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Bush Construction Interns: Where Are They Now?

Internships have the ability to make a lasting impact on both the student and the employer. While we may not stay in touch with all interns that have participated in our program, we have and will continue to remain strong supporters. Today is National Intern Day and we thought it would be fun to provide you with a “where are they now” update!

Jake Storjohann | 2015

I was an intern back in 2015, I worked with Ryan Welborn and the crew at the Davenport Fire Department. Since my internship, I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a construction management degree and accepted a job at Allied Construction Services as an estimator/project manager. I’ve enjoyed my time at Allied, it’s been very challenging and rewarding.

Evan Spurgetis | 2016

I interned at Bush Construction the summer after my sophomore year in undergrad (2016). The summer after my junior year I interned at Larson Engineering in their St. Louis office and worked there part-time throughout my senior year as well. After graduating from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2018, they hired me full-time. I worked in their St. Louis office for one year. I then transferred to the New York City office in the summer of 2019 where I have been for the past two years.

Jacob Rockey | 2017

I graduated from Iowa State University in December 2019 and currently work for Beck Group in Dallas, Texas. My project experience since interning at Bush started with building Dickies Sports Arena in Fort Worth. I am currently working as a Project Engineer on a Hospitality Center at American Airlines Headquarters as well as working on the preconstruction/construction for a project on the University of Texas at Arlington’s Campus. I loved my experience at Bush Construction and learned a lot working under Ryan Welborn. He helped jumpstart my passion for building!

Courtney McClaine | 2018

After interning at Bush Construction, I graduated in May 2020 with a B.S. in Construction Management from the University of Northern Iowa. I am currently at Streamline Architecture and Artisans as a Design Intern – however, I do a lot as a Project Manager for our Artisans team and a Marketing Coordinator for our coffee shop, Iron + Grain. This fall, I will be attending Kirkwood Community College in their Interior Design + Architecture program. I am really grateful for my time at Bush Construction and in the construction industry in general because it will help me in my future career as an Interior Designer.

Kyle Jecks | 2019

I interned at Bush Construction the second semester of my senior year at North Scott High School through the summer leading up to my first year at Iowa State University. It was an awesome experience!

This summer I have been interning at Power Construction in Chicago, IL. The project I’ve been working is One Chicago, which is a $500M development set to be the sixth tallest building in Chicago upon completion early next year. My time working on this project and living in the city has been wonderful—a life-changing experience!

I am heading into my junior year at ISU and absolutely love the atmosphere and culture. I’m involved with American General Contractors, the ASC commercial team competition, playing trumpet in the band, and extra roles I have taken on as a resident assistant. I like to stay busy and there are plenty of great opportunities to do so!

Celebrating National Intern Day

National Intern Day was created by WayUp to recognize and celebrate future leaders – interns! Bush Construction has a long history of providing internship opportunities, and this summer we are pleased to have Trevor Viren join our team. Trevor is a QC native who will be going into his senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. With a major in Construction Management and a minor in Business Administration, Trevor is a perfect fit for our internship program.

Get to know intern Trevor

Is this your first internship?

This is technically my second internship in the construction industry. Last Summer I worked as a commercial estimating intern with Tri-City Electric.

How did you hear about the Bush Construction internship?

Trevor Viren is a 2020 summer intern at Bush Construction

I heard about the Bush Construction Internship when I met Rob and Lea Ann at the career fair at UW-Platteville. I had been looking for companies in the QC area and stumbled upon Bush, which I had somehow overlooked. In hindsight, I am very happy that I made the decision to approach them at the career fair to put myself in the running for an intern position at Bush.

What tasks are you currently working on?

The main tasks I have been working on have been for the Coram Deo Church project. I have been drafting RFI’s, reviewing submittals, communicating with the design team, communicating with subcontractors about revised quotes, tracking framing progress at the site, attending progress meetings with subcontractors, attending meetings with owners of the project, and updating drawings with the answered RFI’s. I have also organized a couple of other site visits with the project’s corresponding superintendents.

What have you learned from your time here?

I have learned more in my short time here than I have from any other job before! I have learned about the construction process, thanks to the Coram Deo project starting promptly when I started here. This has led to me being able to familiarize myself with common construction practices from a general contractor’s point of view.

What advice do you have for your peers considering an internship?

One piece of advice I have for my peers considering an internship is to absolutely in any way possible to take an internship if given the opportunity. I am very grateful and fortunate enough to have landed one at Bush Construction, and it is the best way to learn what goes on in the industry you plan to pursue your career in. You learn just as much in 2-3 months of a solid internship as you would in over a year of schooling.  If it is a possibility, try to make an internship opportunity happen!

“Trevor has been doing a great job on the Coram Deo Project, said Justin Hoerner, Bush Construction Project Engineer. “He’s handled everything we’ve thrown at him. I’ve tried to put the pressure on him at times, and he puts his head down and gets whatever is being asked of him done. He’s been very coachable and asks plenty of questions until he completely understands it. During his short time here at Bush, Trevor has proven to be a very valuable member of the team!”

3 Ways to Improve Workforce Recruitment in the Construction Industry

Whether you’re building a team for an upcoming construction project or preparing for future growth, assembling a team of dependable, highly motivated, and skilled employees is critical to your success. While it can be extremely difficult to attract and retain these team members, here are three tactics for HR managers in the construction industry to employ.

1. Reach Potential Workers Early–Very Early

Before the pandemic, Bush Construction visited classrooms ranging from preschool to eighth grade.

“We wanted to familiarize students with the different opportunities in construction,” said Lea Ann Dies, Senior Human Resources Generalist with McCarthy-Bush Corporation.

Reaching potential workers before they have made it to college or even high school is an effective long-term effort to bring awareness to careers in the skilled trades. In addition, talking about movements such as Generation T also helps students understand that organizations are working very hard to changing the perception of the trades.

Studies show that far too often many make the wrong decision when choosing a job. There are plenty of reasons:

  1. People are motivated by high salaries even though studies show there’s no correlation between pay and job satisfaction.
  2. Many are unwilling to try a new job if they are unhappy in their current one.
  3. Many do not know their own talents.

“Obviously, the messaging is different based on the age of the group we are presenting to,” Dies said, “But the idea is to reach children and students early so they can understand the types of opportunities available in the trades and learn about our role in the community.”

“We look forward to hopefully picking classroom visits back up in the fall!” Dies said.

2. Internships & Job Fairs

According to the Harvard Business Review, approximately three out of four college students intern while in school. For many students, internships end up being much more than a way of gaining real-world experience while they’re still in college. They can turn into full-time jobs post-graduation. This year, Bush Construction hired two former interns into full-time positions.

“For college students, an internship is a great way to gain experience, get an insider’s view into a specific career path, and test out whether that profession is right for them,” Dies said. “On the flip side, an internship program enables employers to build a steady pipeline of young, qualified, and talented candidates.”

This summer, Bush Construction is proud to have another intern, Trevor Viren as part of their team.  Trevor is a Quad-City native who will be going into his senior year at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. With a major in Construction Management and a minor in Business Administration, Trevor will be working on finalizing quality control checklists with Bush Construction’s project management team.

In addition, attending job fairs is another recruiting and brand awareness tool. Many educational institutions hold career fairs to expose their students to potential employers with diverse hiring needs. Registration has begun for fall recruiting events, with most colleges and universities shifting towards offering virtual career fairs because of COVID-19. Iowa State University, for example, will be hosting its Engineering Career Fair on September 15th and 16th. Developing relationships with vocational schools is also a good way to learn about the talent pool that will be available after students complete the program(s).

3. Online Recruiting Platforms

Whether you are recruiting for in-office or field positions, employees are likely to track down your website, visit your social media profiles, and review third-party sites like Glassdoor to learn more about your company’s culture. Alternatively, searching for the right talent on digital platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, CareerBuilder, and more will help staff your workforce.

To learn more about careers available at Bush Construction, visit https://www.bushconstruct.com/meet-the-team/careers/.

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