Greatest Way to Increase Competency? 5

[gt5879c]

I am a civil engineer with 4.5 years experience. I just got my PE (October 2006). I don't feel like I am really growing in my knowledge and competency in my field (water/wastewater). I feel like I am just stagnant. Am I doing something wrong? How much of my increase in competency should be due to actual on the job experience with various jobs and how much should be actual reading and studing that I do on my own? I am afraid that I may have been under the assumption that I gain competency on the job, but I really should be reading, studing, and gaining knowledge on my own. What do you think?

 

[epoisses]

I would tend to think that if you feel a need to study on your own because your job does not teach you enough anything new anymore, it's high time to change jobs.

 

[zdas04]

What I've always found is that when the job starts seeming like the same ol' crap every day is to search out a new project that I'm almost competent to take on. With a lot of questions, a lot of self-study, and a lot of extra hours I've always risen to the challenge.

You don't have to change jobs to do this, I did it a half dozen times in the 23 years I worked for the same big company. You just have to pay attention to the tough projects that aren't being tried--there's always some. Then you have to develop a plan of approach and sell it to your management. You can't just say "[whine] I want a bigger project [end whine]", you have to say "I want to do X and I think I can pull it off in Y months with an expenditure of about Z dollars, the first step is ___, and the major uncertainties are 1-5". The first time I tried that my boss was very skeptical, but he passed the idea on to his boss and they decided that the project was worth more than the opportunity cost of what I had been working on and authorized it. It got easier every time I did it.

David

 

[GregLocock]

I suppose it is inevitable that any thread about wastewater will include the words 'stagnant' and 'crap'.

Sorry, back to your regular program...

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[JMirisola]

Ask questions, take on tasks that challenge you, ask questions, watch closely, ask questions.

Jeff Mirisola, CSWP
CAD Administrator
SW '07 SP2.0, Dell M90, Intel 2 Duo Core, 2GB RAM, nVidia 2500M

http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog

 

[atlas06]

You need to change jobs in order to be exposed to various types of projects, it's the assignement that make the engineer, not the reading.
But if you are environmental, how diversified can you get?
Try companies in transportation instead, they deal with Tunnels, roadways, bridges, aviation, rail, metro transit systems, they tend to offer more diversification.

You should not have many problems with your experience and PE, albeit, you may have to a major metropolitain area.

 

[HDS]

Do you approach your assignments as learning opportunities? It is easy to miss opportunities to learn while rushing to get the job done.

 

[atlas06]

What I meant HDS is that the good assignments are large projects with complex engineering and of course adequate time and fees.
I'd say it would be more challenging designing a highway than re-routing some underground utilities for a new building.
If you are exposed to "rush projects" you are not likely to get the "right" experience.
After 8 to 10 years of epxerience, you have to show a diverse engineering expertise, if you saty put in a "rush environment" you're stuck.
It is alos good to see how things are done elsewhere.

 

[csd72]

gt 5879c,

What! you feel like your career is going down the drain?

But seriously, the points that people have made about searching for new challenges within the same organisation are valid ones.

Specifically, you could look for things that you could do that would improve productivity such as writing spreadsheets, adding new checks and balances, investigating relative costs of alternative products(to ensure you are specifying the most economical solutions for the client). These will not only make you appear as a more mature engineer but are also items that you can put on your CV and take along to the next job.

Expressing an interest in exciting new jobs is also a way to expand your horizons but there may not be that many of these at any employer.

 

[atlas06]

csd72
I was one heck of a hard worker at some point, when I tried to get my salary in-line with others (I am talking I was 30% underpaid), my department head recommended that I quit in order to get what I should be.
Took his great advice and it happens that he was soooo right. I got to see other projects, other places, other ways to do things, my Resume looked much better. My carrer went vertically after that.
I am not saying your points are not valid, they are good, but at some point, one must change jobs, and our fella is at the right time in his life to make such a move. Given his credentials I highly recommend a change in jobs.

 

[gt5879c]

Thanks to everyone for your great advice. Atlas06, I was thinking the very same thing - that I should switch jobs. But the only thing holding me back is that I have a great commute (read no traffic) and my company is great. I will have to think long and hard and have to have an even better opportunity to jump ship here. The only problem is there are no other engineering companies anywhere nearby.

 

[csd72]

If none of my previous suggestions are going to work, then you do definately need to look for alternatives.

The last thing you want to do is stagnate in an un-challenging job.

I went through a period when I took the most convenient jobs even though they were not particularly challenging. I regret that now as I didnt have the opportunity to grow.

What I was trying to get at in my last post was that sometimes you may find the challenges in other ways other than technical. Becoming a competent senior engineer is about much more than technical competence, client, risk,time, and project management can all be equally important.