Whats it like being a Civil Engineer

1
Whats it like being a Civil Engineer?

• By Reed Brockman, PE
• Senior Structural Engineer
• DMJM Harris

2
Not a simple answer

• Field vs. Office?
• Technical vs. Managerial?
• General vs. Details?
• Large projects vs. Small?
• Large Companies vs. Small?
• Formal atmosphere vs. Casual?
• Public vs. Private Sector?

3
ITS ALL YOUR CHOICE

• What are you really like?
• What are your favorite things to do?

4
Who am I to talk to you?

• Have been in the field since 1988 in a variety of
  companies and positions
• In college, wasnt exactly sure what I wanted to
  do
• Have days I love Civil Engineering and days I
  want to run away.
• Ran away once and came back.
• Probably talk to more civil engineers than anyone.

5
Casual Observations

• Youre young dont expect the world on your
  first day.
• If your first job doesnt work out, you may have
  a better fit somewhere else.
• The field is huge do what you like within it.
• There are few young civil engineers out there - -
  know your value.

6
Some things to look for

• If you like the technical side, look for a place
  where someone with experience will be mentoring
  you.
• Does the person who will be supervising you seem
  knowledgeable?
• Does it seem that this person actively designs?
• Are you interested in the projects they do?
• Are they interested in the projects they do?
• Ask about their workload!

7
My favorite things

• A mix of field and design
• A company that encourages community and
  engineering society activity
• Office that is a good place to spend a day.
• Opportunity to branch out into different
  disciplines within the field
• A solid team

8
What am I saying?

• I know its tough to figure these out in an
  interview. Thats why its so important to try to
  subtly interview the interviewer.
• Try to get to know other people that work there.
• Attend BSCES events and get the feel of the
  companies.

9
What work have I done?

• I started in a small company doing small bridges,
  inspections and ratings.
• Switched to a new office for a big company doing
  similar work.
• Went to a smaller company contracted to oversee
  bridges owned by the City of Boston.
• Switched to a huge company designing tunnels and
  CA/T
• Switched again to another company to lead their
  bridge inspections.

10
Conclusions

• Do what you enjoy.
• Never feel trapped.
• Value yourself.
• Try to get to know a design firm before you work
  there.
• Be active in the engineering world and your
  community.