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Increasing the Confidence and Competence of Structural Engineering Graduates

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Title: Increasing the Confidence and Competence of Structural Engineering Graduates


1
Increasing the Confidence and Competence of
Structural Engineering Graduates
  • Dave K. Adams, P.E., S.E.
  • Lane Engineers, Inc.
  • Tulare, California
  • davea_at_laneengineers.com

2
What will we discuss?
  • The Joy of Structural Engineering (mentoring)
  • Past Benefits of an engineering education
  • Present Beginnings of a wonderful career
  • Future Opportunity to make a difference
  • Sociology of Structural Engineering
    (responsibility)
  • Teaching standard of care
  • Instilling a high moral character
  • Encouraging better than minimal competence

3
What will we discuss?
  • The Business of Structural Engineering
  • Respect for company and client
  • Consideration of budget and expense
  • The fine art of communication
  • Technology of Structural Engineering
  • Expanding current knowledge
  • Effective problem solving
  • Rising to leadership within the profession

4
What will we discuss?
  • Psychology of Structural Engineering
  • Thinking outside the box
  • From idea to concept to reality
  • A positive state of mind
  • Concluding remarks

5
The Joy of Structural Engineering
  • Teach graduates to have confidence in principles
    learned at college
  • Basic mechanics of engineering apply to all
    problems and projects
  • Simple levels of subject matter are used more
    frequently (math, statics, mechanics of
    materials)
  • Value of example problems

6
The Joy of Structural Engineering
  • Instill confidence through the virtue of a solid
    career
  • Structural engineers are in high demand (job
    security)
  • Earning potential is tremendous (finding a niche,
    ownership)
  • Boredom is only what you make of it (lots of
    variety)
  • Plenty of opportunity for growth and betterment
  • Plenty of opportunity for travel and new
    experiences
  • Plenty of opportunity to be of service to others

7
The Joy of Structural Engineering
  • Share your confidence with the rest of the world
  • Learn or drive new technology and discoveries
  • Apply your engineering skills to solving
    societys problems or allaying their fears
  • Encourage young ones to pursue structural
    engineering as a career goal

8
Sociology of Structural Engineering
  • The basics of competence in the field of
    engineering begins with a standard of care
  • An engineer will perform his or her duties with
    the same diligence that other duly licensed
    engineers would under similar conditions and
    circumstances.
  • Not perfection, but care.

9
Sociology of Structural Engineering
  • Increasing competence through a high moral
    character
  • Mentors should set an example
  • Training tools
  • Patience, tolerance, self-control
  • Ethics training seminars, trade publications
  • Controlled exposure to clients with a variety of
    temperaments
  • Show genuine interest and concern with a
    protégés life outside the office

10
Sociology of Structural Engineering
  • Encourage better than minimal competence
  • Nothing stands in the way of becoming a better
    engineer
  • Expand the range of your comfort zone
  • Strive for excellence in all engineering work and
    study
  • Keep dreams and sights high!

11
Business of Structural Engineering
  • Business success begins with a respect for
    company and client alike
  • Teach / demonstrate company hierarchy
  • Make sure company operating procedures and
    protocols are being followed
  • Live out the precepts of company philosophy

12
Business of Structural Engineering
  • Teach the meaning of budget and expense EARLY!
  • Budgets and expenditures were facts of life
    during college -- things dont change!
  • Time limits were placed on payments and work to
    be completed in college -- things dont change!
  • Training tool Show a new employee how their
    time, costs, and overhead on a project affects
    profit or company operation.

13
Business of Structural Engineering
  • Teach a protégé the fine art of communication
  • Articulate without resorting to emotional buzz
    words
  • This is very wrong It is obviously due to
  • Encourage the development of an intelligent
    vocabulary through reading and writing
  • Flexibly explain conclusions to people from all
    walks of life and culture
  • Demonstrate the value of being a good listener

14
Technology of Structural Engineering
  • Maintenance, enhancement, and expansion of
    knowledge and skills is required for licensure
    and critical for success
  • Circulate articles about the history of
    engineering marvels and failures
  • Advertise upcoming seminars or conferences
  • Hold in-house meetings or discussions
  • Maintain a respectful company library

15
Technology of Structural Engineering
  • Teach confidence through a consistent method of
    solving problems
  • Carefully review and correct the work of
    graduates until they receive a professional
    license
  • Repetition is always virtuous
  • Provide reliable and organized example work to
    follow
  • Involve them as part of a larger project,
    including administrative duties
  • Train a protégé to take a project from start to
    finish

16
Technology of Structural Engineering
  • Problem solving strategy
  • DEFINE the problem accurately
  • GENERATE a variety of solutions that meet defined
    conditions
  • CHOOSE the best possible solution that meets the
    needs of most parties involved
  • DESCRIBE the implementation of the solution in a
    way that can be understood by those concerned
  • EVALUATE soundness and success

17
Technology of Structural Engineering
  • Confidence may be greatly boosted through
    leadership in the engineering community!
  • Encourage membership in a national society (ASCE,
    NCSEA)
  • Encourage participation on one or more
    engineering committees
  • Co-author articles or letters for publication in
    journals
  • Run booths or tables for career days

18
Psychology of Structural Engineering
  • Teach a protégé to discover engineering solutions
    by broad-ranging thought (outside the box)
  • Be absolutely familiar with the limitations of
    code, methods of analysis, and evidence.
  • Understand the behavior of building materials
    well.
  • Consider expanding upon solutions that have been
    used before.
  • Consider the suggestions and ideas of others.

19
Psychology of Structural Engineering
  • Consider how ideas are translated into reality
  • Train a protégé to visualize solutions through
    mechanical drafting, either by hand or by
    computer.
  • Visit job sites often enough to explain how
    information is translated from a set of plans.
  • Gather books on construction means and methods

20
Psychology of Structural Engineering
  • Maintain a positive attitude and environment
  • Team building exercises
  • Display contagious confidence
  • Have a can do mindset
  • Have a desire for helping others find a
    resolution to their hopes and dreams
  • Reward and praise good work and achievement

21
Concluding remarks
  • The first few years of a new graduates
    employment are CRITICAL for positive, directed
    growth.
  • Confidence in ones abilities is rooted in real
    competence
  • Categories of knowledge Basics (mechanics),
    business (company, clients), behavior
    (materials).

22
  • THANK YOU!
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