Iowa State University senior Bryan Smith, from Burlington, had good news for students either studying in engineering or planning to enter the field: of his friends who graduated this past spring from ISU, all had at least one job offer, with one graduate fielding five different opportunities. And, the look on the horizon is that the trend is going to continue. That was the outlook from three ISU seniors serving as site supervisors and inspectors on three separate projects under the supervision of professional engineers at Snyder and Associates, Inc., 501 S.W. Oralabor Road, Ankeny, recently. Smith, who is currently serving as an inspector on a residential housing project in western Clive just off of N.W. 156th Street and Hickman Road, said he chose civil engineering as his specialty because he enjoys design work. "Civil engineering gets you into the design more than other areas and it gives you the best opportunities to be outdoors," Smith said. "I became interested in engineering during my high school years when a massive bridge project was being constructed in Burlington -- I was fascinated by the work." ISU was a natural choice for Smith due to the university's number one ranking as an engineering training ground.t," she said. "I'm in this for the long-term."
Smith said being able to attend an in-state school helped to keep the high cost of education manageable. Smith began his collegiate career at Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Falls, and transferred to ISU. That route allowed him to ease into work at ISU with some collegiate experience under his belt already. That, along with drafting, math and science courses from high school have aided Smith is his goal of earning his degree. "I would advise students thinking of entering engineering to take all the math and science in high school that they can," he said. "Also, if anyone has the opportunity to learn AutoCad, that would be good. Also, any construction work that they can do in high school would benefit them." He also urged engineering students now in programs to consider internship or co-op programs. "I would strongly urge people to get real world experience," Smith said. "Any experience is great and is a real resume builder. It takes you beyond all of the book learning and it's a great way to make money to help offset a college education." A typical day for Smith begins at 7 a.m. and ends around 6 or 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, with some Saturday work required.
He said he averages between 45- to 50-hours per week. He said his main responsibility is to ensure that construction work is going according to specific city codes and specifications. He also is responsible for recording specific site information, such as earth density compaction figures, again to verify that all work is up to snuff. In five years, he said he hopes to be able to earn his professional engineers certification. To earn that designation, Smith said he will have to pass an EIT (Engineer In Training) exam that takes 8- to 9-hours to complete, then work underneath a professional engineer for another four years to earn the privilege of taking the final exam that will then allow him to design his own projects. Alicia Worden, an Ames senior at ISU serving as a construction observer/inspector at a residential housing project in Ankeny just off of Fifth and Delaware north of 1st Avenue, said being a woman in such a male dominated industry in not a problem, never has been. "Actually, I don't even think about the issue," Worden said. "I guess I really have never even thought about it. My philosophy is if you don't think about it, and you don't worry about it, then it's really no big deal. In this business, you're respected for what you know. Male of female, if you don't know your work, if you don't have common sense, then you're in trouble. Everyone treats me the same.
The only difference might be that some people are more polite." Engineering was just a natural segue, she said. "I've always been interested in engineering," Worden said. "It is the only thing that I've wanted to do with my life. I just knew it was what I wanted to do. In high school, I excelled in math and science. You definitely have to have a lot of math and a lot of common sense. Common sense will get you far in this business. "Buildings have always just fascinated me," she continued. "I loved watching them go up. I just wanted to become one of the people to build them." Worden said she estimated that 10-percent of the construction engineering student body at ISU are women. She said she sees no impediment to women entering the field. "None of the guys in my classes treat me any different and the instructors keep the classes gender neutral in simulations," she said. Engineering is not an easy course of study, she said. But, she said the rewards are there if you just continue through the program. "I know personally a couple of handfuls of people who have switched programs," she said. "Some of the classes are set-up to challenge you to see if this is what you really want to do. If you can get past the first couple of years, you will stick with it. I used to watch people mowing lawns for a living and thinking, I could do that, that it wouldn't be so bad. But, you need to go on. You'll get some bad grades, but you'll get good grades, too."
"...the rewards are there if you just continue through the program. "I know personally a couple of handfuls of people who have switched."
"...you need to go on. You'll get some bad grades, but you'll get good grades, too."
"You need to get experience in the field as early as possible," Worden said. "The more experience you have, the more desirable you are to a potential employer and the more prepared you are to do the job."
Completing the program puts graduates in the area of $32,000 to $42,000 per year starting salary while working towards the professional engineering requirements. High school prepared her for her education by teaching her good study habits and giving her a good base to start from. She said ISU is an excellent school to choose for engineering because of its reputation and its small town atmosphere. "I adapted very well to Ames," she said. "The same values I learned in my hometown are the same ones in Ames. You can enjoy college at ISU as long as you keep your common sense." Experience is as important to Worden as to Smith. She said her job is to get lot measurements for services to each individual home so that future owners will have the information if they need to locate a water or gas line and to general review the work to make sure everything is being done to specifications. "You need to get experience in the field as early as possible," Worden said. "The more experience you have, the more desirable you are to a potential employer and the more prepared you are to do the job." She said her average day is Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For Travis Hodapp, a ISU senior from Solon, civil engineering was a natural. His parents own a construction firm and he grew up in the industry. "I can't see myself doing anything else," Hodapp said.
"I like being outdoors and being able to work with my hands." Hodapp is a project manager for a road project at Oralabor Road and Delaware Avenue, Ankeny. He said his job is to oversee the workers at the site to make sure all codes are being adhered to. He said that ISU has about 85-percent placement for construction engineers. He also said ISU is recognized as best in the nation for construction engineering training. "There more and more engineers being needed," Hodapp said. "You need to make sure you know what you want to do. You need to get experience and get a feel for what you want to do. You need to keep your direction and stay with it. There are people still swing a hammer who have engineering degrees but have lost their direction." He said it is difficult getting through the engineering programs but "the payoff is there is you get through it." Hodapp said he has noticed more woman entering the field but he said the industry still lacks a large number of minorities, at least in construction engineering. He said most minorities chose more technical engineering fields, such as mechanical or electrical engineering. He said high school prepared him for the job by teaching him social skills and how to deal with people. All of the three ISU seniors said they plan to remain in the state and possibly the metro area to begin their careers. Hodapp said that even for his classmates who may chose to leave the state early, Iowa will draw them back. "There statistics that show people do come back to Iowa," he said. "I'm getting married soon and we're looking for a house here. I think most will remain in Iowa."