I recently spoke with a civil engineer who has been with the same company since graduating from college more than 20 years ago. By all accounts, he has built a good career there. It is a respected company with good people, solid projects, and a history that...
One of the most puzzling things I encounter as a recruiter is how rarely engineers and land surveyors provide referrals. I will often reach someone who is not interested in making a move, which is completely fine. The timing may not be right. They may be...
I talk to a lot of civil engineers every week. A lot of good ones. A lot of really good ones. And one of the themes I hear over and over is loyalty. “I’ve been here a long time, and I have a lot of flexibility.” “I’m...
I am seeing more and more of this lately, and I do not think it is a coincidence. Civil engineers are starting to build practical AI tools to solve very specific problems inside the industry. Not vague “AI will change everything someday” type of stuff....
If you are trying to grow your civil engineering firm in a major metro but operating out of one office, you may be making hiring harder than it needs to be. I get it. Office space is not cheap. Build-outs are not cheap. Rent, furniture, technology,...
“We need someone who has already done this exact job.” Same title. Same responsibilities. Same type of projects. Same market. Same client base. Same everything. In other words, a lateral move. On paper, that request makes sense. If a civil engineering firm needs a Project Manager, Department Manager,...
I had an interesting conversation this week with a young civil engineer. He has about 2.5 years of experience, has his EIT, and plans to sit for his PE within the next year. Sharp guy. Motivated. The kind of young professional most civil engineering firms...
At some point in your career as a civil engineer, the game changes. You go from being the person who can design the work and manage the work to the person who can also help bring the work in. That is the seller-doer. And if you...
There is something interesting about the California civil engineering market that I have noticed for years. You can have 8, 10, or even 15+ years of experience, work on real projects, function at a high level, and still not have your PE license. In many...
Last night’s NFL Draft had a moment that felt very familiar from a recruiting standpoint. The Pittsburgh Steelers were reportedly on the phone with Makai Lemon, the USC wide receiver they expected to draft. And this was not just some fallback option. Lemon was one of the top...