Discussion Thread

  • 1.  Mid-Level AppliCANT or CAN?

    Posted 01-25-2023 12:34 PM
    We often discuss entry-level interviews but have not touched on mid-level interviews.

    From the receiving end, what are mid-level interviews like? 

    For entry-level positing the assumption is often that the applicant knows nothing and will be starting from scratch.
    What is the expectation for a mid-level applicant?
    How do you gauge the knowledge and skills of someone middle-level?
    How do you understand their working and management style?
    How do you know if they fit into your existing team?

    For a mid-level engineer, there are many expectations and assumed skills possessed by the applicant. How can you accurately gauge and understand these in a 1-3 hour interview?


    ------------------------------
    Daniel Bressler EIT, A.M.ASCE
    Structural Engineer
    Brooklyn NY
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Mid-Level AppliCANT or CAN?

    Posted 01-26-2023 01:38 PM
    I've been on a few mid-level interviews in the past year. My take is that the interviewer expects you to be able to discuss your current work and work history. As the person being interviewed, I also think its reasonable for you to ask about the following things:
    • level of responsibility you will hold ( will you be able to hire/fire staff or allocate availability on projects)
    • whether or not you will be managing junior staff and in what capacity (project management or technical/teaching)
    • explain your level of proficiency with the software or type of work you will be doing and ask if this is the level that they are expecting of the applicant
    No two places seem to have the same idea as to what "mid-level" is. Depending on the type of work, to some, certain jobs would seem like they are still entry level, and to others it may seem that the position would require senior-level skills. This is also because mid-level is a large range of years. At a guess it could be anywhere from 6-12 years of experience.

    It is helpful to meet everyone you will be working directly with as well. If you can get an idea about the type of person your potential manager is, and what the staff you would be managing are like, it will go a long way to helping you decide if its a good fit. 

    Essentially, a lot of this comes down to conversations. As many of them with as many staff as is reasonably possible.

    ------------------------------
    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Mid-Level AppliCANT or CAN?

    Posted 01-27-2023 10:20 AM

    A great resource is the ASCE Guidelines for Engineering Grades. See https://www.asce.org/career-growth/early-career-engineers/asce-guidelines-for-engineering-grades. This resource provides sense of what progressive responsibility entails in measurable terms. While not perfect – nothing ever is – it provides a great tool for civil engineers to carry out a self- assessment and to prepare for assessments by others.



    ------------------------------
    Mitch Winkler P.E., M.ASCE
    Houston, TX
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


Related Content