Burns & McDonnell

Distribution Modernization Engineer Intern

June - August 2023 • Houston, TX

What I liked

Amazingly friendly and helpful mentor team. Everyone in the company was rooting for my success and grateful to have me on board. The company challenged interns and made sure work was enjoyable.

What I wish was different

I only wish I had worked longer to experience more projects.

Advice

Always say yes and show enthusiasm when learning new things. It could earn you fun site trip visits and will leave the best impression on your coworkers!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Project Development - Student Intern

May - August 2023 • Akron, OH

What I liked

Burns & McDonnel has a wonderful and well-organized summer internship program! What I enjoyed during my internship was the diversity they had within the program. With plenty of different backgrounds there is many different departments to adjoin. Along with that, I valued the culture and employees/mentors at Burns & McDonnell. During my time here, everyone has taken great pride of Burns & McDonnell and is willing to help you learn and succeed your career path. Being around great people and respected truly makes Burns different from any other company.

What I wish was different

With all advancements I learned during my internship. I really do not have much to complain about. With being a summer internship, the only downfall is it being so short. Once I got the routine and hang of project I worked on. The internship is coming to an end.

Advice

During my time summer, advice I would give is to reach out to as many people as possible. Networking can help you tremendously. Along with asking questions will also get you far.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Construction Project Management Intern

May - August 2021 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Awesome field internship on a T&D project in Charleston, WV. Immediately became a member of the BMcD team on site and made connections that will last a lifetime.

What I wish was different

Advice

Use the resources given to you. Mentors are selected for a reason and are happy to answer your questions. Don't be afraid to do something on your own and get it wrong. You're not expected to be perfect, mess things up and as long as you show a willingness to learn it will go a long way.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Mechanical Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • Charlotte, NC

What I liked

I enjoyed the team I worked with. Everyone was always eager to help me onboard and to answer any questions I had.

What I wish was different

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2021 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

They offer very competitive wages and the employee owned company leads to a positive work culture. Intern work is the same as new hires, so you get to work on meaningful projects.

What I wish was different

Advice

Take advantage of as many extra learning opportunities as you can

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Mechanical Engineering Intern

June - August 2021 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

I loved the environment and the people there. They were very inviting and willing to teach me what I needed to know in order to get my assignments done.

What I wish was different

The pace was really fast. Certain things take time to complete & even as an intern, I sometimes felt pressured to charge fewer hours to projects because I felt like I didn't do enough to charge those hours. Whenever there were a few unaccounted hours in my day (which rarely ever happened) I felt bad for asking where I should charge them, since, as an intern, I was 100% billable.

Advice

I would say that a consulting role & an engineering role overlap a lot, but they don't require the same skills and don't practice their skills in the same environment. Both require technical expertise and team working abilities. I would say that if one is more inclined to find a solution to a problem, and be more hands-on, then do engineering. If one is more inclined towards relationship building, yet still being very knowledgeable in a working solution, do consult.

1 One person found this helpful

Pipeline Intern

July - August 2020 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Still got to interact with executives and other interns virtually even in the pandemic.

What I wish was different

The work load was low, but in other circumstances I bet I would have helped with a lot more projects.

Advice

Plan ahead with your mentor (weekly) so they have time to give you meaningful work and so you are not always asking for something to do.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Structural Engineering Intern

July - August 2020 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

Amazing community of people ready to mentor, and they gave me actual responsibilities on projects even as an intern.

What I wish was different

More training in the software would have been nice (but that was mostly due to a remote COVID internship)

Advice

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Mechanical Engineering Intern

July - August 2020 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

They worked really hard to make the virtual internship the best it possibly could! My mentor and manager were both wonderful people with incredible knowledge of the energy industry.

What I wish was different

Unfortunately, due to COVID and its effects on the economy, they were unable to hire me on full time.

Advice

When you come to a problem, try to come up with a solution first before asking for help. Regardless of if it is right, it shows initiative and reflects well on you.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Transportation Intern

June - August 2020 • Austin, TX

What I liked

everything the work i was given was challenging and taught me a lot. i also got to work with a lot of different people and gain a lot of different experiences. the recruitment team really worked hard to make sure all the interns had the best experience

What I wish was different

wish it had been in person. was pretty much the only down fall and it was caused by corona

Advice

take to time to meet people involved. make connections even if you dont get a return offer you'll have connections to be able to reach out to and ask for advice or help even after leaving. be personable, not a machine

1 One person found this helpful

Electrical Engineering Intern

February - May 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

I liked the cafeteria, the gym, and all the perks.

What I wish was different

I wish that there was a better program to train newer employees.

Advice

I would warn future interns and entry level engineers to not let their guard down and be careful when working for a big corporation, because anything that could reflect poorly on you will be met with severe consequences. Now I work at a smaller company with less perks, but I have the benefit of not being in a super stressful environment and the people are more down to earth.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Civil Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Technician

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

I liked that even though Burns & McDonnell is a large company, I didn't feel lost. Everybody employee was willing to answer any questions I had and wanted to see me succeed. The internship gave me real world experience and I was able to learn a ton in just 3-4 short months. I met tons of people and made friends with other interns.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have experienced work in other departments. For example, I only worked with civil design, but I think it would have been cool to do something different such as structural, to see what is the same and what is different. However, with the summer being so short and learning so much about civil design, there's not really enough time to experience two practices.

Advice

One piece of advice for any interns is to ask questions. A lot of them. This is real world work you are getting involved in and therefore is pretty important. So, you want to do a good job and get things right. If you don't know how to do something or what something means be sure to ask somebody. They will be more than willing to help you out.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Human Resources Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

This internship was an exceptional experience. I loved learning more about the world of engineering and consulting. I enjoyed my coworkers and made several close friends with whom I still communicate. The internship program itself offered a plethora of information and activities and allowed the interns to be completely submerged in their professional field. It was refreshing as an intern to be treated with such a respect throughout the company, as the interns were not looked down upon or told to make coffee runs. I greatly appreciated the professionalism and individual responsibility the internship imposed on students.

What I wish was different

I wish it would have lasted longer! There were some projects that I would have liked to have become more involved and areas of the company I would have liked to explore more in depth.

Advice

Do not be afraid to make a mistake! Learning by failure is an exceptional means of gaining experience. Do not be shy to speak to full-timers and ask more about why they love working at Burns & McDonnell. It is so important to build your network, so continue to meet new people and build relationships. Attend as many educational opportunities as possible - you never know what knowledge is just around the corner.

1 One person found this helpful

Content Writing Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Burns & McDonnell has a unique culture, and everyone I encountered was amazing. The people on my team really wanted me to do well and learn. I was put on real projects and was able to write content that was published. I learned a lot about myself as a writer and got to add a lot of pieces to my portfolio.

What I wish was different

At some points, I'd wished I was receiving more guidance. But in the end, it helped me make decisions on my own and figure things out.

Advice

If you don't have work to do, all you have to do is ask. People sometimes forget that you're an intern and you might not have a project. What you get out of this experience depends on what you put in.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

CADD Intern

May - August 2019 • Minneapolis, MN

What I liked

The atmosphere was very inviting. The department I was with shared a lot of core values with me so it was easy to fit in. The times when there was popcorn in the break room, everyone would come from wherever they were working and so grab some, it really made the office feel like a little family.

What I wish was different

I wish I lived closer so I could've attended more events. I also wish the events would've been a bit more friendly to those under the drinking age (a few of the events were at bars).

Advice

It doesn't matter how long you've been going to college or not, in my case, apply. The worst that can happen is they say apply next year. Also, ask a lot of questions and write down the answers! Then you have a book full of little notes to help you do your very best each day.

1 One person found this helpful

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Atlanta, GA

What I liked

The corporate culture of Burns & McDonnell was astounding. I have worked 3 engineering internships at 3 different companies and this one stood out, because everyone showed up with a smile on their face, excited to accomplish something amazing every day.

What I wish was different

I thought the housing stipend was going to cover my housing completely, but due to high prices in the area and taxes, it was much more difficult than expected to save much of the money I made.

Advice

Work in a place where the people you work with are pleasant. You spend most of your day around them, and you will be miserable if you don't like the people you work with. Finding a company culture that is buoyant and exciting is difficult, and when you find it, hold onto it.

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Mechanical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

- Hands-on experience - Working with mentors - Very positive, up-to-date work environment - Strong company culture - Ability to travel several times for on-site tours of facilities and plants - Ability to interact with upper level managers, officers, etc. - Variability of work

What I wish was different

- More experience interacting/ having meetings with clients - Less training modules about topics inapplicable to intern work

Advice

Burns & McDonnell is an excellent company with a strong focus on curiosity and understanding; be prepared to both work and learn daily.

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Engineering intern

May - August 2019 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

supportive co-workers that were all willing to serve as mentors company culture values hard work and interpersonal skills was treated like a real employee