Tara+Yack

 How long have you worked for Shaw?  I have been with Shaw for 8 months.  What do you do specifically?  I am a structural engineer and I design both concrete foundations and steel building structures.  Why did you choose your career?  I wanted to be an architect, but when I discovered that architecture doesn’t involve any math or science I was unsure what to do. My mother actually suggested that I try to find something that involved both architecture and engineering. That is why I chose to major in Architectural Engineering at CU.  What were your expectations of your career before you started?  I thought that I would mostly do calculations, but once I started working I saw that an engineer’s job is to convey the design you have done onto paper. Everything I do has to be translated into a drawing/blueprint that is used to actually build it. I spend quite a significant amount of time laying out plans and drawing details. I didn’t know that would be part of my job, but I really enjoy it.  What was the most difficult thing to accomplish when you were first starting out in your field?  There’s so much that I didn’t know when I got out of school; I was pretty overwhelmed at first. But that’s just how the industry is. Engineering is a profession where you have to continue learning throughout your entire career.  What is the most stressful parts of your job?  Sometimes there are issues that arise on the site during construction. The contractor will call and say that they have a problem and it’s my job to come up with a solution fast. When work stops on the site, it costs everyone money. I have to resolve the issue quickly so that the project can get back on schedule.  What is the most enjoyable part of your job?  I like that I have to learn new things all the time; it keeps things interesting. When there is new research on how to complete a design more efficiently or to have a system perform better I enjoy learning about it and seeing how I can use that in my projects.  If you could do anything would you still be an engineer?  I would, I can’t see myself doing anything else that I would enjoy as much. <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 have been out of school for two and a half years now and I think that I would like to go into more of a management role eventually. I would still do some engineering but I would also organize a team of engineers on a project. <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;"> Everyone I know has noticed big changes. I have a lot of friends who are engineers and work more on residential and commercial projects who have seen lay-offs in their offices. In our office, two projects have been cancelled, but no one has been laid off. <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;"> BS in Architectural Engineering from CU Boulder <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;"> MS in Structural Engineering from UC San Diego <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;"> yes <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;"> I think that a master’s degree is almost essential these days. In my experience most of the offices I have interviewed at are only looking to hire graduates with an MS. It’s not really that much longer either. Many schools have a BS/MS program where you can graduate in 5 years with both degrees at the same time. Some schools also just have an intense program where they cram everything into either one or one and a half years. That is what I did. Most of the University of California schools offer that type of program. A PhD is an extra 5-7 years of school after your masters. I think it’s only necessary if you are interested in doing research as a career or being a university professor. <span style="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;"> I think that it can have an effect on hiring processes. Different universities have better reputations than others in different fields. But I don’t think that is the absolute deciding factor companies use. Once you begin working it’s your performance and ability that determines your success. Also, your college experience is what you put into it. You can get a great education at any school; you just have to put in the effort. <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;"> If you are going into engineering, your first year is a tough one. Not only is it a huge social transition, but the classes you will take are going to be extremely large and general and your professors will most likely be hard to get a hold of (TA’s deal with most of the students). It’s really easy to get lost and fall behind quickly. Don’t let this happen! A bad grade at the beginning of your college career makes it hard to recover your GPA. This happened to tons of people I went to school with and the class was Chemistry, so just watch out. <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;"> Early on I found a group of students who were in most of the same classes with me. We always did our homework and studied for tests together. This helps cut down on time immensely and when you have questions, maybe someone in your group understands it a bit better and can explain it to you. If you did all of your assignments completely by yourself, you would never have enough time.