Blog Entries

Our interns have been hard at work this summer, gaining valuable experience in their fields of study. Before he heads back to school, we asked Zach Solberg, a virtual construction intern, to recap his Miron internship experience.

What have you learned this summer? Is there something about the construction industry that you didn’t know before?

My role as an intern with Miron’s Virtual Construction Department has opened my eyes to many innovative concepts and practices. During my time with Miron, I have added many new software programs to my tool belt, such as Navisworks and Autodesk ReCap, and I even discovered many new capabilities of the programs that I was familiar with before I started my internship. Looking at the bigger picture, I’ve learned a lot about the role that Virtual Construction has in the construction process. Before this summer, I had no idea how much 3D software is used in the construction industry, and after an entire summer here, it seems I’ve still only managed to scratch the surface of what there is to know and learn because Virtual Construction is constantly evolving.

What has been your favorite part of your internship?

My favorite part of this summer has been experiencing the Miron culture. Miron is more than just a workplace with coworkers; it’s a family and a lifestyle. I really enjoyed being able to assist my fellow team members with various tasks for coordination purposes. One example in particular was modeling some missing components of a ceiling structure that were necessary to run clash detection. It’s a great feeling to know that what I am doing is positively contributing to the success of Virtual Construction’s coordination efforts, which in-turn benefits our installers in the field. 

What has been the hardest part of your internship?

I am a pretty active person and I sometimes have a hard time sitting still. There were some days this summer where I had the opportunity to be “in the trenches,” behind the computer screen all day doing tasks like categorizing the Revit family library according to the CSI Master Format. Although important, it was a long, tedious process. However, I felt pretty accomplished once it was completed!

Has your take on the construction industry or your career goals changed since you started your internship?

I think there are endless opportunities for advancement in the construction industry through the integration of technology. I have used 3D software to create building models prior to my internship, but I never imagined how much BIM could be incorporated into the construction process beyond conceptual design and business development. By participating in coordination meetings and completing various tasks to prepare the models for those meetings, I learned that building models can be used to achieve efficiency and clarity throughout the construction process. Right now, I believe I am heading in the right direction as far as my career path goes, and with more experience, I will find my niche.

What advice would you give other students considering a similar internship?

If I could offer advice to others considering a similar internship, I would suggest job shadowing for a day or two prior to the internship in order to get a better perspective of what to expect. Job shadowing in the Virtual Construction department helped me to better understand what my summer would be like, and also gave me the chance to meet my future coworkers and experience the workplace environment.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

This has been a great learning experience, and I know I wouldn’t have been able to learn half this much anywhere else. I would like to thank the Virtual Construction team and all of Miron Construction for a great experience.