If anyone else is familiar with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s song, then you can understand the excitement I feel when I’m in Kansas City. I was born and raised here in the city and go to school at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Even though Mizzou isn’t far, it’s still nothing like being in KC.

This summer I’m working at Burns & McDonnell, an amazing engineering firm based in Kansas City. The Burns & Mac name is something that’s been very familiar to me for my entire life. Being from KC, you get to hear about all the wonderful things the company does for the city, as well as the entire nation. It’s definitely a dream come true to work for such a great company.

I’m in the company’s HR department and I’ve learned so much in the past few weeks! It’s been great to apply the knowledge I’ve gained from my classes and continue to build on that foundation with real-world experience instead of just reading textbooks. Everyone in the department is passionate about their jobs—you can definitely tell they enjoy what they do and are excited to come to work every day.

So why Burns & Mac, you ask? Other than being close to home, it’s a wonderful company. Sure, sure, you might think I’m saying that because I’m working here (and writing for their blog!). But I truly mean what I say. The company is focused on serving their employee-owners and their clients. It’s about what is in the client and employee-owner’s interests first. Burns & McDonnell offers several health and wellness opportunities to improve yourself as an individual and they’re actively involved in the community in several ways. This summer, for example, we’re working on an intern community service project together.

As with every big city, there are always several opportunities to explore the surroundings. One of my favorite ways to experience Kansas City includes listening to live music performed by local bands. This past weekend, I attended a tribute performance at downtown Kansas City’s Power and Light District with three bands honoring The Eagles, Journey and Led Zeppelin. They rocked the stage! It was almost equivalent to attending the actual concerts. Each Thursday night, the same venue hosts “Hot Country Nights,” which brings several different country artists to KC. The best part about these shows? They’re 100% free to enter. This summer, Josh Abbot Band, Gloriana, and several other big names are also visiting KC. This is my favorite way to see some of my favorite bands and enjoy time with my friends outside. And listening to live music seems only fitting in a city that’s home to a rich jazz history, including the renowned 18^th and Vine district!

What else should I see while I’m in Kansas City this summer?

Karissa Shores, a Business Management/Human Resources major at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is interning in Burns & McDonnell’s HR department this summer. To read more about her internship, as well as the experiences of some of our other interns, check out The Burns & McDonnell Intern Experience.

Lead image via Kansas City Power & Light District

Summer’s here, and that means one thing (well, aside from sun and fun) — the Burns & McDonnell interns have arrived! And we’re ready to put them to work!

We’ve got a great group this year — a record 171 interns — from several of the top universities in the country. We also have several high school students who are getting their first taste of engineering as a career. Each of them will work alongside some of the most respected professionals in the industry and contribute to exciting, innovative projects around the world. They’ll travel to project sites, participate in client meetings and see what it’s like to work at a consulting engineering firm.

Roughly 90 percent of our interns will return to Burns & McDonnell as employee-owners after graduation, and many go on to do great things at the company. The summer provides them with an opportunity to learn more about Burns & McDonnell and the type of work we do. For us, it’s an extended interview to see how they fit in with the Burns & Mac culture.

We’re only a couple weeks in, but so far we’re impressed with the skill and professionalism each of our interns possesses. They’re ambitious. They take initiative. They work hard. And they manage to have a little bit of fun along the way.

But don’t take our word for it. You can follow along on their intern journey via our new Tumblr blog — the Burns & McDonnell Intern Experience — where they’ll share photos and videos and talk about their work experience, what they’ve learned, and why they chose Burns & McDonnell. We’ll even feature guest posts from some of the interns right here on the Careers blog.

We’re excited to have such a talented group with us this summer, so let’s get it started, shall we? It’s going to be a good one!

Internships aren’t just about giving you valuable hands-on experience. They can also pave the way for future career opportunities. And that’s why doing everything you can to make your internship experience a successful one is so important.

Whether you’re starting an internship or researching prospective opportunities, there are several things you can do to position yourself for success. A recent report from InternMatch, “The State of the Internship,” is packed with valuable information for current and prospective interns.

We think it’s definitely worth a download, but in the meantime, here’s a cheat sheet of 5 ways to succeed at your next internship:

Start Early

If you’re looking for an internship, be sure to start your search early. According to the report, nearly 40% of companies with more than 250 employees start recruiting their interns more than a year in advance. As you start to decide which companies you’d like to intern with, do some research. Visit their corporate websites, connect with them on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and check to see if they’ll be appearing at an upcoming career fair so you can network with a company recruiter and get more information about the intern hiring process.

Timing Is Key

Speaking of starting early? You don’t necessarily have to wait for your junior or senior year of college to complete an internship. InternMatch reports that 33% of students completed an internship before their sophomore year, while 24.9% of students finished their first internship during their sophomore year. Some interns start even earlier; 17.4% of students reported that they finished internships while in high school.

Build Your Personal Network

Whether you’re looking for an internship or you already have one, take some time to build your personal network. Nearly 33% of students said their personal networks were the most helpful resource in their internship search, and networks are also an important part of the job-seeking process. Attend events like young professional happy hours or similar events on campus or in your city. Stay active on professional networking sites like LinkedIn by building your connections, sharing industry information and keeping your profile complete and current. And once you’re at an internship, make friends with your fellow interns and co-workers so that you can maintain those valuable relationships once your internship is over.

Consider Multiple Internships

Nearly 60% of students complete multiple internships, another reason it’s important to start your search early. Working as an intern at more than one company can give you valuable insight into the sort of company culture that you find most attractive, as well as what sort of work you’d like to do throughout your career. Or consider returning for a second, third or even fourth internship at the same company, which will give you opportunities to explore different types of work and get a better sense of what you might want to do when you graduate. We’ve had several interns return to Burns & McDonnell to continue their internship experience, and they’ve all loved the opportunity to explore different focus areas within the larger engineering industry.

Make A Plan

Your internship will be over before you know it. That’s why it’s so important to make the most of your experience. Before your internship begins (or as it’s starting), create a plan for what you’d like to learn and accomplish while you’re at the company. And once you’ve created some benchmarks, revisit your list throughout the internship to see if you’re still on track. Nearly 60% of students said that gaining professional experience and building a portfolio was the most important part of their internship, and by setting expectations for yourself before you begin, you can increase your chances of building the skills and experience you’ll need as you embark on your career path.

Interested in reading more? Be sure to check out the full InternMatch report. In the meantime, we wish you the best of luck in your internship! Our summer interns just started, and we’re excited to see how their experience unfolds.

Have any other internship success tips to add? We’d love to hear your input.

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In addition to offering valuable experience, internships can often be the starting point of a successful career. Just ask Matt Ralston, an Iowa State alumnus who rose from Burns & McDonnell intern to vice president in just over a decade.

Matt, a 2000 construction engineering grad, had his first Burns & McDonnell internship in 1997 in our Construction/Design-Build division. He later earned a second internship, which resulted in a full-time job offer before he started his senior year.

The dual internships not only gave Matt some valuable hands-on experience—he also had an opportunity to explore various facets of the industry, a flexibility that many of our interns say helps better prepare them for their careers. And in Matt’s case, it led to a change in his degree program from civil engineering to construction engineering.

“The opportunity to focus more on the physical applications that the construction side of the business offered piqued my interest and was solidified after I got my first internship,” he said in an interview with Iowa State’s INNOVATEonline.

Earlier this year, Matt’s meteoric rise at the company hit another milestone when he was named vice president and the director of Burns & McDonnell’s procurement group.

“I really can’t overvalue the importance of what I learned through the work experiences I received during my internships and the first few years of my career working in the field,” Matt says. “From the many mentors that have helped guide me along, to the opportunities that have been placed in front of me, I’ve personally experienced the unmatched environment and culture that Burns & Mac provides for young, hard-working professionals to achieve their maximum career potentials.”

We found Matt’s story especially inspiring as our newest group of summer interns prepares to start work. Who knows—we just might have another vice president (or several) in our midst!

And a big congratulations to Matt on all he’s accomplished. We have no doubt he’ll continue to do great things for the company. The fact that it all started at an internship? Well, we find that even more impressive.

Congratulations to our Chicago office, recently named one of the 2013 Best Places to Work in Illinois. Creating an enjoyable, success-oriented company culture in which our employee-owners grow and thrive is always at the top of our priority list. Recognition like this lets us know we’re achieving our goal.

The annual Best Places to Work list is a collaborative effort between The Daily Herald Business Ledger, the Human Resources Management Association of Chicago, the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and the Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago and managed by Best Companies Group.

Honorees are chosen through a two-part process that consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices and demographics, information that comprised approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. Secondly, data was gathered from employee surveys designed to measure the employee experience, which contributed to 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores were then used to determine the top companies and their final rankings.

Before the evaluation begins, participating companies must meet several eligibility requirements, including:

• Have at least 15 employees working in Illinois
• Be a for-profit or not-for-profit business or government entity
• Be a publicly or privately held business
• Have a facility in the state of Illinois
• Be in business a minimum of 1 year

We’re honored to be among 25 large-size companies (250+ U.S. employees) on this year’s 2013 Best Places to Work in Illinois list. This sort of recognition wouldn’t be possible without our talented, hard-working employee-owners who are the heart of our firm. Thanks for everything you do, not just for Burns & McDonnell but for our clients, too. And to the rest of the honorees on this year’s list, congratulations! We’re proud to be in such great company.

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Despite the fact that Burns & McDonnell’s Minneapolis office is relatively new on our list of regional offices, the team has already made a great impression — so much so, in fact, that the office has landed on Minnesota Business magazine’s 2013 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For.

The annual list is compiled “using data gathered from an anonymous employee satisfaction survey administered by an independent research group,” according to the magazine. “Only the top Minnesota companies, as judged in areas such as work environment, employee benefits, employee happiness and leadership, are selected for inclusion on the list.”

As a business that prides itself on our distinct and recognized company culture, we couldn’t be more proud to receive this sort of accolade. Not only is it a testament to the presence we’ve already built in Minneapolis (and throughout the state of Minnesota), but also, more importantly, a nod to the ongoing work of our talented employee-owners and all they do for the company and our clients.

“This acknowledgment is because of you,” wrote Gene Sieve, leader of our Minneapolis office, in a note to the team. “MSP is a ‘Best Company to Work For’ because of the dedication of each of you in creating a culture of excellence, not only to each other, but to our clients and our community.”

This year’s awards will be distributed during a recognition event on June 6, and we’re looking forward to catching up with other companies who are making their mark on the Minnesota business community.

In the meantime, congratulations to our Minneapolis employee-owners for this well-deserved accolade, as well as to all of the companies on this year’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list. We’ll see you in June!

Under the direction of Kansas City Mayor Sly James and his Not So Big KC Challenge, community leaders are uniting to help encourage the formation and continuation of healthy eating and exercise habits — and Burns & McDonnell CEO Greg Graves is among those leading the charge.

Staying active at work isn’t always easy, but it’s becoming increasingly important in light of reports about the dangers of too much sitting and an ongoing national struggle with obesity. The good news? Small changes can make a big difference, and Greg’s daily habits are a great example of how you can easily adjust your daily routine.

In an interview with KMBC-TV, Greg shared one of his secrets to staying active at the office: looking for every opportunity to move.

“I have to look for excuses and every opportunity to leave that desk and get some steps in during the day,” he says.

If another exec wants a meeting, Greg walks to that person’s office. And if he has a memo to send, he delivers it in person. He also takes the stairs instead of the elevator and tracks his steps with a FitBit. If he doesn’t meet his daily steps goal, you’ll probably find him on a treadmill in Burns & McDonnell’s on-site fitness center until he hits his numbers.

Interested in seeing more of Greg’s daily routine? Check out the KMBC-TV video:

Health and wellness are a big part of our company culture, thanks in large part to leadership like Greg’s that turns fitness from an elective into a priority. We’re excited to be among those participating in the Not So Big KC Challenge, which runs through July. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that our fearless leader is an unabashed fan of competition, too!

“I’m always up for competition,” he says. “I’m ultra type-A, and I like competing on anything.”

Are you participating in the Not So Big KC Challenge? What changes have you made to be healthier at work?

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Thinking about going back to school for that next degree? Congrats! A lot went into your decision to go back to the classroom. You’ve figured out if you’ll attend on campus or online. You’ve estimated the time and financial commitment, and your family and friends are cheering you on. What about your company or that employer you’ve been interviewing with (or want to)? Chances are there’s a tuition assistance program that could help.

Tuition assistance programs vary from company to company. In general, these are reimbursement programs (i.e., you pay the school and the company gives you some portion back after the semester).

What’s the benefit? To you, it’s clearly a chance to get all or some of your education paid. For the company, it’s having an employee of greater value, with expanded knowledge and skills. You’re also more likely to feel a stronger sense of company loyalty, and perhaps a stronger connection with co-workers who may be in the same classes or program.

It’s important to know the facts about your company’s program. You can typically find at least some of this information on a company intranet site, and the training/learning and development or human resources staff is there to help, too.

As you explore your available options, consider these questions when considering a tuition assistance program:

Which Expenses Are Covered?

Tuition and fees are typically the base of what’s reimbursable. But what about books, parking, and school-associated travel expenses? These may not be reimbursable, and it’s good to know the facts up front as those may be costly.

What Types of Classes Are Covered?

Some tuition assistance programs cover everything in your degree program, while others support only those classes that relate to your role or career path. The latter is particularly true if you may be completing an undergraduate degree. For example, while your English comp class may not be covered, your Marketing 101 might (depending on your role in the company).

Is There a Grade Requirement?

Some programs base the percentage reimbursement on the grade. For example, 100% for an A, 90% for a B, etc. Other programs may pay 100%, but require a B or better.

Are There Maximums on Dollars or Credit Hours?

Often the company has a cap on either how much they’ll reimburse in terms of dollars or a number of hours per semester. Find out so you can plan accordingly. There may also be criteria on whether or not your company will pay only for a public state institution or whether they’ll pay for a private university. In either case, you can generally still attend wherever you choose, but the amount of reimbursement may be greater with a state school.

Can I Miss Work for Class?

Most post-graduate education programs offer evening and/or weekend classes. Or they may be online, so you choose when you do the work. But if your class will require you to miss work hours, talk to your manager before you commit. You may find they’re willing to work with you and let you make up the time during the week or create some sort of reduced work schedule.

What Happens if I Quit?

There’s usually a repayment agreement that you’ll sign, stating that if you leave within a specific time frame you’ll pay back all or a prorated portion of the money you received. If you’re switching jobs, consider asking your future employer to pick up the tab on what you owe. Also be sure to ask that next employer about their program(s). Is there a period of time during which you’ll have to wait before you’re eligible for reimbursement with them or can you continue with classes right away?

If you’re still unsure about your decision after gathering all of the facts, it may be time to ask yourself an important question: If my company wasn’t paying a dime of my education, would I still go back to school? If the answer is yes (even though it may be hard financially), you’re making a good decision. And don’t forget to look into grants and student loan options that can help assist with financial support, too. Good luck!

Image via 401kcalculator.org

Although social media-enabled networking has become an increasingly important part of professional development, the humble business card remains an effective and convenient way to quickly exchange contact information and build a networking database.

Yet if you collect several business cards in a short period of time, it can be difficult to remember all of your new contacts and promptly follow up with them — and that’s where business card apps come in.

An increasing number of apps help you not only scan and save contact information, but also make it easy to add to existing contact lists, reach out via online networks like LinkedIn and more. If you’re not sure which one to use, we’ve compiled 5 top business card apps for iOS and/or Android to help narrow your search. Give them a try and see what you think!

Evernote Hello

We’re already big fans of Evernote — and if you are, too, the Evernote Hello app is yet another addition to the Evernote experience. The iOS and Android app creates a rich, easily navigable history of individuals, encounters and shared experiences. Optical Character Recognition enables you to scan and save contact details from a business card and automatically brings in related information about the people you meet from your calendar, Evernote account and online networks. If you meet someone at a conference, for example, you can supplement their contact information with details about the encounter, which will likely prove helpful during follow-up conversations.

CardMunch

Owned by LinkedIn, CardMunch lets you scan business cards and, once the contact data is imported, will enable you to connect with that individual on LinkedIn (provided they have a profile, of course). You can also save meeting notes to the app, which is only available for iOS users. The company says support for other devices is coming soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

Bump

Swap contacts and related content with other mobile devices over a WiFi or data network using Bump, a free app available for Android and iOS. All you have to do is select what you want to share and “bump” the two devices together — after that, the information is automatically shared from one device to another. Pretty cool, right?

About.Me

You might already have an About.me site, which allows you to quickly and easily set up a public online profile that serves as a central point of contact for all of your social networking profiles. About.me has also created an iOS app that lets you easily access other About.me sites on your iPhone and swap contact details with other users, functionality that can prove especially helpful at large-scale networking events like conferences and trade shows.

ScanBizCard

If you’re in sales or collect business cards in a variety of languages, we’d definitely recommend checking out ScanBizCards for Android devices. You can automatically import business card data (or opt to manually transcribe the information into the app, if you prefer). Once the information is loaded, use ScanBizCards to add the data to your CRM software like Salesforce, for those of you in sales. Or, if you want to import a business card in another language, ScanBizCard can translate from 22 languages, including Czech, Danish, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian, Spanish, Swedish and Vietnamese, among others.

You don’t have to head to a networking event to test out one of these apps. We bet you probably have a stack of business cards on your desk, so download an app and see how you like it. Plus, you now have an excuse to do something with those cards, rather than file them and forget them.

If you use a business card app that we missed, we’d love to hear about it!

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We might be a little biased, but we think an engineering degree is always a smart move. Why? Because it will always be in demand, it pays well for a four-year degree (starting salary for an electrical engineer is $60,000 to $63,000 in the Midwest), and college counselors say that the placement rate for engineers is at the top of all majors. In addition, there are so many different types of industries you can work in and different types of work you can do with an engineering degree. And what’s more? Your work will touch the lives of people every day through projects that improve things like power, clean running water, facility design and more.

And that’s why we were pleased to see that the National Association of Colleges and Employers agrees, listing engineering not once, but three times in the list of 2013′s most in-demand bachelor degrees as part of the organization’s Job Outlook 2013 survey.

Here’s a look at the list:

Finance
Computer and Information Science
Accounting
Business Administration/Management
Mechanical Engineering
Management Information Systems
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Marketing/Marketing Management
Economics

Pursuing your degree is the first step in a solid career development plan, so as you weigh your options and consider schools, think about how your professional journey might look and prepare accordingly.

If you’re in the market for new career opportunities, this might be the right time to consider additional schooling or certification to help you learn new skills or refine existing ones. We like to think of a career as a nonstop learning process and a chance to continually push yourself to grow.

And for our fellow engineering enthusiasts out there, we’re waiting for you! Whether you’re considering an internship or on the search for a career, feel free to stop by our Careers page and explore our available opportunities. We’d also love to connect with you on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to help you stay up-to-date with career-related tips, resources and more.

In the meantime, what did you think of the NACE’s list? And how did you choose what to study in college?

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