Forestry Major
Q: What
is your major?
A: FRM
Q:When do
you plan to graduate?
A: December 2003
Q: What
was your job (internship, co-op, seasonal position)?
A: Internship
Q: How long
did the position last?
A: 10 weeks (Late May-Early Aug.)
Q: What
was your title?
A: None, my supervisor was the Natural Resources Planning Officer
Q: Where
was you located?
A: Berryville VA, Clarke County
Q: What
were your main tasks/duties?
A: Find water wells that were suitable for a long term monitoring
network. Contact the owners of those wells and gain permission to use
them in the network
Q: What
did you like most about your job/internship?
A: Creating solutions on my own, using GPS & GIS technology
Q: What
(if anything) did you like least about the internship?
A: Computers
and telephones
Q: Describe
a typical day on the job:
A: Look through county documents to identify useful wells, find
contact information for the well's owners, contact the owners and tell
them about the groundwater study, ask permission to use their well and
set up an appointment to get a GPS location. Visit wells and get their
GPS locations, load the GPS data onto the county's GIS database.
Q: Were
you heavily supervised, or left to get things done on your own?
A: I was unsupervised but almost always had assistance when I
asked for it
Q: How did
you find out about the job/internship?
A: Through our college Career Services office and the Virginia
Water Resources Research Council
Q: What
is your best advice for others who want to find out about co-ops/internships?
A: Ask everybody you know about possible jobs
Q: How did
you find housing (or was it arranged for you)?
A: Housing was arranged by Clarke County. I got to stay at the
State Arboretum!
Q: Did
you receive academic credit or were you paid?
A: I was paid by the hour, given a food stipend, and reimbursed
for mileage
Q: What
kind of career-related experience did you gain?
A: I learned how to make use of govt. resources, interact with
private landowners, and use GPS and GIS technology.
Q: Were
there other "perks" or privileges that you received?
A: Living at the Virginia State Arboretum. Meeting people with
local govt.s and the USGS
Q: Do you
plan on working for this company/agency again in the future?
A: No, but I hope to stay in touch with them
Q: Are your
career goals the same after your job/internship? If not, how have they
changed?
A: I have learned that I am not ready for an indoor job yet and
that working for any govt. organization can be a headache
Q: Would
you recommend this position to other students?
A: Definitely; the Virginia Water Resources Research Council
sets up internships all over Virginia, these internships are coordinated
by Alan Raflo here at VT
Q: What
is your best advice for students considering co-ops/internships?
A: Make the most of any opportunity