After recruiting in the civil engineering profession since 1997, I can tell you that loyalty is one of the biggest reasons good people stay stuck longer than they should. They are not lazy. They are not unmotivated. They are not lacking ambition. In many cases, they are loyal —...
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...
Dear civil engineering firms that are using AI to conduct candidate interviews: Please continue. Sincerely, Recruiters and companies that still believe humans should talk to humans. That may sound a little sarcastic. It is. But only because this trend deserves a little sarcasm. In a hiring market where civil engineering firms are...
One of the toughest recruiting lessons I have seen recently had nothing to do with technical ability, experience, or interview performance. It had everything to do with transparency. A few weeks ago, I was working with a candidate who had spent more than 20 years with the...
A Shift That’s Hard to Ignore Over the past five years, there has been a major influx of private equity into the civil engineering profession. Firms are being acquired.Companies are being aggregated.Platforms are being built across multiple regions. In some cases, very large ones. If you’re in this industry,...
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...
“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...
If you’re a civil engineer gearing up for your next interview, you already know the technical side is important - but so is how you present yourself, your problem-solving mindset, and how you’ll fit into the team. The good news? AI tools like ChatGPT can...
LinkedIn might not be your favorite platform, especially if you’re used to letting your work speak for itself. But whether you’re actively job hunting or simply open to hearing about opportunities, your profile matters. In fact, for recruiters looking to connect civil engineers with great...