Internships

Internships with CDOT are typically 9 months. The internships rotate and as one intern leaves another intern will be hired on. 

The hours are typically 8 am-4:30 pm, with a ½ hour lunch break, Monday through Friday. 

The internship is set up to be a minimum of 24 hours a week and working up to 40 hours a week. The number of hours per week is dependent on the intern’s availability and can be decided upon during the hiring process. 

We work in a hybrid environment, requiring at least one day in the office. The number of days in the office depends on the work and tasks assigned.

OPI consists of 3 full time staff members and around 4-6 interns. The 3 full time staff members assign tasks to all of the interns. It is not a command and control structure where one person, usually the director, assigns all the tasks. You will be assigned work from all staff members and they will work with you to prioritize your work and tasks. 

Many degree programs are compatible with the work that we do. Though our focus is in process improvement, change management and project management, we have had previous interns with degrees in Organizational Psychology, Data Analytics, Marketing, Public Policy, Computer Information Systems, Business Administration and many more. 

Our internships are set up to help you gain experience running your own projects. With more autonomy over your work, the ability to manage your time, take initiative, and communicate your needs will help set you up for success. Advocating for yourself will also help staff members know what skills you’d like to learn or if there’s a project you’d like to work on. Communication and collaboration skills will be important for project success. 

Every intern is involved with all three lines of service in some capacity. This includes Lean Everyday Ideas (LEI) where innovators contribute to improving processes or the work they do, Concept to Project (C2P), a program that supports business improvement projects across CDOT and strategy services which is how we continue to grow and support CDOT through our initiatives of project management, process improvement, change management and facilitation. 

• Conducting informational interviews with innovators to learn more about their submissions to LEI

• Creating videos about innovations to share with others

• Supporting programs behind the scenes with websites, dashboards, complex spreadsheets, etc.

• Writing articles, conducting presentations and creating other content about improvements at CDOT

• Documenting requirements for technology improvements

You will be assigned an intern buddy, which is an intern with more seniority, to help show you the ropes, when first joining the Office of Process Improvement. The interns have diverse backgrounds bringing different strengths to the team. They are a collaborative group who support each other throughout the internship. Regular one on one meetings with an intern and staff member are scheduled to support you throughout your journey - to provide assistance to you in your current role and expectations as well as support you in where you want to go with your career. 

We partner with other state agencies to teach many classes in process improvement, project management and change management. You will have the opportunity to take advantage of these classes including getting certified through Prosci to be a Change Management Practitioner. 

While the internship does not guarantee that you will get a job at CDOT or in the Office of Process Improvement, it does help set you up for success. You have the opportunity to learn and practice valuable skills that will be applicable to whatever career path you choose. 

We also support interns by encouraging what we call “Sit-Withs” or informational interviews, with people who are at organizations or in positions that you might be interested in pursuing. Networking is a large part of professional development and opens doors to opportunities you might not be aware of otherwise.