and seeing the new challenges and progress. I am glad I had the opportunity to work with Miron this summer, and I was able to learn things I probably wouldn’t have learned in the classroom.

Thanks, John. Check back next week to meet another Miron intern who will be joining our blog for the summer.

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