The position was really secure even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Every engineer that I met knew what they were talking about because they oftentimes had decades of experience.
What I wish was different
My experience was indicative of the typical beliefs held around government positions. There are definitely many bureaucratic systems in place to ensure the safety of the public. However, there are some situations that seem over the top like needing to fill out three different paper forms to submit work hours. Also, I unfortunately never saw the execution of my assigned project due to COVID-19 and its implications on the railroad insurance process...
Advice
While I cannot speak of the experience of the position during the 'normal' non-COVID times, I really believe that this position allows for students to meet and develop a wide network in the world of civil engineering.
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intern engineer
June - August 2020 • Kankakee, IL
What I liked
the facility, management team, training process, I got to meet a lot of new people every day on the job site, and it was a pleasure to work as a state employee.
What I wish was different
I was that my internship was at Springfield airport, where I can work in the aviation department since I'm studying aerospace engineering.
Advice
Illinois Department of Transportation accepts almost every engineering major. so even if you are not studying civil, material engineering you should still apply and learn as much as you can. the earlier you start with them the better to expand your networking. you have secure a job with them easier if you do more than one internship. I met a student from UIC that was doing his second summer internship with them and requested to work at the same location with the same manager to get to work on a bridge project that he started with t em the year before. And they did accept his request. everyone in the office is busy with a lot of things to do. do your best to help them as much as possible, they will ask you to check a lot of their paperwork. please take it seriously and double check everything.
