Career &

Professional Development

Advising for CEs in HI

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department

R Babcock

Topics

Engineering = profession = responsibility = ethics

Companies and agencies

Graduate school

Licensure and exams

Professional organizations

UH Career Services Office

Career tracks, compensation, lifestyle

How to get a job

Engineering as a Profession

Lifelong learning

Improvements to quality of life

Ethics

Highest standards of honesty and integrity

Responsibility to community

Hold paramount public health and safety

Need to enhance the profession-How?

Hawaii CEE Employers

Private Firms

Consultants

Construction companies

State & Local Agencies

State

Counties and Cities – Honolulu only

Federal Departments –www.federaljobsearch.com/Hawaii.asp?rid=11246&did=13499

Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines

EPA, USGS, FBI, DEA, USDOT, etc.

The List

Company name, address, contact person only – see phone book for #

Graduate School – Is it for You?

Pros

Gain a “specialty”

Increase your salary

Shorten time to license

Develop skills of organization, report writing, presentations

Increase professional options

Increase network

Cons

Time out of workforce

More studying

More tests

Graduate School

Master of Science (M.S.)

Plan A (Thesis)

• 31 credits total

• 21 credits coursework (7 courses)

• 9 credits for thesis (3-professor comt)

• 1 credit for seminar (CEE 691)

Plan B (Non-Thesis)

• 31 credits total

• 27 credits coursework (9 courses)

• 3 credits for “major research report” (3-professor comt)

• 1 credit for seminar (CEE 691)

Graduate School

Admission Requirements & Procedures

UH

• Sure entry to CEE with 3.0 or higher and EIT or GRE

• Essentially sure entry with 2.8 and EIT or GRE

• If lower grades – start as unclassified grad student

• Need either GRE or EIT

Other Universities

• Similar to UH

• Need 3 reference letters

• Need GRE

Applications from graduate division

Graduate School Applications

Applicationswww.manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/contenthow-apply

On-line UH application portal

Other forms (assistantship, references)

Graduate division

www.manoa.hawaii.edu/graduate/

Additional info about grad school, thesis,

tuition, assistantships

Graduate School – Who Pays?

Full-time students

Faculty research (RAs), TAs

Part-time students

Employer, self

Assistantships (TA & RA)

$1,500/month for 20 hr/wk ($18.75/hr)

Includes tuition waiver

Health benefits

Licensure

Why do it?

To be a true professional

Maximize your flexibility

Higher salary

If you ever want to be a manager or The Boss

First take FE then get experience then take PE

PE Options

MSCE + BSCE + 3 yrs experience

MSCE + 4 yrs experience

BSCE + 4 yrs experience

BTech or BA + 8 yrs experience

12 yrs experience

FE – 6 hrs (CBT). PE exam – 8 hrs

CA is different.

Renewal every 2 yrs (PDHs/CEUs)

ASCE Policy Statement 465The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports the concept of the Master's degree or Equivalent as a prerequisite for licensure and the practice of civil engineering at a professional level.

ASCE encourages institutions of higher education, governmental units, employers, civil engineers, and other appropriate organizations to endorse, support, and promote the concept of mandatory post-baccalaureate education for the practice of civil engineering at a professional level. The implementation of this effort should occur through establishing appropriate curricula in the formal education experience, appropriate recognition and compensation in the workplace, and congruent standards for licensure

Why?

Research on salaries in other professions

100 years ago MDs and lawyers just had BS, now 7 or more years = higher pay. Engineers get lower esteem and lower pay (also lower than pharmacists, CPAs)

FE Exam Information

Go to State Board of Certification web page:www.cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/engineer/

Download:- Application- Laws and regulations

Application deadlines: - FE: None – this is new- PE: Jan 10 and July 10 of each year

Exam Dates:- FE: Year-round at Pearson VUE test centers- Computer-based-test (CBT) – register in Nov

- PE: April 17, 2015 & October 30, 2015

FE Information

Apply to take exam – submit Hawaii application. Only

after approved can you sit for the exam. Processing time is

unclear.

Register for exam: go to (https://account.ncees.org/login)

to create an account at NCEES. Then pay the exam fee

on-line: $225. Then select REGISTER and follow

instructions

Can take it in Jan-Feb or Apr-May or July-Aug

Honolulu exam site: Pearson PC, 1441 Kapiolani Blvd,

Suite 204.

FE Exam Content

The FE exam is a computer-based test (CBT). It is closed book with an

electronic reference.

Examinees have 6 hours to complete the exam, which contains 110 multiple-

choice questions.

The 6-hour time also includes a tutorial, a 25-min break, and a brief survey at

the conclusion.

The FE exam uses both the International System of Units (SI) and the US

Customary System (USCS).

18 topics: math, Probability/Satistics, Computational tools, Ethics, Eng Econ,

Statics, Dynamics, Mech of Matls, Materials, Fluid Mech,

Hyraulics/Hydrology, Structural analysis, Structural design, Geotech,

Transportation, Environmental, Construction, Surveying

You must prepare – review. Buy a book, take a review class

Nothing to fear but fear itself

Professional Organizations

American Society of Civil Engineers

Engineers Without Borders

Society of Women Engineers

Specialty groupsWater Environment Association

American Water Works Association

International Association on Water Quality

Structural Engineer Organization

Institute of Transportation Engineers

ASCE Student Chapter – Why?

Fun

Networking

Opportunities for additional skills development including teamwork, leadership, presentations, etc.

Looks good on resume

Easy to join, cheap ($10/sem. or $20/yr) + free national membership + free monthly lunch meetings

Community service, social, annual regional conference in spring

Career Services Office

Career counseling

Resume & cover letter review

Practice interviews

Job skills workshops

On-campus employer interviews

Library – job listings

Career Paths

Non-technical career track

THE BOSS (CEO), Chief Operating Officer

(COO), and Vice Presidents

• Business, financial, interpersonal skills are highly

developed and refined

• Typically, these engineers do not require strong

technical skills. Some have MBAs. Some are not

engineers

Career Paths

Technical career trackChief Engineer/Vice President (several levels below CEO)

• Strong technical skills and very detail oriented – Technically the most well rounded engineer in the firm

• Good interpersonal and communication skills

• Business or financial skills are not a key requirement

Project Manager (PM) and Project Engineer (PE)• Manages the technical, manpower, and financial aspects of several projects

• Technical, communication, and interpersonal skills vary with experience

Senior Engineer• Works for a PM

• Depending on project size, leads project design teams for a RM

Design Engineer• A licensed engineer

Associate Engineer• Ability to work independently

Junior Engineer (rookies)

Compensation

A whole package

Salary (what are normal working hours?)

Overtime pay?, Bonuses?

Benefits (med, dental, vision, 401K, profit sharing)

Memberships, travel to conferences, grad school, PE

study material, exam fees, etc.

Vacation

Expectations

Responsibility tied to salary; higher=more expected

Compensation

Salary growth

Remember, for the first two years, they are paying you to learn the business. You only become productive after that.

Salaries increase fast compared to other jobs

• Starting $45,000 to $60,000

• In 2-3 years with license - $60,000 to $70,000

• In 6-7 years $80,000+

• In 10-15 years $100,000

Choice of track (tech vs non-tech)

Management track has greater salaries

Very different responsibilities and skills required

Lifestyle Issues

There is more to life than salary

Salary is important

Other things more important – need to be happy and have fun

Need to consider what you are learning

What type of experience

What skills acquiring

Good mentoring? What type of program in place?

Need to work for and with good people

What type of training will you get?

Choose a company where there are other young engineers

How to Prepare for First Job

Building your resume

Education, experience, coursework, projects

Needed skills

Learning – broad-based

Communication (writing, speaking, listening)

Good service

Networking - ASCE

Do homework on companies

What if have I poor grades? Get in via the back door

Attitudes

Commitment

Confidence

Consideration of others

Curiosity

Entrepreneurship

Fairness

High expectations

Honesty

Integrity

Intuition

Judgment

Optimism

Persistence

Positiveness

Respect

Self esteem

Sensitivity

Thoughtfulness

Thoroughness

Tolerance

How to Prepare

Broad based technical education

Become a good listener

Be a student of effective communication

Observe what makes good service

Read about the industry to gain knowledge

Take ownership of your employability

Long-term, think leadership, not management

Internships

Many available now – see handout and

bulletin board by CEE office

A good way to find out about different

specialties, to get experience, to network

and get a job

Good on resume

What to look for in Employers

Good reputation

What they do – what you will work on?

Actual mentoring program?

What are the opportunities for you learn and

grow?

Compensation package

What to Do at First Job

LEARN - soak-up everything about the work

Develop people skills

Observe leaders

Learn about good client service

Learn AutoCAD

Find your niche

Prepare for PE exam

Acknowledge mistakes, fix them fast, learn from them and others

Stay active in ASCE – good for you and for company

Take advantage of opportunities, volunteer, be visible

Ask questions, talk to people, network, get mentored

Be the “Go-to guy” not “Mr. Anonymous”

Keep eyes open for other opportunities