The Moment That Catches People Off Guard Counteroffers feel personal. They feel like validation.Recognition.Proof that you matter. But here’s the reality. Counteroffers are not random.They are strategic. What Actually Happens Behind the Scenes Recently, I worked with two civil engineers who both had the exact same experience after giving notice. Multiple meetings Emotional...
The Most Misleading Title in Civil Engineering What does “Project Manager” actually mean at your firm? After 25+ years in executive search focused exclusively on civil engineering, I can tell you this with complete confidence: There is no universal definition. I’ve worked on hundreds of PM searches across the...
The Question That Reveals Everything There’s a question I heard recently that stuck with me. Simple. Direct. A little uncomfortable. “Who is your replacement?” That one question tells you everything you need to know about how a firm thinks about talent. Because if there’s hesitation…If there’s no clear answer…That’s not...
“Future-Forward Workforce Shortage: It’s Not a Mystery - It’s Math”via Engineering Inc (Powered by ACAC).I came across this article recently and thought it nailed something many folks in hashtag#civilengineering feel every day, but don’t always articulate well.The core takeaway:The civil engineering talent shortage isn’t a...
The Story Stops Working After a While There’s a lot of debate around job hopping in civil engineering. And to be fair, context absolutely matters. Life happens. Relocating to be closer to family A company going under A legitimate lack of backlog One bad boss that makes your life miserable That stuff is...
The Phrase I Hear Every Week If you spend enough time talking to civil engineers, you’ll hear this one constantly: “I’m looking for growth.” Sounds simple enough. But here’s the problem.That word means something very different to engineers than it does to a lot of employers. And that disconnect is...
The Conversation I Hear All the Time After nearly 30 years recruiting civil engineers, there’s one line I hear constantly: “I’m pretty comfortable where I am. Not really open to anything.” And honestly… I get it. Comfort is a good place to be.You’ve got stability. You know your team....
In my line of work, recruiting civil engineering professionals across the US, I hear this phrase almost daily: “I’m pretty comfortable where I am. I’m not really open to anything.” And honestly? I get it. Comfort usually means you’re paid fairly, you know your role, your projects aren’t...
Ever wonder why your company turnover feels a little higher than you’d like? I talk to civil engineers all day. I’ve been doing this for nearly thirty years. Over that time one thing has become clear: the reasons people leave aren’t mysterious. They aren’t random. They...
Too many candidates walk into interviews and simply repeat what is already on their resume. Maybe they list projects. Maybe they summarize roles. Maybe they even read straight from their career history. But if all you do is recite your resume, you will likely sell...