Civil & Environmental Engineering Internship Story: Jacobs

Lillian Krueger

Civil & Environmental Engineering

What company did you intern with and where are they located?

I worked at Jacobs in their Birmingham, Alabama office, but they are an international company.

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 was looking for opportunities in water/wastewater and saw an email from the mass-emails sent by Auburn’s civil engineering department. The specific organization that advertised the opportunity was the Water and Environmental Student Association (WESA). It looked like a great job, and I decided to reach out to the listed contact for that company.

What was the application process like?

When I decided to reach out to the listed Jacobs contact, I sent in my resume and expressed interest in applying. They got back with me very quickly to set up an interview and sent me the official online application. I traveled to their Montgomery office for an in-person interview. I was able to tell them what location I would like to be in, contingent that the office had the type of work I sought. They extended an offer within the two weeks following.

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?

There were three major tasks that I was involved in during my time. First was redesigning the headworks of a wastewater treatment plant. I was able to work in Bluebeam Revu for the layout designs. To accomplish my designs, I had to understand the equipment that was to be implemented and the existing plant plans. This meant I had a lot of interaction with the representatives of the equipment manufacturers. Plus, I was able to visit the plant and gather onsite measurements. I also became integrated in the proceedings of the county and contractor meetings. The second major task was flow testing the fire hydrants for the City of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We traversed the city putting on flow monitors in different service sections. The fun part was getting to open the fire hydrant up completely and watch the fountain of water shoot out. The data we collected served to calibrate a Scada model of the water distribution system that the city will use for future planning and hypothetical system testing. In addition to the two previous tasks, a fellow intern and I were able to travel to Jackson, Mississippi to work onsite at their two water treatment plants. Unfortunately, Jackson had recently struggled in providing any potable water to its citizens. We got to assist the other Jacobs personnel by organizing the digital and physical plant documentation including their plant plans, specifications, contracts, and more. The part I learned from the most was the wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation because it was the most practical application for my scholastic knowledge, showing how various vital parts came together, and gave some insight into typical projects in this industry.

In what ways did this internship help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?

My internship gave me the opportunity to work for Jacobs after graduation! It gave me an idea of what it would be like to work for a large company, and the type of people I would want to work for and with, i.e., company culture. Most importantly, it helped me discern whether I enjoyed this branch of civil engineering and if I could see myself working in that industry.

 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?

I only took one hydraulics class before going into this internship, but having that foundational knowledge was good for learning the workplace language and the basic functioning upon which the industry is built. Auburn engineering also emphasizes the importance of working with a team and being able to communicate your work with others. My education has also taught me to ask questions because it is one of the fastest ways to learn from the people who have expertise.

Do you have any advice for other students looking for internships like yours?

Go to the career fairs, keep your eyes open for opportunities, and do not be afraid to ask for what you think you want. Also, pick up the phone to call people (the companies or the network of people you know) because applications can get lost. If you would like experience in a certain area, try not settle for something else but actively search for that job.