College Experiences That Helped an Engineer at Granite Construction Succeed
To succeed in a civil engineering career, Edgar emphasizes networking and securing internships, stating that "making connections" led to opportunities that "prepared me to land a job after college." He further advises exploring both design and construction internships to determine career preference before graduating, highlighting the importance of knowing "where you want to land" to avoid career dissatisfaction.
Networking, Internships, Career Exploration, Industry Experience, Decision-Making
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Edgar Sanchez Lopez
Engineer I
Granite Construction
San Jose State University
NA
Engineering - Civil
Architecture, Construction & Design
Operations and Project Management
First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Make connections during college through scholarships and internships to gain valuable experience.
2. Do internships in both design and construction to determine your preferred field before graduating.
3. Knowing whether you prefer a design or construction role before your first job is crucial for career satisfaction.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I think the most important thing was to make connections. I was lucky enough to get a couple of scholarships for college.
Through them, I made connections that landed me those internships I mentioned earlier. These internships prepared me to land a job after college because by that time, I already had plenty of experience.
It was pretty easy for me to get a job afterward. I see that a lot of people struggle to land a job after college.
The other thing I would say, especially for construction or design, like civil engineering in general, is to do an internship in both if you're unsure about design or construction. This way, when you graduate, you'll know where you want to work, whether it's in construction or design.
I also see that a lot of new hires are kind of just trying out construction at first. Knowing that before you land your first job is crucial, right? Because what happens if you hate it?
So, I would say doing that is the best thing I could have done. Taking a design internship and a construction internship made my decision way easier when I applied for a full-time job.
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