Six Lessons Every Engineering Student Should Learn Before Graduating

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Big thank you to the podcast partners for making this episode possible
PPI: https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/PPI2Pass
Audible: https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Audible
Skillshare: https://www.luisfelipeduque.com/Skillshare

It is always a pleasure to be invited to speak at conferences and big events but speaking to smaller groups of students is a lot of times more fulfilling. Last week, I was invited to speak to the Metro State University ASCE student chapter in Denver. I have been a practitioner advisor for them for a little while now as they navigate becoming an active chapter again.

In this talk, the students wanted to know what are some skills and practices they need to know once they graduate. I shared with them how I struggled to find my first structural engineering job, lessons from all of the non-structural engineering jobs, and some of the lessons I have learned early on in my career.

In this episode you will learn (Video Time Stamps)

00:00 Intro
00:12 Personal Introduction
03:44 Lessons from my previous non-structural engineering jobs
05:05 Some accomplishments early in my career despite the challenges
07:20 Five skills are needed to become a great engineer
10:15 Final Lessons from my journey to become a structural engineer
14:50 Advice from other engineers
18:50 How to get companies to call you back after applying for a job
20:40 How to answer interview questions about conflict resolution
22:20 Is it OK to reach out to alumni from your university that work at a company you want to work for?
23:20 How do you know what you want when applying for a job?
24:26 Is changing jobs frequently a bad decision early in your career?
25:58 Best way to stand out while looking for internships
28:28 last words