Meet Three Impetus Employees Who Started As Interns
Have you ever wondered what it’s like jumping into the world of construction? Internships are a great way to learn the ropes and transition into a role you love. We sat down with three previous Impetus interns who now have full-time careers at our company. They discuss the favorite parts of their internships, their current jobs, and what excites them about coming to work every day.
Will Cotten
First role at Impetus: Project engineer
Current role at Impetus: Innovation Leader
Years at Impetus: 4 years
Thinking back to your intern days, what is one of your most formative early Impetus memories?
Willingness of the organization to allow young, hungry employees take on responsibility. At the conclusion of my summer internship, I was effectively managing and responsible for the punch-list and closeout processes of a sizeable hospitality project.
What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities with your current job at Impetus?
As Innovation Leader, I oversee strategic innovation, new technology adoption and support the emergence of in-house construction analytics and VDC (Virtual Design & Construction) services. In essence, my role is to ensure responsible introduction of innovative technologies/practices by serving as the “connective tissue” between traditional business offerings and novel products.
What excites you about showing up to work every day?
The people and culture at Impetus, and striving to advance the construction industry forward.
What are some things people might not know about the possibilities of a career in construction?
The breadth of career paths & opportunities in this industry. Traditional precon/project management/field supervision would not be capable of executing at a high level if it were not for the support services of entities like: Accounting/Finance, Legal, Risk Management, HR, Innovation/IT, Marketing, Business Development, etc.
Marshall Lee
First role at Impetus: Commercial Operations Intern
Current role at Impetus: Commercial Operations Project Engineer
Years at Impetus: 3 years
What were some of your initial ambitions when you started as an intern?
My initial ambitions were to become a part of the company culture first and foremost. Even as an intern, it was no secret that culture and peer relationships was the most important characteristic of the company. Processes and responsibilities can be taught and learned, but truly becoming a part of the team was most important for me. I believe this worked out well for me as I was extremely new to the construction field in my first internship but used my ability to adapt to the culture as a means to find numerous mentors who taught me more than I think I could even absorb in one summer.
How are internships and entry-level opportunities in construction helpful for someone’s long-term career trajectory?
Internships are pivotal to long term career success as it sets you up for a effortless transition process into full-time world. The fact that I already had so many relationships on day one and understood the ins and outs to so many of our processes, set up me to immediately dive into my first project and become a contributing member without a long transition period. This expedited transition allowed me to begin to learn sooner and more effectively which hopefully correlates to more personal grow within the company.
What excites you about showing up to work every day?
What excites me the most is the interactions with my team members. I have been extremely lucky to have incredible team members on both of my first two jobs who have never hesitated to coach me along and have some fun along the way. Other than that, the potential to see or learn something new each day is still exciting. While still in my first full-time year with Impetus, I am still introduced to so much for the first time and it is exciting to find new ways to adapt to and learn from these challenges.
Matt McMahon
First role at Impetus: Operations Intern
Current role at Impetus: Project Engineer
Years at Impetus: 4 years
How did your Impetus internship prepare you for the role you’re in today?
My internship prepared me for my current position because I had the opportunity to learn the work in the field. Field experience was crucial to my development because it gave me insight not only on planning and scheduling, but it taught me to think outside the box when coming up with daily solutions.
How did being an Impetus intern simplify the transition to a full-time role within Impetus?
My internship opportunities allowed me to build relationships with my project team, the infrastructure division, and Impetus as a whole. Being comfortable day 1 of starting full time was a huge advantage for me.
What excites you about showing up to work every day?
What excites me about coming to work every day is knowing I have a strong team that will do whatever it takes to get the job done and continuously improve.
