Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Civil Engineering

6 Hacks for Maintaining and Tracking P.E. Licenses

By

6 Hacks for Maintaining and Tracking P.E. Licenses is a guest blog
by Christian Haring of Harbor Compliance

Tracking P.E. LicensesEngineers are known for accuracy, attention to detail, and finding elegant solutions to complex problems. Yet when it comes to licensing, most firms lack a functional, comprehensive system to safeguard compliance. Every month, engineering boards report fresh citations for lapsed P.E. licenses. Unfortunately, once the lapse occurs, the damage is done.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to eliminate those risks and manage all aspects of your firm’s licensing efficiently and effectively.

[Read more…] about 6 Hacks for Maintaining and Tracking P.E. Licenses

Focus on Getting Better at Your Engineering Job Every Day

By

Focus on Getting Better at Your Engineering Job Every Day is a guest blog by Holly Welles

Focus Engineering Job

Whether you’re starting an engineering management role for the first time or you’re a more seasoned professional, your energy is likely to wane after a few months of focusing at getting better at your engineering job. You’ve settled in and learned the ropes, after all. It becomes easier to do what needs to get done without pushing yourself to keep advancing your skills, service and expertise.

At this stage, it’s important to keep up your motivation. Engineering management professionals can do themselves, their teams and their clients a huge favor by focusing on getting better at their jobs every day. While it seems like a tall order, continual improvement is actually pretty easy to bake into your everyday routine.

You can focus on improving your priorities, mindset and knowledge with just a little effort each day. Here’s how to get started: [Read more…] about Focus on Getting Better at Your Engineering Job Every Day

3 Ways to Build Your Courage Muscles for Job Search

By

This is a guest blog by Nader Mowlaee

Your job search and networking success depend heavily on how courageous you are. It calls for reaching out to strangers and starting conversations with them without any assurance that they’ll like or even listen to you. Yet, it’s important to have courage because you have to take these job search actions regardless of your fear of rejection. That means you can’t give up just after a few attempts.

That’s why building your courage muscles during the job search phase is crucial and becomes your leading differentiating factor among competing candidates. Here’s how you can get it done: [Read more…] about 3 Ways to Build Your Courage Muscles for Job Search

TCEP 110: From Engineer to Owner with Karen Jehanian

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Engineer to OwnerIn 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:

[Read more…] about TCEP 110: From Engineer to Owner with Karen Jehanian

TCEP 107: How to Achieve Sustainable Innovation in Development Projects

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Sustainable

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:

Sustainable

Sustainable

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

[Read more…] about TCEP 107: How to Achieve Sustainable Innovation in Development Projects

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

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Helping Civil Engineers

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:

Helping Civil Engineers

Helping Civil Engineers

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:

[Read more…] about TCEP 105: From Civil Engineering to Helping Civil Engineers in Texas Every Day

Who Are Quantity Surveyors and Why Are They Important?

By

This is a guest post by Mike Johnston
Quantity Surveyors

Civil engineering is a discipline many people are not really familiar with. This is a real shame since civil engineering impacts our society so much. Namely, it comprises various professions, including structural, geotechnical, environmental, water resources, construction management, and transportation engineers.

One particularly interesting area is quantity surveying, a profession that blends engineering, construction, and economics. The emphasis is on the last part, albeit there are many other tasks that these experts perform.

Word up

To avoid any confusion, let us just provide a quick clarification of terminology.

Those who live in Canada or the US might have heard the term construction cost estimator.  On the other hand, a quantity surveyor is widely used in countries like UK and Australia. The roles of the two are more or less similar depending on the region. For instance, a construction cost estimator in the US is equivalent to a quantity surveyor in the UK, even though there are some extra requirements for each one.

Sometimes, the terms cost managers and cost consultants get thrown around. But, in this article, we are going to use only quantity surveyor, though in a broader sense that transcends local and project-to-project differences.

What do surveyors do?

[Read more…] about Who Are Quantity Surveyors and Why Are They Important?

TCEP 097 : A Global Overview of Underground Infrastructure

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Underground Infrastructure

In episode 097 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I speak with Michael Mains, M.Eng, P.Eng, PE, a young engineer who has had a tremendous amount of experience on global tunneling projects. Michael gives a global overview of underground infrastructure and provides some great insights for young civil engineers considering getting involved in this industry.

Here are some of the questions I ask Michael:

  • Why should we put infrastructure underground?
  • Why is underground civil engineering an interesting subset of the industry?
  • What are some of the challenges of underground construction and design?
  • Do you see underground infrastructure more common in the years to come?
  • What are some of the of the benefits and challenges of working internationally?

Engineering Quotes:

Underground Infrastructure

Underground Infrastructure

Here are some key points discussed in this episode on underground infrastructure:

[Read more…] about TCEP 097 : A Global Overview of Underground Infrastructure

TCEP 090: LGBTQ Inclusion in Engineering…When We Embrace Diversity, We All Win

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Embrace Diversity

In episode 90 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Joseph Barker, PE, PTOE, a licensed Professional Engineer and Traffic Operations Engineer from Stantec. We discuss the topic of diversity and why firms should embrace diversity for engineers which provides inspiration and typically leads to them being happier and more productive in their careers.

Here are some of the questions I asked Joseph Barker, PE, PTOE:

  • What was it like entering the Civil Engineering workforce as a gay man?
  • How did hiding your being gay affect your daily mindset?
  • Would you say that this experience you went through, hiding who you really are, made you stronger today?
  • Tell us about the move you made to Stantec, and how that impacted your mindset and career overall?
  • Have you ever thought of relocating to a geographical location that is more accepting of gay people?

Engineering Quotes:

Embrace Diversity

Here are some key points discussed in this episode:

[Read more…] about TCEP 090: LGBTQ Inclusion in Engineering…When We Embrace Diversity, We All Win

TCEP 082: One Civil Engineer’s Passion for Culture and Community

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Passion for Culture

In episode 082 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Alexis Clark, E.I.T about her passion for culture and community in civil engineering, and several other interesting topics related to Civil Engineering.

Here are some of the questions I ask Alexis:

  • Tell us how you ended up working for Hilti and what it’s like working for such a large company?
  • You’re passionate about engineering and culture both, so let’s discuss how the two intertwine.
  • Do you work outside of the US?
  • What do you do in your life in general to try and integrate culture?
  • Tell us about your passion for culture and volunteering, and why you are so interested in them?
  • Where do you think Civil Engineering is heading in the future?

Engineering Quotes:

Passion for Culture

Passion for Culture

Here are some key points discussed about passion for culture and community:

[Read more…] about TCEP 082: One Civil Engineer’s Passion for Culture and Community