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TCEP 188: Why People Development Is Important When Growing a Civil Engineering Firm

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People DevelopmentIn this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, we talk with two engineers from Alaska that decided to start their own firm and really focused on people development within their firm. They are Garret K. Gladsjo, P.E.and Lucas Chambers, P.E., co-owners and principal engineers at proHNS LLC. We talk about how investing in your staff can help grow your company tremendously.

Engineering Quotes:


Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Garret and Lucas:

  • How did you end up starting your firm and what services does your firm provide?
  • Talk to us about the importance of people development at your firm, and how you find, develop, and retain the right people?
  • How do you ensure that the right people are doing the right things and that you promote the right people into the right position at your firm?
  • How do you identify who needs what training or development? Do you have a process to ensure you are consistently developing your people?
  • Problem-solving is the essence of what engineering leaders do, but how do you and your company identify the problems that arise?
  • Once you identify problems, does your company have a specific process for solving them? If so, what does it look like?
  • What are some typical problems that you see in civil engineering firms, specifically when they are trying to grow or scale?
  • Do you have any final advice to civil engineers out there who are trying to grow their own companies, or who are considering pursuing a career similar to yours?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About People Development:

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TECC 244: Practical Problem-Solving Skills for Engineers

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Problem-SolvingIn this episode, I talk to Andrew Sario, an intelligent transport systems engineer and OT cyber specialist, creator of Engineering IRL, and engineering book author, about problem-solving skills for engineers. Andrew provides some great tips that will help you to master these skills and become the best engineer you could be. Be sure to listen to the end of this episode for a special offer from guest Andrew Sario.

Engineering Quotes:

problem-solving

problem-solving

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Practical Problem-Solving Skills for Engineers:

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TGEP 18: Celebrating Engineers Week – How Engineers Can Contribute to Society

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celebrating engineers weekIn this episode, we talk to Tony Canale, P.E., an Associate Partner at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, about the importance of celebrating Engineers Week, engineering education, and the role that engineers play in society.

Please note that The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSP.E.) offers a wide breadth of resources on how you can help spread the word and get involved during Engineers Week. You can visit NSP.E.’s website at discovere.org.

Engineering Quotes:

celebrating engineers week

celebrating engineers week

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Tony Canale, P.E.:

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TGEP 11: How To Become a Great Geotechnical Engineer

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Great Geotechnical EngineerIn this episode, we talk to Andrew Burns, P.E., who is the Vice President of Engineering & Estimating for Underpinning & Foundation Skanska. We talk about his career and how he worked his way up from office engineer to vice president and he also shares some very useful advice on how you can become a great geotechnical engineer.

Engineering Quotes:

engineer

engineer

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Andrew:

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Shaping Our Future Generations by Becoming a STEM Author

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This is a guest blog by Tiffani Teachey

Becoming a STEM Author

“If they don’t bring you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
~ Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm

There is value in encouraging children to learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). As an engineer for 16 years, I have always enjoyed mentoring and speaking to the youth, presenting “Engineering Is Fun!” At the beginning of my presentations, I ask the children, “Who has met an engineer?” At times, there are no or few hands that are raised. 

I present on the various types of engineers, what engineers do, and what children can do to prepare to become an engineer, alongside hands-on engineering activities. I then ask the same question after the presentation, “Who has met an engineer?” and all of the children’s hands go up. It is then that I realize that I have planted a seed to shape the next generation through STEM and the importance of representation in STEM careers. 

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3 Uncommon Engineering Skills That Engineers Should Develop for Extraordinary Success

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This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

Uncommon Engineering Skills There comes a time in every engineer’s career where they’ll want to take their roles to the next level by managing others, overseeing projects, and even running their own engineering startups. It’s a given that to catapult your engineering career, you have to do what’s necessary to be successful in outshining the rest, and sometimes that calls for identifying and fine-tuning the skills companies need. Research shows that companies desire soft skills, such as complex problem-solving, people management, creativity, and critical thinking—four essential soft skills that are projected to be the top desired soft skills by 2020. While these skills are essential for being successful in your engineering career, they often overshadow the uncommon engineering skills that engineers need to achieve exceptional success the way Apple’s Tim Cook or Tesla’s Elon Musk did. 

Yet, everyone can’t transform into Elon Musk overnight. If you want to accomplish extraordinary success, you have to look beyond the ordinary. You won’t achieve far-reaching goals by simply working harder or longer hours than everyone else on the job. Instead, shift your focus to developing the unconventional skills that engineers often neglect. Here are three uncommon skills every engineer needs to achieve next-level success: 

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Why Technical Skills Alone Won’t Get You That Engineering Job

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Why Technical Skills Alone Won’t Get You That Engineering Job is a guest blog by Andrei Kurtuy

Technical SkillsTechnical skills are the tools of the trade for engineers. But don’t think for a second that the key to landing a great engineering job comes down to how your technical skills stack up against the competition.

Whether you’re a future or recent engineering graduate, or you’re well along in your career, looking for a new job is a situation you’re likely to face. Of course, you’ll want that job to be fulfilling and relevant to all that valuable training you’ve undertaken.

Well if you want to find your perfect job, you can’t let your technical background do all the talking. In today’s hyper-competitive work environment, recruiters are likely to receive hundreds of applications from people who (probably) have similar or better credentials than you.

So, what can you do to make your resume and cover letter grab an employer’s attention and land you a job interview? Redirect your attention. [Read more…] about Why Technical Skills Alone Won’t Get You That Engineering Job

Chief Engineer = Professional Engineer + Manager

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Chief Engineer = Professional Engineer + Manager is a guest blog
by Justin OsborneChief Engineer

Nowadays, the engineering market has become more and more demanding and competitive. It’s not enough to get your degree; you need to constantly learn and develop new skills to stand out from the other engineers and work on exciting projects. Therefore, keep on reading to discover what skills are necessary to become a chief engineer and how to acquire them. [Read more…] about Chief Engineer = Professional Engineer + Manager

Controlling the Good Idea Fairy

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The good idea fairy is insidious.  Sure, he comes on meaning well and espouses great outcomes and high returns.  But he shows up in the eleventh hour just when the moment of execution is about to arrive, just when the moment of truth is upon you.  Right at the wrong time.  And he brings with him a whole list of unnecessary changes and additional work.

As a leader, you must control the good idea fairy and the only way to do so is through courage and preparation.  You will battle him on every major undertaking in which you do not call the shots.  You will battle him when you least expect it.  So plan your response now so you will be ready.

Knowing the Enemy

Not familiar with the Good Idea Fairy?  The origin of the term is in the U.S. military and describes an evil, mythical creature that whispers advice and ideas into the ears of leadership, causing hundreds of unnecessary changes and countless wasted man-hours.  The term may have it’s origin in the military, but sightings of the good idea fairy can happen anywhere faulty ideas enter the brains of leaders and decision makers.  Think you’re immune?  Ever completed a task on which you were inexperienced or confused?  Do you have a hard time listening to advice or input from others?  If so, then you are a likely candidate for a visit by the good idea fairy. [Read more…] about Controlling the Good Idea Fairy