The talent market for civil/environmental engineers is at an all-time competitive high. Consulting firms, public agencies and municipalities are struggling to find candidates. Recruiters and talent acquisition leaders are crafting value proposition presentations to encourage potential candidates to consider even informal conversations. In response, employers are resorting to strong financial counter offers and, in some cases,…
TOP Trends in the Civil Engineering & Architecture Recruiting Marketplace for 2020/2021
Since 2017, much of America has experienced a fairly consistent sense of turmoil. In spite of this, firms in the A/E marketplace view the remainder of 2020 with a guarded sense of optimism. This encouragement is largely due to the anticipation that a federal infrastructure bill will be passed, funding for clean energy projects and…
Your Career: You Are What You Eat
If your life is filled with cheese steaks, Twinkies, and 64 oz fountain sodas, well, you will reap what you sew when it comes to your physical appearance. Getting out of the shower and standing in front of the mirror is not an enjoyable experience. Anxiety, anger, lack of self-confidence…all terms or phrases that come…
Analysis Paralysis & Job Offer Decisions
Have you ever been in a situation where you have analyzed a job offer and still can’t decide whether to accept? You postpone your decision by telling everyone (mostly yourself) that you need to do more analysis. This inability to decide is ultimately a negative decision. If you are choosing to accept an offer or…
Your Career: Are You “Training”? Or Are You Merely “Working Out”?
Part 1 of a three-part series For the better part of my adult life, I have been going to the gym and working out. I’m in good shape, but for many years I have been stuck with this feeling of being comfortable with the results of the effort I was putting in the gym….
You Want to Hire “A” Players? Some Tactical Advice
A few months ago I had a candidate who we recruited a year ago resurface indicating that the time was now right for him to make a move. This candidate was a five-star candidate. Within three days of that candidate’s resurrection, the Executive Vice President and Sr. Vice President of my client orchestrated an hour-long conference call….
Are You Really Who You Say You Are?
Over the past couple years I have noticed an interesting trend and I am curious to read your thoughts. This trend is: The haphazard awarding of titles to those who do not have the responsibilities to match. Once-upon-a-time a young civil engineer, somewhere, with just a few years of engineering experience, was given the title of…
Are You Happy? Or Are You Really Just Scared?
What I love about my job as “headhunter” is the daily interaction I have with civil engineering professionals across the United States discussing their careers. I love learning about the projects they are working on, all they have accomplished, and what motivates them. I love hearing about their kids or activities they enjoy outside of…
What Super Bowl LI Can Teach Us About Recruiting
As a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, I am an unfortunate expert in understanding the concept of “finishing” or “closing out strong,” or rather, how NOT to. That is, through the course of the last few NFL seasons I have come accustomed to the Eagles failing to “finish” or “close out strong” their opponents, witnessing the…
How to Find that Elusive Purple Squirrel
Stop searching. They don’t exist. Seriously. Waiting for the perfect civil engineer to walk through your office doors can be detrimental to your business and will lead to stagnation, stress, and disappointment. So often times I find employers suffering from “paralysis by analysis” as they struggle in identifying candidates that have the 20 exact skills they are…