Comments for http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com building teams . engineering careers Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:04:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Outgoing Bush “Midnight” Environmental Legislation by SM Systems http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2009/01/15/outgoing-bush-midnight-environmental-legislation/#comment-846 SM Systems Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:04:02 +0000 http://civilengineeringcentral.wordpress.com/?p=637#comment-846 How stuff like this can be allowed under US law is beyond me. The ex-president obviously didn't have his people and country as his first priority when leaving this legacy behind..... How stuff like this can be allowed under US law is beyond me. The ex-president obviously didn’t have his people and country as his first priority when leaving this legacy behind…..

]]> Comment on The Public Perception Of Civil Engineering by SM Systems http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2009/04/30/the-public-perception-of-civil-engineering/#comment-845 SM Systems Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:38:54 +0000 http://civilengineeringcentral.wordpress.com/?p=1141#comment-845 What we are generally seeing across the world is a worsening issue of public infrastructure crumbling, or in slow decay, primarily because of lack of maintenance due to lack of funding. There is an ever increasing need of change and reconstruction and the civil engineer will be right at the forefront of this looming battle. This 800 pound gorilla in the corner can not be ignored for much longer. What we are generally seeing across the world is a worsening issue of public infrastructure crumbling, or in slow decay, primarily because of lack of maintenance due to lack of funding. There is an ever increasing need of change and reconstruction and the civil engineer will be right at the forefront of this looming battle. This 800 pound gorilla in the corner can not be ignored for much longer.

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by Bill Vicary http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-843 Bill Vicary Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:14:25 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-843 This is a topic near and dear to me, since I have experienced most of what everyone has posted. I agree with Kerry, "karma happens" and those firms who have low balled salaries and don't understand the value of their employees will have even bigger problems once the economy improves. Recently, I read a study from the Consumer Board Research Center that stated that 54.7% of currently employed people will leave their current job once the econmy turns around. This is due to freezing salaries, poor job satisfaction, no career advancement, working more hours and not being appreciated. That being said, many companies will have even realize this is a problem until good people begin to walk out the door on their own. Good for recruiters, but very costly for employers. This is a topic near and dear to me, since I have experienced most of what everyone has posted. I agree with Kerry, “karma happens” and those firms who have low balled salaries and don’t understand the value of their employees will have even bigger problems once the economy improves.
Recently, I read a study from the Consumer Board Research Center that stated that 54.7% of currently employed people will leave their current job once the econmy turns around. This is due to freezing salaries, poor job satisfaction, no career advancement, working more hours and not being appreciated. That being said, many companies will have even realize this is a problem until good people begin to walk out the door on their own. Good for recruiters, but very costly for employers.

]]> Comment on MSCE vs. MBA – Let’s Get Ready To Rumbllllle ! by Joe http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2009/05/07/msce-vs-mba-lets-get-ready-to-rumbllllle/#comment-842 Joe Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:36:45 +0000 http://civilengineeringcentral.wordpress.com/?p=1174#comment-842 I'm a senior at Lawrence Tech Univ right now getting my BSCE. I've always thought I wanted to be an engineer but lately I've realized I want to be in the industry but in management. They way I see it is the specialized engineers (MSCE) are the best at what they do so they should be doing the engineering work. The guys with management skills (MBA, MEM) are the guys who are doing the management. Why would a company send its best engineers who are trained to do only engineering into management? They want managers for management and specialized engineers for engineering. I didn't even know about an MEM until I read these posts but it seems to make sense to get an MEM or MBA over an MSCE from a money point of view and management is what I like anyway. I’m a senior at Lawrence Tech Univ right now getting my BSCE. I’ve always thought I wanted to be an engineer but lately I’ve realized I want to be in the industry but in management. They way I see it is the specialized engineers (MSCE) are the best at what they do so they should be doing the engineering work. The guys with management skills (MBA, MEM) are the guys who are doing the management. Why would a company send its best engineers who are trained to do only engineering into management? They want managers for management and specialized engineers for engineering.

I didn’t even know about an MEM until I read these posts but it seems to make sense to get an MEM or MBA over an MSCE from a money point of view and management is what I like anyway.

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by Kerry Harding http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-839 Kerry Harding Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:14:03 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-839 As the president of an architectural recruiting firm, I've found one of the other unfortunate costs of finding a job in this depressed market is responding to the dramatic salary deflation -- especially in markets hardest hit by the economy such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Detroit, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. One of my candidates remarked the other day that, "100k is the new $80k," meaning that there are enough highly qualified, desperate unemployed candidates out there who are willing to take significant pay cuts to have jobs that employers no longer have to pay people even remotely what they are worth. When one candidate asked about whether or not there was a signing bonus accompanying an executive level position, one employer responded, "Well, how much are you willing to give us to hire you?" The people who have suffered most from this are the graduates of the Class of 2009 who are finding that people with 2-3 years experience after college are willing to work at entry-level salaries, just to remain employed. "What goes around comes around" applies to pretty much every aspect of life and those firms who have exploited people at this time will be struggling to recruit and retain top talent when the economy rebounds -- and it will. As the president of an architectural recruiting firm, I’ve found one of the other unfortunate costs of finding a job in this depressed market is responding to the dramatic salary deflation — especially in markets hardest hit by the economy such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Detroit, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

One of my candidates remarked the other day that, “100k is the new $80k,” meaning that there are enough highly qualified, desperate unemployed candidates out there who are willing to take significant pay cuts to have jobs that employers no longer have to pay people even remotely what they are worth. When one candidate asked about whether or not there was a signing bonus accompanying an executive level position, one employer responded, “Well, how much are you willing to give us to hire you?”

The people who have suffered most from this are the graduates of the Class of 2009 who are finding that people with 2-3 years experience after college are willing to work at entry-level salaries, just to remain employed. “What goes around comes around” applies to pretty much every aspect of life and those firms who have exploited people at this time will be struggling to recruit and retain top talent when the economy rebounds — and it will.

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by llah http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-838 llah Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:01:28 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-838 I am an interior designer, downsized from an architectural firm in December of 2008. I have experienced a wide variety of responses to my employment inquiries. Many very kind responses from architectural firms, complete with supportive comments. More frequently however there is no response at all. When the follow up calls are made I have experienced a wide range of responses, some positive and some not. The call is important, yet difficult to screw up the courage to make the contact. I have just secured a position in a related field, the pressure is off. Not the best career move, but I am no longer going to be struggling for mere survival. This is after more than a year of gut wrenching searching. I will keep searching for the career move, and I will find it! As to the emotional stress of this time, my best advice to those in search of a position in this economy is to find an industry mentor and friend. Keep your skills current. Reach for your faith, find a networking group to generate leads and sharpen your skills. Be open to other skill sets you have used in your lifetime. Find a class like Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" to create a financial plan to survive this time and plan for your next move once your job search works for you. Spend quality time with family and friends. Be passionate about where you want to go and work on the additional skills it will take to get there. Keep smiling, the opportunity to work with a local jobs group, free through my local unemployment one stop agency, allowed me to see that no matter who is out of a job, or what kind of job they held, all job seekers are in the same boat. It is a buyers market, the one with the smile will win out! Your positive attitude is the best advertisement to someone with a job lead or connection. Take care, I am an interior designer, downsized from an architectural firm in December of 2008. I have experienced a wide variety of responses to my employment inquiries. Many very kind responses from architectural firms, complete with supportive comments. More frequently however there is no response at all. When the follow up calls are made I have experienced a wide range of responses, some positive and some not. The call is important, yet difficult to screw up the courage to make the contact.

I have just secured a position in a related field, the pressure is off. Not the best career move, but I am no longer going to be struggling for mere survival. This is after more than a year of gut wrenching searching. I will keep searching for the career move, and I will find it!

As to the emotional stress of this time, my best advice to those in search of a position in this economy is to find an industry mentor and friend. Keep your skills current. Reach for your faith, find a networking group to generate leads and sharpen your skills. Be open to other skill sets you have used in your lifetime. Find a class like Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” to create a financial plan to survive this time and plan for your next move once your job search works for you. Spend quality time with family and friends. Be passionate about where you want to go and work on the additional skills it will take to get there. Keep smiling, the opportunity to work with a local jobs group, free through my local unemployment one stop agency, allowed me to see that no matter who is out of a job, or what kind of job they held, all job seekers are in the same boat. It is a buyers market, the one with the smile will win out! Your positive attitude is the best advertisement to someone with a job lead or connection. Take care,

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by aepcentral http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-837 aepcentral Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:28:24 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-837 Absolutely! Something to think about for associations when times are better, perhaps they can build in sliding scales? Maybe they have that now? Absolutely! Something to think about for associations when times are better, perhaps they can build in sliding scales? Maybe they have that now?

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by Sean Catherall http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-836 Sean Catherall Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:14:40 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-836 Another related expense that I am seeing is dues in professional associations (AIA, for example) and state licensing fees that were previously paid by my employer. We need to maintain these memberships and licensure in our job searches, but the cost is high. Another related expense that I am seeing is dues in professional associations (AIA, for example) and state licensing fees that were previously paid by my employer. We need to maintain these memberships and licensure in our job searches, but the cost is high.

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by Dan http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-835 Dan Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:03:05 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-835 I agree and continue to feel the financial and emotional pain of AEP job searching. I am particularly dismayed by the lack of follow-up communication from potential employers. After taking the time and spending the money to travel to sometimes multiple and distant interviews, the employers simply refuse to return my calls or reply to emails to tell me they have chosen another candidate or they need more time to decide or they deicded not to hire at all. It seems like basic professional courtesy to advise potential candidates where they stand and the status of the company's decision. But of course, I can't reprimand them and "burn bridges" for their poor business practice. I guess they figure its an employers market and they don't have to treat candidates with any respect. Any similar experiences anyone can share? I agree and continue to feel the financial and emotional pain of AEP job searching. I am particularly dismayed by the lack of follow-up communication from potential employers. After taking the time and spending the money to travel to sometimes multiple and distant interviews, the employers simply refuse to return my calls or reply to emails to tell me they have chosen another candidate or they need more time to decide or they deicded not to hire at all. It seems like basic professional courtesy to advise potential candidates where they stand and the status of the company’s decision. But of course, I can’t reprimand them and “burn bridges” for their poor business practice. I guess they figure its an employers market and they don’t have to treat candidates with any respect. Any similar experiences anyone can share?

]]> Comment on The Cost Of Finding A Job In The A/E/P Industry by aepcentral http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/2010/02/23/the-cost-of-finding-a-job-in-the-aep-industry/#comment-834 aepcentral Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:11:19 +0000 http://blog.civilengineeringcentral.com/?p=2520#comment-834 Thanks for your comments Babette! Thanks for your comments Babette!

]]>