Last summer, I accepted an internship with MWH Constructors on the Bull Run Conveyance Project, which is a massive $2.5 billion water pipeline project. Compensation definitely influenced my decision to take the internship, but it was more than just the paycheck. The opportunity to gain real industry experience on a project that large motivated me even more. When I first started, learning all the information honestly felt like trying to drink water from a firehose because there were thousands of construction files, drawings, specifications, and documents to learn from all at once. At times it was overwhelming, but it pushed me to learn quickly and improve my skills every day.
During the internship, I expanded my knowledge of Excel and Bluebeam at a much higher level than before, and I gained a much better understanding of the construction industry overall. I also became licensed as a sediment control inspector. I would do bi-weekly sediment control inspections on numerous job sites there was about 20 different sites and I would be in charge of about 4-5 of them. This gave me more responsibility and made me feel like the company trusted me to contribute in a meaningful way. Knowing that I was being paid while also gaining valuable experience motivated me to work hard and take advantage of every learning opportunity.
At the same time, the experience showed me that compensation is not the only thing that affects motivation. My boss was difficult to work with and created a stressful environment at times, which made some days frustrating, even though the work itself was exciting. That experience taught me that while good compensation and opportunities can motivate employees, leadership and workplace culture also play a huge role in employee satisfaction and performance.