ADVICE FOR NEW CIVIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST BASED PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
- Nick Pollard
- Apr 1
- 6 min read
Are you a new Civil Engineering Technologist graduate or relatively new to the field?
This information is for you!
When I graduated from school in 2011, my understanding of the real-world working environment was very minimal. Aside from working as a summer student for the local irrigation district, which didn’t yield a ton of insight.
If I were to go back and do things again, this is what I’d do:
1. Finding a Company with Upward Growth
My first job out of school was working for a busy geotechnical engineering firm in Saskatoon. It was a great job and it was a great company. Over the span of one year, I was actually promoted to lab manager and was offered a substantial wage increase.
When entering the job market as a Civil Technologist, it’s wise to try and understand what branch of the engineering field appeals to you. When you’re in school, what subjects did you enjoy more-so than others? Once you’ve put some thought into it and narrow down you options, start building a career path.
For me, I didn’t do this. I was just excited to get on with a busy engineering firm in Saskatoon. The upwards success I experienced while there was kind of a fluke. I didn’t realize how fortunate of an opportunity this was and I honestly didn’t really know what to make of it. Had I built a career path, I could of said:
“I like working with earthworks, concrete and asphalt and I like working hard. Ok, I’m going to try and find a geotechnical engineering firm to work for and start from the bottom. My goal after one year is to build upon my skillset. Maybe project manager, lab manager or even take a course.”
The reason it’s important to do this, is because when you’re starting to enter the interview process with potential employers, they will really admire you for having an initial plan in place along with a career path of how you want to transition. Just go into a job interview blank might help you get the job, but for the subsequent years you will kind of be floating in space. It’s much more constructive for your career to have goals and a plan in place. Ultimately this will yield more satisfaction and better earnings.
2. Think About a Job with a General Contracting Company
If I were to go back in time, I would for surely have tried getting on with a general contracting company.
The reason?
It would have made my life so much easier in terms of understanding how the engineering and contracting world is interconnected. By getting exposure working for a general contracting company, you get to see the other side of the coin. Getting a first-hand view of how the general contracting process works will give any engineer or engineering technologist a much better perspective for how to communicate effectively, understand all of the different variables and approach designs with an ability to produce smart and efficient results.
If you have the eventual goal of working for an engineering firm, you will definitely have an upper leg with this field experience. You won’t be a one-dimensional asset who only understands life from the design side of things.
If I were to go back, I would at the very least work for a civil contractor as a summer job, if not more. Due to your education, there is also a realistic chance of procuring a promising job while working for the civil contractor post graduation: Project Manager, Estimator, Equipment Operator, Surveyor, Site Supervisor or even a general manager down the line. Your education is valuable and welcomed by allot of these general contracting companies.
3. Start Networking and Do Research
During the duration of your schooling stint, it would be a smart idea to start networking (hello LinkedIn!).
Building connections via LinkedIn makes networking an absolute breeze. Start connecting with entities who fit within your career path (see point #1). Starting to look for work immediately upon graduation isn’t the most practical approach because employers might not be looking for employment at this particular time. A better approach is to make connections beforehand and get within the pipeline of potential companies. Some employers will view this eagerness and methodical approach as net positive. When you start making connections, ask questions like what can I do in the meantime to prepare for a potential opportunity.
If you’ve already graduated and are looking for work, making phone calls is a must. From my experience, the rate of success of cold calls versus sending emails to a job posting is night and day. But if you are making cold calls, show that you exude a certain level of professionalism by trying to schedule a time to talk. Employers are busy. By trying to schedule a time to talk, you are demonstrating that you have respect for their valuable time. If you call and get human resources, ask them if you can talk with the branch manager or company owner. If you leave a message with human resources but don’t hear back, be persistent by making follow up calls. Company owners or decision makers will be excited to talk with those wanting to work for their company, so no need to be nervous or shy. It’s exciting!
4. Think About Going for your Professional Engineering Designation
When I was nearing the end of my schooling (getting a diploma), I was considering continuing on to get an engineering degree. I kind of wish I had!
It probably goes without saying, but when you have that momentum in school (such as getting a diploma like I did) it’s wise to keep the momentum going and get that degree! The value of having a degree is immense. The number of doors you will open by doing this and/or opportunities you can pursue will expand exponentially. My whole approach was to try and take a break -> get some real-world experience -> then go back to school and get my degree with a better understanding of the industry. But life happens and this is no more than a pipe dream for me now. Huge regret!
For those who took the same path as me (getting a job instead of continuing on with a degree), there is definitely other legitimate options for getting professional engineering credentials. Refer to point #1 above (finding a company with upward growth). When setting out on your path as an engineering technologist and communicating with potential employers, pitch this as your personal growth strategy. There are undoubtedly employers who would view this type of development as a serious asset. There is also a strong possibility that certain employers will actually pay for your education!
The options available for attaining a professional engineering designation range from online/distance education courses to physically going back to school in a campus style setting. Other options for upward educational growth also include getting a limited license (in British Columbia) which means that through adequate employee experience, you can assume the role of an engineering but it comes with certain restrictions.
5. Taking a Business Class and Understanding Taxes
For me, entrepreneurship was part of my destiny. While working for employers, I found that I was never challenged to the extent I wanted to be challenged. But man oh man do I wish that I had taken a solid business class and understand the tax system beforehand. Jumping into a business head first had some serious drawbacks. Especially when it came to losing money because I didn’t understand the tax system good enough. Knowing the difference between a sole proprietorship and an incorporated business and understanding which of these business structures was best for my business proved to be costly.
I especially recommend doing this if you are on your way to getting an engineering degree. There is so much work available and independent engineers have the potential for making a ton of money by starting their own business. Since engineer’s shoulder allot of the liability and are required to do site visits, an incorporated business makes the most sense. You will be able to write off allot of expense and your personal assets will be shielded from liability (not legal advice). You will obviously want to get insurance coverage such as ‘errors and omissions’ to protect the business as well.
For a business like mine, a sole proprietorship makes the most sense. Since I specialize in computer drafting, I don’t have the ability to write as much stuff off. This is because I work from a home office and don’t do a ton of field trips; not a ton of expenses. The cost of hiring an accountant to do corporate taxes can be costly, so it doesn’t make a ton of sense at this point in my business.
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