New Hampshire Department of Transportation

Engineering Aide I

June - August 2021 • Concord, NH

What I liked

I thoroughly enjoyed working at the DOT this summer. As an intern, I spent most of my time in the field collecting asset information related to culverts and closed drainage systems located within state-owned/maintained highway corridors. I utilized a state-issued iPad, uploaded with GIS mapping, to record data into the Statewide Asset Data Exchange System (SADES). I was able to apply my engineering knowledge and judgment to determine the condition of each asset and the direction in which water was flowing, as well as other parameters. Through that, I discovered patterns and successfully solved each "puzzle" of drainage systems. The people I worked with were highly encouraging and open to answering any questions, making it a positive work atmosphere. It was a great experience!

What I wish was different

I would not wish anything different about my experience. It was more than I had hoped for.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share about this experience would be to embrace any opportunity you are given. You might land an internship within a subdiscipline of civil engineering that you might not envision yourself pursuing as a career, but it might just surprise you. Having the right mindset and making the most out of that experience will help you evaluate your career options and determine if that area is right for you.

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Engineering Aide

May - August 2019 • Concord, NH

What I liked

-The people at the NHDOT are great. People say hello in the hallways and keep doors open for each other. The engineers have a sense of humor, and are incredibly open to answering questions and explaining concepts. My team took the time to encourage me and make sure the work I was doing contributed to my learning, and I was asked multiple times if I had anything I wanted to learn that they would try to expose me to. They also gave me a lot of career and school advice that I can act on. -The work is varied and meaningful. I worked in Highway Design. I helped my team with both active projects and small side projects. As mentioned earlier, my team wanted to make sure I was learning as a priority. I got exposure to Microstation, plan drafting, LiDAR terrain models and contour maps, drainage, quantity estimates, ArcGIS, safety and crash history, Google Earth, guardrail calcs, StreamStats, Synchro, SimTraffic, field reviews, research, typicals, watershed delineation, all sorts of meetings, conference report writing, and more, with field trips to learn about construction and aeronautics. I came in knowing nearly none of this, so that's a lot! I was never rushed to do anything, and there were few times that I wasn't engaged in work: my supervisor even gave me work to do for if I had no work! I spent about 80% of the time in the office, 20% in the field. -Overall, a great experience both in the working atmosphere and amount learned. Got to know a lot about transportation, roads, and New Hampshire.

What I wish was different

As a Californian/New Yorker, I was going to say the pay, but for the cost of living in New Hampshire, it's really not bad. No sales tax!

Advice

-Note: students in the engineering intern program have the job title of Engineering Aide I, in case that was confusing. -It is rather hard to find summer housing in Concord; I used Craigslist. -If you go eat in the DOT cafe at noon, chances are you'll see other interns there, and then you'll have eating companions for the rest of the summer, which was a great experience for me.

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Rotational Summer Intern

June - August 2019 • Concord, NH

What I liked

The environment of the DOT, and in particular the Bureau of Bridge Design is friendly and inviting to new employees. Coworkers have an feeling a professionalism befitting a state office, but not so much that it feels intimidating to those just starting out. People work diligently when on tasks and banter between each when between then. If I had to make up a word for it, I would call it a semi-casual working environment.

What I wish was different

DOT Interns have many restrictions on leave and holidays which can be frustrating for those wish to go trips with friends and family during the summer. Most such policies are understandable, however the requirement for interns to work full days before and after a payed holiday in order to receive compensation can often seem unnecessarily restrictive.

Advice

As a Person you worked in data management: Trust your gut. If you find something that feels off in your line of work, always pursue and attempt to decipher it. You may just find a mistake or piece of data that your other coworkers overlooked, and if not you'll still come out of it with more refined understanding of the topic you were looking into.

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Engineering Aide

May - August 2019 • Gilford, NH

What I liked

I enjoyed learning how each employee contributes to the DOT team. I am able to gain experience through shadowing employees throughout their daily responsibilities both in the office and in the field. I have the opportunity to create work relationships with people who have common interests and work in the field I hope to enter. Each member of the DOT has been encouraging, supportive and informative in my summer internship. In addition, my knowledge of civil engineering and highway maintenance has expanded and I will be able to use this information through the rest of my college courses as well as my future career.

What I wish was different

The job description seemed vague and different in many ways to how the internship was laid out. Therefore, I wish I had been better prepared prior to starting the internship as to what it would entail. However, I was able to adapt to the environment despite being nervous prior to beginning the internship.

Advice

I would suggest to be open to experience new areas of the department as well as engineering than what you might envision for your career, you never know where you'll find an interest. There are people with a wealth of knowledge ready to share it with you if you are ready to listen and learn. All of the information gained through this internship will follow you into the rest of your career so be sure to expose yourself to each member of the DOT and what they have to offer because each person is ready and willing to advise. Be ready to get out in the field and outside your comfort zone to learn new things. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions!

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