Student: Andrew Kline

Employer: Traffic Planning and Design, Inc.

Role: Planning Specialist Intern

Q: What were some of your primary job responsibilities?

Preparing response letters for land development and subdivision project submissions after conducting a traffic review, consulting municipal government leaders and staff members on various issues and topics related to transportation engineering and traffic, and developing signage plans for intersections to promote traffic safety and clarity of sign intentions were some of my primary responsibilities. I also worked on miscellaneous transportation design projects including parking lot redesign, intersections, roundabouts, and more. Plus, I assisted with the development and coordination of a corridor study for a major roadway through a client’s (municipality) geographic area and attended public meetings to communicate ideas to the public and to receive feedback.

Q: What was the most exciting part of your role?

The most exciting part of this role was the ability for me to combine so many of my interests into a professional setting. Through my role, I got to work on technical engineering while also working in a government related role that relies on strong communication skills.

Q: What did you learn from the internship experience?

The biggest takeaway for me, in terms of skills, was a refined understanding of how to translate and transform a message based on the audience. For example, a closed-door meeting with the elected leadership of a municipality will have a different flow and level of information sharing than a meeting with the general public. I also learned a lot more about the local laws that exist in many municipalities, as well as how they get interpreted and enforced.

Lastly, I learned that this role and company are what I want to do for my career! Understanding this from an internship made my job search a lot easier. I will be starting to work full-time at Traffic Planning & Design after I graduate in May!