Strategy Change

The Civil Engineering profession is ever changing, and to keep up with the industry and the competition we've got to be flexible. As the demand for residential site development has (for lack of a better word) slowed, the commercial market has steadily picked up and filled that part of my work week that was condos and town homes. That's not to say that all residential development has ceased, but you get my point. From hotels to restaurants to business centers and retail stores, commercial sites are showing up all over and it's caused the adaptation of the business, engineering, and sales strategies to keep up.

I welcome the change. It keeps me from getting too comfortable with one practice or design standard. It's forced me to learn new design tactics as well as become familiar with other parts of the state and local codes. Change keeps things interesting.

Most importantly, the added experience and exposure can only help down the road. The more I learn now the more valuable I am to my employer. Keep that in mind while your choosing classes, too. I know there are templates and course selection guidelines, but it's not all set in stone. Take a class that YOU think will help YOU in the future. Today's decisions are tomorrow's results, right?

Go Hokies.