KAI Commitment

We are dedicated to providing interns with a valuable experience, regardless of the duration of the internship. Interns at KAI are exposed to the technical side of transportation planning and traffic engineering, the broader industry of transportation, and the business-related elements of the consulting profession.

Project work and outside learning experiences involve interns with activities that expand the interns' knowledge and understanding of the profession. Interns are invited to company activities such as the summer picnic, volunteer activities, baseball outings, and weekly basketball games. Our goal is for interns to feel and act as a full-time member of the KAI family.

Each intern is paired with a mentor who is directly responsible for the intern's overall progress. The mentor does not necessarily work directly with the intern or manage the intern on all projects; mentors serve as an advocate for the intern to ensure their goals and objectives are being achieved.

In most cases, the intern shares an office with their mentor, allowing more interaction, direct oversight, and quick response. We strive to build mentor-intern relationships that can provide career-long guidance.

Role of the Mentor

Personal commitment

A mentor must dedicate time before, during, and after the internship as an extension to their normal working hours. This role requires the same level of commitment as is needed for any client, project, or professional development activity. Specific tasks include: customizing a framework plan, developing specific goals/objectives with the intern, consulting with the intern's key professor(s), coordinating their first day/week, identifying project work, conducting weekly progress meetings, attending mentor coordination meetings, setting up educational meetings, general on-going monitoring throughout the intern's stay, regular communication with the Office Manager and Intern Coordinator, and providing close-out comments.

Advocate

While the mentor is not directly responsible for providing the intern with all their work and training, the mentor is responsible for representing the intern's best interests. This involves making sure interns are aware of opportunities, making sure KAI staff know of the intern's interests, and are working to ensure that the intern is included on projects where possible.

Coach

Coaching the intern with positive, but constructive suggestions is critical. This can include topics such as appropriate interaction with clients, critiques on interaction in the workplace, or other guiding discussions related to understanding differences between the academic and professional environment.