Planning Intern - Summer 2027
Posted Aug 26, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Which kind of planning project interests you most, bus priority, multimodal corridors, trails or regional rail, and why?
What they are checking: Whether they have a real interest that fits the work this Chicago team does.
Tell me about a time you explained a plan or idea to people who didn't agree with it.
What they are checking: Whether they can handle community engagement, where residents often push back.
Tell me about a time you juggled tasks for several people at once.
What they are checking: Whether they can stay organized while supporting a team of over twenty planners and engineers.
What would you do
At a public meeting, a resident says a proposed bike lane will kill local businesses. How do you respond?
What they are checking: Whether they can listen, respect concerns and share evidence without arguing.
You're asked to do something in CAD you've never done before. What's your approach?
What they are checking: Whether they learn new tools resourcefully instead of waiting to be taught everything.
About the work
Tell me about a GIS project you've done. What question were you answering?
What they are checking: Whether they use GIS to answer planning questions rather than just making maps.
What makes a bus priority corridor work well, both for riders and for the street?
What they are checking: Whether they understand the practical design and policy tradeoffs in multimodal street planning.
How would you collect field data for a corridor study on a busy Chicago street?
What they are checking: Whether they can plan field work that is safe, organized and actually useful.
How would you make an infographic that explains a corridor study's findings to the public?
What they are checking: Whether they can turn planning data into clear visuals for a non-technical audience.
What do you know about grant writing for transportation projects, and how could an intern help?
What they are checking: Whether they see how grant applications fund projects and what supporting work looks like.
Practice this interview out loud.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by HNTB.