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In this episode, we talk to Erin Sibley, Ph.D., P.E., a Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineer from Mott MacDonald about the importance of cultivating curiosity and engineering judgment as a geo-professional. She also touches on earthquake and tunnel engineering and how it ties into non-technical elements such as the people-centric focus of engineering, building professional relationships, and life-long learning.
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In this episode, which is part of our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to Denise Carter, P.E., the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Greenman-Pedersen, Inc (GPI). Denise leads and implements business strategy across the entire organization, integrating GPI operations and services to optimize staff, organizational development, and growth opportunities. In this episode, Denise talks about how to build confidence in your career, especially in a leadership role, and how it can drastically increase your success as an engineer.
[Read more…] about TCEP 189: How to Build Confidence as an Engineering Leader
Some people are great at speaking about themselves. They’re the ones that have a story to tell about every situation. They’re comfortable going from one topic to another effortlessly, and they seem to know somebody wherever they go. They’re smooth talkers, and somehow, they seem to have an endless amount of charisma and an extensive network of friends. Engineers often are not among this group.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but you might need to become a little more like those who are comfortable and confident talking about who they are and what value they have to offer. It is where you’ve got to put your selfish ego aside and lean forward to learn about selling yourself. Don’t worry. I am not suggesting you become someone you’re not, though in many cases, such as during a job interview, you need to learn how to effectively present yourself so that you can convince an employer to invest in you and your capabilities. Here are some soft skills to know when selling yourself:
[Read more…] about 3 Tips for Selling Yourself So You Can Sell Anything Well
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In this episode, we talk to Anastasia Athanasiou, a Postdoc fellow in Structural and Wind Engineering at Concordia University about the performance-based multi-hazard design of buildings, and more specifically, the effects, similarities and differences of wind and earthquakes loads on buildings and how engineers can enhance the inherent resilience and improve the robustness of buildings.
[Read more…] about TSEC 65: Performance-Based Multi-Hazard Design of Buildings
Advice from people who’ve walked in your shoes is invaluable. This year, we set out with a goal to help build a community for industry leaders on how to successfully scale their business. We were fortunate to partner with EMI, and specifically its The Civil Engineering Podcast, to bring listeners a new series — The Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs. The host and founder of EMI, Anthony Fasano, sat down with experienced and skillful engineering leaders to have compelling conversations about what it takes to build and grow a firm.
As the series comes to a close, we’ve gathered five of our favorite tidbits of advice straight from guests of the podcast. Keep reading to learn more about growing a successful engineering business from pros who have been there, done that.
[Read more…] about 5 Pieces of Advice Every Engineering Professional Should Know
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In this episode, we talk to Shane Tabor Teek, a Geotechnical Geologist at GEOSS South Africa, about geological engineering, what it is, and what an engineering geologist does. He also talks about renewable energy developments, and a term that every South African knows, but might not be familiar to others, called “loadshedding”.
[Read more…] about TGEP 37: Geological Engineering Explained
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In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, we talk with two engineers from Alaska that decided to start their own firm and really focused on people development within their firm. They are Garret K. Gladsjo, P.E.and Lucas Chambers, P.E., co-owners and principal engineers at proHNS LLC. We talk about how investing in your staff can help grow your company tremendously.
“I hate sales!” “I could never sell anything!” I wish I had a dime—maybe a dollar—for every time I uttered phrases like that.
My first business coach helped me break that thought pattern. Here is how the thinking goes:
Did you sell anything? No.
Did you tell Chris you could help with the problem? Yes.
Did you have to take Chris down some long sales conversation to get his/her interest? No.
Will you close the deal? The likelihood is high.
Selling isn’t about selling in that icky, slimy way that you have perceived it. Selling is about you providing a friend/client/stranger with a solution to the problem they’re trying to address. In return for your help, you get paid.
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In this episode, we talk to Trina A. Agnello, P.E., a Structural Assistant Manager at Stewart. We take a deeper look into what newly graduated structural engineers can expect after the first five years of college when working at a firm.
[Read more…] about TSEC 64: What Newly Graduated Structural Engineers Can Expect After College
Customers want to work with engineers who provide excellent service by respecting their time and needs. However, manufacturing challenges, constant innovations, and changes to the industry can be a barrier to excellent customer service. Without great customer service and relationship building, new innovations and investments may never happen. Keeping a steady pipeline of existing clients will be beneficial to your firm. Existing clients keep your project board full and can recommend your firm to new clientele. However, closing on a new lead can take time, so it helps your firm to re-engage with existing clients. As the President and Principal Engineer at Phoenix Engineering and Consulting, I have seen the importance of maintaining solid client relationships. Here are five ways we work with clients to make sure we keep these relationships strong.
[Read more…] about 5 Steps to Building and Maintaining Client Relationships
