Civil & Environmental Engineering Internship Story: BL Harbert International
Frank Brocato
Civil Engineering
What company did you intern with and where are they located?
This past summer and the summer of 2022, I had the opportunity to intern with BL Harbert International. Bl Harbert is a very well-known general contractor who completes projects all over the world. The head office is in Birmingham, but has offices in Atlanta, Charleston, Oxford, etc.
How did you identify and apply for your internship? Are there any specific resources you used to find the opportunity (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)?
I grew up in Birmingham and have been in contact since my junior year of high school. They are the reason I became interested in construction and shaped me into declaring my major to Civil Engineering. I stayed in contact throughout the years and applied for an intern position in the fall of my freshman year.
What was the application process like?
The application process was not difficult for me. They are consistently on campus throughout the year and are always willing to talk to prospective students. Once I applied, I traveled to Birmingham for an official interview and got to meet with various people in the head office, many of whom being Auburn Engineering graduates.
Tell us about your internship experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?
The past two summers I was a project management intern on Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida. BL Harbert currently has 10 active projects alone on Tyndall Air Force Base due to Hurricane Michael that hit in October of 2018. My specific project was the 325th Fighter Wing Headquarters which is the main command center for that specific squadron. I helped with the daily activities required for keeping the project on schedule and procurement and budget for overall project success. Whether that was out in the field helping direct/walk through the building to ensure efficiency to tracking down submittals from subcontractors in the office. Overall, I learned and enjoyed my internship expertlicence and will use the skills I gained to help me not only in my career, but my classes here at Auburn.
In what ways did this internship help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?
This internship helped me understand material better and opened the door for potential full-time offers upon graduation. It is invaluable to create connections and get to know as many people as possible.
In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your internships? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job?
Being in the field every day, you get to experience many things in real life that you have experienced in class. I for instance, took statics and seeing the problems come to life through steel erection, really gives you a deeper understanding of why the processes are necessary. I find it very enjoyable to be able to go intern and see the real-world side of things and return to Auburn to find out that the classes I am in now are reaffirming the knowledge and skills I learned throughout the summer.
Do you have any advice for other students looking for internships like yours?
My advice for students looking for internships is to not be nervous. Go out and talk/meet with as many companies as possible and find the one that will benefit you. There are so many great companies out there and the connections you can make are endless. I would highly encourage anyone to not wait, no matter what year you are, to go and start making a name for yourself.