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 Alex, Deanna, and Jacob. Today, we introduce William.

WILLIAM BERGER – PROJECT MANAGEMENT INTERN

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF.
Hello, my name is Will Berger, and I am a sophomore at Milwaukee School of Engineering. I am majoring in civil engineering with a minor in business administration.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN INTERN WITH MIRON?
This is my first summer interning with Miron. I chose Miron mainly because of its outstanding reputation and for its hands-on experience in the field. I first learned about Miron from my club president, who recently began working full-time with Miron. At the career fair last fall, I spoke with her and a few others about how invested Miron is in its interns. That really impressed me! For these reasons, I thought Miron would be a good fit for me.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN CONSTRUCTION?
I became interested in construction through my exposure to small construction projects around my home and farm. Additionally, during my junior year, my high school was building an expansion. I enjoyed watching the daily progress, which led to me to consider the construction industry.

WHAT IS THE COOLEST THING YOU HAVE LEARNED SO FAR THIS SUMMER?
The project I am working on this summer is a dorm building renovation at UW-Eau Claire. Project renovations are difficult because of the many unforeseen issues. The best thing I’ve learned is how to deal with these challenges. On-site decisions or requests for information (RFI) are the key to a successful completion. In addition, I had the chance to work directly with the punch-list and learn about the closeout process, which I found very interesting.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP?
My favorite part of the internship is getting to know and learning from the guys onsite. They are all very knowledgeable in their respective trades, so having the opportunity to talk to them and understand their jobs really enhances my internship experience.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR INTERNSHIP?
The hardest part of my internship was the first few weeks. Becoming familiar with the project site, locations, and the terms being used was difficult because I did not have prior knowledge of the project or experience in commercial construction. However, there were many helpful people onsite that I learned from throughout the internship.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR INTERNSHIP IS BETTER PREPARING YOU FOR THE FUTURE? IF SO, IN WHAT WAYS?
My internship is definitely preparing me for my future.  Having the ability to not only complete assigned tasks, but also to talk and learn from subcontractors is extremely helpful. The knowledge I am learning can be carried with me into my career.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER STUDENTS CONSIDERING A SIMILAR INTERNSHIP?
If you have the opportunity to be an intern, definitely go for it. It is a great way to learn about construction and determine your likes/dislikes, especially if you are uncertain about a career in construction. The jobsite is a tremendous learning environment, that allows interns to absorb information on a daily basis.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE?
I have had a great experience interning with Miron. Everyone is very helpful and strives to make the internship the best possible experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to work and learn from all the great Miron employees.

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

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