What inspired you to want to become a civil engineer?
Growing up in a developing country like Zambia, I witnessed water, electric, and transportation scarcity first hand. Zambia has a chronic infrastructure problem, where infrastructure has been ageing and failing for years. Roads have been the epitome of that issue; portions of the population walk several kilometers to get to their villages from the city. Further, very few individuals have access to means of public transportation due to a lack of roads. Experiencing these inequities first-hand inspired me to pursue a career path where I had the opportunity to make a positive impact and help the communities I live in, as well as the general public.

How did you get involved with industry associations?
I was initially encouraged to attend meetings by my former employer but once I realized the benefit it had on the company as well as my career, I began to willingly attend events. At these events, I networked with people and when volunteer or leadership opportunities arose, I threw my name in the hat if I believed I could provide value in the position. I must recognize RK&K, who from day one has supported my involvement in these organizations and encouraged all staff to participate in professional organizations.
This was one of the main reasons I joined RK&K.

What is your level of involvement with these industry associations?
I am a member of some (NSPE and ISI) and an officer or director of others (ASCE, ASHE, YPT). My roles are
as follows:
• ASCE National - TD&I Young Member Committee
• ASCE National Capital Section – Education Committee Chair and Younger Member Secretary
• ASHE Potomac Section – Young Member Coordinator
• YPT DC – Sponsorships Chair

How has this involvement been beneficial for you and your career?
The networking benefits excluded, I have been able to learn more about the industry, develop my soft skills, improve my time management abilities, and hone my leadership skills while being a part of these boards. I have also been able to take the skills learned from these groups and apply them to my work at RK&K.

Have you ever networked with someone that yielded an unpredictable result?
Yes, I was able to get my position at RK&K through networking. I was introduced to someone at RK&K at a 5k fun run, and I was actually not looking for a job at the time. But we exchanged information and I decided to join a couple of months later. I think this is a cool story of how powerful networking is even when you are just trying to have a fun.

What advice would you give to someone who has never been to a networking event before?
If you are a young professional like myself, I highly recommend joining or attending any young member events as they serve as a lower stress environment to network in. At the event, I would recommend you find someone else you notice struggling to break into conversation or hanging out on their own and begin a conversation with them. If you have coworkers attending an event, ask them to introduce you to others. I am a strong advocate of building lasting relationships and not superficial ones. With that, I do not recommend anyone go into an event with the goal of obtaining the most business cards possible. Rather, focus on just meeting a few people that you can build more meaningful connections with and
progressively build your network from there.

In time management, how do you weave networking into an already tumultuous workload?
As the adage goes, you make time for what you care about, and in this instance, I care about the growth of my career and my roles in these organizations. I will make the time whenever possible and, in most cases, this will be after work or on the weekend. Fortunately, my employer supports me in this effort, so it rarely gets overwhelming.

You are incredibly active on LinkedIn, what results have you yielded from this?
I personally enjoy using LinkedIn because you can get so much out of it. Being active has resulted in my profile getting more noticed and getting other opportunities like this interview. I typically use LinkedIn for three main items:

1. News – I like to keep up to date with latest industry news and local organizations.
2. Network – I use it to connect with people I have met, rather than having a traditional rolodex. I have also used it to do a bit of research before going out to events, if a registration list is
provided.
3. Personal Branding – I create and promote posts that align with my personal brand and what I want to be associated with. It is a powerful tool that can be used for marketing yourself as well as your company.

I’ll start this by stating that a mentor can be a great resource to help guide your professional and personal growth. I believe mentorship is akin to friendship and should not be one-sided. The best mentor relationships are the ones where each side learns something from the other. No matter how young you are, you never know what someone can learn from you.
 
For those of you who have not been fortunate enough to find a mentor within your own organization, you should look into formal mentoring programs. These can be just as helpful. One example is ASCE Mentor Match, which has a framework set up to facilitate mentoring by putting the onus on the mentee to choose a mentor based on criteria such as occupation, years of experience, specialty, or interests.
 
Once you have a mentor, it is important to ask the right questions.
 
Here are my top five questions to ask your mentor, as a young professional:
 
1. What is a key lesson you’ve learned that you wish you’d known as a young professional?
This is a question I always recommend, since it can provide valuable insight that you can take on board in your own career. This helps you avoid falling into the same pitfalls as others and can help you with mapping out your own path.
 
2. What’s the most important leadership lesson you’ve learned and how is it valuable?
I always like to ask this one because it helps you learn leadership techniques and ways to apply them. Leadership is a skill, and learning from others will give you a head start in developing your leadership skills.
 
3. How do you balance your work and home life?
I believe this a great question to ask as young professionals often find it difficult to set boundaries. I know I did. It can be difficult to say no and all too easy to try to impress your peers by taking on more than you can handle. However, you must take care of your health and clearly define the line between business and personal to have a more fulfilled life.
 
4. Can you tell me about a time when you had a difficult co-worker or work environment? How did you handle it?
As a professional, you will undoubtedly be faced with difficult situations, and it can help to understand how to best navigate those, learning from someone who has gone through it. Learning how to have difficult conversations and deal with conflict can be a useful skill to learn early and can later be used in leadership positions.
 
5. How do you go about building/maintaining your network?
This is may be common knowledge but having a strong network is beneficial to growing professionally. Your network can open doors for you and provide opportunities – whether that be jobs, contacts, mentorship, the list goes on. I believe it’s best to begin building your network as a young professional and continue to grow it as you progress in your career.
 
There are several other questions you could and should ask your mentors. These are simply my top five that I believe will give you invaluable insight and hopefully help you start your career off on the right foot or keep it on track.
 If you don’t already have a mentor, I definitely recommend finding one. Just someone you can turn to when you need advice.

**See article featured on Member Voices here: https://collaborate.asce.org/careerbydesign/member-voices

Here are my top resume tips for young professionals and students that I think can help you secure more interviews and stand out based on my experience and having spoken to a couple of recruiters.

1. Template - This is often overlooked and usually only the elaborate graphic design resumes make the rounds on social media. However, most companies use ATS software to scan resumes against job postings and Adobe Illustrator resumes while beautiful, are not very ATS friendly. Consider using one of these templates, to make sure your resume makes it passed the screening software and to the hiring manager.
2. Format - Consistency is key, make sure your resume uses the same font, text size, date format and alignment throughout. You want your resume to look clean and professional, as any inconsistency or spelling errors will show a lack of detail. 
3. Structure - This is subjective and may change based on each stage of your career.
   • For Young Professionals - I recommend the following order: 1. Name/Contact Info, 2. Professional Experience, 3. Leadership or Volunteer Experience, 4. Skills, 5. Certifications, 6. Professional Memberships and 7. Education.
   • For Students - I recommend the following order: 1. Name/Contact Info, 2. Education, 3. Relevant Experience or Coursework, 4. Skills, 5. Certifications 6. Volunteer Experience and 7. Organizations.
4. Tailor Your Resume for Each Position - You want to tailor the following sections of your resume to each position you are applying for: 
   • Summary – A strong summary that highlights your experience, articulates your value and aligns yourself with the employer's needs by demonstrating why you are the best fit for the job.
   •  Work Experience - Word your responsibilities towards the specific position you are applying for, remembering to incorperate any keywords that are listed in the job posting. Ensure that you begin each bullet point with a verb and try to incorporate any programs used, if possible. For example: "Designed 3D grading using AutoCAD Civil 3D for site development projects". If applicable, quantify your responsibilities and results on each project/task. For students, add any internships or relevant coursework that will showcase your knowledge, and any software you have used that is relevant to the position.
   • Skills - This is where you would add all the software/programs that you experience with and use regularly. Add the versions of each software (i.e AutoCAD Civil 3D 2020 or MicroStation SS10) and be sure to highlight programs that are listed in the job requirements of the position you are applying for.
   • Certifications/Training - Here you should add any certification (ENV SP, LEED Green Assoc.) that you have obtained or specific trainings you have taken for specific software or management. For students, add if you have passed the FE (i.e Fundamentals of Engineering Exam: Passed March 2021), even if you cannot apply for your EIT until after graduation, as it shows you are on the way to eventually obtaining your PE. If you have not yet taken the FE, add when you plan on taking it (i.e Fundamental of Engineering Exam: Expected May 2021).
5. Honesty - This is the golden rule, always be honest on your resume and particularly if you are a student. Most employers know that students and to a lesser extent young professionals are not expected to know everything and there will be a learning curve, so there is no need to embellish your proficiency or responsibilities. In my opinion, it is better to act with integrity rather than stretching the truth, as it will not help you in the long run by misrepresenting yourself and your abilities.

Lastly, I always recommend getting your resume reviewed by a colleague, peer or family member to help catch any errors or check for clarity. That being said, I am happy to review anyone's resume, so please send them my way. Hopefully you can find some value from these tips and they help you secure more interviews and subsequently jobs.  

**This a re-post from an article I wrote on LinkedIn in 2016 but I believe the recommendations still apply and I tweaked it slightly for 2021**

From the euphoric highs of graduation and reveling in the culmination of a 4 year long goal to the depressing lows of staring at a screen hoping for a lifeline, I've experienced it firsthand. Life often comes at you hard and fast, leaving you to scramble to get to grips. I know what it feels like to be unemployed immediately after graduation, it is not a pleasant feeling to say the least. It's difficult to see your peers progressing with their careers while you're standing still. But I'm here to tell you it doesn't last forever, just believe! Here are some of my tips for getting through this challenging period.

1. Reach Out - I found that getting in touch with peers, professors and relatives is a valuable resource that many people do not utilize to the fullest. It can be a way to get your foot in the door or a potential reference for any future application. I have often asked them to review my resume and offer any improvements. It is also another way to build your network and make connections that may prove useful in the future, if nothing else. Linkedin can also be a great resource to expand your network and got your application in front of a recruiter.
2. Work Smart and Reserch - Let technology work for you and help you with your job search, set job alerts using Google to notify you weekly or daily about jobs posted in the past 30 days. This will help you be quicker than the competition to the application page and potentially give you a slight upper hand. Additonally, research the positions and people on Linkedin that work for the same company with the job title you are applying for. This will give you an idea of the position and will help with coming up with questions to ask the interviewer.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice - This may sound obvious but it's constantly underestimated, Practice your 30 second pitch to potential employers to the point where it is second nature. I looked up common interview questions and thought about appropriate responses as well as thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about themselves and the company. Learning about the company you are interviewing with is key. What are their core values? How are their financials? What is their most recent milestone? Who are their direct competitors? I would try and find a way to work this information into my responses. Overall, I guess just be prepared so when opportunity knocks, you're ready to answer.
4. Keep Learning - You will most likely get interviews (phone or in person) that will not work out, learn from them. Every set back can be taken as a learning experience. It is important to not get too down on yourself. After the every rejection email, I often contacted the interviewer to thank them for their time and asked for any constructive feedback. This is not limited to your job search, keep learning in your chosen field. I studied and obtained certifications (EIT) that would help me build a stronger case for myself as well as learned new programs (Bluebeam and MS Project) that may be useful in my upcoming career.
5. Be Active- Do the activities you enjoy, without any regrets. From experience, I can safely say you will drive yourself insane just staring at a screen all day, feeling guilty that any minute away will be an opportunity missed. That is no way to live. embrace your situation! Although not ideal this may be the only time for a while that you are free to do everything you enjoy without the burden of school or work. Personally, I would save a couple of afternoons for a round of golf and few hours a day to hit the gym, read a book, watch a movie or draw. It is a great way to refresh your mind and re-focus on the big picture.
6. Don't Lower Your Standards - I know it can be tempting while dealing with unemployment to settle for less, but it's not worth it in the long run. I would constantly think about lowering my salary demands, applying to jobs in the middle of no where and positions that I knew I wouldn't enjoy. After much deliberation, I found that it's not worth it to work for less than you're worth or in cities that are unappealing or jobs that will likely drain the happiness from you over time. I stuck to my standards and only applied to companies I wanted to work for, in cities that I liked and for positions I thought I would excel. That way, when you do finally get employed it's at place you can see yourself growing for the foreseeable future.
7. Golden Rule: NEVER GIVE UP - While it can be difficult when things just aren't swinging your way and interviews are few and far between, usually followed by a rejection email; it is paramount to keep a positive attitude and keep moving forward. Nothing good is going to come from feeling sorry for yourself or regretting decisions you've made over the years. Life doesn't owe you anything, a job isn't going to fall into your lap while your laying on the couch. It's on you to get out there and make it happen. Apply to a set minimum number of jobs a day, post your resume on job boards, contact HR representatives on LinkedIn and ask about potential openings. I got a couple of interviews by physically going to offices and dropping off my resume with the receptionist. Finally, have a little faith that it will all work out in the end.

While I was applying to all these jobs over a span of time that felt like forever, a close friend would always tell me "you only need one to say yes". Thankfully, I have now been employed for 4+ years and have even switch jobs once. Those firms took a chance on me and I come in everyday making sure they never regret that decision. I hope this helps anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.

**These tips are based on my personal experience and should not be taken as guarantees**

Here we go, welcome to my blog! I having been debating about starting a blog for over a year, because I would like a vessel to share the information I have gained throughout my young career. While not all the information, tips, and thoughts may be useful, I believe there will be at least something in each post that can be taken away. I am gearing this toward early career professional in the Civil Engineering industry but hope to add more young adult life content as well.

Hope you take this leap with me as I begin my blogging journey!