Anders+Fornberg

How long have you worked for Shaw? I’ve worked at Shaw for 4 years now, ever since I graduated from college. What do you do specifically? I engineer the electrical systems for large utility power plants, which includes: The overall electrical power distribution system to both the grid and the stations internal electrical loads The physical configuration of the electrical equipment within the plant The protection devices that protects both the equipment and plant personnel Why did you choose your career? I have always been fascinated with how complex systems worked, especially anything electrical. I also enjoyed building things and working on large projects. What were your expectations of your career before you started? My expectations of my career during college were that I would be able to obtain a secure and high paying job, that both challenges me and which I enjoy doing. Luckily, I have been able to achieve all of these expectations by working at Shaw. What was the most difficult thing to accomplish when you were first starting out in your field? Engineering, in general, demands a lot of dedication and requires a great amount of attention to details. At first, it seemed like whatever I did, there was something wrong with it, or that I had overlooked a small detail which was a bit overwhelming. However overtime I learned from my mistakes and my knowledge increased so that I would not make so many misjudgments. What is the most stressful parts of your job? Our projects are extremely expensive, for instance an operating power plant can generate in excess of 1 millions dollars a day in revenue for the utility. So everyday that we have to delay our project is a huge loss to the client. This leads to very closely watched schedules and deadlines, which can be stressful. What is the most enjoyable part of your job? I enjoy knowing that I am working on some of the largest and most expensive projects that have ever been built by mankind. I also feel that I providing an essential service to our society. If you could do anything would you still be an engineer? Absolutely. What are your hopes for your career in the future? I hopefully plan on one day going into the project management side of industry, for instance being the lead project engineer or the project manager. How has your career and related fields been effected by the economy? The power generation market has, luckily, been relatively unaffected by the current economic downturn. Shaw, unlike many other companies, is continuing to post quarterly profits and our backlog of projects is continuingly growing. Our projects also last quite long, anywhere from 3-6 years, which tends to smooth out these bumps in our economy. What degree do you have? I have my Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. Did you attend graduate school? No, I have not as of yet. Is it beneficial or necessary to continuing on past an undergrad degree either masters or PhD? There are definite pros and cons. It really depends on what career path you would like to take. On the pro side, a Masters Degree or PhD will always make you more competitive in the job market, when compared to just having your BS. If you would like to do engineering for your whole career, then it is definitely beneficial. However, if you are more interested in project management, which is primarily composed of engineers, obtaining your MBA, after your BS, would be more beneficial then a Master/PhD Degree. On the con side, it takes a large amount of money, time, and resources to obtain a Masters, PhD, or MBA, and it is not necessary within our company, but it helps. Does the university you attend have much influence on actually getting a job and succeeding? My personally opinion is that attending a well respected school will help in getting a job due to the fact that they tend to have better resources and contacts within the business community. However, I think more of an influence is the student’s academic performance, work habits, and dedication. If you could only make one recommendation what would it be? Engineering is an extremely rewarding, challenging, and well respected career path. The dedication and determination that is required in obtaining a degree in an engineering field is not for everyone, but I full-heartedly recommend it for those who think it is for them.