Our 2017 Fall group of Co-Op students recently wrapped up their positions with Edge and are headed back to school. We thank them for all their hard work and wish them continued success on their future endeavors! We are also currently seeking COOP candidates for the 2018 Summer-Fall session! Descriptions for available positions can be found on the Careers page of our website.
Below is a little insight into each of their experiences with Edge:
Co-Op Spotlight: Kayla
Kayla was our Fall 2017 Environmental Co-Op in the Prairie du Sac office. She is currently in her fourth year at UW-Madison studying Civil and Environmental Engineering.
What types of responsibilities do you have at Edge? What types of projects do you work on?
“I have primarily worked on Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for potential cell tower sites, and occasionally Phase II ESA’s and Material Management Plans for these sites when warranted. I have also helped with other NEPA compliance work. More recently, I’ve been helping out with drafting, doing inventory reports and construction drawings for equipment updates on cell towers. “
What have you learned from your co-op experience how do you expect to use it in your future career?
“Beyond the environmental-related things I’ve learned, such as signs of potential contamination to keep an eye out for or the ways in which contaminated sites are classified, I’ve also learned some general technical skills that will be useful in almost any engineering career, such as interpreting construction drawings and writing technical reports.”
What has been most surprising about your co-op so far?
“I have been able to help out a little with some of the other areas in our Environmental department, such as by setting up geotechnical reports or even tagging along with the archaeologist on some field work. I would’ve never guessed that I’d have dabbled in archaeology, but I’ve enjoyed the variety!”
Kayla works hard to obtain a soil sample for an archaeological survey.
Co-Op Spotlight: Brendin
Brendin was our Fall 2017 Structural Co-Op in the Prairie du Sac office. He is currently in his fifth year at UW-Madison. Brendin is also active member of the ASCE chapter and former president of the Concrete Canoe team.
What types of responsibilities do you have at Edge? What types of projects do you work on?
“I work with the structural team to analyze towers and mounts, and occasionally assist with CAD drafting as well. I have worked primarily on towers and small cell projects within the Midwest.”
What has been most surprising about your co-op so far?
“The number and variability of projects. In past internships I’ve had, I often had 2 or 3 big projects that I worked on throughout my time there and often times would not see them through to completion. Here I would work on 3 to 5 projects per week which really helped expose me to a lot of new information in a short amount of time.”
What advice do you have to future co-ops?
“Ask questions! Everyone here is more than willing to help and take time to ensure that you understand your projects. There is no such thing as a dumb question.”
Brendin (lower-right) with his golf foursome at the Edge Company Golf Outing in June.
Co-Op Spotlight: Matt
Matt was our Fall 2017 Design Co-Op in the Burnsville, MN office. He is currently in his Junior year at the University of Minnesota studying Mechanical Engineering.
What have you learned from your co-op experience how do you expect to use it in your future career?
“The lessons I have learned in my time at Edge will be invaluable in my future career. I have learned the necessity of communication and team work in completing projects and meeting deadlines. I have seen the importance of asking questions when they arise. And most importantly I have learned the value of organization. It is often said that engineers are very unorganized and I certainly lived up to that stereotype. However, over the past few months I have become incredibly organized on projects I have worked on outside of work and even mimicked the naming method for my files.”
What has been most surprising about your co-op so far?
“The most surprising thing about my experience is definitely the level of professionalism I am treated with, not only from my co-workers in the Burnsville, but as well when working with employees in the PDS office. I never would have expected to be given as much responsibility as I am and it has allowed me to grow tremendously. In addition, simply put, just being treated as part of the Edge family.”
Was there a specific project/experience you found enjoyable?
“What I’ve enjoyed most was seeing the real world application of my work. Living in Minneapolis, I am fortunate to be around many of the projects I worked on and it’s very exciting when I get the chance to explain to friends and family what the equipment does, the underground conduit routes, and much more when I see a site I worked on!”
What advice do you have to future co-ops?
“Take a deep breath and be patient. At the start of my co-op everything was brand new and often times very frustrating. For instance Microstation, the drafting software, has so many tools and steps that will seem impossible to learn. Be patient, practice makes perfect. In addition, don’t be afraid to ask for help or to ask what you might think is a dumb question. Everyone I have asked for help has been more than happy to explain whatever I have been struggling with and most of the time have a helpful tip or trick to accompany it.”
Matt works hard at his desk in the Burnsville, MN office.