Abigail Foster, Ema Gomez and Jake Tompkins recently completed vastly different summer internship experiences with separate companies involved in the commercial real estate industry, but they agree on one thing. Their preconceived notions of job responsibilities and work environment were far different from what they ultimately experienced – in a positive way.
Foster, who interned with St. John Properties, had pivoted from her career in academia to pursue a career in interior design. She is currently enrolled at Anne Arundel Community College. While volunteering at a local job fair in her role as treasurer of the school’s interior design club, she met a few interior design professionals with St. John Properties. She was immediately intrigued by the company and realized that a summer internship with the company would be in her best interest.
Working under the tutelage of Kara Deoliveira, the company’s Vice President of Interior Design, Foster was given meaningful projects to work on, including producing finish boards to present to clients and working directly with vendors involved in space planning and interior design.
“I was familiar with design protocols and processes impacting residential companies, but things could not be more different in the commercial sector,” Foster said. “It is important to understand and absorb all the codes and requirements involved in commercial office interior design, remain aware that regulations are constantly changing and be careful to dot your I’s and cross your T’s. I have come to appreciate that I am dealing with real people with real jobs and this is their livelihood. So, you need to continue sharpening your toolbox.
“Everyone at St. John Properties was extremely patient with me and I never felt like a burden,” she added. The unwavering support comes from the core of the company and it is apparent that the collaborative nature and willingness to help others is ingrained in their corporate culture.”
Clemson University senior Tompkins admits that he was nearly scared to death when he received an email from Matt Laraway, Partner at Chesapeake Real Estate Group. The email detailed the responsibilities and expectations Tompkins would face during the first week of his CREG internship. The items included working on a building pro forma, handling some underwriting responsibilities, creating a pitch deck for investors, and making a presentation to company team members about a cash flow model, Tompkins said.
“Matt was just trying to be helpful but it was nerve-wracking just thinking about it,” he said. “Everything turned out to be just fine and, in fact, the entire CREG team walked me through each task and helped me every step of the way. I really thought I was being thrown to the wolves on day one though.”
Tompkins was exposed to every facet of a commercial real estate development company. He shadowed leasing representatives when showing space, toured buildings with property management professionals, proofread RFPs and received a holistic view of an extremely vibrant company.
The financial management major, with an emphasis in real estate and accounting, is still unsure of this ultimate career path, but the world of commercial real estate intrigues him. “My next step might entail learning more about the brokerage side of the business. I have never been on a building roof before and I now know how to make sure a building’s smoke alarm is properly working. After the first week, I really settled down and realized how lucky I was to have this opportunity.”
Gomez, who is about to enter her senior year at the University of Maryland, is majoring in architecture with a minor in real estate development and construction project management. She interned with Harkins Builders.
Gomez said she had “no idea what to expect in my internship working for a major general contracting company” and was “a bit scared.” But she quickly settled into her role thanks, in large part, to the total support she received from the entire Harkins Builders team.
“I was told that no two days are alike and that was exactly true, but in a good way,” she said. “Engaging with people, working as a team and seeing things built from the ground up is exhilarating and this solidified my career choice to enter the construction management industry.”
Gomez’s day-to-day responsibilities included taking daily construction progress photos at job sites, performing subcontractor person counts and making sure workers were wearing personal protection equipment. In one assignment, she directed Verizon and Comcast to the proper areas to drill holes during the rough-in process.
“Although that sounds like a fairly simple task, it was critically important to make sure this job was performed correctly, as it impacts so many other parts of the construction process. I had never heard the term low voltage and now I am an expert on the subject,” she laughed.
“I learned something new every single day, the hours flew by and the entire Harkins Builders team could not have been more patient and helpful,” she said.