A Chat With the 2023 Perlo Summer Interns
09/26/2023
Each year, Perlo hires a class of interns for the summer months to provide them with an introduction and education about general contracting, as well as fill our ever-growing need for talented, hard-working individuals. This year, Perlo’s class was made up of 12 stellar students, including 7 men and 5 women, hailing from multiple universities across the Western United States, including Arizona, Cal Poly, Central Washington, and Oregon State.
The class also ranged in age from freshman to senior in college, with several intending to return to Perlo for subsequent internships or permanent hire positions.
Our interns experience a variety of tasks and experiences over the course of the summer, including shadowing a tenured project manager, attending onsite meetings, watching unique aspects of the building process and attending formal training sessions. They often receive exposure to our estimating processes, project management, onsite processes, safety, and even business development.
Two of our summer interns were also recipients of the 2023 Schweiger Memorial Scholarship and attended the awards ceremony with us to receive recognition for their hard work and dedication to their education.
Here are some of the things this year’s interns had to say about their time with Perlo this summer:
BRITTEN
College
Oregon State University
“The best part of my experience was that the first day of the project was my first day here, and we just had our punch walk. So, I got to see the project in its entirety. I got to be out onsite a lot. I learned a lot! I learned Bluebeam, RFIs, Submittals, and my phone etiquette is much better How fast construction moves, was a big surprise to me too.”
GREGORY
College
Oregon State University
“I was surprised at how much PM’s do. I knew they did a lot, but it was exciting to see what they did. I liked not being pigeonholed into one specific thing and that I got to see all the things. I learned a lot about the industry in general. I learned that personal relationships get jobs done, and how important communication is. I also learned how important culture is.”
ELLA
College
Oregon State University
“I didn’t know what to expect and didn’t realize how much I would learn. I didn’t have any expectations so it was good to be thrown into it. I loved the culture, it was easier to learn because everyone was so welcoming. I didn’t realize how much fun it would be to work here.”
KELLEN
College
University of Arizona
“There is just a super positive energy in this office and it’s an easy place to be in a good mood. I never heard anything negative, truly. People are so cool, people make an effort to make others feel included everywhere you look. It was surprising to me to walk into an office like this and see the happy people. I was sort of expecting needing to have tough skin and be ready to roll my sleeves up. I have never stepped foot into an office until now. I could barely log in to my computer, but I’ve learned little things that are so important. How to send an email, talk on the phone. I’ve really learned how to listen, what to listen for, how to do meeting packets, overhearing conversations has taught me so much.”
JAKOB
College
Cal Poly
“My favorite part of the internship experience was collaborating with employees around Perlo. The Culture. I would tell my parents about my day, and they would respond by saying, “You better cherish this because it’s really rare. you won’t find this anywhere”. My friends at other internships weren’t doing the same fun things. I really enjoyed the weekly trainings and thought the program was awesome and well thought out. I really enjoyed my time here at Perlo and would love to come back.”
MACY
College
Oregon State University
“My favorite part was how much I learned – more than I could have expected. My favorite memory was contributing to the bid for the Mt. Hood Community College. I was part of the whole process from selecting subs to being the bid runner. It was nice working with 4 other girls, because I’m usually the only girl in my classes. My goal this summer was to know the process of construction and what it is like to be a PM. I wanted to understand the day to day life of a Project Manager. This is my future and this is what I need to prepare for over the next year.”
JIMMY
College
Oregon State University
“I looked forward to the OACs. I enjoyed helping my project manager with meeting minutes and other project tasks. It was great to take what I learned last summer and apply it this summer. I have started to pick things up and have helped with value engineering, OACs, and meeting minutes.”
MEG
College
Cal Poly
“All of the projects I was working on were in the beginning phases. It was fun getting to see all of the prep, and all the time it takes to actually start. I also did a lot of calling subcontractors and talking to them about scopes of work and scope gaps. It was really cool learning how to call people. I started that right away. This experience boosted my confidence that I can work in a workplace. The amount of information I was able to take in was great, I came in not knowing anything, and now I feel confident in my abilities to get things done.”
MIKEL
College
Oregon State University
“My favorite part was being able to see what it takes for a job to run smoothly. It was fun to get a glimpse of all the steps that go into a process, it’s so much more than you think. I really enjoyed learning construction terms and communicating with subcontractors. I was surprised by how Perlo as a company is. It’s a team. If you stumble there is always someone to help.”
RILEY
College
Central Washington
“This was a really good summer, because I got to use what I previously learned and put it to use. The highlight of my summer was that I completed a bid for the Beaverton School District and won! I will always remember the contract value on that. I learned how to be a better writer and to write more concisely. Learned to ask myself the who, what, where, when, why, and how? For everything. I LOVE IT here – I don’t want to go back to school. I genuinely enjoy coming back to work every day.”
ALEX
College
Oregon State University
“I loved contributing to the project’s Submittals, RFIs, and OAC meetings. I also learned how to write a professional email and talk on the phone with Subcontractors, Design Team members, and internal team members. It was so fun contributing to something exciting right off the bat. I was so impressed with how friendly everyone was, I thought it was a first week of Summer type of thing, but it lasted the whole time. I was also surprised by how much a PM needs to know in general. They must have a wide range of general knowledge. ask the right questions.”
JACOB
College
Oregon State University
“This opportunity was good for career development for me. This was my first time in an office setting. I like the problem-solving. I liked looking through the specs to figure out a problem, and I liked being out in the field, and have my hand in what’s going on in the project. I also liked being in the OAC meetings and taking meeting minutes. I didn’t expect people to be so nice or to be thrown into the fire, which I appreciate. It’s what I needed. Getting to know the other Interns was fun, we would share experiences over lunch, and talk about things going on with their projects.”
Final Thoughts
Perlo has created an internship program that is a two-way street, where both interns and employers have the opportunity to learn and grow. We are grateful for the time spent with the Summer Intern class of 2023, excited about their potential, and look forward to seeing each of them thrive in the construction industry.
If you’re interested in a future internship, check out our careers page or contact us today!