Geotechnical job question from a college student

[MrKolev]

My situation is the following:
I am from Europe and study in the UK. I just finished an exchange year in California and really enjoyed the Geotech Courses there.
After my graduation, in 2014, I am considering for signing up for a Masters Degree in Geotech back in the USA, due to the many
opportunities there. This is my only way of coming back to the US, because of the visa situation.
I am still not sure what should I do? I have never worked as a Geotech and I am not sure if im going to enjoy it. I want to try it before
I sign up for a MS program, but as I said it is kind of a vicious cirlcle, because in Europe it is very hard to find a job.
I just dont want to sign up for Geotech and waste 2 more years in school and then find out that I dont enjoy working it.
If someone can let me know if he/she enjoys working as a geotechnical engineer and maybe briefly decribe what kind of stuff he/she does:
- Amount of responsibilities
- Job Satisfaction
- Recognition
- Opportunities to grow
- Are companies currently of need for geotechs? or they need more strucutral engineers

 

[oldestguy]

With this question in mind, and considering my experience, I'd recommend start working for a geotech firm or a government highway dep't as a beginning technician. Soon enough after some breaking in, you will be in contact with practicing engineers and will see someth8ng of what is involved. It is possible some of the "grunt" work doing stability analyses, etc. may come up, but it also pays to do some of the support laboratory jobs to help explain what the work involves. I think working on a drill rig also is mandatory. There you can get a feel for how you can miss important facts or other details drillers sometimes screw up on. Projects for the firm can be quite variable, so a short experience may not fully answer your questions. Also, this tech experience is a valuable part of a resume when you finally go looking for an engineering job.

There was a thread on another room where the person could not work with contractors. That, right now, had better not be a factor for most geotechs if you want to advance.

 

[BigH]

Question? - Do I enjoy being a geotech? Damn right! Was it more enjoyable years ago before things have been getting too codified? Yes. But still, it is a very interesting field and a very very large one with a full breadth of project types - tailings dams/hydro dams; excavation support; roadway slope design; pavement design; shallow foundations; deep foundations of many many types . . . you won't be bored. Oldestguy has a good response; work in the construction field to begin . . . I am sure many contractors would love to have someone with passion and knowledge work for them . . . don't just look at the USA; I know contractors here are finding it difficult to staff jobs . . . The other question, if not geotech, then what would you be interested in?? Do you enjoy "hands-on" or want to be a "computer-jockey"?

 

[MrKolev]

Thank you for the replies. The main problem for working in Europe is that there is a huge language barrier from country to country and there aren't as many opportunities as in the US.
If I want to come and work in the US straight after I finish my Bachelors degree it would be close to impossible. But if I go to grad school there, finding a job in the summer breaks and
after I finish grad school would be a piece of cake. This is my main concern. I would love to go and work before I make a final decision, but employers seem not to consider me due to my
Bulgarian ethnicity.
I might follow your advice and just start in a laboratory or on a rig and get some feel about the tests and sampling.

If you could advice me on some companies around the UK I can maybe work for after graduation? Thanks again

 

[oldestguy]

If you are going to grad school, I'd bet you can find part time work then also, possibly via a professor's knowledge of the area. As to companies to work for, telephone directories with classified listings might be a start. some libraries have those for larger cities.

Where I worked once, we hired many students part time. Some later became full time with us. At a Dept of Transportation we also did the same.

 

[crcivil]

Give it a shot and do your master's in geotechnical engineering abroad, it will be a very rewarding experience in every sense.
I'm sure you would be able to get a good job once you get your master's degree either in the USA or Canada. Good luck!

 

[charnott]

In the UK as a graduate there are three defined routes into the industry i would say, Contractor, Consultant and Laboratory. all 3 have merit. i went into consultancy which gave me good exposure to contractor work as i was specifying their works and standing next to them a lot but the pay is generally average and i understand there are a lot of guys for not so many positions currently. options include the likes of Atkins, Halcrow, Arup, URS, WYG, Mott McDonald, ARCADIS etc.

Contractor is a great way to get itno the industry and will give excellent experience but it will liekly be some time before you're doing much 'engineering'. you'll need to do a lot of logging and grunt work on site before you get to run projects and engineer/design works. try soil mechanics, norwest holst, geotechnics, geotechnical engineering, BAM Ritchies.

ive never worked in a lab so cant really comment on that however i would say that as a consultant engineer i wished i had worked there during my first 5 years. it always felt like i was specifying tests i didnt fully undertsand and a good grounding in a lab was somethign i felt i needed.

this is all only my own feelings and im sure others have their own which may differ. personally im happy with how my career has developed but in 10 years ive moved across industries quite a lot and am a long way from ground investigations in the UK these days but im happy!

 

[fattdad]

(I didn't read all the replies.)

I graduated with a degree in geology. I had no clue what I was going to do with it, but I managed to fine various jobs. (Mostly temporary jobs with government agencies.) For reasons unrelated to my career, I left Colorado and moved to Seattle, Washington. I really had no clue what I'd end up doing there! So, I opened the yellow pages (phone book) and looked up geology. Called the first listing and it was a geotechnical firm (I had never heard that term before - c. 1979). I accepted a job there and immediately was dispatched to Alaska to work on the field exploration for a large concrete arch dam. I logged soil and rock borings and ran seismic surveys. Ultimately, I worked as a field geologist for 8 years and it was great! At 30 years old, I got my master of engineering degree (Virginia Tech).

My advice to you is to go do some field work. Not construction inspection though (o.k. maybe a little, but not your primary job). Learn to log borings, classify soils, talk to the driller (i.e., learn about the entire realm of fugitive information, such as documenting the drilling rate, drilling chatter, changes in cuttings, water pressure when coring, etc.). Chew tobacco, get callouses, become water proof and learn all about the data limitations of our great profession.

Then get your masters.

That's my story and I love my job - always have.

f-d

¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

 

[nbr1]

I concur with fattdad...particularly the last paragraph.