For Engineering Practice lecture one Dr. Vicens of CDM smith was kind enough to come and enlighten us on some of the things we should expect as an engineer. They included how and what to do when looking for an internship, career progression, career paths, and some areas of focus we might choose as an engineering.
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Technical Manager- where a person with advanced technical skills gets the chance to manage technical staff below them.
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Technical Specialist- “the guru’s” who are the most technically inclined employees
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Project managers- whom instead of specializing in a field manage multiple projects of different varities
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Client Service Managers- who focus on sales, and customer services
The great thing about this is that CDM Smith’s HR department has set up a great online tool for employees which allows them to see their path, and even allows them to see where they should be focusing and what they should be working on in each career slot they fall into. Below is an example of this for an individual trying to excel or focus an a technical specialist.
This is great because it allows people to see their chance for promotions and give them a drive for meaningful developement while they work. CDM Smith also allows employees to both stay sharp and advance through classroom and technical training as well as on the job learning. An aspect which has made CDM Smith as a top employer by Minority Engineer, Diversity Employers, and Workforce Diversity
The Last aspect of Dr. Vicens discussion concerned looking for an intership as an junior or senior engineering student specifically what his company and others look for in hiring a intern or Co-op student. Mainly a strong GPA and strong academic record move people to the top of the list but other factors also help an individual, they include:
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Summer Work (previous experience in the field)
- The ability to multi-task and stay on course
- Being lively, attentive, and willing to learn
- Being Specific about what field or project your interested in
These aspects are great to see in a candidate but as Dr. Vicens stated it also is good to be different as Companies are always looking to find new thinkers, who can do well and contribute in different way.
What I learned:
Dr. Vicens was a very smart well spoken individual who knew alot about engineering. I learned that a firm may have many aspects it works on in the field of engineering and each one has a specific team or project group. These are led by individuals who are given the opportunity of promotion by demonstrating and understanding in the field. Progression to a certain career path is made my focusing on different aspects and setting your site on a goal although you may have the opportunity as Dr. Vicens did to dip into a little bit of each. With a good academic showing and willingness to get experience in the specific project you have interest in a student like myself can find a good start somewhere in the field of engineering
sources:
http://sites.suffolk.edu/enve101/
http://cdmsmith.com/en-US/Solutions/Water/A-Reservoir-in-the-City.aspx
http://cdmsmith.com/en-US/Discover-Us/About-Us/Facts-about-CDM-Smith.aspx