So you are new to the rewarding field of civil engineering? Congratulations! Hopefully a long career full of meaningful accomplishments awaits you. This is an engineering discipline that benefits society as a whole.

Even when first embarking on your vocation, it is never too soon to plan for the future. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help ensure you enjoy a successful career until your retirement day – whenever that comes.

Know the Business As Well As Engineering

It is important that you understand the underlying business principles of your employer – even if you work for a government agency. Learn the budgetary concepts of profit and loss, which become more important in a government position considering taxpayer liability. A well-honed comprehension of business and engineering concepts puts you on the fast track to a management or executive level position.

Thrive When Working on a Team

Teamwork is extremely vital in civil engineering. In many cases, your team includes your clients or customers, which can be the public at large. Learn to keep your ego in check, develop strong listening skills, and leverage empathy to truly relate to your co-workers.

The Agile and DevOps movements within the information technology world illustrate how focusing on teamwork and collaboration allows more to be accomplished with fewer resources. These methodologies also apply to civil engineering.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Honest self-analysis is a necessary part of any career and definitely applies to engineering. It is important to fully develop your professional strengths, while making the effort to improve any weaknesses in your work life. Continual self improvement is something any civil engineering professional should strive to achieve.

Always Strive to Learn New Ideas and Concepts

The engineering world is full of innovations and new ideas. Being set in your ways – especially when first starting out – leads to stagnation and a dead-end career. You need to always strive to learn new ideas and concepts. Remember that becoming licensed as a professional engineer also requires some form of continuing education.

If your company offers tuition reimbursement, take advantage of that benefit to earn an advanced degree. A master’s degree in engineering or even a MBA will definitely super charge your career prospects.

Make Integrity a Vital Part of Your Career

Integrity remains an important aspect of any civil engineer. When dealing with your clients, co-workers, or even the general public, honesty always needs to be on the forefront of your mind. Never become careless in your work.

If you need any additional insight on developing a fulfilling career as a civil engineer, talk to the experts at The Talley Group. As one of Washington State’s top engineering staffing agencies, we can help both you with a robust supply of Seattle engineering jobs. Schedule some time with us at your earliest convenience.

In any engineering discipline, your education doesn’t end the moment you earn a Bachelor’s degree. A successful career in the field involves a figurative lifetime of learning new technologies and methodologies. Failure to keep up with the latest industry trends puts you at the risk of failing behind in your career. It can become easy to rest on your accomplishments, but to continue to advance in your career, there are a number of ways to keep improving.

With that in mind, here are a few strategies to help engineers stay current with the latest innovations in their industry.

Continuing Education is a Requirement for Engineering Licensure

When you are licensed as a professional engineer in your state, expect that some form of continuing education is a requirement for keeping your license. The National Society of Professional Engineer’s (NSPE) PE Institute is a great resource for the educational seminars, events, and classes specific to your engineering discipline that you’ll need to stay a licensed PE. As the latest industry trends enter the mainstream, you can expect the PE Institute to offer materials to help keep you up to date. Take advantage of those materials as they are continually offered.

Don’t forget to Nurture a Professional Network

Developing your own professional network is a key aspect of staying abreast of the latest engineering innovations. Become active on any LinkedIn Groups or any local organizations related to your field. LinkedIn Groups are a good source for articles and other materials on what’s new in engineering, while those local engineering organizations typically host seminars covering the latest in engineering. Don’t just read those articles. By commenting on articles that you find interesting, that fosters discussion and potentially leads to networking opportunities.

Becoming a Well-Read Professional Engineer

Self-study is another great way to keep up to date with new engineering trends. Engineering magazine subscriptions and books help you become a well-read engineer, and in many cases they facilitate the continuing education needed to maintain your PE status. Once again, the NSPE offers great resources of reading material worth checking out for any engineer.

Following these three simple strategies helps to keep your engineering skills and knowledge state of the art.

If you need additional insight on career development, talk to the insightful recruiters at The Talley Group. As one of the top engineering staffing agencies in Washington, we are also a great source of Seattle engineering jobs. Schedule some time with us today!