Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING TRAINING

Career Goals and Challenges

TCEP 156: Work-Life Balance Strategies for Civil Engineers

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Work-Life Balance StrategiesHaving a healthy work-life balance is a difficult challenge even in the best of times, but it is becoming more and more necessary during these times of economic stagnation and uncertainty. That is why, in this week’s episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, Ken Mika, P.E. M.ASCE, a project engineer and office leader for Geosyntec’s Green Bay, Wisconsin office will provide some great work-life balance strategies that you can use to help you along the way.

Engineering Quotes:

Work-Life Balance Strategies

Work-Life Balance Strategies

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Ken:

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TCEP 154: Navigating the Annual Review Process as a Civil Engineering Professional

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Annual ReviewFor many engineers, a face-to-face performance review is the most stressful work conversation they’ll have all year, and for managers, the discussion can be just as tense. In this week’s episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I provide practical tips on how engineers and managers can prepare for and get the most out of their annual performance reviews.

Engineering Quotes:

annual review

annual review

3 Steps To Prepare for the Annual Performance Review:

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TCEP 145: What High School Students and Undergraduates Should Know About Civil Engineering

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high school studentsIn this episode I talk about what high school students and young adults should know about a career in civil engineering. This episode is intended to be a resource that you can share with high school students and their parents to inform them about the profession of civil engineering. You can also view this episode on our YouTube channel.

Engineering Quotes:

high school students

high school students

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode: 

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TCEP 140: A Near Death Experience, the COVID-19 Coronavirus, and How Civil Engineers Can Help Reduce the Spread of Pandemics

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Coronavirus

In this episode, we focus on a topic that is on everyone’s minds — the coronavirus and how it should be a wake-up call to civil engineers. And we’re discussing this with Michael Paddock, PE, PS, a licensed civil engineer and surveyor. Twenty years ago, Mike was told he had three to six months to live and since then, through Engineers Without Borders (EWB), he’s helped to grow communities around the world. He also talks about his work managing mega civil engineering projects, and the one thing you must be able to handle to do so.

Engineering Quotes:

Coronavirus

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Michael:

  • Can you tell us about how you went from civil engineering to dedicating your time to Engineers Without Borders?
  • How old were you when you got the news about your stage 4 cancer?
  • When you get this news from the doctor, how did you proceed over the coming months?
  • You recently wrote an article for ASCE entitled, “Coronavirus a Wake-Up Call for Civil Engineers.” Can you tell us about the article?
  • How did you find out about EWB and what moved you towards them?
  • EWB is a membership organization. Could you please explain to us how it works?
  • Did finding out that you had cancer change your life philosophy?
  • What is it like to manage mega-projects?
  • What are some of the skills needed to be able to work on mega-projects?
  • In terms of getting good at managing mega-projects, is on the job experience the main way to get good?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About the Coronavirus and How We as Civil Engineers Can Make an Impact

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TCEP 134: A Young Female Civil Engineering CEO Shares Her Story

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Civil Engineering CEOIn this episode, I talk with Áine O’Dwyer, PE, Principal and CEO at Enovate Engineering, about various civil engineering career topics including the challenges she faced when working in the construction industry, starting a new firm, and how she achieved success despite these challenges at such a young age to become a civil engineering CEO.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Áine:

  • What made you interested in civil engineering?
  • What skillsets helped you to get into management at such a young age?
  • How did you rise through the ranks and start your own company?
  • What is it that drives you daily?
  • How did you develop your confidence as a civil engineering CEO?
  • How can civil engineering professionals find opportunities in their careers?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

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TCEP 130: Dealing with Major Career Decisions and Transitions as a Civil Engineer

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Transitions as a Civil Engineer

In episode 130 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, our fifth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, we’re taking you with us  to Hawaii to visit Coffman Engineers. There we talk to Jami Hirota PE, LEED AP, a civil engineer and experienced project manager that manages a quickly growing civil engineering department. Jamie will discuss the impact that major career decisions and transitions as a civil engineer can have on your career and tell us about a very difficult career decision she had to make around leaving the family engineering business and how it has impacted her civil engineering career and her personal life.

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Jami:

  • What are some of the benefits of working for a small civil engineering firm?
  • How is civil engineering different in Hawaii?
  • Is there a lot of work for engineers in the public sector in Hawaii?
  • How has being a female engineer in the industry impacted you in your civil engineering career?
  • How did you manage transitions as a civil engineer in your career?
  • What is your philosophy on management?

Engineering Quotes:

Transitions as a Civil Engineer

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Career Decisions and Transitions as a Civil Engineer:

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TCEP 122: How to Work Faster but Also Work Smarter as a Civil Engineering Professional

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Work Smarter

In episode 122 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I provide some strategies for working faster but also working smarter as a civil engineering professional. In today’s fast paced world, engineers need to work faster to get everything on their plates accomplished. Working fast often leads to making many mistakes which can be catastrophic in the civil engineering world, but what if you could work faster, but also smarter? If you can do this, you will be setting yourself up for major success.

Engineering Quotes:

Work Smarter

Here Are 7 Strategies That You Can Use to Work Faster but Also Work Smarter as a Civil Engineering Professional:

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TCEP 120: The State of the Structural Engineering Industry from the ASCE SEI Structures Congress Part 2

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Structural EngineeringIn episode 120 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, you are going to hear interviews from my recent visit to the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) Structures Congress. The interviews will cover both technical and professional development topics related to civil and structural engineering as well as personal development including effective communication skills for engineers.

This is the second of a two part series.  The first part can be found here on our new sister podcast The Structural Engineering Channel which you can find in iTunes here.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Our Guests in This Episode:

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TCEP 119: Working in the Public Sector Versus Private Sector for Civil Engineering Professionals

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Public Sector Versus Private SectorIn episode 119 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I visit with  John M. Keller PE, PMP, who serves as the Executive Director of The New Jersey Turnpike Authority. We talk about the differences between working in the public sector versus private sector and John provides some very specific examples, which may help you if you are deciding between these two career paths.

Engineering Quotes:

Public Sector Versus Private Sector

Public Sector Versus Private Sector

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask John Keller during the interview:

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

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Tinker BellIn 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:

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