Second Internship Workplace
The company I am currently interning for is Devine Building and Construction Pty Ltd. The company deals with all aspects of low-rise developments including building, construction, installation, and fit-outs. My supervisor is Jalal Mattar – who is the managing director – prepares the tenders and orchestrates the project management phases of each project. His main role, however, is to liaise with clients (both potential and existing) on the projects we should be awarded to build. This involves tendering and preparing contracts as well as ensuring quality and compliance with the National Construction Codes and the relevant Australian Standards. My job title is ‘Engineering Intern’ and my main responsibilities include:
- Assisting senior engineer
- Drafting preliminary designs for granny flats
- Conducting site surveys and inspections
- Quality Analysis paperwork
- Report writing
Regarding company structure, I work directly under the senior engineer and assist him with any possible tasks. I am also supervised and mentored by the managing director.
I secured this internship through networking and was asked to come into the office for an interview. Two weeks later, I was offered a position as they were impressed with my resume and communication skills.
Throughout the duration of my internship, I expect to really develop my project management skills as that is the avenue I would like to pursue after graduation. I would also want to develop my proficiency in problem-solving to develop safe and sustainable solutions for the community. Part of my role would also include managing risks associated with the designs I create and hence, I would like to appropriately assess and manage risks independently.
Adjusting to the workplace culture has been surprisingly easy and the team is very welcoming. I believe this internship will differ from my first internship workplace as I now have a lot more responsibility and a lot more is expected of me as I am in the latter of my degree. In the first two weeks already, I have gained an immense amount of construction knowledge and managed to learn and understand the processes involved in building. I am confident as the internship progresses; I will learn a great deal that with further my engineering career.
My goals
Through the process of furthering my study, both short term and long-term goals should be clearly addressed. This is to ensure that I am able to manage and determine my successes in professional and personal development. The goals I have determined are as follows:
Short Term:
- Graduate civil engineering degree on time
- Network
- Gain a promotion for a graduate role at the place I am interning at
- Gain experience in the industry
- Be more organised
- Strengthen my interpersonal and communication skills
Medium Term:
- Progress into a project engineer
- Develop strong networks and relationships with those in the industry
- Possibility of becoming a Chartered Engineer
- Increase earnings to maximum potential
- Become a mentor for fellow women in STEM
Long Term:
- Have a company of my own
- Develop more training and technicalities
Task 1.2
Stage 1: A requirement of WIL 2 was that I meet with my supervisor, to discuss and breakdown the goals that I had set for my second internship, during EPP2. During this meeting, I also discussed new goals for my professional development. My supervisor explained the expectations set out by the firm and hence, these expectations heavily influenced my goal making. In doing so, I was able to also link Competencies from EA Stage 2 to these new goals. My role during this process was the mentee receiving feedback from a mentor.
Stage 2: I knew this meeting was of great importance, so I took the initiative and paid close attention to the advice that was being given to me. Reflecting, I was quite pleased with this experience as I was able to discuss closely with a professional, my plans for professional and personal development. I tried utilised the knowledge and professional experience from my supervisor and thought the best way to do so was to prepare before the meeting. I had brought along my previous goals and had noted or amended on them, as well as created a few new goals. My supervisor commended me on my efforts and provided me with even better recommendations. I believe this meeting was a success.
Stage 3: The greatest lesson I had learned from this experience was to always plan but to also keep an open mind when receiving feedback on your plan. One example that applies to this lesson, is when designing a section of a road, although a plan has already been created, suggestions made by more experienced individuals in the industry should be taken into great consideration. I believe with experience comes better knowledge and hence, if there is a problem I have not taken into account due to my lack of experience, another individual will direct me to a solution.
Stage 4: Upon this process, I had to research the lessons learned through this experience. I had come across an interesting web post that discussed the ways to be open to the ideas of others (Smith, T. 2020). The author discusses five steps to being open-minded which include: be willing, be patient, be receptive, be respectful and be reflective. This methodology is something I believe I can adapt to my working life. In doing so, I can utilise this skill during meetings and thus, will reflect on the results of doing so. Typically, I am quite a reflecting individual and as aforementioned, this plan suits me best. I can complete experiences and decipher whether they were effective or efficient experiences and how I would undertake these experiences differently.
Smith, T. 2010 ‘Be Open to the Ideas of Others’, Little Things Matter, weblog, NA, New York, viewed 15 December 2019, < http://www.littlethingsmatter.com/blog/2010/06/29/be-open-to-the-ideas-of-others/>
Task 1.3
Stage 1: The third week of my internship, I was required to schedule a meeting for the following week. This meeting was intended to review my performance and complete the Initial Performance Review (IPR) document that was required of WIL 2 outcomes. Also discussed, would be the impact and how well I was adapting to the business culture and my interactions with colleagues. After the first four weeks of working alongside my coworkers and being supervised by Jalal, I realised the dynamic of the workplace was very fast-paced and interactions and communication were constant. The firm is quite small and thus, I was given a heavy workload and I was very overwhelmed. Prior to the meeting, I had prepared myself for a very critical review and that I needed to really improve in order to remain at the firm, However, the review was quite positive and we focused on discussing targets that I could meet to achieve a 5/5 in the IPR.
Stage 2: I was quite pleased with the response given to me by my supervisor and realised I was being very self-critical. I was commended for my efforts and initiative in taking a larger workload to ease the workload on my seniors. I noticed that asking for clear direction when given tasks, as well as the expectations, ensured that I was producing quality work for both the client and the workplace. Due to being in a new work environment and having to adapt to it and the colleagues, it isn’t an alarming issue to be overwhelmed. I learned that professional development is achieved with time and new experiences. Prior to working at this firm, I took the initiative to conduct research on the types of work and projects worked on by Devine Building and Construction Pty. Ltd. In doing so, I was able to settle in a lot quicker and take on tasks as I was familiar with the projects. Also, I applied myself outside of my assigned working hours to ensure I had finished tasks to a high quality.
Stage 3: As a result of the IPR, I realised the importance of communication and interpersonal skills, in the workplace. In terms of working alongside colleagues, communication is key in order to appropriately communicate ideas and solutions and regarding leadership, communication will allow for a better team. Through communicating effectively, confusion and delays in correcting mistakes due to unclear instructions, are avoided. An example of a situation whereby clear communication is essential is when undertaking a job interview. In this instance, first impressions are absolute and hence, good communication skills are ideal for a candidate. Another example where communication is imperative is during a team meeting to discuss the progression of a project. The ability to confidently part take in the discussion will leave a lasting impression on your team.
Stage 4: Another colleague of mine has been given a new project in which I have been working closely with. My colleague has assured me that he will assist me best he can with any queries I may have. I decided to take him up on that and have scheduled a meeting with him. The point of this meeting is to discuss how to better my communication skills and due to him and I working alongside, I thought he would be of benefit. I am an active and reflective learner and this will cater to my learning style quite effectively. Through research, I had discovered techniques that will improve my ability to properly communicate in the workplace. These include: making communication a priority, simplify and stay on message, develop good listening skills, take time to respond and respect your audience. Utilising these tips will ensure I progress my communication skills successfully.
Garfinkle, J. 2019 ‘9 Tips for Improving Your Communication Skills’, Garfinkle Executive Coaching, weblog, NA, San Francisco, viewed 20th December 2019, <https://garfinkleexecutivecoaching.com/articles/improve-your-communication-skills/9-tips-for-improving-your-communications-skills>
Task 1.4
Stage 1: During the introductory weeks of my internship, I was delegated more challenging tasks that would essentially give my senior engineer an insight into my capabilities. I was given the responsibility to create small designs for a potential granny flat site. Part of this task was to conduct a site investigation to familiarise myself with the process of design and construction. I did not know what to expect when receiving this task as I had never been previously introduced to these kinds of work. As I began working on the task, my supervisor had consulted with me about my progression. To his realisation, I had incorrectly drawn the design plans to a scale that is not commonly used by the firm.
Stage 2: I believe this had occurred due to the lack of training awarded to the task. My supervisor was busy with a project that had a strict deadline and hence, had given me the task without any clear instructions. Before I was given the task, I was quite motivated to showcase my skills and hence, while working on the task I was a little intimidated. As my supervisor was busy with his work, I decided to use the resources provided on the internet for any queries I had. This is where I found and used an incorrect scaling system. I had developed demotivation through the progression of the task, but it wasn’t until I had the consultation that I was deeply demotivated, embarrassed and disappointed with myself. My supervisor was quite comforting and had developed with me a guide when working on similar tasks. He congratulated me on my efforts and assured me he have made mistakes in the past and it is best to learn from them. After this, my motivation picked right back up and I was determined to produce quality work using his guides and clear instructions.
Stage 3: From this experience, I have realised that I shouldn’t have been afraid to ask my supervisor for further instructions, despite his heavy workload. This would have saved both him and me, a great deal of time if I had addressed the issue in the beginning as I had to rectify my mistake.
Stage 4: After speaking with my supervisor, I realised the importance of taking initiative when dealing with challenging situations, especially when it came to project design. I realised the only way an individual is to improve both professionally and personally is to experience a challenge and learn from that challenge through colleagues with better experience. By adopting this strategy of asking for assistance from colleagues, I developed technical knowledge as well as improved my communication skills.
In the future, I will take on more initiative when dealing with challenging tasks. I will also regain the confidence of my supervisor to delegate more challenging tasks and undertake them successfully. I believe this action plan will work as I am generally a very eager and determined induvial with high work ethic. My colleagues have ensured that I have their full support and no question is a bad question. I am trying my best to be able to learn and take on as much as possible and effectively apply this newfound knowledge. This opportunity presents itself as one that will further my study in engineering.
Task 1.5
EA 2.3 Responsibility for engineering activities
41047 – DCC1.E3.b – 02/02/2020
Element of Competency (EOC) 3: Responsibility for engineering activities
Indicators of Attainment (IOA) b: seek peer reviews and comments of your own contributions, and make improvements to work based on their suggestions
Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity of receiving constructive feedback from my colleagues and making improvements based on these suggestions. Utilising the feedback provided during my IPR meeting with my supervisor, I have especially developed responsibility for my engineering activities.
The project that I was assigned to required that I administer all the required documents throughout the design and development phase for a small site in Belmore. This was the first time I had been given an administration role and hence, I communicated frequently with a colleague to ensure I was providing a strong application. Prior to sending all the documents through to Council, I requested that I have the work I compiled, reviewed by a fellow colleague and then again by my supervisor.
The first review by my colleague saw that I had forgotten to compile a necessary specialist report that was required by the council. During the review, he provided me with feedback and a strategy on how best to ensure I don’t miss any documents in the future. He advised that I create a suitable checklist for every council Development Application process and refer to that accordingly. After this initial review, I had added the report I had missing and provided the compilation to my supervisor. He was very pleased that I had completed it on time.
I have constructed my own checklist for local councils, and it was approved by my fellow colleague who suggested the idea. I am now able to follow a structure that ensures each application I am in charge of is strong and free of any comments regarding information provided. By seeking peer reviews and making improvements based on these suggestions, I have definitely developed responsibility for my actions and thus, improving my professional and personal development.