My main responsibility in this job was to use engineering judgement to decide what traffic devices should be used in order to solve a problem the public noticed or were concerned with. When I started this internship I imagined myself being stuck behind a desk helping draft work orders for residencies to fulfill. Although that was one of my bigger responsibilities I was actually able to go out and do the actual field work myself, finding the data that I would be using to make decisions on how traffic devices should be used from scenario to scenario. Beyond just wielding the responsibility of performing this work by myself I was able to see much of the region of New York that I was raised around in a new light and got to see all new corners of New York as a whole.
What I wish was different
My supervisors were absolutely amazing with handling the different aspects that the state is responsible for. More towards the end of my internship, once the office saw more interns, my supervisors collaborated with other groups to organize trips for us interns to go on to see different jobs that were associated with what we were doing at our desks. For instance, we took a trip to a concrete pour site for a bridge abutment which was worked on by some of the other interns. The only two things I wish would've happened in this internship was that I got to visit or collaborate with different regions to see how they interpret policies and standards given by the state and federal government as well as being more in conversations about the capital projects around the region so I could understand the whole cycle of how each team works together to finish these projects.
Advice
Honestly, when I applied for this position I was just trying to have some type of internship to keep me occupied this summer. Knowing how great the people that I work with are and how much fun I've had working on the projects I was a part of I wouldn't trade this internship for anything. I wasn't anticipating enjoying working for the state this much. This experience has opened my eyes to the public sector. Although the job might pay a little less than the private sector, the work environment is very enjoyable and everyone has a great passion for what they do knowing how many people their work directly impacts. This experience has 100% brought the public sector much higher in my rankings than I would've ever thought of before working in it.
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Engineering Intern
May - August 2023 • Rochester, NY
What I liked
They were able to expose me to multiple different jobs and aspects of working for the NYSDOT.
What I wish was different
More interns in my office.
Advice
Before people go into design for a company they should experience the field work as a TCI first.
