Engineering

TCEP 129: Two Civil Engineering Presidents on the Steps They Took to Success

October 23, 2019 By EMI

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In episode 129 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, our fourth episode in our Women in Civil Engineering series, I talk to two female civil engineering presidents from different cities in Texas. They are Julia Harrod, P.E., F.NSPE who is the President of MWM DesignGroup and Bonnie Moss, P.E. who is the President of MBCO Engineering. We talk about the steps they took to become successful civil engineering presidents and they also provide some great advice on how you can become a productive and successful civil engineering professional in your field.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask These Two Civil Engineering Presidents:

What are the ups and downs of being a business owner?
Tell us about the philosophy of work/life balance.
How do you prioritize your tasks for the day?
How did you obtain the necessary financial experience and skills to run a company?
What is it like to be a civil engineer in Texas?
Tell us about the hiring process you follow.
Did you always want to be the president of a firm?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode:

Engineering in the 21st Century: 3 Most Essential Basics to Remember

October 21, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Anastasia Moore

Rapid change has become the epitome of the 21st century. Over the past years, humanity has made a significant step in the development of all industries known to us, and even more changes are yet to come.

Fast-paced technological progress has made tangible adjustments to every sphere of our lives, and engineering is not an exception. What people thought was impossible twenty years ago is now our new reality, and there is no way to hide from these changes.

How to stay relevant and competitive as an engineer? What should a specialist keep in mind to succeed? In this article, we are going to take a closer look at this matter and find the answers!

How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice

September 9, 2019 By EMI

How to Start Your Own Engineering Practice is a guest blog by Allison Hail

So you want to start your own engineering practice? Becoming an independent engineering consultant can be very lucrative. It also gives you freedom over the work you do. But it is a very different lifestyle than working for an engineering firm. There are several important items to consider before taking the plunge.

Find Your Niche

As any engineer will tell you, engineering is an enormous field of work. Even within your specialization, there is a huge variance in the kinds of projects you might take on as an engineering consultant. With innovations occurring every day in the tech sector, this variety is only set to increase.

This presents a wide array of possibilities to specialize your practice. While it may not be wise to be picky about the type of projects you take on at first, aim to be carving out a niche for yourself over time. Building a profile as the go-to person for certain kinds of projects will reduce the time you need to spend finding new clients. As word of mouth spreads, clients should start coming to you off the back of your reputation.

Stay on Top of the Admin

TECC 208: Why Engineering Intern Tori Thomas Published Her Disagreement with Her Boss on LinkedIn

August 6, 2019 By EMI

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Photo reference: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-disagree-my-boss-tori-thomas/

In this episode of The Engineering Career Coach podcast, I talk to Tori Thomas, who is a strategic analyst intern at Organica Water about an article she wrote on LinkedIn regarding a disagreement she had with her boss. She explains to us what her goal was when writing the article and how it has affected her, and her internship ever since. We also talk about the passion she has for engineering at such a young age and the importance of using social media in your engineering career for personal branding.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed and Quotes Related to Tori’s Disagreement with Her Boss:

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

March 13, 2019 By EMI

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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 108: The Value IT Professionals Bring to the Engineering World

January 7, 2019 By EMI

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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:

The Best New Year’s Career Resolutions for Engineers

December 18, 2018 By EMI

This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

Working in highly complex and diverse technology fields, being a successful engineer requires the willingness to train extensively and the flexibility to continually upgrade present skill sets by acquiring new sets of knowledge & industry insights, just to stay up to speed with market changes. This takes a big toll on many engineers and requires planning and preparation so that you can successfully hit your career goals within the 12-month period you have in 2019. With the New Year almost upon us, it is time to take inventory of your progress to date, and of your professional career goals as well as to create a new set of goals. That said, the following is an overview of three of the best New Year’s career resolutions for engineers in 2019.

Set New Goals – An Unattainable Job

Have You Heard of the S.O.A.R Method?

October 23, 2018 By EMI

Have You Heard of the S.O.A.R Method is a guest blog by Thomas Anderson, P.E.

How do you prepare for an interview? Do you read typical questions that the employer might ask? Do you practice artful responses? The S.O.A.R. Answer Method is helpful for preparing for interview questions and it keeps you focused on the discussion while you are answering.

This answer method works well on interview questions 11 and 15 on an article called Top 20 Interview Questions and How to Answer

The S.O.A.R. Method Explained:

TCEP 099: The Business of Engineering for Sustainability – Global Sustainability Series Episode #2

September 26, 2018 By Christian Knutson, PE, PgMP, PMP

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In episode 99 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Dr. Marlene Kanga, who is the current President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) about the business of engineering for sustainability. This is the second episode in a 3-part special global sustainability series that will both introduce you to and focus on the Global Engineering Congress 2018, taking place October 22nd through 26th in London at the Institution of Civil Engineering’s (ICE) Headquarters.

Here are some of the questions I ask Dr. Kanga in this global sustainability episode:

This is the Federation’s 50th anniversary — what does this mean to you both professionally and personally?
What was it that drew you to WFEO and has kept you so actively involved over the years?
As WFEO encourages national and international members to collaborate in their contributions to solving global problems, what role do you see diversity playing in this effort?
Why is the WFEO event important to the civil engineering profession, and what do you think should be one of the main takeaways from this event?
What do you feel requires the immediate attention of the engineering profession’s resources to attack and to solve?
Who are the typical attendees at one of these Global Engineering Congress events? What advice can you provide on how a participant should best prepare to come ready to actively participate in the event?
We’ve been talking about the sustainable development goals, what other roles does WFEO play on behalf of the engineering profession?
How do you keep your professional diary straight and know where to focus your mental energies?

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed in this global sustainability episode:

The Foundation of a Great Management Career in Engineering

September 25, 2018 By EMI

This is a guest blog post by Mary Jane Riccardi, SPHR, MBA

Management Career

Whether project management or organizational management, the foundation of a great management career starts with exceptional technical/professional performance. Many engineering professionals start their careers with strong technical skills, honed through years of schooling, challenging work assignments, and delivering on project management expectations. Moving into a project or organizational management role takes a new set of skills, which can be developed long before acquiring the manager title.

Through developing professional consulting competencies engineers can accelerate their skill development while providing additional contribution to their firms. Also, it allows early career engineers to demonstrate their people skills to those internal decision makers, who may be making those promotional decisions.

So what specifically are professional consulting competencies? After talking with and listening to many junior and senior professional consultants in the A/E industry, I developed a 10-competency model that can be used to guide any engineer in their role as a professional consultant. Executing on technical skills and abilities can develop the first four, the next five require focus on people. Pursuing self-development is important regardless of your career goals.