Posts filed under ‘Career Development’
Civil Engineers: Laid Off? Now What?
Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search, Inc
Managing Partner, CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Matt’s profile & connect with him on LinkedIn
Each month at Precision Executive Search we reach hundreds of civil engineering professionals across the country in our recruiting efforts. Beyond the normal recruiting conversations that are had I try to probe the minds of my candidates about different things they are seeing. During the month of October we wanted to find out what all those civil engineers who have been laid off are up to. Beyond just looking for a new job, have they left the industry altogether? Or have they maybe started their own consulting business? Based upon the information we found out through our conversations, and based upon a poll that we posted on LinkedIn asking these very questions, here is what we came to find :
•About 63% are pursuing a new job
•About 12% have left the industry and are trying something different
•About 25% have started consulting on their own
It is the 25% that I would like to discuss.
While taking a bike ride on a crisp and colorful autumn morning with our children along the Schuylkill River Trail I was talking to a friend of mine who has been in technology sales with AT&T for over 15 years; he mentioned that he would love to try something new. His job has become stagnant, the company has really changed, there is a lot of red tape, and he is beginning to yearn for something new; the thought of trying something new is a hard pill to swallow though since he has been at it for so long now. What he said was this,
I almost wish I would get laid off so my hand would be forced to do something different.
Regarding those 20% I mentioned above who are have started their own consulting practices- these folks may be the future leaders of the industry; they may be the ones that start hiring people and getting people back to work; and they may have just started a business that will one day break into the ENR top 100. That’s the silver lining I see in all of this…for those folks that started their own consulting practices, their hands may have been forced, and if they take that opportunity to go “all in,” that pink slip they were handed may turn out to be the best thing that has ever happened to them! And if you think it can’t happen, check out these firms:
Aging & Growing Gracefully:
Greeley & Hansen – started with 2 partners in 1914 and now have over 300 employees in 16 offices across the United States
Louis Berger Group – started in 1953 by Dr. Louis “Doc” Berger with a sole office in Harrisburg, PA, now an international consulting firm with thousands of employees
Just Getting Started:
Pacheco Koch Consulting Engineers – started in 1990 with 2 partners in Dallas, TX has since blossomed to dozens of employees in 3 offices throughout the state of TX
Borton Lawson – opened their doors in 1988 and now have 160+ employees in multiple offices throughout Pennsylvania
These firms were all conceived for different reasons and motivations. If your reason is because you were laid off, then so be it; NOW IT IS TIME TO TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS! I wish great success to all the new entrepreneurs our there who have decided to hang their own shingle, and maybe one day I will be blogging about how YOUR firm has thrived and how that may inspire others to follow in your footsteps!
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Steve Jobs and Civil Engineering – That’s Right. I Went There.
Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search, Inc
Managing Partner, CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Matt’s profile & connect with him on LinkedIn
No need to get into a lengthy diatribe as to who Steve Jobs is and all that he has accomplished. You all know who he is and I would have carpel tunnel syndrome by the end of this entry if I tried to explain all things Steve Jobs. Two questions for you though about Steve Jobs:
- Do you know where he started?
- Do you know where he ended?
Back to that in a moment. Over the years I have conducted numerous C-Level or Senior Vice President/National Business Line Leader searches for consulting engineering firms where I have been tasked to seek and find a key leader for national or global practices that are made up of hundreds or thousands of civil engineering and architectural professionals. Deep down amongst the two or three page detailed job description there is bullet point indicating that a Professional Engineering or Architecture license is required. Not preferred. Not recommended. Required.
Different companies have different roles, different titles, and different philosophies on hiring. The philosophy that a senior executive must have a professional registration sometimes leaves me scratching my head. I am talking about executive leaders who develop winning strategies, who develop revolving 5-year business plans, who glad hand, who often accept public speaking invitations, who are responsible for leading the pursuit of projects, or who are responsible for meeting financial goals of the company. My question is this: “Is a professional registration really necessary at this level?”
I know many unlicensed professionals in the architecture and engineering community who are operationally responsible for hundreds or thousands of employees and who know how to effectively turn a profit. I also know many unlicensed professionals in the architecture and engineering industries who are responsible for driving millions and millions of dollars worth of revenue through the door. I also know many companies who have needs for people like these but who turn a blind eye to these candidates because they do not have a couple of initials following their last name. Is this an old school mentality? Is this a company worried about perception more than actual results?
This takes me back to Steve Jobs; No degree…college drop out…yet an innovative pioneer who is a good listener and who was capable of delivering what people want- even delivering what people want before they know they want it. Not that companies should make a habit of hiring college drop-outs, not by any stretch of the imagination; but, denying your company the opportunity to hire, or at the very least consider a change agent or someone who can help guide the ship to its selected destination because they do not have a license, seems shortsighted.
If someone can provide innovative concepts to clients, productive and profitable business models, has strong connections and a track record of success; if they are a good listener, and if through the collaborative efforts of the skilled and licensed management team beneath them they could even deliver a concept to a client that they may have not thought of otherwise; if they are able to drive top line revenues and help your firm climb to heights that you may not otherwise reach, then is a professional license at that level even relevant?
What is your philosophy? Have you hired your firm’s Steve Jobs? Or maybe have you seen the Steve Jobs of your industry join the competition only because you shuffled his credentials aside because he or she was not licensed?
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Civil Engineering “Dream Projects”
By Carol A. Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Carol’s profile & connect with her on LinkedIn
An architect and several civil engineers from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates are rappelling the Washington Monument, inspecting and recording damage from this year’s earthquake. In various interviews, several of the engineers reported that scaling the monument was a career highlight. Several of the monument inspectors are in their late 20′s and 30′s. They are just in the early stages of what I suspect will be a long career. How will they top this project?
Each year the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) selects finalists for the group’s annual Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) award. Previous OCEA winners have included China’s Sutong Bridge, the World Trade Center, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, Riverbank Filtration Tunnel and Pump Station(Louisville, KY) and other high-profile projects, as well as a selection of lesser-known bridges, roadways and restored or relocated buildings. Engineers responsible for these award winning projects can proudly point to their accomplishments.
What are your “dream” civil engineering projects?
Civil Engineers: It’s Time to Get Organized from A to Z
Featured Guest Blogger: Anthony Fasano, P.E., LEED AP, ACC
Civil Engineer, Author, Coach and Speaker
Author of Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career
Anthony is also the author of a FREE e-mail service for engineers called A Daily Boost from Your Professional Partner. Click here to read about this service.
I read a book not too long ago entitled Getting Things Done by David Allan. The book provides strategies and an overall process for getting organized and becoming more productive. One strategy that I’ve been able to take from this book and not only use myself, but also help engineers to implement through coaching is David’s A to Z filing system.
It is common amongst us civil engineers for papers to pile up on our desk throughout the course of the day. Papers, plans, invoices, etc can swallow up our office. Every once in a while it will become so overbearing that we’ll take a whole day and clean out our office which usually consists of throwing most of these items out. Does this sound familiar?
David’s A to Z system is a great process that will help you to get and STAY organized. Here is how it works. Start by designating one large filing drawer or an entire filing cabinet for you’re A to Z system. Fill the cabinet with 26 hanging folders and label them A through Z. Next, start making a list of all of the items that you might file away (i.e. example, specifications, estimates, manufacturers information, stormwater guidelines, etc.). Then create a file folder for each one of these items and be sure to label them clearly. Then the fun part begins. Starting with your desk begin to file away items into the proper folders. You may have to create new folders along the way or slightly modify the system over the first few weeks. For example, you might have to decide on whether you want to use the word ‘drainage’ or ‘stormwater’ which will determine whether that folder ends up in ‘D’ or ‘S.’
After a few weeks of implementing this system, your office will be clean! Then you just have to work on keeping it clean, which is pretty easy with this system. As items come across your desk simply file them into the proper folder or create a new one, when necessary.
You may think that this system is extremely simplistic and actually it is. I have successfully implemented this system both in my office and in my home and I never have a problem finding something. I hope this tip is helpful for you can bring more balance to both your career and your life.
Please share any organizational strategies that you are currently using!
What Kind of Report Card Would You Give Yourself?
Featured Guest Blogger: Babette Ten Haken
Sales Aerobics for Engineers
Strategies and Toolkit for the Sales-Engineering Interface
Connect With Babette On Linkedin 
Read The Sales Aerobics For Engineers Blog
It’s Mid-Year! Time to reflect on where you have been and where you are going. And perhaps it’s time for your mid-year crisis. Or not. So….. what have you accomplished this year? In your own eyes? Not in the eyes of others. We all work for other people. Even if we are self employed. We work for our customers.
In the long run, our customers elect to work with us depending on how we perceive ourselves. If we have trust, respect, ethical behavior, integrity and, therefore, confidence in ourselves, I don’t have to tell you how those qualities translate for our customers and prospects. They want us on their team.
So what kind of report card would you give yourself at this point during the fiscal year? What lessons have you learned and how have you used these to improve yourself, personally and professionally? Has your sense of direction remained stable or has it been altered in a new, positive, complementary direction? Are you becoming more than, compared to less?
And when I ask you about giving yourself a report card, I am not talking about a report card where you listen to those ”too” voices in your head. You know: too this, too that, too under qualified, too overqualified, yada, yada, yada…. Listen to your own voice, not theirs. How are you doing? Really?
Developing business gets insane sometimes. You are so busy “selling” that you cannot develop business. You are meeting other people’s quotas or you are frantically trying to get someone to buy your consulting civil engineering services if you are self employed or own a business. And you are not getting much support from the “support” staff because you are treating them like, well, “support.”
You know, there is a BIG difference between most people’s perception of “selling” and the sales process resulting in business development. And business development is not a solo act. It needs a team of individuals who understand how to work collaboratively with each other. No room for rock stars here. So much for the sales paradigm. It’s been broken for a while. And needs fixing.
So am I describing your own workplace or some ideological, collaborative workplace which you feel is in “la-la land”? Guess again. You know, those civil engineers who you feel are the worker bees rather than the rock stars. Gotta tell you… they are your rock stars. You are their agents. Put them in front of the folks you want to develop business with and facilitate and nurture those discussions. See what happens.
You civil engineers who prefer to get fed and sheltered by employers and their business development folks. You know who you are. You believe that business development isn’t part of your job description. Guess again. It is part of your job description whether stated or not. Rise up and go forth from your cubicles and at least talk to these guys and gals who are in front of the customers. Find out how they think and approach business development. Because you need to become part of the same team.
So what kind of report card would you give yourself, thus far? And moving forward, how are your business development efforts going to change considering you are not alone. In fact, you have far more synergy in your efforts than you ever thought you had.
Now what are you going to do? Now that you have allies and assets in your organization. Cultivate these relationships. You may find out more about yourself than you thought you ever knew.
Think about it. And let me know.
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Negotiating the Non-Sense in your Non-Compete
Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search, Inc
Managing Partner, CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Matt’s profile & connect with him on LinkedIn
Finally, after months of suffering under a new regime as a result of a reorganization, or after months of being laid off due to a Reduction-In-Force, or after months of pounding your head on the proverbial “glass ceiling,” you have uncovered the perfect opportunity for the next step in your civil engineering career. After going through three or four rounds of interviews and conducting your own due diligence you find a company that is a good fit professionally, technically, culturally; and the path to your professional goal is crystal clear, assuming of course that you live up to your end of the bargain. But you are confident in your ability and there is no question in your mind that you’ve got what it takes to climb your way to the top. The offer comes through, the money is right, the benefits are on target, the performance metrics, though challenging, are attainable, and everything is on the “up-and-up.” And then you get to the non-compete/non-solicit/non-disclosure employment agreement. These agreements are no longer just limited to C-Level Executives or Partners, but now they are surfacing for Vice Presidents, Division Managers, and even Project Managers.
Suddenly some of that wind has been taken out of your sail.
Terminology and phrasing limiting you to go to work for ANY competitor within a 100 mile radius of any existing office, or limiting you from contacting any clients or prospective clients (prospective clients, well, that’s pretty much ANYONE), all while applying to not only to the company you are looking to join, but it all carries over in the event of an acquisition, which would further limit your geography, especially if acquired by a big civil engineering consulting firm with offices throughout the United States. Oh, and by the way, there is nothing indicating that you would be protected from any of this even in the event that you are laid off, your office shuts down, or if you were given the ultimatum to relocate. Sounds a little one sided, right? If left un-negotiated, you would have to switch careers altogether should you separate from the firm.
Putting into effect a non-compete for company executives or partners makes sense. After all, if they don’t have an ownership stake, they do at least have access to company financials and the intellectual property that has brought the company much success. They will also have access to clients that they might not have otherwise with other companies. I am personally not convinced that Non-Compete Agreements are necessary for Project Managers and others who do not have an executive role or who do not have “skin in the game,” but this is a trending policy in the civil engineering consulting industry.
Whatever the case may be, more often than not there are some areas that you should consider negotiating before accepting “as is” if you are not fully comfortable (please keep in mind I am not an attorney nor do I pretend to be – only in my own home when negotiating with my wife and kids):
-> If you are a company executive or partner, you may want negotiate some sort of severance package to help protect you and your family should you separate from the company as it will buy time for you to secure a new position within the other constraints of the agreement.
->If your non-compete contains geographic restrictions, make sure you would still have the ability to work for a “client” or client side company. In other words, make sure it is limited solely to competitors, not clients.
->Make sure that the agreement applies only to the company you are working for at the commencement of your employment, not any future acquisitions. For example – if your employer has 5 or 6 offices, but then is acquired by a national consulting civil engineering firm with offices in every major city across the United States, your options become extremely limited should you not negotiate this ahead of time.
->The non-solicitation of clients is an understandable clause – but if the agreement includes not only existing clients, but potential clients, then again you are limiting your options should you separate as pretty much everyone is a potential client. Try negotiating to only existing clients or those potential clients that have been proposed to over the past 12, 18, or 24 month period.
->Make sure that the non-compete portion of the agreement is null and void in the event of a lay off, a closing of the office, or an ultimatum to relocate with the company.
I am not an attorney, and neither are you.
No matter how dire your current work situation is, you should always go through a non-compete/non-soliticitation/non-disclosure agreement with a fine tooth comb, or even better, shell out some cash to have an attorney review the document – your wallet may become a little light, but that decision could easily save you thousands of dollars in the end… and much stress as well. You may even find that your non-compete agreement will not hold up in a court of law in your state.
Every agreement is different, and these are just a few thoughts based upon my experience in placing civil engineering professionals with consulting engineering firms. Any further advice you can give to the civil engineering community on this topic would be greatly appreciated!
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Are you making others feel like they are on the outside, looking in?
Featured Guest Blogger: Babette Ten Haken
Sales Aerobics for Engineers
Strategies and Toolkit for the Sales-Engineering Interface
Connect With Babette On Linkedin
Read The Sales Aerobics For Engineers Blog
There’s an art to building and maintaining client relationships. It’s more important than ever before. Clients are becoming more difficult to “win” and their loyalty is more elusive. And the definition of “client” encompasses those individuals within the workplace, your subcontractors and the companies who have contracted your products, services and capabilities.
There’s no room for elitism in client relationships. Your clients, subcontractors, co-workers and boss may admire your skill set and communication acumen. However, they did not hire you so they can worship you. They hired you for What’s In It For Me (WIFM): what you bring to the table and how you build their revenue stream.
Your “wow” solution or creative design allows people to appreciate you for understanding their needs. They assess your ability at communicating and asking good questions. They are delighted in your facility in translating these needs to the various technical disciplines involved in the project. And they will laud you and your company for producing output that not only solves their initial problem, but perhaps moves their company further along competitively as well.
So don’t ruin the momentum you, and your company, have created by “wearing” an attitude that communicates you are “too cool” for your clients. Or worse, that your clients are “too ignorant” for you to truly impart the sum total of your amazing skill set. Or that the language and principles of engineering and architecture are too far beyond the capacity of your clients (mere mortals) to understand. Oh, please. This is not the differentiator you want to establish no matter how good you are, how educated you are or how wonderful your solutions are. There’s someone to replace you right around the corner.
That’s not to say, alternatively, you should be your clients’ best friend, either. There is a fine line to maintaining professionalism while being accessible to the full range of your clients’ needs. Developing the extra set (or two) of professional “antenna” which allow you to assess the context of business decision making is crucial to building and maintaining client relationships. And while professionalism may extend into playing golf, providing tickets to events, and invitations to company social events, you still need to remember that you are hired by your clients (and your company, for that matter) to provide solutions, not companionship.
When it comes down to it, your client base doesn’t owe you anything after they pay their last invoice to your company. No matter how much they fawned over you during the course of the project. Regardless of whether or not they made you feel invincible and infallible during the course of the project. Repeat business isn’t guaranteed. And the context of the next project with this same client may not afford you anywhere near the same degree of familiarity as you encountered during the previous project.
Think about it.
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
ARE YOU HAVING AS MUCH FUN AS THIS GUY?
Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search, Inc
Managing Partner, CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Matt’s profile & connect with him on LinkedIn
As a Search Consultant specializing in the civil engineering profession, I speak to dozens of civil engineers on a daily basis discussing with them their careers, their employers, their projects, what motivates them, their strengths and weaknesses, their likes and dislikes about their job, their career goals, etc. When discussing their motivation for exploring new opportunities one thing I hear from time-to-time is how they would like to find an opportunity that is ”fun.” I am sure I just got a few chuckles there as the concept of having fun in one’s career is buried by deadlines, stress, non-stop meetings, overbearing bosses, needy employees, critical clients who are never satisfied, and pressure from outside shareholders who barely know what a civil engineer is…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Everyone’s perception of fun is different, but is there REALLY a way to have fun as a civil engineering consultant?
Well, according to civil engineer and professional career coach Anthony Fasano, PE, civil engineers CAN have fun, and they SHOULD have fun. Here is what Anthony had to say to me on this very topic:
“ It’s amazing when I coach engineers on career growth and development, how many of them think fun and work can’t go together. My question to them is, why would you want to do something for 40 plus hours a week if it’s not enjoyable?
Many professionals ask, how can I make my career more fun? First of all, if you are passionate about what you do, you will have a lot of fun. Another tip I always give engineers is to get out there and network. Build relationships in your industry through professional societies and other networking groups. Do it with the goal of building lasting relationships and you will find that your days are much more enjoyable. Building personal relationships in your industry can greatly increase your level of enjoyment. Don’t just join these organizations, get involved!
You only get one career, why shouldn’t it be fun?”
So as you ponder your career and some different ways that you can inject some fun into it, take a look at Chris Stone’s Summary below. Chris is the President of Clark Nexsen, a 90+ year old AE firm based out of Norfolk, VA. I uncovered Chris’ profile on LinkedIn, and his profile was the inspiration for this blog…check it out:
Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I am the subject of numerous documentaries.
When I’m bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. After work, I repair electrical appliances free of charge. I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don’t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.
I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. The laws of physics do not apply to me.
I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prize-winning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.
Bottom line, I enjoy life and do not take myself too seriously.
Chris’ summary is taken from one of the most quotable texts found on the internet, Hugh Gallagher’s famous College Application Essay. Now I’ve never spoken to Chris, but after reading his profile summary on LinkedIn, if he truly looks through his lens on life with that perspective, I would bet that his career success can been partially attributed to his ability to have fun. So the question remains,
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
What Can You Learn From A Concrete Canoe?
By Carol A. Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Carol’s profile & connect with her on LinkedIn
In June 2011 the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will sponsor the National Concrete Canoe Competition. Expanded to a national level twenty four years ago, ASCE reports that concrete canoe races in the United States actually began in the 1960s, when a small number of ASCE student chapters began holding intramural races. Since then, “students’ efforts to combine engineering excellence and hydrodynamic design to construct water-worthy canoes have culminated in an advanced form of concrete construction and racing technique known as the ‘America’s Cup’ of Civil Engineering.”
Over the years I have reviewed resumes of students who proudly list their concrete canoe achievement. Until I started recruiting civil engineers back in the 1980′s, I had never heard of the concrete canoe competitions nor what they could teach participants. Student and Professors have shared with me the benefits of this challenge. Here are some of their statements/achievements:
*This was an opportunity for a hands-on learning experience; taking concepts and principles and putting them into practice.
*The competition pushed us to collaborate as a team.
*Each of us learned to work together to formulate a plan, come up with a design, write and present our report, work within a budget, keep on schedule.
*Like in the workplace, we learned to work as a team with various personalities towards one goal. As engineers, at times we isolate and enjoy our analytical successes. This experience was one of my best!
*We gained actual experience working with materials, understanding their interactions and experimenting with what worked and what didn’t.
*This experience prepared me for work in the ‘real world’ of civil engineering.
Have you joined in the Concrete Canoe competition? What did you learn for the experience?
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
Conversation With A Civil Engineer
Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search, Inc
Managing Partner, CivilEngineeringCentral.com
View Matt’s profile & connect with him on LinkedIn
In a January 2011 article in CE News titled Change is Good, John P. Bachner, CEO of Bachner Communications, Inc and Executive Vice President of ASFE/The Geoprofessional Business Association stated that civil engineers right out of the gate have three strikes against them:
Strike One — Civil engineers are taught to be civil engineering professionals, not civil engineering businesspeople. The result: They know a lot about civil engineering and all too little about business in general and the professional service business in particular.
Strike Two — Many civil engineers are ineffective communicators. Some, it seems, sense these deficits at an early age and find comfort in math and science, where a lack of expository skills doesn’t matter all that much; numbers do the talking.
Strike Three — Many civil engineers have weak interpersonal skills, except when it comes to other civil engineers who want to talk about civil engineering. Regrettably, in the civil engineering business, most of the folks civil engineers deal with are businesspeople, administrators, “finance guys,” contractors (who may be graduate civil engineers but now live in a far different world), government officials, and so on. Those civil engineers who do not fit the stereotype — the gregarious extroverts — have a huge advantage over their less-outgoing brethren because the service business in general and the professional service business in particular are all about people.
Many of you have seen the wide array of satiric videos on YouTube published by xtranormal right? <blank stare>
In any event, I uncovered such a video that, though likely a little “over the top,” leaves no viewer scratching their head as to the point they are trying to get across:
I know, I know, those of you who are engineers and have taken part in these conversations yourself may be thinking, ’you’re right Matt, the message in this video is indeed quite clear, the homeowner is a knuckle head ! ‘ Often times it is the public that cannot see the forest through the trees, and that is exactly the point. As a consultant, you need to remove your engineering hat and put yourself in the shoes of the homeowner, the business owner, or the organization that is being impacted by the changes taking place. Like John mentions in Strike Three, civil engineering consultants do very well at speaking with the State Bridge Engineer regarding a cable-stay bridge that is being designed, or with the Director of Public Works regarding drainage issues on a major thoroughfare being built through the city, or with the home builder or developer in the design of a 3,000 acre master planned community. But what about homeowners whose property is being effected by a street widening? Or the citizens of a local community where a Wal-Mart Super Center is being proposed who are concerned about traffic congestion and drainage issues? The video very much makes light of this issue and for all intents and purposes is overly dramatic in order to make the point. Most civil engineers have a “knack” for what they do and the advanced math, physics, and engineering courses they study in school build upon that innate ability and passion they have for civil engineering.
So, what is the best way for a civil engineer to hone their communication skills when dealing with the public?
-> Is it the trial-by-fire method where they are just sent to public meetings and expected to learn through immersion?
-> Do they tag along with project managers and company principal’s and learn by example and mentorship?
-> Will seminars alone on this very topic make a difference?
-> Should one join Toastmasters?
-> Or does this ability just come along with maturity in the profession?
What has your experience been in relation to this topic? How have you honed your communication skills when interacting with the public? What strategies would you recommend implementing in order for a civil engineer to improve this particular skill set?
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
