Engineering Management Institute

Engineering Firms

Hiring for Skills Becoming Popular Tactic for Engineering Firms

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This is a guest post by Zane Pucylowski , P.E.

Hiring for SkillsMost people think that one of the first things all managers look at when hiring employees is their level of education. This line of thinking is becoming outdated. Employers are often seeking employees who have the skills for the job over education. Having a degree in the field is not the only key factor any longer. An employee with job skills and hands-on training is often more in demand than a person who only has a degree in the field.

Many times, a person having the right set of skills is more beneficial for the business than only having a degree. Teachers and parents have been preaching to students for decades the importance of getting a degree. That way of thinking has shifted in recent years. Well-known CEOs like Elon Musk and Jeff Weiner have gone on record many times saying companies need to pay more attention to skill sets than degrees.

A New Way of Thinking

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TCEP 200: The Effective Engineering Client: Why It Matters for Engineering Firms

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Engineering ClientIn this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with David Skuodas, P.E., CFM, LEED AP, Director of Design, Construction, and Maintenance at the Mile High Flood District and author of the recently published book, The Effective Client: Why Being a Good Client is Smart Business in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industries, about why it matters to be a good engineering client. He also explains how owners are in competition with each other for a very limited pool of capable designers and builders, and what owners can do to improve their standing with designers and builders.

Engineering Quotes:

Engineering Client

Engineering Client

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Dave:

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Importance of Business Development Marketing Plans

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This is a guest blog by Jake Voorhees

Many things are uncertain as we transition into 2022. COVID-19 is nearly two years old and continues to throw variants at us, which can make planning unpredictable. The Federal Reserve has announced a possible sooner than expected tapering of their bond buying program and interest rates are eventually on the rise. There is no telling what economic climate 2022 will bring. One thing is certain: Your firm needs to focus on business development as usual. Producing a budget is great, but what about how you are going to actually market and stir up business next year?

Why Create Business Development Marketing Plans ?

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TCEP 185: How to Grow a Civil Engineering Company Successfully

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Grow a Civil Engineering Company

In this episode, the ninth episode in our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs Series, I talk to Brian Barker, P.E., M.S., Principal at Deuel & Associates about how to start and grow a civil engineering company successfully, specifically some of the challenge you will face when you start, and how to overcome them.  Brian also talks about how you can reduce your company’s risk through client diversification.

Engineering Quotes:

Grow a Civil Engineering Company

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Brian:

  • How do you find, develop, and retain the right people in your firm?
  • What markets can a civil engineer think of getting into to grow their company?
  • Are there benefits to having an in-house surveying component in a civil engineering company?
  • What needs to be focused on daily to continue the growth of your company?
  • What advice do you have for civil engineers getting into the leadership part of a civil engineering company?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About How to Grow a Civil Engineering Company:

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TCEP 173: How to Build a Vision-Driven Civil Engineering Company

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vision-driven civil engineering company

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, that is part of our Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs series, I talk to Rene Portieles II, P.E., the Chief Executive Officer of Epic Forensics & Engineering, Inc. about his journey of starting an engineering company and how today, they are building a vision-driven civil engineering company around one very important theme. Stick around until the end to hear some of the great advice Rene gives, not just to grow a company, but also to grow as an engineering professional.

Engineering Quotes:

vision-driven civil engineering company


Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Rene:

  • Tell us more about your family history, and history in contracting and how that has been valuable in what you are doing today?
  • What is forensic engineering?
  • What does a mission/vision statement mean to you in terms of growing a civil engineering firm, and how do you utilize it at Epic Forensics & Engineering?
  • How do you share your mission/vision with the company?
  • How big is Epic Forensics & Engineering?
  • What are some of the typical problems you see in engineering firms when they are trying to grow or scale a company?
  • How do you find, develop, and retain the right people in your firm?
  • What advice can you give civil engineers out there who are trying to grow their companies?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Building a Vision-Driven Civil Engineering Company:

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The Importance of Creativity for Civil Engineering Firms and Professionals

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THIS IS AN ARTICLE BY MATT LOOS, PE., INGENUITY AND THE ENGINEER – HOW TO HARNESS CREATIVITY IN ENGINEERING (1 PDH) HERE.

As consumption of resources continues to increase, creativity in engineering will be even more important to ensure longevity for future generations. The ability to generate and implement creative solutions can ultimately decide the fate of the future, especially when it comes to dealing with some of the world’s biggest challenges like failing infrastructure and global warming. As cheesy as this may sound, we need to embrace creativity as a necessary skill set and not let it fall by the wayside with other skills that were nurtured in our youth, such as imagination and curiosity. 

That being said, what is the biggest barrier to harnessing creativity in your own civil engineering career or within your organization as a whole? My guess for most people it is a mix of things, with ego standing front and center. Ego often stands in the way of accepting new ideas and taking constructive criticism.  Doing something successfully, in repetition over time often breed’s ego. When you’re experienced in a certain field, you don’t often seek others’ opinions. When you’re inexperienced, you don’t get stuck in the trap of doing something the way it’s always been done. As a newcomer, you don’t know everything, but you know those who do. So, you seek information.

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TCEP 149: The Business of Engineering — Scaling an Engineering Firm

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scaling an engineering firm

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Brian Saunders, founder and CEO of BigTime Software. Brian talks to us about the business of engineering, and more specifically, about scaling an engineering firm and provide some great on how you can grow your engineering firm.

Engineering Quotes:

scaling an engineering firm

scaling an engineering firm

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Brian:

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How Public Speaking Changed My Career Direction (and Can Change Yours Too)

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This is a guest blog by Carl Friesen

Public Speaking

How can one speech transform your life? If you’re the one giving it, on the right topic, and to the right audience, it can. That’s what it was for me. In 1999, I jumped out of the best job I’d ever had to fulfill my goal of having my own business before I turned 40.  Now my attention turned to building a base of clients for my business. I liked the idea of public speaking, as I’d heard it’s a great way to build personal rapport with people who might become my clients. 

As a marketing professional seeking to work with engineering firms, I knew that my best audience would be marketing staff. So, I found an organization of marketing people and booked myself as a speaker. Doing that speech involved flying halfway across Canada, from Toronto to Vancouver.  

I picked a topic for my speech to serve two purposes. One was meeting the informational needs of my audience — how they could build the professional profile of their firm’s members. The other purpose was to show that I was someone who could get results for them, without it being a sales pitch. 

At the end of the speech, two people from different firms came up and introduced themselves. They both became clients. One was a firm that I’d never heard of before, but it turned out to be a global environmental and geotechnical firm that has been my core client ever since. Many of the people I’ve worked with at this firm continued to work with me when they left for other jobs, so my business grows. 

That’s why I say that one speech in Vancouver transformed my life. 

Five Key Steps for Success as a Speaker 

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Tips to Advance Your Career as a Mechanical Engineer

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This is a guest blog by Carol Evenson

Engineering Career Tips

Being a successful mechanical engineer goes beyond just being a pro at science and math. Whether an individual has several years of experience as a mechanical engineer or has graduated recently, there are strategies and engineering career tips to take their profession to the next level. These tips can help any professional in the field of mechanical engineering advance their career. [Read more…] about Tips to Advance Your Career as a Mechanical Engineer