Doing an internship abroad is said to be the best of both worlds. There are very few times in life that one has the opportunity to gain vital professional experience while traveling and living the best that life has to offer in a new country. In a world that is getting more and more internationalized, networking is crucial to success in the professional arena. Through my internship at Skanska in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, I have been able to not only develop my professional skills as an engineer but also develop the social relationships that have already and will continue to help me on my way. An internship of such parameters gives a new sense of perspective, whether it be for the great references you get after working hard and learning so much or finding out your awesome manager has connections to your next dream place, not to mention what a confidence booster an international experience like this can be!
I am proud to be assisting in the construction of a new healthcare building, which is especially vital to the pandemic we are currently going through and I am very amazed by, and grateful for, a team that does not know how to quit, even in the most challenging times. This is a project-based on LEED certification, where the categories that align best with me include: materials & resources, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, as well as indoor environmental quality. LEED meets the environmental requirements on the most widely used green building system, so this is something I am very happy to contribute in, all the while improving my knowledge in environmental quality, public health, recycling, water/air pollution, environmental conditions and further developing my career as an environmental engineer.
One of the most remarkable events that will always be a standout is being invited to participate in a closed- group digital construction summit of new high tech virtual, BIM, VDC, AR, near-future technologies as automated (spot) consistent (identification & recognition) and digital 3D printed structures. These presenters were 30 professionals in both construction engineering and technology and provided a spectacular presentation of the new methods used in the field. The event’s location is also one to be mentioned, the famous Empire State Building of New York City, offering the best up-close view to everything New York is made of.
As I mentioned before, it is rare to be able to have the best professional experience be available to you and also have so much personal gain at the same time, which is what this internship program and the unique AADF staff provide for all young professionals in Albania. A truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that only their hard-working team knows how to gift. And, in today’s globalized society, globalized health crises we are all living in too, working with such people and seeing how they have so many different ways for handling unprecedented situations in the most professional way, are teaching me ways I would have probably never learned otherwise. So, even in the most difficult and challenging situations, there is always a silver lining and we ought to make the most out of it!
Despite being caught up in a global health crisis right now in the US, I have had the chance to enjoy traveling and visit many states on the east coast, as well as beautiful California. Furthermore, while gaining so much professionally, I am also spending this time with the love of my life. So, I guess I am truly having the best of both worlds!
Xhon Kraja, MIP Fellow Cohort Spring 2019