Allow us to introduce our final intern: Meet Singh!
Meet is a graduate student at California State University, Long Beach and is pursuing his master’s degree in Civil Engineering and Transportation Engineering.
Where are you from? Where did you grow up?
I grew up in India, in a western state called Gujarat, and I currently live in Long Beach, CA. I came to the states almost two years ago to pursue a master’s degree and build my career.
How did you decide on your university for school?
After working in construction for two years, I decided I wanted to further enhance my knowledge in the field and started looking into universities. California has one of the biggest, booming economies in the United States and in construction, too. I liked the course offered by Cal State Long Beach, so I applied to the university and got in.
How did you decide on your major? Why are you interested in pursuing a career in construction?
After completing my bachelor’s degree, I was working as a Highway Field Engineer for a federal highway project in India. My father is a private contractor and I grew up watching him work on a variety of projects, so I knew I liked the work of mega construction but I didn’t want to settle for just highway projects. After gaining some experience in the field, I decided to pursue my master’s degree in Civil Engineering.
What initially interested you about the Total-Western Internship Program?
When I started researching internship opportunities, I knew I wanted to work with a company that had projects of various scale and in numerous industries. I’ve always believed it better to be part of an expanding company so you can grow your knowledge, skill sets, and career along with it. Once I heard about Total-Western at our university’s career fair, I researched the company, saw it was a growing business with the types of projects I wanted to work on, and then applied.
How’s it going so far?
The job site is amazing – the facility we’re working on is one-of-a-kind and a big advancement in the renewables industry. The Total-Western crew has also been so encouraging throughout the learning process which has boosted my confidence to try new things. I’m glad to be a part of this project and contribute my skills as well.
What are you enjoying most?
Apart from the construction, I like the informational sessions we attend on Fridays to learn about the different aspects of the business. It’s really helpful to know where a project starts before construction begins, such as business development, estimating, etc.
What do you hope to gain by the time your internship concludes?
I want to gain as much knowledge and experience as I can and be able to put those into practice on a company project. So far, I have learned how to do scheduling, change orders, and RFIs, and I’ve been helping with Purchas Orders and ITPs. This has been a great opportunity for me to work and gain experience with the professionals and I look forward to learning more!
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Thank you, Meet! Looking forward to checking in with you at the end of the program!
