Posts tagged ‘Civil Engineering Jobs’
Can You Name That Highway?
By Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC, home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
My father and grandfather were chemical engineers, my younger brother studied civil engineering, my older sister scored over 1400 on her SAT’s. Apparently that “smart” gene, along with the gene that provides a full head of hair, managed to bypass me. Though I never even had the chance to be an engineer, I have always been fascinated with the final products that are churned out by architects, engineers and construction professionals. I remember a couple of years ago when we were developing the website for Precision Executive Search and I was in search of some cool aerial photos of some crazy interchanges. We ended up going with photos of bridges to go along with our tag line of “Bridging The Gap,” but we found some pretty amazing photos that we ended up not using. Besides my intrigue with long span bridges, highway tunnels, elevated highways and uniquely designed and structurally sound buildings, I am even more fascinated with the design and construction of the interchanges that can be found in some of the most traveled areas across the globe. What our audience of civil engineering professionals is capable of accomplishing is nothing short of amazing to me.
So, after perusing the Internet I came across some cool videos (accompanied by music, so turn down your speakers if you are in cube world) that blast through some of the craziest highways and interchanges around the globe. I began to wonder,
Who within our blogosphere could identify some of these interchanges?
Maybe you designed or built one of them, maybe you proposed or bid on one of them, maybe you attended a conference where it was profiled, or, maybe you hit it up every day on your way to work. Whatever the case may be, I would like to challenge you to….
NAME THAT INTERCHANGE!!
Thanks for participating…we look forward to your responses!
Civil Engineering Jobs :: Civil Engineering Resumes :: Civil Engineering Blog :: Linkedin Discussion
And The Gap Widens
By Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC, home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
This month Pamela Mullender inked for us a very enlightening article in regards to the ACE Mentor Program and the statistics she presented were numbing, at best:
…the industry is facing a workforce situation that is at a crisis level. The Brookings Institute states that only 50% of all the buildings that will be here in the year 2030 have not been built yet. Our workforce is aging. For every 5 workers who leave the industry, only one enters. The shortage in employees will reach and exceed the 1.3 million mark by the year 2012.
What’s even more staggering is that this report likely did not take into account the current economic recession we are in, which will likely create even more pressure on the industry. What I am referring to is the increase in the number of civil engineering professionals exiting stage left and leaving the theater altogether because they got “the hook.” With many state DOT’s dealing with crippling funding issues and with the land development and home building community leaving vacant parcels of land behind only to be occupied by unmanned bulldozers, elevating/self loading scrapers and various other earth-moving equipment, the only thing that is moving at a fast and furious pace is the escalating unemployment rate and the number of civil engineering firms experiencing multiple rounds of layoffs. Frustrated by the limited options available and the increased competition for those scarce jobs, and left with a bad taste in their mouth, many folks decide to leave the industry altogether.
I am reminded of an engineer in Fort Worth with whom I spoke earlier this year (I’ve always wanted to use this line, I sound like a presidential candidate out on the campaign trail! ) who was let go from his firm due to the economic slowdown. He has now started his own company manufacturing and distributing state-of-the-art lasso’s and whips (I never figured I would use “state-of-the-art” and “lasso’s and whips” in the same sentence; but I’m just a city boy from the east coast, so what do I know?!?).
Then there is another professional civil engineer in Michigan who followed his faith and became a pastor as a result of his firm letting him go.
And finally, there is the human resource professional in Pennsylvani who spent many successful years as a corporate recruiter for the home building / civil engineering industry who survived multiple RIF’s, but was the unfortunate casualty of the most recent one. He is now considering turning his mountain biking hobby into a profitable and passionate business through the development of his own custom bike building company.
Being released from your firm can certainly be disheartening and can be quite a blow to one’s ego. But how exciting is it, in some of the instances above, as one door closes but another one opens wide in a completely different building? Sometimes that is just the kick in the pants one needs to follow their passion or dream.
So we have identified a few more folks who leave the industry altogether as a result of our battered economy…the gap widens.
Struggling to recruit high school students to pursue degrees and careers in civil engineering and baby boomers retiring at a record pace is creating quite an uphill battle. The current recession further widens the gap of experienced civil engineers as many will leave the industry altogether for other pursuits. The way I see it, it’s just another bump in the road – there has been a shortage of civil engineers as long as I’ve been recruiting in this industry, so it’s really just more of the same (“more of the same,” yet another often used phrase in the recent presidential campaign – clearly too much CNN). But we can’t give up. Get out to your local elementary, middle and high schools, get out to your local universities, be a mentor. Find a way to close that gap between yourself and the civil engineers of tomorrow.
Finding A Job In A Down Market.
By Carol Metzner, President, The Metzner Group, LLC and Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
At least once a year I hear the phrase, “follow your passion, do what you love and the money will follow.” I have thought this to be reasonable advice.
But, I am recently stuck as to what to tell the many candidates who have phoned me in the past weeks after they have been laid off. They followed their passion for engineering, CAD or surveying. Reminiscent of the 1990′s, they find themselves without a job in a strained marketplace. There are few jobs in their local markets. Now they need to move locations or leave the profession. I hear the stress in a parent’s voice as they tell me they don’t know how to tell their junior in high school that they may need to move to another state. Another candidate just got engaged and yet another has just found out he has a new baby on the way. Hearing their pleas for help, for advice, for leads….let’s just say I can’t just leave it all at the office. I think I would be sleeping better if I had become an artist!
In 1989 I started my recruiting firm. The civil and environmental engineers I knew warned me that the market was turning and that I was crazy to start an A/E/P recruiting business that year. As usual, I followed my instincts and my passion and here I am still recruiting almost 20 years later. There were some tough years in those early days. Builders closed their doors and state highways lost their funding in the early 1990s. Here we go again….deja vu?
How do I help candidates when the jobs in the locations they live are far and few between? Here is what I suggest:
You should get up each morning and treat your job search as a job. It is tempting to take a week or so to clear your mind. I have seen a week turn into a month. Allow yourself to be upset about your job loss BUT get up and focus; make a plan. Then, network, call recruiters, call past colleagues, call past employers, post your resume on a specific niche job board for your marketplace: CivilEngineeringCentral.com! Be creative. You may need to “brand” or reinvent yourself. Can you market yourself into a related field of work? You may need to take a step back to get into a new or related field. No matter who gets in the White House next week, oil and gas, energy and the environmental markets will have to be tended to. Yes, our nation’s infrastructure needs a major overhaul. The jobs have to be on their way.
As disheartening as it is to hear and, more I am sure, to experience, you must push forward in your search. Many of us made it through 20 years ago and we will make it through again. Be creative and try to think positively. Hopefully others can offer advice and suggestions for you here… please do comment.
Hogwash & Hiring Standards
By Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC, home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
At the risk of beating a dead horse, I feel compelled to write about something I recently read about Generation Y. In the most recent issue of CE News Magazine there was an article written at the very end of the periodical titled “New Era of Opportunity.” Initially the article discusses civil engineering and the turbulent economic crisis and how companies should handle the current economic climate. The latter part of the article articulates that firms and agencies should be prepared to enter a “new era of employee relations as they begin to bring on members of the Y Generation.” As a Gen X’r myself, not too far removed (in my own mind anyway) from Gen Y, I would have to agree with much of what the author suggested in regards to their character traits. One item did strike a chord with me though:
They (Gen Y) live for the moment. They expect to make many job changes is their careers.
And then, as a result,
They (Hiring Managers) will need to expect higher turnover rates and find ways of accommodating this change.
As I see it, the Hiring Managers should not tolerate high turnover rates and should not prepare to accept frequent job moves from Gen Y, but rather adapt the work place and company culture in other ways that would reduce, or at least maintain, current turnover rates.
Frequent job moves may be acceptable in the IT industry, but no matter how high-tech your civil engineering firm, and no matter how IT savvy it may be, erratic job changes in this industry will always be frowned upon. The consulting civil engineering industry is about relationships and trust between client and consultant. If Mr. Gen Y travels from firm to firm every few years, not only does he lose professional credibility and a diminishing level of trust for himself, but for the firm that he or she is working for at that time as well. Certainly Generation Y is a very different generation from those of the past, and they do have a lot to offer. Because of that, it is imperative that your firm constantly evaluate and evolve it’s philosophy, technology and work environment to meet the needs of the generational workforce. One constant that should remain is your ability to hire the right people, and no matter what generation you may come from, giving into the idea that you need to accept the fact that you will need to lower your standards to accommodate the new generation of engineers that will make frequent job changes is, in the words of a generation much earlier than mine, “hogwash.”
As side note, I JUST received this video via email and thought you might be interested. ERE recently interviewed some folk on their thoughts of Gen Y, take a look:
And, Just Curious:
Civil Engineering & The Presidential Election
SO…. Earlier today we sent out an article to the civil engineering community highlighting the current stances of Barck Obama and John McCain on many of the infrastructure issues that directly effect the civil engineering industry. This was a non-partisan article that was aimed at providing our readership relevant information from reliable sources in respect to the profession that we are all apart of, in one way or another. The information that I was able to uncover included the opinions and policies of either Barack Obama or John McCain, one of which will become the next president of our great country. Obama or McCain may or may not be the right person for the job, but one of them will be elected. There are of course other candidates out there from the Boston Tea Party/Personal Choice Party, the Constitution Party, the Green Party, the American Independent Party, the Independent-Ecology Party, the Libertarian Party, the Prohibition Party, the Reform Party, the Socialist Party and the Socialist Workers Party; and though those candidates may have worthwhile infrastructure policy programs, my goal was to write an article, not a book. And quite frankly, none of them have a remote chance of being elected.
I’ve received a number of phone calls and emails bringing up valid points in response to my article, but I realized that there was no real open forum to discuss the beliefs and policies of the candidates in response to the article. Maybe you have more information to share with our readers, maybe you want to discuss one of the other candidates outside of Obama & McCain. Or maybe I failed to note some more specific areas, as noted by one of our readers, like Off Shore Oil Drilling. Whatever the case may be, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
HERE IS THE ARTICLE:
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that $1.6 trillion is needed to effectively and adequately fund our infrastructure over the next five years. $1.6 trillion. A recent report from the National Surface Transportation Policy & Revenue Study Commission indicated that an investment of somewhere in the ballpark of $300 billion dollars PER YEAR for the next 50 years is required. $300 billion PER YEAR.
With our current economy tearing apart at the seams, oil and gas prices rising, and our continued war effort in Iraq, the issue of our existing and future infrastructure has taken a back seat with presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. We are only another tragic bridge collapse or devastating hurricane away from making headlines again, and it is unfortunate that neither candidate has recently considered the issue of our infrastructure head on. With the help of some colleagues, I was able to scour the Internet for any information I could to provide you with the candidates’ current stances in relation to the United States infrastructure. Here is what we discovered:
In Relation to Bridges & Highways:
Popular Mechanics was unable to locate any policy reports from the McCain camp regarding infrastructure. McCain did address the Minnesota Bridge Collapse, stating that it was not a matter of not having the funding to commit to the backlog of bridge inspection, repair and construction, but rather a misallocation of the funds toward wasteful earmarks. Obama, on the other hand, supports creation of an independent entity referred to as the National Infrastructure Reinvestment bank, which plans to invest $60 billion in transportation infrastructure over the next 10 years. This allocation of funds is on top of other federal infrastructure financing (Sofge). The projects created by this funding will generate up to 2 million new jobs per year and will infuse $35 billion per year in economic activity (Obama).
AP reports that John McCain supports an $8 billion funding package for federal highway construction. Some of these projects include pork barrel spending, and McCain has stated time and time again that if he becomes president, he will veto any bill that is presented to him that includes earmarks. This may be a tough pill to swallow since many construction projects are promoted and supported by individual lawmakers. It is McCain’s goal to fight for highway funding that is not laden with pork (Espo). McCain did support a federal gas tax holiday to bring down gas prices, but critics believe that though it would lessen the financial burden on the people, it would take away the taxes that help fund highway and infrastructure projects (Crawley).
Obama proposes a $50 billion bill to fund infrastructure and emergency aid to state governments. One half of the total funds will be allocated per state government officials; the other $25 billion will go directly toward road, bridge and other public works projects. McCain believes this proposal to be a short-term answer, but indicated he would certainly consider signing any valid stimulus plan that Congress would set before him should he become president (Hall).
In Relation to Energy:
McCain is an avid supporter of nuclear energy and the aggressive buildout of nuclear power plants across the country, proposing to build 45 new plants by 2030. McCain is also in support of clean-coal energy, offering up to $2 billion per year in research until the year 2024. He also supports other alternative energies. Obama believes in staunch investment in biofuels, renewable energy and clean coal plants, $150 billion worth over 10 years (Crawley).
In Relation to Rail & Mass Transit:
Though McCain opposes federal funding for Amtrak, he recognizes Amtrak’s importance in our country. With that, McCain did support legislation that would back long-term capital funding for passenger rail. Obama supports continued capital funding for Amtrak and is for the development of a high-speed corridor between major cities located within 500 miles of each other. Obama also calls for legislation for funding for freight rail and mass transit expansion (Crawley).
In Relation to Dams & Levees:
Obama has scribed a policy paper on rebuilding the hurricane-stricken gulf coast that highlights his plans to build out and repair a significant levee and pumping system. McCain, though clearly recognizing the dire situation in the gulf coast region, has not formally prepared a flood management plan of his own. Neither candidate has addressed a plan for the crumbling levee system in the Midwest (Sofge).
In Relation to Sustainable Communities:
Though neither candidate shows any real transparency on this topic, Obama wants to consider smart growth opportunities to build more livable and sustainable communities (Obama).
For years now we have been hearing about, reading about and witnessing firsthand the deterioration of our infrastructure across the country. It is time for the next president and Congress to take action.
Whatever your stance is on the issues, whatever party you are a member of, make sure you get out and vote on November 4th!
Works Cited:
Sofge, Erik. “Green Tech Plans Hide Obama-McCain Disparity on Infrastructure.” Popular Mechanics 25 September 2008. 27 September 2008 <http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/worst_case_scenarios/4284650.html?series=46>
Obama, Barack. “Urban Policy.” BarackObama.com. 27 September 2008 <http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/>
Espo, David. “McCain Supports Highway Bill.” Associated Press 12 September 2008. 27 September 2008 <http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i_u9vaRcJLaMSn-4Au8qNnnaO2NQD935D4PO1>
Hall, Kevin. “McCain, Obama Differ on Ways to Help Main Street.” The Kansas City Star 27 September 2008. 28 September 2008 <http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/816993.html>
Crawley, John. “FACTBOX: McCain, Obama Infrastructure Priorities.” Reuters 30 June 2008. 27 September 2008 <http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/816993.html>
Recruiting the Headhunter
By Carol Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC
and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC
CivilEngineeringCentral.com
After 21 years of recruiting in the civil engineering community, I admit, I have my favorite clients. When they call, my team’s ears perk up. Fingers fly over computer files and the phone lines light up! What makes them a favorite? How can companies get a recruiter’s loyalty, their trust, their market intelligence? Here are 7 steps to get you on the road to the right relationship:
1. Treat your selected recruiter as a teaming partner.
After you sign a contract, accept that recruiter as someone who can make your life easier. Team with them on your searches. Recruiters should be partners; we should not be put in an adversarial role. Integrity and trust are a two-way street.
2. Describe your search assignments honestly.
In many instances, recruiters are Emergency Medical Techs (EMTs). We are hired to perform triage. An opening has occurred and help is needed immediately. To make accurate assessments and plan a course of treatment, we need you to provide us with vital information. If this urgency changes or a candidate is identified during the process, inform your team as soon as possible. Time is a valuable asset. Don’t waste yours or anyone else’s.
3. Respond in a reasonable timeframe to calls, emails, presented resumes.
Relationships take time. Discuss your preferred method of communication and set guidelines for response times. Remember how it was when you were looking for a job? Timely feedback is critical and a reflection of you and your company.
4. Know how to sell your company, and do so in an interview.
The days of quality job seekers begging you to hire them have ended. New job seekers are savvy. Many talented, prospective employees have multiple interviews. You need to know your company strengths and sell them. A good recruiter will have the job seeker excited of the potential of joining your company. Help keep that excitement!
6. Make a judicious decision to hire or not hire.
Indecision about extending an offer to a candidate is tantamount to a “no” offer decision. Don’t expect a recruiter to tap dance for days on end. Keep them informed of roadblocks to the hiring process and together you may come up with a solution to keep enthusiasm alive for those potential hires.
7. Extend a strong offer package.
Tell your recruiter what you will and will not be able to package in an offer. Let them do their job and work with them in closing the deal. Give them the tools to fill the gap in your technical team.
Successful recruiting, while part skill and part timing, is about relationships. Productive relationships take time and commitment. Recruiting the right headhunter can reduce your hiring stress and ensure a strong group of qualified candidates.
Welcome to CivilEngineeringCentral.com’s Weblog!
Welcome to our blog. This blog is managed by Matt Barcus and Carol Metzner. Matt and Carol have over thirty years of combined experience as executive search consultants to the civil engineering industry (Precision Executive Search and The Metzner Group, respectively); they are also managing partners of CivilEngineeringCentral.com, a niche job board, forum & blog catering exclusively to the civil engineering industry. The intent of this blog is to discuss, debate, and share any and all ideas as they relate to the civil engineering industry, specifically as it relates to what we know and are so passionate about – jobs, searching for candidates, retaining employees, the hiring process, etc. So, if you’ve got something to say or something to ask, then you have something to post!
www.CivilEngineeringCentral.com
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