Frequently Asked Questions

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I have very little exposure to transportation engineering; will KAI still be interested in me for an internship position?

KAI does not expect a wealth of transportation engineering knowledge. However, they do expect their interns to be highly motivated and ready to embrace an excellent opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of the field.

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What types of project work will I be exposed to during the course of an internship?

The KAI internship program prides itself on exposing their interns to a wide variety of project work. Interns can expect to make site visits, collect data in the field, work on design projects, analyze data, summarize findings in reports, and attend a variety of project meetings with clients and jurisdictions.

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How available will my mentor or other resources be for help?

Since the majority of KAI interns share an office with their mentor, mentors are usually available for immediate help. However, KAI has an "open door" policy, meaning that all staff leave their office doors open for the purpose of establishing a friendly environment and providing assistance for others.

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How many hours a week does the position require?

The intern position requires, at a minimum, 40 hours of commitment a week. Occasionally, there will be out-of-office opportunities, such as Public Hearings; which may result in more time may be spent during that specific week.

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What are some of the extra curricular activities that KAI has?

KAI sponsors a wide variety of activities for all personnel, including interns. KAI employees enjoy such activities as the company softball games, birthday parties, going-away parties, camping trips, and river rafting trips.

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How many interns will I be working with?

The number of interns that KAI employs fluctuates from year to year. Generally, there will be at least one intern in the firm's smaller offices located in Baltimore, MD; Boise, ID; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Orlando, FL; and Tucson, AZ. The firms largest office in Portland, OR will typically have three to five interns .

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Is the internship only a summer program?

The majority of KAI interns participate in the summer internship program: however, there are interns that partake in an extended internship, which has been incorporated into the curriculum of the university the intern attends.

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Can I receive college credit through this internship experience?

The framework plan and in-depth level of the internship provides an opportunity to gain college credit. Some universities allow use of the internship as an independent study course. There may be additional work associated with this, such as writing a paper/journal. If you are interested in getting credit for an internship you should talk to your advisor first and have the school contact KAI to establish requirements.

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If I am not from an area where a KAI office is located, what process should I go through to get to know people within the company?

Our past interns have come from universities all over the nation such as: Iowa State University, Northwestern University, Georgia Tech, and Penn State. Most of these students learned about KAI from visits that KAI staff made to their school. Other students have learned about the company and communicated with KAI staff through email or phone correspondence. The first step is learning about the company, then contacting someone in the firm to express your interest in the internship program.

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