I liked how I learned so much at this internship. I had the opportunity to learn the basics of structural engineering from some very intelligent, insightful, and kind engineers. Through the training program, I was taught new ways to approach problems in an open-ended way that has even helped me approach problems in my school work. It was a way of learning that you can't get at a university. Everyone was incredibly supportive and willing to help me when they had time. My mentor was determined to ensure I truly understood curtain wall concepts before sending me off to do tasks on my own. I had the opportunity to work on my own project that utilized my computer science skills as well as be a part of larger projects related to structural engineering. It was nice to be able to sit in local department meetings in person and larger company meetings to see all the different projects that are being worked on. I was also able to request a short job shadow of all departments in the Minnesota office, and it was so beneficial to finally get a big picture of how the company works together internally and communicates externally. I could not have asked anything more from my first internship.
What I wish was different
I can't think of anything.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask "stupid" questions, seriously. This internship pushed me and wasn't like some other internships where you might be sitting around a lot waiting for a task. You are put up with tasks that may be very unfamiliar, and I think the best way to make the tasks less daunting is to ask questions as soon as you can.
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Project Management Intern
May - August 2023 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
I had an excellent experience at PNA as a project management intern. I spent the summer in bay area working on site of an ongoing project. I enjoyed the people I worked this, opportunities I was given, and the endless amount of learning that comes with such a niche industry. also, the projects that PNA work on are some of the most impressive in the world. These factors made my experience unique and enjoyable.
What I wish was different
As an intern, you are often responsible for filling in the gaps and assisting industry professionals where needed. A challenge of all internships is maintaining a consistent daily work load. I'm happy to say this was not an issue at PNA. My one recommendation is the creation of a task-queue for interns that coworkers and mentors can add to.
Advice
Curtain wall is not something that is generally taught in an undergraduate college setting. Make sure to keep an open mind and always be prepared to learn something new.
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Project Management Intern
January 2023 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
The best internship I've had! I highly recommend working at PNA if you have the chance. Everyone was very welcoming and knowledgeable. The initial learning curve was tough, but I felt the support of my team and was never afraid to ask questions. I do something different everyday and continue to learn everyday.
What I wish was different
Advice
Be prepared for a huge learning curve by keeping your mind open and asking questions
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Derivative Design Intern
June 2023 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
I enjoyed the supportive, friendly and collaborative work environment. I was able to work one on one with a very knowledgeable mentor who was passionate about the industry. Everyone is proud of the work they do and invested in its result.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Design Intern
June - September 2023 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
The company culture is phenomenal with nearly everyone coming into the office every day, making for a good sense of community in the workplace. Additionally, I have never held an internship where I have been able to learn and progress so much in such a short amount of time. The training is a few weeks long and definitely necessary to accomplish tasks during the internship. Everyone is very patient, helpful, and genuinely wants you to succeed. Even though training can be frustrating at times due to a lack of background knowledge on curtain wall, once you begin to form a stronger understanding of what you're doing, everything gets much easier. There are plenty of resources around and everyone is very receptive. It was cool to see the progress I had made in modeling curtain wall at the end of my internship. My skills had developed so much and I enjoyed seeing the finished product of my work. We also got to visit a site and see our manufactured curtain wall before installation which was a really unique and valuable experience for an intern. Overall, the employees are great and it is definitely an environment where you get out what you put in.
What I wish was different
I wish we could have started working a bit earlier, as I got into the swing of things as the internship was ending.
Advice
Go in open minded and ask a ton of questions. During training, you should aim to have a thorough understanding of what you're doing and why, as opposed to just trying to follow along. This means asking loads of questions when you first start. Also, don't be afraid of making mistakes. You'll probably make a huge mistake at some point but mistakes are the best way to learn and you likely won't make the same one twice.
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Inventor Modeler Intern
June - August 2022 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
This past summer I worked as an Inventor Modeler Intern. I did not know what exactly to expect walking in on the first day, other than it would be 3D modeling extensive, and soon enough I was pleasantly surprised. Throughout the first day orientation I felt relaxed, informed, and ready to get down to business; everyone was super nice and informative, coming over and introducing themselves. It already felt like a healthy working environment that I could perform to the best of my ability in.
Throughout the next few weeks, I underwent an extensive training using their in-house software, Inventor, and reading 2D AutoCad drawings. By the end of it, I felt extremely confident that I had been given the tools to accomplish some significant achievements throughout the rest of my internship. From then on, I always looked forward to coming into work and banging away at the project I was assigned to on 200 Park, and any questions I had along the way were readily answered. Even if I had not liked the work, the environment and people alone would have sufficed for a great summer. From weekly sand volleyball games and a summer wine party to a company sponsored work trip to a British pub, it was evident that PNA invested a lot of time and effort into making it an enjoyable workplace.
What I wish was different
I only wish that I had started a bit earlier in the summer.
Advice
Brush up on your 3D modeling, euchre, cribbage, and volleyball skills before starting. And get ready to earn your first rubber duck!
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Structural Engineering Intern
May - August 2022 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
This was the best internship experience I've had by far. I immediately felt welcomed by the team and was provided with a great training program that taught me a lot about curtainwall design. Throughout my internship, I was able to work independently on current projects, which provided great insight as to how a full-time career would be at PNA. Even as an intern, you feel as if you are a member of the team while contributing to very cool projects. The level of work was challenging at times, but the structural team was happy to answer any questions I had with a thorough explanation on the topic. They all genuinely want to help you understand important concepts rather than simply giving you an answer, which will be very beneficial for your future studies and career.
One thing that really set this experience apart from others was the mentorship program that has been developed for the interns. From my first day, I was assigned a mentor that not only helped to answer any technical questions I had, but also made sure that I was able to work on tasks that I showed interest in. We set aside time to have regular check-ins to give and receive feedback, discuss how my experience was going and any goals I had, and to just build better relationships between coworkers. Having an assigned mentor really helped to create a welcoming and collaborative environment, and helped ensure I was getting what I wanted out of my internship.
Overall, this internship had everything I was looking for. I learned about so many new topics and expanded my knowledge on topics I had already learned, I was able to work on a wide variety of tasks for interesting projects, and I had a lot of fun along the way. For anyone that is considering, I would definitely recommend this internship.
What I wish was different
I can't think of anything I would change
Advice
Be sure to use your internship experiences to figure out what you are looking for in a company, and to learn as much as you can. Ask questions you have about technical aspects of the job, as well as general questions about what you're looking for in a company, or even just ask for advice. You are surrounded by coworkers that each have different levels of expertise and different job experiences. Use those resources to help yourself learn the information you won't get out of your typical school education.
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Project Management Intern
June 2021 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
Permasteelisa is a great company to work for due to the fact that the company constantly challenges their employees while continually supporting the employees as well. As an intern, I thoroughly enjoyed the influx of knowledge and learning something new everyday. Even employees who had been at the company for years are advancing and further developing their own knowledge. The environment, the people, and the culture of the company had definitely stood out to me in a positive way. Every employee is passionate about what they do which drives collaboration and increase productivity. Through my experiences as a project management intern, I was able to meet with and learn from so many fantastic individuals.
What I wish was different
Advice
In any project management role, you have to be flexible and adaptable. It is important to know that everyday is different and unexpected but that is what I enjoyed about going into work everyday.
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Structural Engineering Intern
June - August 2019 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
My internship at Permasteelisa North America (PNA) was a dream come true. I am a picky customer when it comes to internships and jobs, but I was completely satisfied with my experience at PNA.
One significant aspect of the internship was the training/mentoring that I received. I was mentored and trained throughout the summer by several engineers on the team. They took an interest in to how I was handling the internship, they listened to my personal goals and took efforts to make sure that I could achieve them, and they encouraged me to grow in my ability as an engineer. This was very impactful to me personally because of the in-depth nature of the training and the amount of care and respect they gave me.
Also, regarding what it was like working in the office, I felt that PNA did a wonderful job of assimilating me into the team. They were quick to teach me, answer any questions I had, and also make me feel welcome. The office was very collaborative, and I noticed that the people there liked working with each other. We had a soccer team with the structural engineering team, did an escape room together, and had BBQs just as some quick examples!
Besides the qualitative aspects of the internship, I would say that through the internship I became a more proficient engineer. This happened through working on several projects and being exposed to different problems throughout the internship, being given the opportunity to work with different structural analysis software, and being given the space to search for answers in design manuals. Through these experiences I naturally became more familiar with these aspects of the job and became more confident in my abilities.
Overall, I am very happy that I accepted the position as an intern at PNA. It re-defined what I expect out of an internship!
What I wish was different
I have nothing to suggest.
Advice
Ask questions but also be ready to thoroughly search for answers independently when you get more familiar with the problems. Don't be afraid to say that you made a mistake. The mistakes often turn into the best learning experiences.
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One person found this helpful
Structural Engineering Intern
May - August 2021 • Mendota Heights, MN
What I liked
Working as a Structural Engineering Intern at Permasteelisa was a great experience. The projects were interesting and the tasks assigned to me helped me improve my structural analysis skills. The tasks involved analyzing glass and aluminum members in accordance with the Aluminum Design Manual and ASTM standards. Mathcad and AutoCAD were used extensively throughout the internship, in addition to using finite element analysis software such as RSTAB and SJ Mepla.
At the beginning of the summer, interns are assigned a mentor. My assigned mentor helped me acclimate quickly to the new work environment and continued to offer support throughout the internship. By the time I finished the internship, I gained considerable knowledge about the product and acquired skills that allowed me to feel confident working on a range of assignments.
Without exception, the engineers were willing to help whenever I had questions. In addition to answering my questions, they took the time to explain fundamental concepts to me. Everyone in the office was friendly and excited to share about different aspects of the business. I was struck by the highly collaborative nature of the work environment. The tremendous support structure for interns at Permasteelisa is what set this experience apart from previous internships.
In short, this was a very well organized and high-quality internship program.
What I wish was different
It’s difficult to ask for more.
Advice
Don’t hesitate to ask questions to ensure that you understand how to approach assigned tasks.
