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There are many promising and exciting opportunities in both government and private sectors for new civil and chemical engineering graduates, even though the U.S. Dept of Commerce (Washington, DC), in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-05 (www.bls.gov/oco/), expects overall employment of civil and chemical engineers to increase more slowly than the average of all occupations through 2012. According to the Handbook, about 45 percent of civil engineers presently work for companies focused on new construction, two-thirds of which are within the construction industry. More than half of the jobs for chemical engineers are in chemicals, electronics, petroleum refining, paper and related industries.
As for remuneration, the 2005 Summer Salary Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE, www.naceweb.org) reports that the average starting salary for civil engineers at the bachelors degree level ranges from just under $42,000 to almost $45,000. And according to a 2003 NACE salary survey, chemical engineers with a bachelors receive starting offers averaging $52,384 a year; those with a masters average $57,857, and those with a PhD $70,729.
The NACE 2005 Job Outlook cites a top-ten list of what employers look for; communication skills, both verbal and written, are number one. Also highly desirable are honesty/integrity, interpersonal skills, a strong work ethic, team work skills, analytical skills and motivation/initiative. Of course candidates need strong tech skills as well.
Managers at some major employers of these specialties agree. Toby Duffell, corporate staffing manager at Parsons Brinckerhoff, says, "We look to hire candidates who are motivated and have a real interest in and love of engineering. We also look at such qualities as the ability to communicate clearly and get on well with a variety of personalities, and the willingness to go beyond the parameters of the job. These people have the potential to represent us with clients and, sometimes, with other companies with whom we have partnerships. A good degree and GPA are also important as they show academic capability."
Beverly Harris, vice president of diversity for Turner Construction, adds, "In addition to having the requisite degree, being well-rounded and demonstrating leadership, team work and an enthusiasm for construction are critical."
Alejandra Serratos: water resources engineer at California's DWR
Alejandra Serratos graduated with a BSCE from California State University-Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento, CA) in June 2005 and then started work as a water resources engineer in the operations and maintenance division of California's Department of Water Resources (DWR, Sacramento, CA). DWR is the state agency in charge of flood control, water quality, hydroelectric power generation and protecting fish and wildlife.
Throughout college Serratos' internships were with public agencies: CSUS' Office of Water Programs, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Transportation. She discovered that she liked the idea of providing a service to the public, and that she wanted to work in water resources. "The classes I took in water and soil mechanics were the most interesting to me," she recalls. "I even took electives in water resources!"
New DWR engineers must complete a training program to learn about the intricacies of the business. Serratos is currently reviewing encroachment permits and specs. "School gave me the fundamentals, but now I have to understand the practical applications of what I learned," she says. "We work with the California Department of Transportation, since most of its bridges go over our canals, so I'm reviewing inspection reports and determining how their findings affect our waterways."
Serratos' first project is part of the local seismic safety retrofit of two dozen bridges that are jointly owned by DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. As she gains experience she will join her colleagues in maintaining facilities along the California Aqueduct.
Serratos originally thought she wanted to be an architect, but as she started doing research, she came across a link on an architectural website to a civil engineering site for students. "Civil engineering seemed really interesting," she says. "As a civil engineer you have a very versatile degree."
In her last month of college Serratos completed the California civil service exam, a one-hour test that can be taken on line. Fariba Shamirzadi, chief of recruitment and selection services at California's DWR, explains that anyone who wants a position there must pass this exam.
Once her exam was scored Serratos was placed on a list of candidates eligible for employment. She was invited to apply when California's DWR had a job opening for a water resources engineer. She submitted her resume, was asked in for an interview, and got the job.
"Since it's a large agency, I have many opportunities to grow and do a lot of different things as I move around within the organization."
John Moore: in construction management at Bovis Lend Lease
John Moore is a project engineer for Bovis Lend Lease (New York, NY). He works out of the firm's Columbus, OH office, and is currently with a project in Cincinnati. He coordinates the flow of information among the company's construction team, consultants and clients. Bovis Lend Lease specializes in construction, program and project management services, design-build services, owner representation, general contracting and construction consulting.
Moore is now involved with the final phase of a major construction project: a $43 million, 337,000-square-foot development called the University of Cincinnati (UC) Calhoun Street Marketplace. He works closely with the clients, the Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and UC. He also reviews submittals and requests for information, helps with project closeout activities, and assists the superintendents and project manager on field concerns.
"Having a degree in construction management is helpful, because it gives me civil engineering basics that I need for the job," says Moore, who graduated with a BS in construction management from UC (Cincinnati, OH) in 2004. "This helps me to identify issues, solve problems and make recommendations to the civil engineer assigned to the project."
Moore's father, an ME, always emphasized the importance of having more than one skill set, and began teaching Moore and his brother early on about heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Moore decided what he really wanted was to have a profession where he could take pride in doing something on a grand scale, and where the public could see his and his colleagues' accomplishments.
He was introduced to construction management at college job fairs, where representatives from construction companies nationwide came to speak with students. UC's co-op program requires students to attend school and work full time during alternate academic quarters for their last three years. He interned for a little over two years with Messer Construction Co (Cincinnati, OH). Moore also read business and trade magazines, which increased his knowledge about the construction industry and helped him make the transition from college to the workforce.
Networking ultimately led him to his present job at Bovis Lend Lease, which recruits heavily at UC. Moore says, "On campus I met a representative of the company, who referred me to a fellow UC alumnus, the principal in Bovis' Columbus, Ohio office. When Bovis offered me an opportunity, I took it. I wanted a job with a company that had a vision and a plan for my career advancement. Bovis was the only company I interviewed with that had these. I felt I was more than just a number."
Moore is president of the 100
Black Men of Greater Cincinnati (www.100blackmen.org). The organization is involved in mentoring, education, health/wellness and economic development. Moore oversees all chapter activities, and serves as a role model of a successful black technical professional.
Nancy Chan designs bridges for Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is headquartered in New York City and has contracts with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), New Jersey Transit Authority, New York State Transit Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In New Jersey the company designs county bridges throughout the state. The work may involve designing a new bridge or rehabilitating an existing one.
Nancy Chan, who graduated with a BS in civil engineering from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ) in 2004, is an assistant structural engineer. Currently she's helping a project manager with the design of a bridge in Washington Crossing, NJ. She does structural analysis and design, estimates costs, and calculates the design impact of factors like soil conditions, traffic volume, flooding, earthquakes and snow loads.
Chan has become quite familiar with various specifications for code compliance issued by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and NJDOT, but, she admits, "It takes years of learning and experience to become familiar with the many codes required for specific bridge projects." She also has gained significant expertise with several computer-based programs used for bridge design.
Chan always was in the advanced math classes in school. She thought about becoming an architect, but realized that civil engineering made more sense because of its extensive use of math. Her dad, a civil engineer, was a role model. In college she was an engineering representative for the American Society of Civil Engineers.
A college professor told Chan about a job opening with Parsons Brinckerhoff, so she sent in her resume. Since she had specialized in structures and designed an overpass for her senior project using all the current codes and specifications, she met the job requirements.
Chan plans to get her masters degree soon. She observes, "This is a profession where you can be both creative and technical at the same time!"
Ford's Janet Schiffer ensures quality as a paint manufacturing engineer
Janet Schiffer graduated in May 2005 from the University of Akron (Akron, OH) with a BS in chemical engineering, and hit the road running that July as a paint manufacturing engineer in the Ford College Graduate Program. This program for newly hired college graduates offers the opportunity to rotate through various areas of the Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI) for three years. Schiffer will indeed learn different aspects of the company, but says that most of her rotations will be tied to paint.
Ford is one of three major automotive manufacturers headquartered in the U.S. The company employs nearly 325,000 worldwide, and makes a variety of cars and trucks.
Schiffer now works with Ford paint shops to help design continuous improvement processes and to investigate and troubleshoot problems, such as robot malfunctions and the presence of dirt and other contaminants in paint. She also arranges for equipment, like the type of robots and ovens that a paint shop needs for the launch of a new vehicle. It is common for someone in her position to fly to a plant somewhere in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, especially for a launch.
"It takes a lot of work by different companies to develop the paints Ford uses," Schiffer says. She notes that there is chemistry involved in painting cars, and that her chemical engineering degree gave her the knowledge to understand her vendors' chemical formulas. Her engineering education has been essential in determining the manufacturing sequence of events and the most effective and efficient design of equipment.
Schiffer made her career choice because she enjoyed chemistry as well as engineering. "Maybe I was more aware of what engineers do because my dad is an engineer," says Schiffer. She's the oldest of four children in her family
Throughout high school in Kenton, OH she went to engineering camps sponsored by local colleges. Then, in the five years it took her to complete her studies, she co-oped or interned every summer. She recalls that in her last year of college she worked in a lab making nanofibers. She discovered that she didn't want to be a research engineer, even though that's a path that many chemical engineers take.
Her job with Ford came about when she went to a SWE career fair and conference. There she met a Ford employee, a woman in paint engineering who encouraged her to apply for an internship. Interestingly, Schiffer met the paint engineer again several years later when the woman became her supervisor's supervisor.
Within a couple of months of completing her second internship with Ford in the summer of 2004, Schiffer got a job offer from the company. "I was still in school when I accepted the job. It was great that I already knew where I was going to work before graduating.
"Growing up I always liked to work on cars, restoring old vehicles and whatnot. I lucked out with this position. It's fast-paced and fun," remarks Schiffer. "And Ford offers a lot of diverse opportunities."
De'Mon Stanford works on water systems for TCEQ
De'Mon Stanford, known by colleagues as "DJ," is an engineering assistant in the Water Supply division of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). He received his BS in chemical engineering in 2002 from Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX).
TCEQ's mission is to protect the people of Texas by ensuring compliance with state regulations that keep the air and water safe. Any developer, water supply corporation, municipality or investor-owned water provider must go through TCEQ to make sure their projects and systems meet specific criteria.
Stanford has been on the job for almost two years, reviewing plan specifications for water systems. "When a developer hires an engineer to survey land for a project, I work with the engineer on the blueprints and check that the water lines, storage tanks and pumps meet proper specifications," says Stanford. "I also review all the different equipment that a utility will need to serve water to the customers in that land development."
It was through internships during and after college that Stanford became familiar with various divisions of TCEQ. As an undergrad he worked at TCEQ as an environmental intern. After graduation, he spent a year as an MBA student at Prairie View, then did another summer internship with TCEQ inspecting sewer lines and water quality. It was during this time that he saw the job opening for his public water supply position. "When the job became available, I saw that it was closely related to my internships and I felt I would be able to make a good contribution." He interviewed and was hired.
Growing up in Baytown, TX where there are many chemical plants contributed to Stanford's career choice. His dad, a process technician for Exxon who does a lot of work with engineers, was another key influence. Chemical engineering was a focus at his high school. Stanford remembers that his teacher arranged for chemical engineers from Exxon to visit his class once a week. They engaged the students in projects like building models of plant equipment and taking field trips to the Exxon facility.
Stanford recommends doing as many internships as possible. He found that such experiences are a great way to explore opportunities, find out what interests you, and get your name out in the marketplace. "It gives you a leg up on the competition, because any work you do is considered job experience. And it's wonderful to have the job of your dreams when you graduate!"
Daniella Bezerra: Turner Construction scheduling engineer
Daniella Bezerra works in the Washington, DC office of Turner Construction (New York, NY), which offers general contractor, preconstruction and project management services. Bezerra, who earned a BS in civil engineering in 2002 from Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA), has been at Turner for three years.
She began as a field engineer, which gave her a chance to see things happening in the field and interact with subcontractors. After nine months she was reassigned as an engineering assistant, working with the project engineer responsible for subcontractors involved in excavation, paving, landscaping and utilities. She helped with submittals, process change orders, proposals and other tasks.
This past February Bezerra went on maternity leave for three months. When she returned she became a scheduling engineer and now assists the senior schedulers with updating and resequencing project schedules. "I am very excited to learn more about scheduling," Bezerra says. "I believe this will be a great experience that will definitely help me with my future assignments."
A friend linked Bezerra with Turner. She recalls, "In my senior year of college, I was interviewing with various companies. A friend of mine who already had a job with Turner gave me a contact name here and kept bugging me to call. I got an offer from a competing company before I even interviewed at Turner, but ultimately accepted a job here because I felt it was a better fit for me."
Bezerra says that Turner's work environment made the difference for her. During the interview process she was able to talk with other Turner employees and also visit a job site. She saw a lot of diversity at Turner and the atmosphere made her feel comfortable.
It was very easy for Bezerra to choose a career in construction as she has always been surrounded by it. "My father is a professional civil engineer in Brazil, and so are my two uncles," says Bezerra. "I grew up going to job sites with my father and always found them to be very interesting. I never thought of anything else other than being an engineer. It's amazing to see a building come together. What's even more amazing is to see a project that you worked on years later and be able to say that you were a part of the team that made it happen."
College offered a variety of opportunities for Bezerra to test her skills and knowledge. The 2001 and 2002 Associated General Contractor bid competitions were particularly memorable, she says. Students from a variety of schools form teams to develop proposals for a specific project. Each team has to come up with a fictitious company structure and develop a presentation for a panel of judges. The proposal must include company background, staff plan for the specific project, a logistics plan, cost estimates of the job, and a project schedule. "We also had to make a case as to why our company should be chosen over the others," says Bezerra. "My team won first place in the regional competition, and we were able to participate in the national competition. It was very exciting!"
Dominique Ingram designs bridges for KDOT
Dominique Ingram completed her MS in structural engineering in May 2004 at Iowa State University (Ames, IA), where she earned her BS in civil engineering in 2002. She has never been short of work since starting as an engineering associate in bridge design at the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT, Topeka, KS).
KDOT maintains 9,600 miles of state highways and interstate roads, and works with municipalities on local roadways. It also has aviation, rail and transit divisions.
Ingram designs and analyzes bridges and culverts and does hydraulic assessments of rivers and streams. "I am responsible for determining how much water will collect in an area, how much will pass through the proposed structure, and how the surrounding land will be affected by a new bridge or culvert. The goal is for water to flow through the structures so that we don't have to worry about flooded roads."
Ingram was very involved in engineering leadership activities during college. As a grad student she coordinated events, wrote a newsletter and helped counsel students. Through an industry roundtable she planned, she got to know the KDOT representatives. "I knew that I wanted to stay in the Midwest near my family in Kansas," Ingram remembers. "KDOT offered good benefits as well as flexibility to care for family members and participate in family activities." She also liked the fact that KDOT encourages engineers to be licensed and offers in-house instruction to prepare for the engineering licensing examination.
Legos played a role in Ingram's career choice. She was always interested in building, so every Christmas she got a Lego set. "I spent more time constructing than playing with my Barbie dolls," she recalls with a smile. "There was just something about using my imagination with Legos that I enjoyed."
In college Ingram started in architecture, but realized after a semester that it was "too abstract for me" and switched to civil engineering. Her professors offered resources and guidance. Ingram notes that staying in touch with professors is a good idea because, "They have all sorts of information about job opportunities and keep in contact with former students who are employed in the industry."
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