Between the two summer internships I’ve recently had for a project engineering position, I was exposed to two different methods of training. I can say that one was definitely more beneficial than the other, with the other being one of the least beneficial in comparison to all jobs I have had. As an intern who is already expected to be very new to the subject matter, proper training is essential in assuring they can achieve the full experience of their future career as well as become a valued member of the company they may work for one day.

While interning for a mechanical contracting company, I had the opportunity to undergo a through and highly effective training program that was effective for the entire three months I was there. From the first day, I was sat down weekly to go over a new subject and it’s necessary processes that would then be taught from a different team member each time. Based on it’s clear and organized structure, I was able to have substantial exposure and practice as a Project Engineer and how they function within the project team. They went through an industry specific intern training program that was designed to establish their expectations on a weekly basis, offer a real time experience of the working conditions on a massive onsite construction project, and ensured that my work as a short term intern transferred seamlessly into a full time project engineer position once I graduate school. Throughout the summer they also held monthly meetings where I would provide feedback on what I liked, what I wanted more exposure to, and if there was anything they could improve for future interns. They provided me a hands-on type of training, which showed me directly how certain skills relate to the job through on the job training where I was progressively gaining more and more responsibilities that came with the long-term position.

The other, not so beneficial, training experience I had was with an electrical contracting company where there was clear structure for my summer schedule. This company took on somewhat of an even more hands-on approach where I was promptly exposed to project engineering tasks with minimal background knowledge and program guidance. Although frustrating at first, I quickly learned that my training was more so asking lots of clarifying questions and staying afloat till I got the hang of what was expected of me. This required a lot of independent learning and also gaining the ability to speak up and be persistent. Despite the lack of structure, I can say that the work (content) I was given was meaningful, there was an abundance of opportunities to practice (as long as you seek it out), and I did have consistent positive feedback from my Project Manager and Team. There also lacked a sense of structured socialization, where I was more expected to gain a better understanding and adapt to the company social norms over the course of the summer. While I think I handled the lack of structure well, I’m sure there are other cases where this freedom can be detrimental for the company and individual in being properly trained.

While both types of training can be feasible for differing individuals, and ultimately still allowed me to be successful in both summer internships, due to my personal learning abilities, the more structured training with frequent review was more effective for me. With having a more apparent path to work along, I was able to grasp the concepts and processes quicker and move forward faster. It was also extremely beneficial to be able to discuss what was and was not working for me, along with accommodating certain training preferences that only further enhanced my experience and understanding.

References:

Swift, M. (2022, October). Training. [PowerPoint slides].

Swift, M. (2022, October). Onboarding and Socialization. [PowerPoint slides].