Cost Intern

Please note:

• Applying for positions in multiple locations will result in a longer vetting process. 
• The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including the disabled and veterans.

The Whiting-Turner Cost Group is a specialized team that supports the company’s efforts to win new projects and to help our operations teams through the design and preconstruction process. The group’s primary function is to estimate what it will cost to build the project shown in the construction drawings and specifications.

As a Cost Group intern, students typically work alongside our Cost Managers in the office or can be assigned to active projects on site. Typical responsibilities include: 

• Learning how to understand and navigate project drawings and specifications
• Using On-Screen Takeoff (OST) software to perform quantity take-off on WT projects
• Assisting with production of estimates by entering takeoff quantities into the team’s Excel estimate template
• Using PowerBI to visualize and analyze estimates through interactive graphics

Other skills our interns will learn include:

• Effective communication methods
• Workplace etiquette
• Active notetaking and developing thoughtful questions
• Use of various Microsoft tools:
  • Communication:
    • Outlook
    • Teams
  •  Content:
    • Excel
    • Word
    • PowerPoint
  • Content Visualization:
    • PowerBI
  •  Organization: 
    • Planner
    • OneNote

We also encourage our interns to take time to learn about all the facets of Whiting-Turner, including our history and the roles of other specialty groups.

Along with assisting with the estimating functions above, if there is down time, each student will complete an intern project. WT cost managers are often asked to present our estimates to project teams or clients, and this will give the intern practice with presentation and public speaking skills. This project is often customized based on the student’s interests and goals but typically includes:

• Researching a building or structure they find interesting
• Creating slides highlighting important attributes of the building, the architect, the builder, the materials used, and the cost to complete