Tag Archives: Black engineers

What Engineering & Science Students Need In Summer Jobs

What Engineering & Science Students Need In Summer Jobs
Summer Jobs are Important to a career

Summer Jobs are Important to a career


Today is the first day of spring and engineering & science students should be at the height of their search for summer jobs. To help these students to find the best opportunities. Here are some tips on what students should seek in their summer jobs search: 

A Chance to Apply Technical Skills: One of the biggest turnoffs of summer jobs is when employers have interns spend days and days organizing the file room. Ask the employer if you will get a chance to technical work especially if allows a chance to work on the latest software. Computer skills are high on an employer's list when they are looking to hire new grads.Summer jobs can enhance your knowledge and skills.

See "Real World" Application: Some civil engineering students have told me that they don't like getting dirty. Here my answer to them: The more you learn in the dirt, the better the design in the office. Some concepts are better understood if you see them put together in the field. The same concept applies to science majors. Sometimes the lab does not always mimic real life. If the employers is not going to offer a chance to see some real world work it may not be the right opportunity.

Learn Project Management Skills: Every engineering & science project is done according to a budget and timeline. Engineering & science students should look for opportunities to understand the role of project management in their chosen career field. 

Opportunities to Network: Believe it or not, summer jobs are great networking opportunities for future employment. There are thousands of stories of students landing good jobs because of their performance on summer jobs. Plus, the quality of the summer jobs on your resume can have an influence on a hiring manager's decision.

When Should Engineering & Science Students Start Looking for Summer Jobs? 

The best time to start is looking for summer jobs is the fall semester before the summer. I know some people will not agree but here is my rationale. It is always a good idea to start building your network early because forward thinking employers make the time to visit college campuses throughout the year and talk to professors about promising students. If you want to get ahead in the career game it is best to strike early, strike hard and strike often. Thanks for reading

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Hot Jobs Alert: Principal Industrial Wastewater Process Engineer

Wastewater Jobs on the rise

Wastewater Jobs on the rise

Principal Industrial Wastewater Engineer – Charlotte, Houston or Atlanta 

Hinton Human Capital, an emerging leader in executive search in Environmental and Infrastructure industries is now searching for Principal Industrial Wastewater Process Engineer for an international environmental consulting firm. Ideal candidate will have at over 15 years of demonstrated experience in the design of industrial wastewater treatments systems plus the following skills and abilities:

JOB DESCRIPTION

A proven track record of project management and technical design accomplishments of industrial wastewater treatment systems for Oil/Gas production facilities, manufacturing ,coal fired utilities or nuclear power facilities

  • Must be a “subject matter expert” on industrial waste water treatment especially on removal of trace metals.
  • Must possess knowledge of reverse osmosis (RO) and other wastewater treatment technologies
  • Ability to build and maintain relationships clients, regulators and stakeholders
  • Ability to communicate in depth knowledge of Clean Water Act as well as other federal and state regulations
  • Oversee the work of technical specialists and junior staff

QUALIFICATIONS

Apply Now 

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Environmental Jobs: 8 Critical Job Skills You Will Need to Land A Good One

Environmental Jobs are Hot in 2013

Environmental Jobs Are A Knowledge and Relationship Driven Market

Have you heard the saying "It's not what you know but who you know."  In this "new normal" economy, knowledge and relationships as well as strong skills are the keys to acquiring high level environmental jobs. If you are a environmental engineering  or science graduate or experienced environmental professional seeking a new position, here are some important knowledge areas and skills you need to showcase in your resume in 2013 .

  1. Knowledge of Environmental Regulations: New and updated environmental regulations will force companies to find ways to stay in compliance. Environmental professionals will have to translate these changes into solutions  that meet compliance and lessen financial liabilities. Environmental regulations are a key driver for the creation of environmental jobs.
  2. Knowledge of Sustainability Principles: It is important to understand that Sustainability has different definitions and levels of acceptance in different industries. If you are seeking corporate environmental jobs, learning these definitions and how to develop profit streams from them will lead stronger opportunities.
  3. Business Development/Sales : Relationships are a key component of environmental jobs. Environmental professionals must have "relationship capital" ( ie. trust and expertise) with qualified clients, regulators and stakeholders to sell their services and bring in profits over the long term
  4. Technical Skills & Knowledge of New Environmental Technologies: Professionals who can execute the basic technical tasks of their profession using the latest environmental technologies will find it somewhat easier to protect their careers because they can pursue opportunities in consulting, corporate and entrepreneurship. 
  5. Financial Management & Project Funding:  Many new environmental projects will require private investment, alternate funding sources like crowd funding and a higher level of financial accountability. There will many clients who will be dependent on these resources to pay for their projects. Strong environmental consultants will know how to pull these funds together.
  6. Project Management: Environmental professionals will have to be more adept at project management; coaching, motivating and recruiting people as well as interpreting the new domestic and international environmental regulations. All of these areas will have a significant impact on the profitability and delivery of projects.
  7. Knowledge of Cyber Security:  Why would an environmental professional need to know about this? Good question. Certain parts of our country's infrastructure are vulnerable to cyber attacks and could be used create massive disasters, if breached.  Many new environmental jobs in the information technology space will focus on infrastructure cyber security, disaster prevention and recovery.
  8. Political & Legal Savvy:  Environmental and infrastructure projects are often politically charged because of the fight between environmental concerns and  the need to create jobs. Environmental professionals will have to navigate these issues without losing sight of their client's objectives. Further, they will have to learn how to engage the public on complex environmental topics.

Environmental Jobs Will Be Hot For Years to Come. Are You Ready?

In a past articles, we have discussed how much the environmental industry has grown and some of the sectors that growing faster than average.  I will continue this trend but I want to hear from our readers. Here is what I like to know

  1. What areas of the environmental sectors interest you?
  2. What jobs do you want to know more about?

Thanks for reading and your feedback

  

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Engineers Week: Introduce Your Child To Engineering

Happy Engineers Week

Happy Engineers Week

Engineers Week :Celebrate Engineering in Everyday Life

Engineering touches every aspect of our lives. Yet most of us are not consciously aware of the contributions engineering professionals have made to make our daily lives a little easier. Think about these examples of engineering: Your cell phone. Your home. The water you drink. Your car. The highway , traffic lights and bridges. All of these are examples of engineering that touch our lives every day. Now I want to invite you to take another step: Use Engineers Week to Introduce your child to engineering. Why should you?

Engineering Disciplines Are Among the Fastest Growing and Well Paid Professions

According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) , six of the top 10 paying college degrees were in engineering disciplines. Here is an except from the NACE Study:

 "At an average starting salary of $70,400, computer engineering was the highest-paid major in 2012. Other engineering majors that were among the top 10 were chemical engineering, ($66,400, second), aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering ($64,000, fourth), mechanical engineering ($62,900, fifth), electrical/electronics and communications engineering ($62,300, sixth), and civil engineering ($57,600, seventh). " 

If you search through many of the open positions on major job boards you will see a large number of engineering positions. One major issue that parents have with introducing their children to science and math based professions is : "How can I share this information with my child if I am not good in math and science myself?"

How Engineers Week Can Help You Introduce Your Child To The Engineering Profession.

Local colleges. museums and professional organizations like the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE) have special Engineers Week events scheduled that can help parents show their children some of the great contributions engineers have made to our world. Please check your local paper, online community event calendar or the organization's website for more information.

Take some time out this weekend and show your child some engineering wonders. You will have a positive effect on their future. 

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Super Bowl Blackout Puts Power Grid In Spotlight

 As I move forward in this article,  you will have to take into account that venues like the Super Dome are like small cities which have high power demand during large events. The Super Bowl Blackout is a big deal.

Super Bowl Blackout Changes Momentum of Game And Raises Questions
Photo From Picture Newsletter.com

Power Industry Needs Skilled People


I have heard all. "The half time show drained the power"  "Disgruntled Saints fans wanted to get back at the Commissioner."  The Super Bowl blackout has sports commentators and fans looking for and making up answers for one of the strangest occurrences in sports. One ESPN football analyst mentioned that the league is "not sure who to punish" for the blackout because they don't know why or how it happened [my paraphrase]. Most writers are going to talk about New Orleans' chances of getting another Super Bowl or how it changed the momentum in the game. Here we are going to discuss a deeper subject: the Power Grid.

Large Blackouts Not Unusual. Just Surprising

Large scale non weather related  blackouts are not unusual. We are just surprised they happen.  In late 2011, parts of the southern California, Arizona and Mexico were darkened by a blackout caused by "human and systemic error". The short explanation was a 500kV power line shutdown after an employee performed a maintenance procedure in a substation and a cascade of systems failures. In 2003, the Northeast Blackout darkened an area that included New York City, Detroit and parts of southern Canada. 50 million people were without power for two days.  The cause was attributed to a combination of  human and systemic failure. Today, some news outlets are reporting that an "abnormality " triggered a main feed line to shut down which could point to some type of human and systemic failure. Hmmm.

The Power Grid System is Old That Why It is Failing

Hurricane Katrina's destruction of the Super Dome forced a massive and expensive reconstruction project which should have addressed the electrical concerns within the building but not necessarily the power grid connected to it. Let me explain further. Most of the power grid in the US was built nearly a century ago and has fallen into various states of disrepair and obsolescence. Another unfortunate circumstance of  our antiquated system is most major repairs and upgrades to the power grid take place after a destructive weather event like Hurricane Katrina because many local codes require new construction to update to current standards. But even after an event like Katrina, the New Orleans city grid maybe upgraded but it still may not be a " Smart Grid".

So What Caused the Super Bowl Blackout?

Washington Post  Reporter Brad Plummer wrote a good article  "Could a smart grid have prevented the Super Bowl Blackout? " which opined on the causes of blackouts and how a smart grid could have alleviated the problem. In the article he mentioned the local utility released a statement which said " A piece of equipment monitoring the electrical load sensed an abnormality and opened a breaker"  . The release offered no more information on the cause but promised further investigation. In comparison, one of the  causes of the 2003 Northeast Blackout (one of the largest blackouts in US history) was "inadequate real-time information to provide diagnostic support". It was found that the electrical monitoring system did not trip alarms or produce data needed for operators to diagnose the problem and  keep the shutdown from snowballing through the system (see Department of Energy's Final Report page 17-18).  In the case of the Super Bowl blackout, is it plausible to believe a piece of sensing equipment worked while another part of power grid didn't. We will all know the facts when the report comes out.

Another Point: More Skilled Workers Are Needed In the Power Industry

Energy and utility companies are struggling to find qualified workers for more information read these previous posts: 

The 10 Best Engineering Schools For Energy & Power Sector

 

 

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