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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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Women in Engineering – We Still Have a Long Way to Go

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Women in Engineering – We Still Have a Long Way to Go is a guest blog by Jacob Dillon

Women in EngineeringHello – Anthony Fasano, P.E. here, President of EMI.  As we have been developing our Current Management Abilities Potential (CMAP) diagnostic tool for engineering firms, we have realized through our research that there is a big difference in how women in engineering versus male engineers interact with their managers.  To that end, we have been doing more research on female representation in the engineering world including the history of women in engineering, and so I am happy to share this informative article written by guest author Jacob Dillon.

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TCEP 118: Information Civil Engineers Should Seek Up-Front for Proposal Writing Success

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Proposal Writing SuccessIn episode 118 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I visit with  Karen Morgan, P.E. who is the owner and founder of the AEC Proposal Institute. We discuss what information civil engineering professionals need to seek up-front for proposal writing success. Morgan discusses 5 specific points that you can use as a checklist to ensure you write more winning proposals.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are 5 Important Points Engineers Should Always Seek Up-Front for Proposal Writing Success:

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

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Mega Civil Engineering Projects

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:

Mega Civil Engineering Projects

Mega Civil Engineering Projects

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:

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

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Field Experience

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:

Field Experience

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.

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To your success,

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

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

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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:

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

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Autonomous VehiclesIn 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.

Engineering Quotes:

Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous Vehicles

Here are some of the questions I ask Anthony Attanasio:

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TCEP 102: Why Civil Engineers Should Get Involved in Government Policy

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PolicyIn episode 102 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I speak with Jennifer Sloan Ziegler, a Project Engineer focusing on water resources, specifically watershed management and coastal restoration. We discuss government policy and its importance in civil engineering, and why all civil engineers should in some way get involved in policy.

Engineering Quotes:

Policy

Policy

Here are some of the questions I ask Jennifer

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TCEP 101: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the ICE Global Engineering Congress

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SDGs

In episode 101 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, which is the third episode in a 3-part special series focused on preparing us for the Global Engineering Congress 2018, I am bringing you with me to the offices of Mott MacDonald to sit down with Global Sustainability Leader Davide Stronati. Get ready for a great conversation around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how civil engineers can tactically support the achievement of these goals.

Here are some of the questions I ask Davide:

  1. What role does a corporate, or strategic, sustainability managing director play and what responsibilities do they hold?
  2. What is the primary outcome, with regards to GEC18, that you wish to see?
  3. From a civil engineering perspective, what does sustainability mean to you?
  4. What does your role as the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Sustainability Leadership Team Chair entail?
  5. What is your call to action regarding the SDGs for civil engineers listening to this podcast?

Engineering Quotes:

SDGs

SDGs

Here are some key points discussed on the UN SDGs and the ICE Global Engineering Congress:

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TCEP 098: Management Skills that Civil Engineers Should Build

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Management SkillsIn episode 98 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I speak with Ben Walpole, a writer and editor for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) strategic communications team. We will talk about a few very important management skills that civil engineers should build in order to increase their effectiveness as civil engineering managers.

Engineering Quotes:

Management Skills

Management Skills

Here are some important management skills you should build as a civil engineer to increase your overall success:

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