I spend this past summer working with a Civil Engineering firm in Cincinnati called IBI Group. Our engineering team consulted for Speedway on several new locations for their gas stations and we provided site engineering plans. I was also able to gain some experience in surveying, bridge inspection and design, and stormwater management structures.
This past summer felt like a transition from a just a college student to a member of the workforce. I love studying Civil Engineering at Ohio State, but I felt like I had always been missing the real-world experience that would confirm that my interest in Civil Engineering is something that I can base a career around. My experience over the summer has shown me that my passion for engineering does apply in the real world and I am excited to start a career in this field.
I learned more over my work experience in the summer than in any class that I have ever been in. The employees at IBI Group did a wonderful job of incorporating me into their community and helping me grow and gain some of the knowledge and experience that they have. I have a much greater respect for the amount of work that goes into the infrastructure that is all around us.
One of the key parts of this summer is that I was specifically paired with an employee who I could always rely on if I had any questions. John and I built an excellent relationship and he gave me advice on the projects we were working on as well as my career path and major decisions that I will need to make in the near future. The work environment at IBI Group is exciting and I loved that my co-workers made an effort to hang out with each other outside of work and really enjoy each others presence. We went to a frisbee golf course weekly and had a number of company lunch outings to local restaurants.
I also appreciated the range of work that IBI allowed me access to. I was able to learn and master AutoCad Civil 3D, which is the major software used in Civil Engineering. They allowed me to apply this software in many ways; from editing plans, to calculating rainwater levels, to material quantities on a site. One of my goals for the summer was to learn about as many different aspects of Civil Engineering that I could so I can continue to develop a good idea on what I am passionate about and what does not interest me as much.
This internship was extremely valuable because it provided me with the real-world experience of working in an office and with an engineering team while applying the skills and knowledge that I have obtained so far in the classroom. This experience has helped to shape my plans for my career and has also helped me to plan out the classes I want to take to finish out my degree.
The following picture is of a bridge that I photographed and studied over the summer. I assisted a Structural Engineer in a bridge inspection to determine if any safety hazards existed.
