Meet five Skanska interns who went full-time

Will Senner

First role at Skanska: Project engineering intern
Current role at Skanska: Vice president of preconstruction
Years at Skanska: 17 years

What were some of your initial ambitions when you started as an intern? 

For me, it was a big learning experience. As an undergrad, I didn’t have any classes in construction management (CM). 

My degree was in civil/structural engineering and I had two classes in architectural engineering.

How projects get managed from a CM perspective was completely new to me, so I was going into my internship looking to learn as much as I could.

How are internships and entry-level opportunities in construction helpful for someone’s long-term career trajectory?  

Internships are not only a great way to learn about an industry and the day-to-day rhythm of a particular job, but they give you great insight into a company and its people and culture. 

When I meet with students and give them career advice, one of the things I regularly emphasize is the importance of getting to know a company. 

Students can reach out to other recent alums they know who work at a given company, but internships offer a first-hand look into a company’s values. 

I remind students that they’re going to be spending 40+ hours per week working for a company, so making sure there is strong alignment on values can make a big difference on how enjoyable that time is.

What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities with your current job at Skanska?

I lead our local preconstruction team for the NC/VA office. Our team works closely with clients and design teams during the planning phase of projects to help guide the design to optimal outcomes in terms of cost, schedule, quality, etc. 

We also work closely with our operations teams planning the execution of our projects prior to ever putting a shovel in the ground. 

I also have responsibility for Skanska USA Building’s data strategy as chair of our Data Working Group. 

What excites you about showing up to work every day?

This is a very exciting time for our industry as we see more momentum around new tools and technology which can transform how we work and deliver projects. 

For example, the adoption of BIM and other digital tools, and the democratization of data, unlock new predictive insights.

This also creates opportunities to enhance how we manage risk and deliver new levels of cost and schedule certainty to our clients.

I’m particularly excited for our current interns who should have even more opportunity to drive this change in coming years.

Matt McCaffrey

First role at Skanska: Intern on our William Beaumont Hospital project in Royal Oak, Michigan
Current role at Skanska: Vice president – account manager  
Years at Skanska: 19 years

How did your Skanska internship prepare you for the role you’re in today?

I was fortunate to work with some great people during my internship. They made it a point to involve me in all aspects of the projects, regardless of my status as the intern.

Making sure the whole team is involved and understands the end goal is still something I focus on today.

How are internships and entry-level opportunities in construction helpful for someone’s long term career trajectory?

Construction is an industry that you learn much more about by being on a jobsite vs. in the office.

I think the more time you can spend seeing how things work on a jobsite, the better. It not only allows you to learn more, but to also take more from the classroom setting as well.

An internship can also give early insight on whether construction is the right field. If construction does feel like a fit, an internship can help an individual figure out what specific career path makes the most sense.

What excites you about showing up to work every day?

Every day is different and there are going to be new challenges on each project.

The fact that I continue to learn new things every week speaks to how dynamic and complicated our industry is, not to mention the continuous innovation that is occurring.

I think the other part of this job that’s fulfilling is that it’s very much team oriented

You succeed and face challenges together and depend on your teammates every day. That’s very important and rewarding for me.

Megan Byrne

First role at Skanska: Intern on our Tahoma High School project in Maple Valley, Washington
Current role at Skanska: Assistant project manager  
Years at Skanska: 7 years

What were some of your initial ambitions when you started as an intern?

I was always fascinated by the building process. Structures, MEP, civil, so at that time, just learning as much as I could about how things are built was my biggest goal.

How did being a Skanska intern simplify the transition to a full-time role within Skanska?

I was already familiar with Skanska’s processes and procedures, so it made the transition a lot simpler.

Additionally, having made those connections with the team I worked with was huge—that’s how I eventually made it down to Los Angeles.

My manager in Seattle connected me with someone at the LA office and I was able to transfer down.

What excites you about showing up to work every day?

I always appreciate having variety in my life and with this job, no day is the same. A large part of our job has to do with problem solving.

One day I’m in the office reviewing cost and schedule, and the next I’m in the field talking to crew members about removing any roadblocks that prevent them from installing their work. 

What are some things people might not know about the possibilities of a career in construction?

There are many more opportunities in the construction industry beyond being on a jobsite and working with the crews who are physically constructing the project.

Administrators, accountants, marketing, IT, BIM/VDC, recruiting and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) are just a few roles that are critical to the success of our projects.

Often these roles, albeit critical, are not thought of in relation to a job in the construction industry, so it’s just as important to promote roles outside of our operations division.

Anthony Tran

First role at Skanska: Commercial development intern in our Seattle, Washington office
Current role at Skanska: Development associate
Years at Skanska: 2 years

How did being a Skanska intern simplify the transition to a full-time role within Skanska?

During my internship with Skanska Commercial Development, I became familiar with the current projects, project teams and cultural values of the company.

Understanding these dynamics in the company allowed me to begin working on projects right away with a very smooth transition.

How did your Skanska internship prepare you for the role you’re in today? Are there any lessons/learnings you picked up in your internship days that you still lean on today?

My Skanska internship was an incredible opportunity to understand some of the unique relationships and processes that make Skanska a great company to work for.

My internship focused heavily on understanding the needs of the communities, market and clients we serve. In my role today, I still focus on how our work will affect those same groups.

What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities with your current job at Skanska?

In my current role, I focus on contract management, budget management, financial underwriting and market analysis related to the development of Kaye, our 31-story apartment project in downtown Seattle.

What excites you about showing up to work every day?

Each day the prospect of working on projects that will benefit the community and society I live and work in excites me.

The knowledge that the projects we build will provide high-quality homes and office spaces to our community makes me excited to come to work each day.

Bob Kramer

First role at Skanska: Preconstruction intern in our Nashville, Tennessee office
Current role at Skanska: Vice president – account manager   
Years at Skanska: 21 years

How did your Skanska internship prepare you for the role you’re in today?

During my internship, I realized the importance of relationships because construction is a people business. I learned what it takes for an office to be visible in a community.

When we volunteered in our local community, it made the office closer, and I developed deeper relationships as a result.

Thinking back to your intern days, what is one of your most formative early Skanska memories?

A family/work summer picnic in Nashville, where my girlfriend (now wife Erin, pictured with me above) got to meet my coworkers.

That day, she met Joey Hatch who had worked on his first hospital project in Terre Haute, Indiana where my wife was born. It was the first time Joey met someone that was born in a Hospital he had built!

What are some of your day-to-day responsibilities with your current job at Skanska?

I communicate regularly with project teams, owners and architects. I ensure current project challenges are being addressed while looking ahead for future opportunities for our teams.