People of MECHA: Sam Young
What companies did you work at and what did you do there?
Over her three years, Sam worked at Fulton Hogan, I3, and Beca and covered a range of work there. At Fulton Hogan, she worked mostly in the civil and mechanical engineering departments, with lots of on-site visits, risk assessments and paperwork relating to safety permits. One of the key projects Sam worked on here was for the Wellington Metro Upgrade Project, helping to develop railway lines from Upper Hutt to Wellington.
Moving into I3, this focused primarily on innovation work within a hospital. Sam worked on Data Analysis for the Radiology department to help improve their current system, involving a lot of creative thinking, data collection and collaboration with other radiologists in the hospital.
In her third internship, Sam worked for Beca in their building services department. Here, she learnt to develop not only her technical skills, such as Revit modelling, but was also presented with opportunities to build her soft skills. One of the highlights was the sustainability innovation project, where interns would choose one of the UN Sustainability goals and develop a product to help address it. Workshops and mentors were provided throughout the project, providing a practical context into which interns could develop professionally.
What tips do you have for students wanting to find an internship?
Networking events are key, building connections and your professional network
Make sure your cover letters are unique and personal to you
Avoid making your CV too long, try to only put what’s relevant in it
- If you don’t have previous industry experience, use the space to outline your strengths and weaknesses, even if they’re in non-workplace contexts
- Be yourself during your interviews
- Elaborate on your passions, your personal stories
- Be humble and polite
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions
- Let the company know what you contribute to them and how you can help them