Variety, Growth, Support, Opportunity
Whether you are an intern or engineer, you will find opportunities to make an impact immediately.
We provide opportunity for advancement and resources for continuous growth.
Variety in your work is especially important for young builders. It offers exposure to different project types and responsibilities, facilitating personal growth and development. We provide both formal programs and a “lifelong learners” culture to support you.
Types of Internships
Internships typically happen over summer break, and sometimes winter break. But if the fit is right, we’re flexible.
And we hire for all departments, not just operations.
Tell us what works for you—let’s talk.
- Summer, winter, even part time during your school year
- Departments include project engineering, field engineering, estimating, accounting, HR, and marketing
Roles for Recent Grads
After you graduate, the roles we typically hire for are listed below.
We occasionally hire in other departments, such as Marketing or HR.
- Project Engineer
- Field Engineer
- Estimating Engineer
Name
Matt Runyan
Intern Year
2010
College
UCLA
Position
Director, Human Resources (California)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
13
I appreciated that, as an intern, I was given opportunities to stretch and expand beyond the traditional PE role. I was given responsibilities that had a real impact on the business, and my managers always took the time to provide coaching and feedback.
Matt Runyan
Director, Human Resources (California)
Name
Chelsea Covate
Intern Year
2011
College
UCLA
Position
Vice President, Business Services
Years at W.E. O'Neil
13
Midway through my internship, I was offered a full-time position. I didn't think twice about it–I signed it right on the spot. That's a testament to those teams and those projects and the opportunity I was given as an intern. And it has been nothing but a great opportunity and experience for me. This is home now.
Chelsea Covate
Vice President, Business Services
Name
Peter Cotugno
Intern Year
2001
College
University of Illinois
Position
VP, Operations (Los Angeles)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
23
It was an amazing experience: I met amazing people, they let me experience amazing projects. I saw a lot of room for growth, a lot of opportunities. And from what I've seen in the last 20 years, WEO’s trajectory is limitless. With the people and opportunities afforded to us, we're going some pretty amazing places.
Peter Cotugno
VP, Operations (Los Angeles)
Name
Jacob Rivera
Intern Year
2016
College
University of Colorado Boulder
Position
Project Manager (Colorado)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
7
The biggest factor for me was feeling support from the top-down, and not feeling like you’re left on an island.
Jacob Rivera
Project Manager (Colorado)
Name
Matt Hoster
Intern Year
1998
College
University of Colorado
Position
President (Colorado)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
26
As a civil engineering student at CU, my internship at W.E. O’Neil opened my eyes to an industry and career path that I had confidence would challenge me in ways that I hadn’t previously considered. I also found O’Neil had great values and appreciated their people—still true now after 23+ years with the company.
Matt Hoster
President (Colorado)
Name
Janet Perez
Intern Year
2013
College
USC
Position
Project Manager (California)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
10
O’Neil is great at giving you space to grow your ideas in order to grow the company. My advice to young people is don’t be afraid to ask questions. Try to soak in as much information as you can from your team, especially the field team like subcontractors and superintendents.
Janet Perez
Project Manager (California)
Name
Austin Armstrong
Intern Year
2017
College
Middle Tennessee State University
Position
Assistant Superintendent (Tennessee)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
7
Honestly, you will not find a better construction company to work for. The way they treat you here, it's like a family. And the ESOP program is awesome.
Austin Armstrong
Assistant Superintendent (Tennessee)
Name
Dan Sulewski
Intern Year
2003
College
University of Notre Dame
Position
Director, Professional Development and Recruiting (Colorado)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
21
My internship was eye-opening for me. I was working with a very strong team and took the opportunity to learn as much as I could!
Dan Sulewski
Director, Professional Development and Recruiting (Colorado)
Name
Mark Garigliano
Intern Year
2018
College
University of Notre Dame
Position
Director, Estimating and Preconstruction (Colorado)
Years at W.E. O'Neil
5
O’Neil is full of high achieving go-getters who never back away from a hard situation. If you're looking for a fast-paced, highly engaged job with long-term goals, it's a great industry to get into.
Mark Garigliano
Director, Estimating and Preconstruction (Colorado)
Intern Stories
Coming to a Campus Near You
We frequently visit college campuses and construction industry events. If you find yourself at one of these events, please say hello so we can connect. We can’t wait to meet you!
The events below cover the winter recruitment season of 2025. Come and say hello!
| College / Job Fair | Event | Day / Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ASCE Info Session |
1/16/2025 |
. |
|
Info Session |
1/28/2025 |
. |
|
|
ASCE Career Fair |
1/28/2025 |
Ackerman Grand Ballroom |
|
Construction Management Career Fair |
1/30/2025 |
Alex Madonna Expo Center |
|
Spring Info Session |
2/11/2025 |
. |
|
CEE Career Fair |
2/12/2025 |
Illini Union, ABC Rooms & Ballroom |
|
Construction & Concrete Industries Career Fair |
2/13/2025 |
LBJ Student Center, Grand Ballroom |
|
Construction Science CIAC Career Fair |
2/20/2025 |
Legends Event Center |
|
Construction Management Career Fair |
2/25/2025 |
Lory Student Center, Grand Ballroom |
Thoughtful leadership makes W.E. O'Neil better as a company in that it attracts the smartest and brightest people. People who want to be challenged and want to see their ideas put to use come to work for W.E. O'Neil.
What I'd say to construction professionals who are early in their career is: be eager but humble. Don’t try to come in as the boss; accept where you are at and grow from there. Seize every opportunity. Know that your opinion matters. Ask questions. Be the best at your CURRENT job.
I love the eagerness and curiosity of the new hires fresh out of school. They don’t know what they don’t know, but asking questions is a powerful tool! Watching them figure things out and succeed is truly a rewarding experience, especially when I’m helping them through that learning process.
The best way we can guide interns and recent grads is not only to set them up for individual success within that moment, but also into their future. It’s very rewarding to know that my guidance may become the foundation that defines their standard way of doing things in the future.
Mentors at WEO have taught me so many things, including that leadership principles aren’t just things you read in books. I’ve seen my mentors exhibit these in their lives, and the positive effects. Most importantly, I’ve learned that I can change and grow as a leader, even if it is hard.
Meet Our Employee-Owners