Sarah+Craig

 How long have you worked for Shaw?  I have worked here for 1 year.  What do you do specifically?  I have designed steel columns in the turbine building and prepared drawings of the steel so the fabricator can make the steel and the construction people can build it. I have also designed foundations.  Why did you choose your career?  I wanted to do engineering, and structural/civil seemed the most interesting. I wanted to work on large projects that everyone can see and benefit from.  What were your expectations of your career before you started?  I saw myself designing buildings. That was pretty much it.  What was the most difficult thing to accomplish when you were first starting out in your field?  You really need to ask questions a lot when you get stuck and not worry about bothering people, that’s the best way to learn.  What is the most stressful parts of your job?  For me it’s the social aspect. There’s office politics everywhere you go, and that’s not really something you expect or prepare for in engineering school. Maybe if I’d been in a sorority I would have been more used to that sort of stuff.  What is the most enjoyable part of your job?  The part I like best is when I’m thinking about how I’m going to solve a problem and realize I learned exactly what I need to know and can look it up and get it done. I also like sketching out what I plan to do on paper or AutoCAD and working with computer programs.  If you could do anything would you still be an engineer?  Maybe. There are more glamorous careers out there. Perhaps I would find one that lets me travel all over the world on someone else’s dime. But I would probably miss what I do now. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> What are your hopes for your career in the future? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I plan on getting my professional engineering license. This will let me stamp drawings. Eventually I would like to lead the design on projects. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> How has your career and related fields been effected by the economy? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I don’t believe my career specifically has been effected. Certainly other areas of structural engineering have been hard hit. Companies that build office buildings and houses are seeing clients’ financing dry up, which results in less work to do and layoffs. Doing work on utilites, schools, and healthcare seems to be more stable right now. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> What degree do you have? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have a bachelors of science in civil engineering and a masters of science in structural engineering <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Did you attend graduate school? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Yep. It’s getting to the point now that you sort of need a graduate degree to get a good job in structural engineering. Civil engineering is more general and doesn’t require it, but to specialize in one area it really helps. I’ve heard that starting with the college class of 2011 it may be a requirement to have a masters or the equivalent amount of post-undergrad classes to get a structural engineering license. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Is it beneficial or necessary to continuing on past an undergrad degree either masters or PhD? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> It gives you more knowledge in the specific area that interests you. Usually you can get this knowledge on the job, too, but it gives you an advantage to have already learned it. A PhD is good for going into research or teaching at the college level. <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Does the university you attend have much influence on actually getting a job and succeeding? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> If you want to work near the college you attend it won’t make any difference. If you wish to travel to a different part of the country to work, having a degree from a well known engineering school may help get you a job. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> If you could only make one recommendation what would it be? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Have fun at college, whatever you choose to do. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class (or afterwards), professors love questions and it will help you learn more. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> What were the most beneficial things that you did while in college? <span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I did internships at several firms in different professions, which helped me narrow my interests. I also recommend getting involved in engineering clubs and activities while in college. I was able to participate in a team that built and raced a canoe out of concrete, which taught me a lot about designing concrete, working in a team on engineering challenges, and how to interact with faculty and local business people.