Looking Forward: Summer Internships

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As the days get shorter, the weather gets colder, and the time we are able to not wear a winter coat outside dwindles to a close, it can be nice to look forward to the summer. One of the most enriching parts of many college students’ postsecondary careers is a summer internship. Although I’m only in my second year of college, I was very lucky to experience an internship the summer after my freshman year. Allow me to walk you through my search for an internship and journey as a whole.


Career Fairs:

For me, my first stop in applying was none other than Purdue’s own Industrial Roundtable (IR). Last year, I solely participated in the virtual option for IR. This was my first time going through the job application process and undergoing job-based interviews. I personally enjoyed virtual IR because you schedule your own time for who you want to meet and when you want to meet them. I also liked that instead of needing to be present for the outdoor and sometimes overwhelming IR experience, I could take interviews at my own pace and know who I was speaking to ahead of time. However, in-person IR offers just as many opportunities. You are able to walk around and take the time to engage with recruiters and employees of many different companies then come back the next day to speak with familiar or unknown faces. As a civil engineering student, I also had the opportunity to attend the CESAC career fair, which was designed to connect civil, construction, and environmental engineering focused students with companies that match their desired interests. Purdue offers many opportunities to all engineering disciplines and beyond.


Applying for Internships:


After interacting with companies, the next big step is to actually submit your application. Oftentimes, those who you interact with at career fairs will direct you toward their website to submit for a specific position, or give you information on who to get in contact with next. One important thing I think many may often overlook while applying for internships is saying thank you! Reaching out to every person you have had a conversation with and offering them your thanks while including a memorable piece of your interaction is one way to make yourself stand out more from others. Another important thing to remember is that the application and hiring process takes a lot of time. We can get used to knowing things immediately after we apply for them, but in the working world, this doesn’t always work this way. Patience is a huge key factor in staying focused. Remember to also always keep your options open when applying. Sometimes, a job opportunity may not work out, and that is definitely okay. Your personal skills and talents will definitely find the perfect place to work for them. 


My Internship Experience:


As I shared earlier, I was quite fortunate in finding an internship my freshman year. I applied for a job close to home in the Chicago suburbs and ended up getting a job with ComEd, a large electric company supplying the majority of the greater Chicagoland area with power. Although my internship wasn’t specifically a civil engineering internship, I still gained a lot from the experience. First, it was an opportunity to broaden my horizons. The team I worked with was helping to introduce a self-sustaining grid to the Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago. Sustainability has always been a topic I have had interest in so getting to learn more about the work my team was doing was fascinating. Second, I got to experience a different type of engineering work. For me as a civil engineer, a lot of my job will include office and field work, but for electrical engineers, they perform much of their work on small scales in a lab. I got the chance to look around and explore this lab and learn more about the work they performed there. Finally, it was a great way to kickstart making connections. I learned about working with a team and team collaboration as a whole, across all levels. I am very thankful for the opportunities given to me thanks to my internship, and I look forward to the future as well.


When it comes to internships, my number one tip is to take a leap and go for it; you never know what you will learn. If you have questions, comments or want to find more about summer internships, tag us, leave a comment, or follow us!


Maggie Breyne, CE '25

Recruitment Project Committee


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