Professional and Career Topics

_Greetings,

_{I need advice. I'm a civil engineer that graduated in Syria in 2000. I practiced engineering for 13 years in different disciplines overseas, the last 7 years of my career were in construction management. I came to the United States in 2014 and I didn't work as an engineer at that time due to immigration status I had before. The process to get residency, degree evaluation, passing the FE exam and PE exam after that was long. I got my PE license in January 2019. And during those years I had to work a full time job at a gas station and now I'm stuck there. I applied for many open positions both mid-level and entry-level and the only response I got was, “We regret to tell you....” How can I make my skills more marketable? I tried to contact some professional engineers who are active members at ASCE asking for advice but I never received a response. I don't know what to do, sometimes I think maybe I need to change my career. I appreciate your help.}

_{God Bless.}

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Wisam Moussa EIT,P.E.,M.ASCE
civil engineer
Orlando FL
(407)624-6183
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Try local or state government. A larger agency will have a variety of positions from entry level to upper management. Because your resume is difficult to compare to state-side applicants, they may be unwilling to hire you. Checking references and experience is much more difficult with companies abroad where points of contacts do not speak <g class="gr_ gr_491 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="491" data-gr-id="491">english</g>. I have many well-qualified engineers who come from abroad who get a "foot in the door" by working as a technician or inspector for a year or two before being promoted to an engineer.

Especially important is language. Engineering is a technical profession with its own jargon. You will need to learn the American-<g class="gr_ gr_595 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del multiReplace" id="595" data-gr-id="595">english</g> jargon for your field. You can get that by going to ASCE meetings and conferences. If your accent is thick take classes to learn how to speak more with an American accent. Accents can be unlearned. Coaching and practice can make you sound like a local.

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Yance Marti M.ASCE
City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee WI
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Unfortunately, there is no easy answer.  Basically it is all about getting out there and marketing yourself and getting in front of all of the potential opportunities that may exist for you.  Its much more difficult if you are not a "perfect" candidate, because you will likely be going up against someone who looks much better on paper.  You will have to go and find someone and show them why they need to hire you.  I worked in construction for about 25 years before I lost everything in the 2008 bust.  I went back to school and got a BS and MS on Structural Engineering and started a new career when I was almost 50 years old.  When I tried to re-enter the job market after graduation absolutely no one wanted to hire me as an engineer.  I applied to every single add on all of the job boards all over the country for months and months and months.  You have to keep it up until you get what you want.  You'll probably have to take anything you can get at first and then keep looking and when something better comes along, and it will if you keep looking, then you can go for it.  It has taken me three iterations, but now I have a job that I like very much.  It took me around five years of keeping my foot fully on the gas after I graduated until I got what I wanted.  That is what it takes.  If you want something bad enough, put in the work and the time, and you will see results.

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Mike Wilson PE
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​Wisam,

With your background in Construction Management, you could quickly be in high demand with construction contractors and, in particular, with construction contractors that work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) or the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC). USACE and NAVFAC require construction contractors to have a Construction Quality Control program in place for all contracts, including a full time Construction Quality Control System Manager on each contract who is often required to be a graduate engineer, architect or a graduate of a construction manager program. Generally a CQC System Manager must take the Construction Quality Management (CQM) for Contractors course--find locations/dates online or reach out to a nearby USACE or NAVFAC office (they are on most military installations). These offices may also be able to give you the names of some Contractors that commonly work on their projects.  (Taking OSHA 30 would be a helpful class as well.) In the CQM role, your job is to ensure the contractor performs the contract work correctly (regardless of production or other pressures), review and submit various and often times numerous submittals, ensure testing is performed and meets requirements, perform daily reporting, and the like. An effective, trustworthy CQM can make or break a Contractor's rating on a project and directly influence its ability to win future contracts. Experienced personnel in this position can be very well paid, but the role also provides the opportunity to meet many people/professionals and will likely open doors to opportunities in more traditional engineering roles if that is your goal. You may find out, however, that the role is a perfect fit for you and it could become a permanent career.

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Shari Brandt, P.E., M.ASCE
Ft. Worth, TX
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Wisam -
I encourage you to reach out to the local ASCE Branch and attend any upcoming events that you can. Making connections there can greatly help your search. ASCE East Central Branch

asce-ecb-1		remove preview
ASCE East Central Branch Welcome to the ASCE East Central Branch of the Florida Section. We have many opportunities to engage with ASCE right here in Central Florida. View this on asce-ecb-1 >

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Leslie Nolen Aff.M.ASCE
ASCE
Reston VA
(703)295-6106
lnolen@...
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Hi Wisam,

Congrats on passing your PE exam! If you're having trouble finding a job I recommend applying to as many of the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) as you can. Not just the state you live in. You may have to relocate to get your foot in the door and gain some experience. I believe most state DOTs manage their own construction projects and are in need of site inspectors during the summer months. I know this is the case where I live in New Hampshire.

You will probably have to start at an entry-level position and work your way up, but, unfortunately, that may be the only way for you to gain entry into engineering. Especially with a degree from outside of the US. It will be tough at first and the pay will be lower than you'd like, but if you work hard and gain as much experience as possible it will pay off in the future.

Good luck!

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Russell Lemire M.ASCE
VHB
Concord NH
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Thank you guys for your valuable responses. I will attend the ASCE meeting next month. I really appreciate your help.

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Wisam Moussa EIT,P.E.,M.ASCE
civil engineer
Orlando FL
(407)624-6183
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Wisam,
I would also suggest, if you are inclined to work in flood control or disaster mitigation, to look at the Corps of Engineers or FEMA. I know the corps had a shortage of engineers a while back that they used biologists as project managers.

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Daniel Chase M.ASCE
Camarillo CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-17-2019 15:26
From: Wisam Moussa
Subject: Transplant Engineer Trying to Reenter the Profession

Thank you guys for your valuable responses. I will attend the ASCE meeting next month. I really appreciate your help.

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Wisam Moussa EIT,P.E.,M.ASCE
civil engineer
Orlando FL
(407)624-6183
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Consider linking up with a local recruiting agency that focuses on placing engineers in local firms and governmental agencies.  Focus on your local governance, many cities have a hard time hiring qualified engineers because they have trouble matching salaries offered by firms.

Good luck.

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Austin Appleton P.E.,M.ASCE
Houston TX
(713)398-3284
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