A Chat With the 2022 Perlo Summer Interns

Levi worked primarily with our estimating department, learning preconstruction and the project bid process. Mainly working with mentor Senior Estimator Broc Van Vleet, Levi spent time recruiting subcontractors for bids, creating budgets and assisting with project estimates.

“I was surprised how upbeat everyone was here all summer; it was so cool. Of course, the work is stressful, but in such a great environment, the work was fun and motivating,” Levi expressed.

Our culture kept Levi engaged; he enjoyed building relationships, exploring different organizational methods, and learning new intercommunication skills. Levi’s takeaways were ongoing improvement of communication skills, particularly when additional direction or clarification is needed. Levi was surprised at how willing everyone was to dive in to help others, even when busy with their work.

“I thought I’d be filing papers and doing more intern-stigma-type work, but I was given real responsibility. I was willing to do whatever was asked of me, and I’d love to be an intern here again next summer.” 

Peyton worked with our general construction team with mentor and Project Manager Josh Swake. He had the unique opportunity to work in the Perlo main office and on the job site with our field teams, pointing out that most of his peers in school weren’t afforded such diverse internship experiences with other companies. 

Peyton was surprised at the role accounting plays in project management and how not all change orders and RFIs require full essays to communicate to owners. 

Peyton said of his mentor, “Josh is super organized, is awesome and showed me the process. I felt lucky to learn from him- he’s a good teacher.” In addition, Peyton felt like he was genuinely participating in the project management process and contributing to the project.

 “The culture is amazing. Perlo is just a cool, friendly, phenomenal place. I participated in all the culture events I could, like 3-on-3 basketball and trivia night; it was fun! I have never heard anyone talk negatively about Perlo. I made some good friendships and relationships.” 

Riley worked closely with all of our Special Projects Group (SPG) members, learning from each of them across the summer. She was surprised that she was given so much responsibility, learning to communicate effectively with subcontractors, write change orders, and document projects appropriately. With a willingness to jump in and do whatever was asked, Riley had the opportunity to participate in two hard-bid projects, numerous project meetings and more. 

Riley said her favorite experience was “contributing to the bids; that’s where I feel I learned the most. It’s nice to be able to walk around and talk to people. The work can be stressful, but the culture here is so supportive. It’s an easy place to flourish and learn.”

“With my time in SPG I learned how important a paper trail is and how important it is for someone to be able to pick up right where you left off. I’ll take that tip with me everywhere I go.”

Spencer returned for his second summer internship working alongside Senior Project Manager Stephen Alger and Superintendent John Tompkins. He said his internship started fast and never slowed down, as the projects he assisted with were ever-evolving, providing many learning opportunities.

Of his mentors, Spencer said, “Stephen was busy but also available. John engaged me and wanted to help me learn. I absolutely loved seeing a concrete pour and being a part of it. I got to help process the rebar submittals and then saw the work I did come to fruition.” Additionally, Spencer helped with panel and embed layouts for a concrete tilt-up alongside John. 

Spencer commented that Perlo’s internship program improved year over year, with a significant focus on ensuring the interns had a consistent community, continuous learning environment and immersion in the company.

“All of the feedback from last summer was taken and implemented, showing how even interns have a voice.” 

Working under Senior Project Manager Jacob Leighter, Zach worked in the office and on the field, expressing that he appreciated the office work more than he anticipated. He worked side by side with our project management teams and enjoyed the learning opportunities, including seeing concrete pours and panel tilts. 

Zach said that Jacob was “intentional and precisely what you would want in a mentor” and was surprised about how much time was invested in him. 

Coming to Perlo from a background as a firefighter, Zach was able to suggest resources for projects that drew on his past experiences. He expressed that people were still willing to listen when he didn’t feel he had a lot to offer. Zach said, “I learned how to take bad news and turn it into something positive or a benefit to Perlo and/or our client. Managing relationships is an art, and many people here do that well, so I’m glad to be able to listen in.”

“As an intern, I thought I’d be getting coffee for people. The culture here is so great. Everything is collaborative, so even when there are issues, a whole team is around to help. It was more of a learning environment than I ever expected.”

Aria worked primarily under Project Manager Forrest Gregg on the Vancouver Service Center project. A hands-on learner, she appreciated that so much of her work involved doing, not just watching. She learned a lot about effective communication and how to stay calm when tensions rise. “It surprised me how effective a simple phone call can be over an email.” She also noted that as the summer went on, she felt more and more comfortable speaking up and asking questions. 

Aria’s learning included change proposals, billings, safety audits, meeting minutes and more. She enjoyed the onsite visits to see concrete pours and tilt panels.

“Forrest was a great teacher. I felt like he wanted to help me understand, and honestly, we learned together at times, and he was so humble and honest. He wanted me to learn.”

Caden worked primarily with Senior Project Manager Jordan Peterson. A ‘great fit’ as Caden’s mentor, Jordan quizzed and tested him regularly to keep him on his toes, helping him earn his learning instead of simply giving him the answers. He also noted that the internship surprised him. “I know people who have done CEM internships and heard many horror stories. I wasn’t expecting the culture aspect – it’s so positive! It feels like I am important here.” 

With previous experience working as a laborer in the field, Caden said he enjoyed working in the office and liked it more than he thought he would. The relationships within the office while still having close interactions with the field were appealing to him. 

“One of the main skills I learned was watching Jordan and Jean lead meetings, talk to owners, discuss the projects, etc. At school, you’re pushing to please the teacher to get the grade, but it’s nice to see the real-life side of things here at the office.”

Connor spent his summer working with Senior Project Manager Drew Carter, on various project types, including an elementary school, industrial projects, and several others. Connor noted that he’s generally shy but was encouraged by Perlo to open up, try new things and come out of his shell. 

Connor spent time working with estimating and project management, completing take-offs, helping with punch list completion, change orders and more. He felt his mentor really trusted him to be involved in his projects, learn new things, and contribute. He noted that his prior experience included working for a restaurant and a shipping company, so this was a significant, positive change and eye-opening. 

Connor, we’re so glad you joined us and look forward to seeing where your career heads from here! 

“The atmosphere here makes it easy, even for someone shyer, to engage. Getting to be on the job site was great. I loved being able to talk to the subcontractors.”

Jimmy worked with many mentors this summer, including Senior Project Manager Jacob Leighter and Senior Estimator Broc Van Vleet, and across various project types. “The variety helped me compare projects, and it kept me on my toes all summer learning,” said Jimmy.

With time in the office, Jimmy learned the importance of effective communication via email and phone. Jimmy appreciated working with so many project managers to observe their work styles and project types. Some were more experienced, some less, and some more intense than others, and he liked all of that.

In addition, he appreciated the culture and the great perks like basketball games and the gym. 

“I learned a lot about real-world business soft skills and getting comfortable on the phone. Jacob also helped me learn to diffuse tense conversations by being respectful and knowing when to loop in someone higher up.”