If you are reading this, there’s a good chance you’re standing at a significant threshold. Maybe you are a senior in college, staring down your final exams and wondering if you have what it takes to cross the graduation finish line. Or maybe you are a few years into your career, burning the midnight oil to build professional credibility and earn your PE license, wondering if all this studying is truly going to pay off in the real world.
If I could encourage you to do one thing, it’s this: take a breath. You might feel like a fish out of water or a kid wearing dad’s suit, but here’s the truth: you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Even if you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, now is the time to buckle down and persevere. And it’s time for an old engineer to share a few tips they don’t always teach you in the classroom.
Let me take you back to 1972. I was getting ready to graduate with a degree in chemical engineering. The problem was, there were zero jobs in chemical engineering. I mean like they were practically non-existent. Out of necessity, I took an interview with the well-known air conditioning manufacturer, The Trane Company.
I remember the interviewer intently scanning my resume, then looking at me over the top of it for what seemed like an eternity before he asked the obvious question: “Why is a chemical engineer interested in air conditioning instead of working in a chemical plant?”
Already fatigued by chasing too few jobs over too many interviews, I just told him the truth. I said, “I have a real problem with the chemical engineering jobs out there right now. If I take one, I’m going to get stuck under some process, and I’m going to sit there and watch that thing run all day. I’m a farm boy. I have to get out and get my hands on stuff. I need to explore and see new things.”
That simple desire—to get out from behind the desk, get my hands dirty, and to make things work in the field—turned out to be exactly what Trane was looking for and became the foundation of my entire career. It ultimately led me to building commissioning, where we help owners make big, expensive, complex buildings work. And I love this stuff.
In the interest of encouraging you, here are a few things to keep in mind as you go through the ups and downs of a career that will demand the best of you:
BEWARE THE SILO: In college, you are taught to specialize. We need that. We absolutely need dedicated experts in specific disciplines. But you cannot afford to permanently silo your mind. Buildings are not inert. Instead, they are living, breathing, deeply interconnected systems, so you have to do more than just understand the ductwork or the load calculations. You have to ask: “What happens to the HVAC if the windows are leaking? What do I do when the fire alarm goes off? What causes the elevator to do that when we lose power…and why did we lose power?”
To be truly valuable in this industry, you have to cultivate an appetite for the whole building. You must become a person who naturally observes and explores, rather than someone who just sits down and takes instructions.
MAKE THINGS MAKE SENSE (WITHOUT SCORING POINTS): As you dig into projects, you are inevitably going to find things that don’t make sense. You might spot a waterline crossing an elevator shaft, or discover a sequence of operations that is physically impossible. When you maintain an inquisitive mindset, you will naturally work your way through those intersecting disciplines and spot the breakages in a design.
But here is the critical part: when you point out an error, do it with the right heart, with respect and a degree of restraint. There are plenty of people in this business who point out flaws just to score points or prove they are the smartest person in the room. Don’t be that engineer. Instead, point it out because you desperately want the project to succeed. If your team and your client know that your ultimate goal is the success of the building, they will welcome your curiosity as a gift rather than a critique.
THE PE IS A MILESTONE, NOT A FINISH LINE: It is easy to believe that getting those two letters behind your name once you pass the exam means you’ve “arrived.” Let me tell you a secret: the learning does not stop when you get your PE. Instead, the same relentless inquisitiveness that drove you to study for your exams has to persist for the rest of your career. The technology will change. The systems will grow more complex. But the need for engineers who are endlessly curious will never fade.
I know times can be tough in the early years of engineering career, but don’t forget that the sun is just now rising on your career. It is a wonderful time to be an engineer because things are still being discovered. Innovations are still emerging. Collaborations are still yielding more than solo ventures. So keep your mind open, don’t be afraid to leave your desk to see how things actually fit together in the field, and never lose the desire to understand why.
The industry, your future clients and old engineers like me need your energy, your fresh eyes, and your willingness to learn. Work with us and you’ll not only find the road before you opening up, you’ll find yourself in the company of people who share your passion for the craft and a desire to see you succeed.
Let’s travel together.
Sincerely,
Dick Burks
Principal Engineer, Paladin, Inc.
Lexington, Kentucky