Haydn - A resounding Yes! and extra credit for not being afraid to buck the norm:) You will see engineering portfolios from time to time, and I used one in my periodic job hunting for 30 years. I would like to see it become more popular, and when I see one from an applicant, it grabs my attention.
It is easier to create one if your work is unique or extraordinary, but I think every engineer should start building theirs so they can use it when they feel it is "ready for prime time", and we have to remember that everyone starts somewhere. On that note, an entry level engineer or architect's portfolio will reflect that they are just starting on their journey, but that's ok. For engineers that are principally designers and not managers, I think that portfolios are absolutely the way to go, and that CVs for those roles should be more focused on project efforts, rather than job title (in part because titles are far from standardized).
Some good examples I have seen (and used myself) focused on special features or specific tasks that the engineer performed on mega-project for which they had a small part. What was your part? Why was it important, critical, or even unique? You might have been "just" been a staff engineer, but maybe you were the staff engineer that did the seismic drift checks for the skybridge, or the one who designed the stadium stairwell that will carry 10,000 to safety during an evacuation? Tell me about your role, about what you learned, show me some model graphics or gnarly weld details:)
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Greg Kelly Aff.M.ASCE
CEO
Gulf Breeze FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2025 05:18 PM
From: Haydn Chambers
Subject: Portfolios for Engineers?
Hello all. I recently decided to give up on pursuing an architecture minor for many reasons, one of which being that while I enjoy creative expressions in my personal life, such as composing music, I don't really want it to be a part of my career as a structural engineer.
Structural Engineers work with architects, but don't make the building look pretty. Architects create pretty buildings, but they also design for HVAC, mechanical, and so on. However, the design aspect in the architect's career is much more emphasized because of the public perception of architects as artists, which is why portfolios are standard in any architect's job application process. Engineers are creative too, but in the context of solving problems through design rather than artistic expression, so would it not make sense for a structural engineer to present their designs in a neat and collected manner like an architect?
As far as my knowledge goes, engineering portfolios do exist, but they are relatively rare. My question to professionals, whether they be EITs or retired, is what their portfolios look like and how they wrote theirs, or if they even have one for that matter. What projects did you include and why? When would you need a portfolio for an application?
These questions were inspired by threads I could find about the topic from various websites (such as Reddit), but I figured any information from this community would be more valuable because of the dedicated purpose of this forum as a place for civil engineers and civil engineering students.
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Yours Truly,
Haydn Chambers S.M.ASCE
Salt Lake City UT
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