Prein&Newhof

Construction Inspector

May 2021 • Holland, MI

What I liked

Everyone I worked with was extremely helpful in teaching and training me on the tasks at hand. I was encouraged to ask a lot of questions and not feel embarrassed if I did not know something. The expectations for professionalism and workplace etiquette were beneficial to my growth as an engineer and an employee. The work I did was about 70% outdoors, and 30% office/computer work, which I found really nice. The work of municipal civil engineering requires clear and constant communication between entities. I would meet new contractors, township employees, or engineers almost everyday, and it made the work exciting and refreshing.

What I wish was different

At times I wished that I was doing more of the physical labor on the job site. This was almost always the job of the contractor. However, being on the engineering side allowed me to understand the broader scope of the project and have more of a voice in the larger decisions of the project.

Advice

If you don't enjoy meeting new people and communication, then this type of work will be draining and you will feel burned out very quickly. If you struggle in organization, then you will lose track of important details that are necessary for the success of the tasks you are assigned. If driving around between job sites, interpreting engineering plans, constant communication, and organization inspires and energizes you, then this type of work is exactly what you are looking for.

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Field Technician

May - August 2019 • Grand Rapids, MI

What I liked

I enjoyed learning some of the daily routine of an engineering firm. More specifically, I liked my gained understanding of ArcGIS because of the mapping we used.