To celebrate National Intern Day, DRMP’s Learning & Development Team welcomed its newest interns virtually and in-person with a lunchtime tailgate party where they had a chance to connect with one another as well as full-time DRMP professionals who started at the firm as interns – and have fun while doing it.
Interns from DRMP’s offices, coming together as a group for the first time, were able to wage friendly competitions in cornhole and ping-pong, fellowship over food, and engage DRMP staff on their journey from interns to professionals in an insightful Q&A discussion.
DRMP Learning & Development Manager Martha Ayers, along with Learning & Development Coordinator Jake Burton, arranged the event to be focused on the interns – from the tailgate décor and food to surveying the interns on the questions they wanted to be answered.
“It is invaluable for our interns to not only receive hands-on training in the A/E/C industry during their internships but also gain insight from one another and staff that once stood in their shoes,” said Ayers. “This event was an opportunity for the interns to connect with one another, as well as professionals from various disciplines with progressive levels of experience – an opportunity that would not naturally present itself.”
The following panelists provided their insight and experience during the Q&A panel discussion:
Hanna Archer, Marketing Data Analyst
Samir Farra Otero, EI, Project Engineer
Jim Highland, PE, Vice President and Traffic Division Manager
TJ Lallathin Jr., PE, DBIA, Vice President of Alternative Delivery
Sasha Lobanova, Engineering Intern
Matt Scales, Project Engineer
Chris Wild, PSM, Vice President and Tampa Survey Manager
What is the most important thing we should be doing right now as an intern?
Hanna: Learn from any and every facet of what you’re doing—learning from your colleagues and learning from your supervisors. Never stop learning.
Jim: Figure out what you like to do and what you don’t like to do. And then figure out if the reason you don’t like doing something is because it’s hard or is because you’re not interested in it. If it’s hard for you, but you’re interested in pursuing it, you can push through that because you have resources. Figuring out your passion is important.
Samir: I agree with Jim. The first priority is to figure what you like and what you don’t. Then, I’d say make the best of your time and become someone who can be relied on. There’s no such thing as a small task.
TJ: Strive to do your best with every task, even if it seems very minimal. If you perform well on something, the next assignment you get may be a little more complex and challenging.
Sasha: Don’t be scared to ask your supervisor questions. They are able to provide good insight because of their experience.
Matt: Don’t just limit yourself to what you are working on. If you have questions about anything career wise or work/life related, don’t be afraid to ask about it.
Chris: Expose yourself to different things here. Open yourself up to experiencing things you might not expect to enjoy.
Was the transition from employment a big adjustment and did you feel prepared when you started full time?
Hanna: Honestly the transition was not that hard. I was able to ease the transition by having fewer classes toward the end of my college career. It’s not a race so just enjoy the learning process.
Jim: For me it was a relief, finding a place where I can put some roots down and develop. Building here was really important to me.
Chris: I recently had an intern who enlightened me on this topic. I didn’t realize that when interns graduate and become full time employees, there was a fear that all of a sudden, we are expecting you to perform at a high level and that is not the case. It really is a day-by-day transition.
Samir: Don’t be afraid to express your needs. Once you start you have to go through the transition and find out what works best for you and your schedule. And remember to take a break if you need to. Take the time to celebrate your accomplishments before jumping into full professional life. And remember you’re still learning.
Do you have recommendations for finding work/life balance?
Jim: You’re going to make mistakes. That will happen in your career. You need to push the boundaries sometimes and take risks but know that those mistakes are going to come. Remember not to take those mistakes home with you. We’re there to support you when you mess up as well. That’s what a real supervisor does to help you push through it.
Sasha: I have found that DRMP is very flexible when it comes to work/life balance. I have been working from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. because it fits in with my schedule better. It’s important to get on a comfortable level with your supervisor when it comes to these issues because they are there to help you.
Chris: Try to set boundaries between your work and personal life. If you’re giving too much, the person that needs to say slow down and stop is you. It took me a while to learn that. Putting in extra hours right before a deadline does go a long way, but don’t sacrifice time with family and friends and be sure to set those boundaries.
What have you done to advance your career at DRMP?
Hanna: I basically created the position that I’m in because I saw a need in the marketing department. Don’t be afraid to speak out if you see something you want to do. If you want to do it, you’ll be able to do it, with some boundaries of course. It is on you, but you have people who will support you and help shape what that will look like.
TJ: The position I’m in, leading our design-build efforts, it was something DRMP never did. It was something I liked doing and we have grown it to the business we do now with major clients.
What opportunities are available to me now, and as a DRMP employee in the future?
Martha: We have a great in-house mentorship program. We connect junior staff with senior staff and allow them to foster a relationship that allows them each to grow.
Jim: Because of the size of our company, you are able to explore different workgroups if your passions lead you there. We’ve had people move to different areas and work out of a different DRMP office. We definitely want to keep you in the family.
Sasha: There are also continuous education opportunities, which is very important to me. We are encouraged to participate as members in professional societies as well.
Matt: I’m involved in one of our committees where we discuss technology. I know we have other committees and getting involved in one of those will help you get to know more people throughout the firm. It’s interesting to see the behind-the-scenes.
