Burns & McDonnell

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Company culture, my team, Kansas City, and the overall experience

What I wish was different

The under-21 housing for interns wasn't the greatest

Advice

Apply for Burns and McDonnell. It's a great company to work for, I'm going back next summer!

1 One person found this helpful

Drafting Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

I enjoyed almost everything about my internship! I got hands on training from full time employees. I immediately started to work on billable multi million dollar projects. I had the opportunity to work on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings. I also did some 3d modeling for a project. I was also fortunate to be able to go on site and work on a project and contribute my skills. I had to measure and hand sketch equipment in person and then take it back to the office to create professional drawings from it for a client meeting.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had been more confident to ask for more work or work outside my group and team.

Advice

Always ask questions and do not be afraid to go and ask someone about their experiences and job.

4 ${count} people found this helpful

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Phoenix, AZ

What I liked

Burns & McDonnell's work culture was very welcoming. I felt encouraged to try new things and ask for help when I got stuck. Everyone was happy to assist me if I needed it. They treat their company as a team, which was what I liked most about them.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have gotten a greater variety of work, but there was really only so much I could work on in 3 months. I know that if I began my career at Burns & McDonnell I would get my wish!

Advice

Don't be shy to ask for help, or work. Depending on the day, you may be left with an hour or two where you have nothing to do. Take that time and ask your coworkers if you can help them! And if you need help with something, ask your coworkers! Lastly, take the initiative and accept new tasks offered to you. You have 3 months to learn as much as you can, so make the most of it!

3 ${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

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

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

Mechanical Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Great working environment. I was surrounded by people who were happily willing to help when I didn't understand something.

What I wish was different

Honestly, nothing. The whole internship program and experience was fantastic.

Advice

Be willing to ask for help when necessary. Your coworkers will most likely be glad to help.

4 ${count} people found this 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

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

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

What I wish was different

Advice

be prepared to be challenged, learn, and grow!

Be the first to mark this as helpful

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Chicago, IL

What I liked

The best company culture to work for and hands on experience.

What I wish was different

More diversity in projects

Advice

Find a way to shine. It's a competitive internship

1 One person found this 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

Substation Design Intern

May - August 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Great company culture, not too fast-paced either. Plenty of people around willing to help you out at any moment. Salary and benefits were very respectable as well.

What I wish was different

Advice

2 ${count} people found this helpful

Electrical Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Company Culture

What I wish was different

Paid much less than previous jobs

Advice

Take every oppertunity to learn

1 One person found this helpful

Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Company culture is phenomenal--everyone I worked with was so highly motivated and made time to teach me about their work.

What I wish was different

Advice

1 One person found this helpful

Substation / Networks Integration and Automation Intern

June - September 2018 • Denver, CO

What I liked

The people are Burns & Mac are incredible. I think this is largely due to their ESOP business structure and their tenacity to hire quality people. Burns & McDonnell look to hire people that are technically qualified, personable, and driven to improve themselves.

What I wish was different

I wish the work had been different. I am not very interested in power utility work (something I knew going into this internship), and this internship just confirmed that for me. If you are interested in power & construction, by all means this is a fantastic place to work.

Advice

Get involved in activities outside of work. Burns & McDonnell put on a lot of official (and unofficial) events outside of the workplace and getting involved in those really helps you to connect with your coworkers (making the work-day a lot more enjoyable in the process). Also, talk to management. One of my mistakes as an employee was only conversing with the people I directly had to work with. As a result I didn't build a strong relationship with my managers, which was something they really look for in a candidate.

10 ${count} people found this helpful

Electrical Drafter Intern

May - July 2018 • Kansas City, MO

What I liked

Atmosphere

What I wish was different

More structure

Advice

Talk to as many people as possible as much as possible

1 One person found this 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

Mechanical Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Phoenix, AZ

What I liked

Competitive wage. Opportunities to do field engineering if you're interested in it.

What I wish was different

Interns were not given valuable projects that added to their resume. Interns were also not treated like regular full-time employees; they were looked down upon. Projects did have much real 'engineering'.

Advice

I would avoid working here.

Be the first to mark this as 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

1 2