Immersive Experience Gives Journey Group Interns Firsthand Look at Future Career Options

This article was originally published by Jodi Schwan of SiouxFalls.Business.

Days into his work helping build an expansion of USD’s Wellness Center, Jarren Munce found himself certified to run a forklift, tasked with unloading 35,000 pounds of crane mats to be used in the deep end of the swimming pool.

“I have learned a lot so far from this internship,” said Munce, a Sioux Falls native and incoming senior SDSU construction management major spending his summer with Journey Construction.

“I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can as fast as I can so I can help around a project that has a lot going on right now.”

Munce, who was drawn to Journey Group through family who works there, sees the internship as a natural progression from four years of working in construction doing everything from roofing and concrete to landscaping and home framing.

“I have always loved to build and put things together,” he said. “It’s satisfying to see all the pieces sitting in front of you and then put them all together to make something and see the end product.”

His internship as a project engineer so far has been to work on many tasks, including meetings, project documentation and safety inspections.

“As a project engineer intern, they set you up with everything that everyone else has like technology, gear and PPE. They really make you feel as if you are here for long term instead of just the summer,” Munce said. “Journey is a great company with many great people and an excellent internship program that prepares you for the next level.”

Another project engineer intern, Mackenzie Schueman, literally has dug into her work, navigating the terrain of construction sites “muddy but smiling” and bonding with team members who’ve had similar moments.

“Journey Group as a company is very welcoming and has a positive community that supports each other. My bosses are willing to teach me and answer any question and also find time to joke with each other as we work, making my job feel like I’m at home.”

These are the real-life work moments impossible to re-create in a classroom. Schueman, a construction management major, values as many as she can experience this summer as she serves as an intern with Journey Construction.

“This was an opportunity I wanted to experience because I wanted to see what it’s like to be on-site and in the office working on a project,” she said. “I saw this program as an opportunity for me to grow as an individual, and it has proven to be correct. My experience has been exciting and fun.”

So far, she has “gained a lot of new information and confidence” in her ability as a project engineer. Weekly or daily tasks include taking 360-degree views of job sites, setting the schedule for the week and recording information about subcontractors.

“I try my best to take on new tasks each week, and I also help with minor tasks such as cleaning up the site or taking out the trash. Whatever I can do to help, I want to do it!” she said.

“I’ve learned so many things with just a few weeks of being in the program. My vocabulary in construction has increased, I feel more comfortable answering questions for subcontractors, and I am improving on seeing how the smaller details make the bigger picture work. I have also been progressing on being calm and patient through problems or errors in a project, which I have found to be very beneficial, especially when communicating with others.”

Closer look at Journey Group’s internship program

This summer, five interns are learning within various divisions of the Sioux Falls office.

“We try to base the experience on the skills and interests of the students selected,” human resources manager Sarah Vicuña said. “This year, we’ve broadened our focus with construction management and project engineer interns in Journey Construction, SFC Civil Constructors and Black-Top Paving, as well as an intern in our marketing department.”

Marketing intern Carter Nelson from Sioux Falls will be a junior graphic design major at SDSU this fall and is just weeks into his internship.

“I have already learned so much from this job, whether it be marketing/business-related or construction-related,” he said. “I have appreciated how they include me in different tasks throughout the week. Everyone is very friendly at Journey Group, and they work hard to build a community within their workplace.”

His initial workload has included working with YoDeck, a digital signage software that Journey Group uses to share content to team members, along with creating digital graphics for hiring posts and joining in on meetings.

“Carter has been given an opportunity to do design work and received projects and guidance from his team, so he’s been able to contribute in that way, as well as do some shadowing at other companies around town that the marketing team has helped set up,” Vicuña said. “In other situations, interns are observing meetings and learning through osmosis and able to learn about the real, everyday situations that come up on job sites. They get to watch experienced project teams work through those, experience the technology we use and gain comfort as they take on some tasks with support.”

All Journey Group interns are exposed to job site tours where they learn about each division, and they attend intern breakfasts where the HR team “checks in on the experience, what they’re learning and offers professional support,” Vicuña said. “They’re gaining exposure to all areas of the company, and we’re helping them navigate the environment.”

At the end of the summer, all interns give a presentation recounting “what they’ve learned, what their biggest professional achievement of the summer is, as well as their feedback,” she said.

Munce said the benefits already are apparent.

“I think it is key to be a sponge when going somewhere new and be open to do a task no matter what it is. It only builds your confidence and makes it easier the next time you do it,” he said.

“I have learned that communication and documentation is key. There is a lot more behind the scenes of a project that people don’t think about and don’t know how much time and effort goes into starting, working on and finishing a project. I am learning a lot about scheduling and problems that can come with that if things do not go to plan, and I have learned a lot about different products and different trades and new tips and tricks to use for future projects I may be part of.”

While many students intern at Journey Group the summer after their junior year, some such as Allison Eickmeyer begin a year earlier – and continue to intern.

Eickmeyer of Watertown began her internship in 2022 while majoring in construction management at North Dakota State University. She returned for the summer of 2023 and worked remotely during her senior year until graduation this past May.

“The values of Journey Group really stood out to me,” she said. “They’re very safety-oriented and make their employees feel like family. I felt very comfortable from the first interview and very impressed with the company. I felt like it would be a great place to learn.”

She found a fit with Journey Construction’s special projects team, allowing her to support a wide variety of work while continuing her internship during the school year. Upon graduation, she accepted a full-time position.

“From the first summer I worked at Journey Group, I knew this was somewhere I could see myself working full time,” Eickmeyer said. “I’m very happy I got put on special projects because it’s been a great place to learn.”

Working side by side with project manager Hayley Robley, Eickmeyer now is working on a renovation at Butler Caterpillar, as well as Avera Health’s new dialysis space.

“She’s been amazing and very understanding,” Eickmeyer said. “I really enjoy being in Sioux Falls. I have my sister and other family here, and I’ve been here two summers, so it’s been nice to have a sense of familiarity coming back.”

Other former interns also are part of the full-time team at Journey Group, Vicuña said.

“We’ve had others who advanced into full-time roles and are continuing to flourish, and we also have some who haven’t converted to full-time positions yet, but the door is always open for the future,” she said.

Journey Group begins hiring interns in the fall, with applications opening in September.

“We’re always speaking to students, including freshmen who are looking ahead,” Vicuña said. “Sometimes, we even start with field exposure in a summer position as an underclassman, which is a good way to get involved and see if you’d like it to evolve into a formal internship.”

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