TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast

TCEP 113: How I Went from Tinker Bell into Disaster Recovery

March 13, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 113 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Gina Rock who is the Program Delivery Manager at Jacobs. We talk about her career journey from the circus to Disney’s longest flying Tinker Bell (yes she was Tinker Bell) and then into the world of engineering. What I love about this episode is it really emphasizes how it’s never too late to make changes in your career path.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Gina About Her Journey as Disney’s Longest Flying Tinker Bell:

How did you end up being Disney’s longest flying Tinker Bell?
What did it feel like for you when you found out you got the job as Tinker Bell in Disneyland?
Tell us about your performance as Tinker Bell?
What made you decide to go back to the engineering field?
How did you feel when you started with your first individual assistance job?
What makes a manager or leader effective in your experience?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

TCEP 112: Managing Mega Civil Engineering Projects and Staying Calm in the Process

February 27, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 112 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I’m taking you with me to the offices of Louis Berger where I will be speaking with the Department Manager, Muzamil Husain, PE. We talk about the importance of managing mega civil engineering projects and how to stay calm during stressful situations.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Muzamil Husain:

In terms of project management, what would you say are some things that you have done that made you successful?
How do you determine what tasks to work on each day?
Can you describe the Magnetic Levitation project?
As a project manager you need to get good at understanding your resources and deploying them in the right areas. How does one get good at that?
What do you do to improve the culture on your team?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about managing mega civil engineering projects:

TCEP 111: Five Reasons All Civil Engineers Should Gain Field Experience

February 14, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 111 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I am going to give you five reasons why ALL civil engineers should get field experience on project sites as early on as possible in their careers. The purpose of this episode is to reinforce the importance of on-site experience for civil engineering professionals.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are the Reasons Why I Think All Civil Engineers Should Gain Field Experience

1. It Helps You to Be a Practical Engineer

I started out in high school doing land surveying (see photo above) over the summers and it really changed my career. Because of my field experience, I was able to make my designs more practical and create better details for the contractors who had to construct the projects I worked on.

2. Engineering Field Experience Allows You to Start with the End in Mind so You Don’t Just Start with the Design First

A lot of civil engineers start designing projects immediately, without seeing the project sites, however the problem with this is if you didn’t see the site, there may be a condition out there that you are not aware of. When you are forced to think in reverse and you’ve seen projects built before and then you start to do your design work, those construction issues comes to the forefront of your mind, which forces you to think with the end in mind first.

3. Engineering Field Experience Forces You to Interact with People

Civil Engineering to me is about people. We work on project teams, we work with architects, contractors, developers, real estate developers and other engineers constantly. If we are not focused on improving our people skills 100%, we are going to battle to be great civil engineers.

4. You Get to Know the Industry and Construction Lingo

Field experience helps you to learn how to talk to other civil engineering professionals effectively. It improves your overall confidence as an engineer and makes you stand out from the crowd.

5. Once You Get Promoted and Move up in Your Career, Your Chances of Gaining Field Experience Diminish Greatly

Civil engineering managers typically send younger engineers into the field to do inspections, reports etc. While you are young and you have the chance, you should grab the opportunity with both hands as this will have an incredibly positive impact on your engineering career.

More details in this episode…

Sources/References:

Engineering Management Accelerator Workshop (Online) | 5 PDHs
Engineering Management Institute Professional Membership
Engineer to Manager: On-demand
Engineering Management Institute YouTube Channel
ASCE Careers and Leadership Column
EQUATION: The Engineering Management Skills Trilogy Plus the Theory of Constraints Equals Effective Engineering Managers

This episode is brought to you by PPI, the leader of civil engineering FE or PE exam preparations. Visit ppi2pass.com to find essential licensure exam prep books, digital review, and helpful tips and advice.

Please leave your comments or questions in the section below on gaining field experience in your career.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

Download the Productivity Routines

To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

TCEP 110: From Engineer to Owner with Karen Jehanian

January 30, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 110 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I speak with Karen Jehanian, P.E. who is the President & Founder of KMJ Consulting, Inc. We talk about how she went from engineer to owner in her career and discuss the important role that entrepreneurship plays in the civil engineering industry.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Karen:

Tell us about the journey you took in going from engineer to owner?
What is your philosophy around culture in a company?
Tell us about the importance of the client experience?
What is your opinion on creating a culture of creativity?
What is the difference between entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about going from engineer to owner:

TCEP 109: Construction Engineering – Communication in Negotiated Bid Contracts

January 16, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 109 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Nils Gransberg, MS on topics related to Construction Engineering. Nils also tells us about the research he is conducting into negotiated bid contracts, and about his military background and experience.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Nils:

Tell us more about the discipline of Construction Engineering?
Why did you decide to get your PhD?
Tell us about your research on negotiated bid contract delivery in public projects?
Can you talk about what it was like being a civil engineer in the military?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about construction engineering:

TCEP 108: The Value IT Professionals Bring to the Engineering World

January 7, 2019 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 108 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I will be speaking with Lisa Roger, PMP who is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Dewberry. We talk about her work in the Information Technology (IT) Department and also discuss the importance of IT Professionals in the engineering world.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Lisa Roger, CIO:

What does being a CIO mean in terms of your responsibilities at Dewberry?
Talk to us about your philosophy in terms of IT?
Do you encourage interaction between IT professionals and engineering professionals?
How do you decide which software will be implemented at your company?
How much do you rely on out of the box software vs. software you have customized in-house?
Many small firms don’t have the advantage of an in-house IT department. At what point in an engineering firm’s growth do you think an IT department is needed and what are some of the pitfalls if they don’t have one?
How do you think the future of artificial intelligence will influence IT jobs and the engineering world?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about IT Professionals:

TCEP 107: How to Achieve Sustainable Innovation in Development Projects

December 19, 2018 By Christian Knutson, PE, PgMP, PMP

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In this episode, I talk with Chris Chi Lon Wan, the head of design of Masdar City, UAE. We had a great conversation around design management and sustainability and how to achieve innovation in development projects.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I asked Chris about sustainability:

TCEP 106: The State of Employee Engagement and Why Organizations Have Been Looking at Engagement All Wrong

December 5, 2018 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 106 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Bob Kelleher who is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and consultant. We talk about the importance of employee engagement and Bob also provides some great tips on having empathy in the workplace, and how by doing so, you can help with the overall success of your engineering organization.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Bob:

What is your definition of engagement?
Why do you need to engage the WHOLE person?
How do you utilize empathy?
Talk about this idea of selecting and developing the first line leader?
Tell us about the challenge of engagement and the different generations?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about employee engagement:

TCEP 105: From Civil Engineering to Helping Civil Engineers in Texas Every Day

November 26, 2018 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 105 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I speak with Lindsay O’Leary, PE, LEED AP about her career path from a civil engineer to now working full-time as the Executive Director for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Texas Section where she is helping civil engineers to achieve success on a daily basis.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Lindsay about how she went from being a civil engineer to helping civil engineers on a daily basis:

How did you go from being a civil engineer to Executive Director for the ASCE Texas Section?
Do you think you would be able to do this job successfully if you weren’t a civil engineer?
What are some of the challenges the organization is facing that you have to deal with?
What were you dealing during the Hurricane Harvey disaster?

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

TCEP 104: Connected and Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Transportation

November 7, 2018 By Anthony Fasano

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In episode 104 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I am taking you with me to the offices of AECOM to talk with Anthony Attanasio, B.A, Vice President and Senior Program Manager at AECOM. We’ll discuss his career which has spanned both the public and private sectors, and we also talk about connected and autonomous vehicles, and what to expect in the short and long terms.

TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Gina About Her Journey as Disney’s Longest Flying Tinker Bell:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Muzamil Husain:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about managing mega civil engineering projects:

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are the Reasons Why I Think All Civil Engineers Should Gain Field Experience

1. It Helps You to Be a Practical Engineer

2. Engineering Field Experience Allows You to Start with the End in Mind so You Don’t Just Start with the Design First

3. Engineering Field Experience Forces You to Interact with People

4. You Get to Know the Industry and Construction Lingo

5. Once You Get Promoted and Move up in Your Career, Your Chances of Gaining Field Experience Diminish Greatly

More details in this episode…

Sources/References:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Karen:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about going from engineer to owner:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Nils:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about construction engineering:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Lisa Roger, CIO:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about IT Professionals:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I asked Chris about sustainability:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Bob:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode about employee engagement:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Lindsay about how she went from being a civil engineer to helping civil engineers on a daily basis:

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some of the questions I ask Anthony Attanasio: