Watching the train go by...

[SMIAH]

I work for a private company located in Canada that provides professional services in the field of civil engineering. My master degree allowed me to specialize myself in the field of water management, particularly in dam hydraulics. In the company, I ultimately took over an engineer who retired a couple years ago.

For a couple of months now, I try to develop the market by forcing my way through much larger firms specialized in this area and which relies on more resources than us (e.g. costly software, experienced teams, etc.). Even though, Medium-size mandates have enabled my company to become known and to gain a good reputation from some clients and review agencies.

However, our internal structure (just imagine myself alone in the organigram) makes it very difficult to get more interesting projects and most of the time I am working on multidisciplinary projects (which are a little less interesting to me – being picky here).

My bosses offer almost no support but I see they have many better things to do right now as we grow really fast (we do make alot of money, it seems). Our company is trying to generalize its services and I would like to specialize mine. Example of no support: Couple of weeks ago, I decided to create a brochure that describes the services I can offer (and that I want to provide). However, as for now, it remains on the table of my boss.

Recently, I received 2 or 3 advice of refused mandates and I must say that I'm bitter about it. We have no overall strategic vision (e.g. dive to get the project, get some experience, get more projects, grow, make more money, etc...).

I do like to be a sort of underdog but I can’t see where we’re going. Co-workers, ambiance, salary, conditions are very good though. It’s just from a professional point of view.

What to do... Suck it up?

Sorry English isn’t my mother tongue. I do understand well!

 

[MikeHalloran]

>>>Recently, I received 2 or 3 advice of refused mandates..<<<
I don't understand what you are trying to say here.
... which leads me to conjecture that your brochure needs help from a native English speaker.

So far, it sounds like you're doing well, and are appreciated, and will be more so if you can improve your English skills. So put your engineering mind to work on that, make a plan, and execute it.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[SMIAH]

Brochure isn't in English, don't be scared.

By "Recently, I received 2 or 3 advice of refused mandates" I meant offers declined by the client and gave to another firm.

 

[SMIAH]

Well, Should I:

- confront my boss about the lack of challenge associated to the projects I am working on?
Or
- forget about working on challenging project (whatever it means) and do what I'm told to do.

I always hated people saying that they're lacking of challenge at work!... I'm one of them.

 

[casseopeia]

Purely from the perspective of being in the position of looking for a job, it is much easier to go to smaller firms from a larger one than it is to go from a career at small firms to a larger one, or to a governmental agency.

Small firms I have worked for had a tendency to get caught up in the 'this is how we've always done things' mode and sometimes, they get caught short of work and/or interesting projects.

For me it has been very, very difficult to find work after a year of unemployment. I saw the writing on the wall at the small firm I was at years before it happened, but did not act because, like you, I had a good salary, good boss, good working conditions and enjoyed my coworkers. I wish I had jumped ship when I first had the inkling. Just my 2 cents.

"Gorgeous hair is the best revenge." Ivana Trump

 

[SMIAH]

Thanks for the reply.

I just feel like I'm staying here for the wrong(?) reasons (i.e. good salary, good working conditions, enjoy my coworkers)
versus
Professional and career goals (it sounds like a careerist here).

Not ready to jump ship, I guess.

 

[btrueblood]

Have you contacted the people who didn't retain your services, and ask them why they chose to go elsewhere? From your first post, it sounds like perhaps they are looking for a more experienced person/team. The way to get experience in your specialty in that case is to continue to provide help on bigger projects...eventually one of those customers will see that your company and you specifically, are capable enough to take on the bigger, more interesting jobs that are more in line with your experience. Or, they won't, which might tell you something.

 

[SMIAH]

True. Hopefully I'll be here when this big projects hits.

 

[cvg]

You really can't be a specialist with just minimal experience, only a masters and perhaps only a few personal connections with the dam owners. Neither can your company claim to be a specialty dam design firm if you are the only one doing the dam hydraulics. Besides, dam engineers do a lot more than just hydraulics. Hydraulics is really only a small part of most dam designs. Geotechnical is by far the main specialty involved with dam engineering, not hydraulic. For concrete dams, structural is very large component. Your boss is smart to maintain diversity and obtain other types of work. Your options would be to gain your a) go to a company that is doing the work you want to do and looking for a dam hydraulic engineer or b) go to work for an agency such as BC Hydro, TVA, BLM etc. that owns and operates the dams that you want to work on.

 

[DoTheMath]

I think cvg makes a good point. Sometimes you've got to get ON a learning curve before you can get down one. It sounds like you've got some impressive training and real ambition to apply it. I wouldn't be too quick to discount the value of the multi-disciplinary project work, though. Learning the context (e.g. how the parts fit together) can sometimes be as valuable as deepening your specialty.

Couple of questions occur to me:
1. Can you get on the same page as your boss on where you want to be with your part of the business and how you want to get there? It will make things easier for you and for him if you do. No need for fancy strategic planning buzzwords. Just a quiet chat.

2. What's more important to you at this stage of your career? To be a lead player, with the latitude to move forward on new initiatives, or to deepen your technical specialty? A smaller firm may be a great place to do the first, but for serious specialization, you're probalby either looking at a very niched firm or a very big one. Either way, you're more likely to be a follower than a leader for the time being.



B. Charlton

http://www.briencharlton.com

 

[SMIAH]

Good points.

1. Not really. I know where he wants to go but I don't see myself fit very well there.

2. Definitely deepen my technical specialty. I guess that you're right about the small vs bigger firm.

I'll wait. Looking at it, I think that I want everything just too fast.

 

[controlsdude]

I remember jobs that were less challenging but the people I worked with were great. And have worked for people where the work was very challenging and the people were jerks. I would bite my arm off for people that are great and less challenging anyday. Good people make the difference in going to work everyday.