Career By Design

To the class of 2021, I want to first say congratulations on graduating! 

I would like to start a thread of advice for this class as I presume that this will be their first full-time role in civil engineering. What advice do you have for the class of 2021? 

My advice for this class is to get or stay involved with your local ASCE Younger Member organization! If you moving to a different state in the U.S. post-graduation, you can use the following link to check what the closest organization is to you: https://www.asce.org/find-a-younger-member-organization/

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Danielle Schroeder EIT, A.M.ASCE (She/her)
Associate Engineer
Pennoni
Philadelphia PA
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I would agree with @Danielle Schroeder McCaskey that you should stay connected to all the professional organizations that you are currently part of.

If I had to give one piece of advice to the newly graduated class I would say don't be afraid to ask for help or reach out to people. We've all been a newly graduated engineer so we know it can be scary and intimidating.

I know it's generic advice that you've probably heard a million times before but don't be afraid to ask. ​Just be mindful and respect the time that the individual is giving you and you'll be fine!

Congratulations and much success!

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Daniel Bressler EIT, A.M.ASCE
Structural Engineer
Brooklyn NY
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First of all, I will like to congratulate the class of 2021 for completing their degree successfully.

My advice to the class of 2021 would be to explore contemporary issues and try to collaborate with other researchers (in case one wants to explore in research). Also, share the difficulties/challenges one is facing in any particular topic or area with others (in discussion forums or in VC). Sharing is caring. The more one talks/share_thoughts with others, the more ideas generate, which can be helpful for all the parties involved and there is always a win-win situation. 

Also, thanks for creating this discussion thread 'Advice to the class of 2021'.

Best Regards,
Prithvendra Singh; S.M.ASCE; S.M.ICE(U.K); S.M.ASTM
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
India

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Prithvendra Singh S.M.ASCE
Ph.D. Research Scholar
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Mumbai MH
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Hello everyone!

My advice to the class of 2021 who will hopefully start working soon is to explore as many opportunities as you can in your early years. As a recent graduate, we may or may nor bet 100% sure of what we want to do with out careers. Exploring different opportunities by getting involved in multiple projects or working with several people will give you the opportunity to get a taste of what different fields within your industry is like. While at the beginning it may feel like you are all over, on the mid to long term I believe it helps in steering your career towards the direction that is best aligned with your interests, values and personality. You might need to be proactive to get involved with other projects, so don't be shy about it - I'm sure it will be understandable to your supervisor/managers.

Regards,
Salvador


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Salvador Bentolila P.E., ENV SP, M.ASCE
AECOM
New York NY
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