I’ll be honest—when I first started my internship with TDIndustries, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with it, but the experience helped me to guide my future career path.
I attended Construction Careers Academy, a San Antonio magnet high school that prepares students for entry-level craft professional apprenticeships and long-term careers in the construction industry.
In May 2018, TD gave me a call after a mock interview. I was already studying construction management for residential construction. I knew TD as a commercial facilities, maintenance and mechanical construction company; regardless, I thought I would try the commercial side. I did what every teenager does when considering a new job, i.e. zero research, relying only on word-of-mouth about the company. Little did I know, I would soon come to love not only the work, but the world of commercial mechanical and plumbing construction.
The summer after my junior year, I worked in the field as a plumbing, sheet-metal and welding helper. As a 17-year-old girl who knew nothing about mechanical or plumbing systems, it was an intimidating start, to say the least. I had only known one other female on my same track and very few other women who had experience in the industry.
According to the National Association of Women in Construction, only 9% of the construction industry is female, and the majority of that 9% is in either sales or support; so, I certainly felt like an explorer.
In a span of three months, my initial nerves and worries turned into a passion to learn. Everyone, from apprentices to the production team, spent days graciously teaching me not only their trade, but about their lives. I worked my way into the office from the field, ultimately leaving jobsites for what TD is well known for: air conditioning.
This is where the real change took place for me. I found excitement in the gears of the construction machine. Being a part of everything from takeoffs to BIM coordination to production review and manpower meetings showed me the fundamentals of construction, the unseen hand that makes each step fall into place, and it ignited a fire inside me.
This fall will be my first year of college. I thought I wanted a general construction science major; however, after this summer, I have decided to study mechanical engineering. Rather than general oversight of all trades, I will focus on the mechanical systems aspect because I am fascinated with the delicacies of how systems function. Earning my engineering degree and joining a seldom-chosen industry will be a marked success for myself. The determining factor came from conducting personal consultations with project managers and engineers, as well as some family who work for general contractors. Working with professionals both in the field and in the office completely changed my trajectory.
I never thought I would study, coordinate and manage commercial construction. Due to the mentoring and knowledge gained over the past year, I say, “I will excel at it.” By nature, I’m aggressive and competitive when it comes to my goals and I have been fortunate enough to find a career that encourages me to think bigger. I am sold on this career path—a conviction I would not hold if it weren’t for that internship one year ago.
I have been endlessly grateful for the flexibility and opportunity that my internship program has provided. The program at TD has been full of constant learning and growth thanks to both my curiosity and professionals willing to help me along my journey.
Anyone interested in the construction industry should consider an internship, and companies should be open to them! It’s healthy and productive for both parties: the intern gets experience, and the company not only temporarily expands its workforce, but also trains its next potential team member.
“Interns are essential to the future of our industry,” San Antonio Operations Manager Justin Beard says. “It’s important that young people find a career that fits their skills and offers the career growth potential they desire. Finding something that you were made to do at a young age and growing while you’re doing it is the ideal outcome of an internship. When this happens, not only do the young people win, so does the company.”
I know that I fully intend to stay in this profession because without my experience, I may never have considered a commercial construction career.
Residential construction is still a great option (as is any career in the trades), but not for me any longer. Thank you to Construction Careers Academy, TDIndustries and my family for helping to put my confusing pile of puzzle pieces together into a more coherent career map.
