There are many paths to a career in construction, and in 2024, Project Engineer Alex Carroll joined Granger Construction as a member of our summer internship cohort.
Alex joined Granger while completing a bachelor’s degree in construction management at Michigan State University.
“I chose a college major and career path in construction because the industry really excited me,” noted Alex. “This is an industry with plenty of skills needed to be successful […] No two days are alike, and that is the type of work that excites me.”
“One of the biggest things that stood out to me when applying for internships was Granger’s family atmosphere,” Alex added. “There is more to this field than just delivering a high-quality project on-time. Relationships, family life, workplace enjoyment – those ideals aren’t a guarantee everywhere, but they do matter at Granger.”
Alex also considered Granger’s high intern retention rate when choosing where to work, noting that many interns become full-time employees.
“That shows me that Granger does not see you as just a number, but someone who can provide meaningful insight. More importantly, it shows me that people enjoy working at Granger because they want to spend multiple years here, not just one summer.”
As a Project Engineer intern, Alex was assigned to work with the Southgate Community Schools project team. There, his daily responsibilities included processing submittals, facilitating meetings, and helping manage daily logs, reports and toolbox talks. Alex also shadowed other Granger team members onsite, including superintendents, project engineers and project managers.
“My favorite thing about my internship was that if there was anything I wanted to learn, the Granger team was quick to help me. Whether sharing past experiences or helping develop analytical skills, they would always find time to talk and teach me. […] I believe the best way to get a feel for this industry is to have real experiences like this and learn from the people who have been doing it for years. After this summer, I would feel confident walking into a trailer and being able to understand most of the work going on and how I could help the team.”
“If I could give advice to my pre-internship self, it would be to be annoying and constant. You are never annoying your team members, even if you think you are. Everything they’re doing, talking about – make sure to include yourself, ask to tag along, ask questions, just watch them go through daily tasks. This is the best way to learn.”
