An ESRC Event at the end of March brought together economists, social scientists and behavioural psychologists to discuss the route ways to a low carbon future. 

One striking piece of research indicated that, even with individuals favourable to or committed to low carbon behaviour, there are a number of issues such as foreign holidays, the car and meat-eating that are outside their consciousness. 

Interestingly, international aviation and shipping is seen as an area which was most difficult to tackle. 

Overall conclusions were that without regulation progress is minimal, and that belief in technological solutions without behavioural change is doomed to failure.

Mike Chrimes

This year’s Rankine Lecture was delivered by Professor Malcolm Bolton of Cambridge University. 

Much of his career at Cambridge and formerly UMIST, has been associated with the use of centrifuge testing: a gross simplification for somebody who has produced over 200 publications.  Over the last decade he has been developing and promoting MSD (Mobilisable Stress Design). 

He used the Lecture, illustrated with case studies of slope stability, shallow foundations and propped retaining walls, to demonstrate how his approach could improve understanding and geotechnical design. 

He concluded on a controversial note, ridiculing a partial safety factor of 1.4 in EC7 in bored pile design, which he sees as adding an unnecessary 40% of concrete. 

Claiming that young engineers were still being trained in the methods of their grandfathers, the Lecture is well worth looking at for its entertainment value, but contains serious messages for design engineers.

Mike Chrimes

A chance encounter at an Infrastructure Research event provided me with an insight into how at least one leading UK engineering department is thinking in terms of future course validation.

To ensure the department is attractive to foreign students, and can compete globally in that regard, leading academics are looking to see how their courses can be accredited in line with the American Society of Civil Engineers criteria / ADEPT criteria.  They believe this would help with PE qualification in the US, and global economic and employment trends.

How this would sit alongside the skills needs of engineers practising in the UK, and elsewhere in Europe is obviously a question for debate! 
 
As is the impact on UK course moderation generally.

 Mike Chrimes

At the ONREC conference in October, BSI gave a short presentation on the new British Standard for online recruitment (BS 8877: A Code of Practice for Online Recruitment).

The Standard is thoroughly well intentioned and attempts to address common concerns around transparency, data security and quality of information.

Online job hunters will be all too familiar with the symptoms: poorly written job descriptions; non-existent vacancies designed to attract new CVs for the consultant’s database; little or no feedback about the progress of applications; the steady stream of post-registration spam.

BSI says the Standard will help online recruiters to:

• demonstrate they are following best practice
• differentiate their service to clients/employers
• protect the reputation of their business and clients business
• better meet with regulatory responsibilities

No arguments here. More information for job seekers makes for better informed application choices and more relevant short lists for cash-conscious, time-poor recruiters.

However, chatting with a friend in the bar afterwards, we both wondered where job boards fit into BSI’s vision of the world. Stuck haplessly between the recruiter and the job seeker, blamed by both sides for the scrappy job ads and speculative, irrelevant applications that clog up the online work flows.

We can’t legislate better job boards into existence. But a common code of practice is at least a step in the right direction.

The Doctor

At the recent Australia New Zealand Engineering Heritage Conference, Andrew Marriott from Auckland reported on ‘The performance of heritage buildings in the 2010-2011 Christchuch earthquake swarm’.

Many older buildings failed due to inappropriate traditional construction methods combined with poor maintenance.

In the case of heritage (listed) buildings, there was a shortage of engineers available to carry out structural inspections with knowledge of the heritage sector. He made a plea for more history and heritage to be taught at universities, and more engineers to study traditional/historical construction methods.

Overall  24% of listed buildings in Christchurch are being demolished, and 39% in the central area. Appropriate strengthening could have reduced this.

The increase in insurance premiums may result in further demolition rather than seeking professional advice.

There was a feeling that other towns in Australasia are similarly vulnerable.

Mike Chrimes

Mike is a guest speaker at the 16th EHA conference in Tasmania this week

It is a fantastic feeling finally to  complete your degree, but it can also be extremely daunting and difficult to know exactly how to begin your search for a job.

If you are looking for a career in civil engineering, there are some key ways to ensure you are making yourself as attractive as possible to employers.

Careers Fairs and Presentations

One of the best ways to get yourself noticed and to find out as much as possible about potential employers is to attend careers fairs and presentations.

All of the major players in civil engineering, including Jacobs, Atkins, Arup and Balfour Beatty, will have a presence at university fairs, and this gives you the ideal opportunity to speak to other graduates and engineers working for the organisation. You can find out first-hand about the graduate scheme the company have on offer, what areas they specialise in and any other benefits they offer. It also gives you the opportunity to shine and stand out to the employer.

If you come across as really keen and give a good impression, there is a high chance that one of the representatives will remember you!

Preparing your CV and applying for jobs

When preparing your CV and applying for jobs, it is essential to state exactly which area of civil engineering you are interested in. For example, you may have specialised in water, highways or traffic, and you need to make this clear to employers: this is crucial.

If you simply say you are interested in any job in civil engineering and apply for every civil engineering job available in the company, chances are they won’t take you forward. Large-sized civil engineering organisations will have many departments, with different hiring managers, and they want to be sure that you have a passion for the area they work in, rather than feeling that you are just looking for anything. Rightly or wrongly, this is the way the hiring decision often works.

It is also important to do some research into the organisations you are applying to. Don’t simply apply to the companies who offer the highest salary or a golden handshake. Take time to consider what you are looking for from your career. If you want to progress, does the organisation have a good graduate development scheme in place? Would you like to travel? Find out what the options are and whether the organisation is global.

Be flexible

Civil engineering is highly competitive so it is in your best interests to be as flexible as possible. Many other graduates will consider relocating for the right jobs, and it will put you at a disadvantage if you are not open to these opportunities. It does not have to be forever - often you can relocate and move back when a suitable position becomes available in your own locale. The willingness to be flexible will make a good impression on your new employer.

For more information about graduate engineering jobs, visit WikiJob.co.uk, the graduate jobs pages on icerecruit.com and the career development section of the ICE web site.

Edward Mellett, WikiJob.co.uk

There was a dramatic switch in the general public satisfaction with domestic energy supply in the last quarter. 

ICE obtains regular public opinion data on attitudes to the state of roads, public transport, water supply, domestic energy.  Prompted no doubt by rising energy costs, public satisfaction with the sector has collapsed by more than 20%. 

While investment in roads and public transport remain their priority, investment in energy is now the public’s third priority.  It will be interesting to see whether this activates an interest in more domestic power solutions. 

This is one area where the consumer can take direct action, whereas they can do little to effect road improvements or better public transport outside the ballot box.

 Mike Chrimes

22 July saw the media launch of ICE’s response to the Government consultation on HS2, the proposed high-speed rail route north of London. 

HS2 can mark a steep change in Britain’s transport network, although the first stage will only link London and Birmingham.  Should work begin it will provide inspiration and work for a new generation of railway engineers who are only able to present to work on system improvements to an essentially Victorian network. Even Crossrail is the realisation of a century old idea!

ICE’s response was the result of months of consultation and with members and transport experts, and revealed an enormous range of opinion within the membership.  Some see the scheme as an environmental disaster, others as part of a low carbon future.  Some views seemed to be unable to grasp the broader national interest, so concerned were they with local issues.  There were many similarities to the views expressed when Robert Stephenson struggled to get the original London railway line through Parliament in 1830-1833.  By the time the line was opening (1837-1839) most people were hailing a visionary transport revolution, and the demand for railway engineers rapidly exceeded supply.  Ultimately, British railway expertise transformed the world.

Let us hope HS2 can emulate this success for the profession.

Mike Chrimes

Getting the most out of social media (Part 1)

Everyone’s doing it.

Tweeting, twittering. Whatever.

Blogging. Poking. Giving Google Plus One.

It’s ubiquitous, it’s cool and it’s free. There’s even a movie named after it. So social media must be good for recruitment, too.

Mustn’t it?

The truth is that, in some ways, social networking is in its infancy and people are still working out how to use it effectively.

Commentators generalise glibly about the power of ‘social media’. However, it is important to remember that the key players in this space are fundamentally different in specific ways.

For example, Half the UK is on Facebook but it’s predominantly a community space where people connect with friends and share things they like. From a business point of view, Facebook is strictly B2C, with companies like Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s building out the brand and shifting more product with exclusive promotions and fan rewards.

LinkedIn is the world’s biggest professional network and was recently valued at a staggering $11.5bn. However, it sometimes seems confused about its true identity. In particular, LinkedIn’s new recruitment functionality does not sit cAomfortably with the site’s original aim of joining up the global business community. Who wants to discretely advertise their availability for work to half their existing colleagues? Or sign up for lots of interesting-looking Groups and then disappear under a flood of self-promotional spam, for that matter.

On the whole, real-life networking continues to be a lot more subtle, and enjoyable, than its online counterpart.

Twitter is best when it’s being spontaneous and personal, but it is also an alarmingly public medium, as a growing number of celebrities have found to their cost. The 178-character limit doesn’t lend itself to the delicate mating dance between recruiter and jobseeker.

Meanwhile Google Plus One, the new kid on the block, the Facebook killer, has so far drawn very mixed reviews.

So social media is no good for recruitment, after all?

Well, not quite. But that needs a whole other blog post to cut through the hype and get to the massive potential value of social networks for recruiters and the jobseekers they are trying to find.

Or friend. Or something.

The Doctor

Losing your job can be a difficult experience, even when it doesn’t come as a surprise. So can struggling to find your first job, after four years at university and with a student loan to pay off.Unfortunately it’s an experience increasing numbers of engineering professionals are having to come to terms with, as the UK economy continues in the doldrums and the prospects for sustained recovery in the European zone remain uncertain.

The internet means that it’s easier than ever before to get your shiny new CV in front of prospective employers. But it’s certainly not the only way to get your career back on track and there’s no substitute for the personal touch, especially in today’s challenging employment market.

1 Register on a job board

Specialist job boards like ICErecruit are a good way to browse through lots of opportunities and zero in on the ones that really interest you. Check out the list of employers who regularly use the site - are these the kind of companies you want to work for? Remember to update your CV and tailor it to suit the specific job you are applying for. Sign up for job alerts by email to make sure you’re not missing out on anything, and try not to get discouraged if some of your applications don’t get a response. Employers don’t always have the resources to acknowledge every application they receive.

2 Try the personal touch

The unadvertised vacancy is a bit of an urban myth, but it’s true that some jobs are filled before they even get to a job board. Keep an eye on industry news: companies who have won a big project are likely to be recruiting soon. Introduce yourself to the hiring manager by email and politely ask if you can follow-up with a phone call. It’s not an easy thing to do, but proactive, dedicated staff are always hard to find and employers tend to be impressed by candidates who take the time to understand their company and think about how they can add value. Even if there isn’t a vacancy available at the time, ask if you can stay in touch. When there is an opening, a smart employer likes to work his or her network of contacts rather than pay a consultant to do it for them.

3 Grow your network

LinkedIn is a popular way of raising your profile among potential employers, generating new contacts and getting back in touch with old colleagues. LinkedIn also markets itself as a recruitment solution and provides advice to jobseekers on how to get the best out of their network. Facebook is more of a social medium, but companies are increasingly likely to have an official Facebook page with news, jobs and opportunities to interact.

But don’t get isolated in front of your PC - get out and meet people, too. Turn online friends into offline conversations. Get along to events and open days where recruiters are exhibiting: many of these are free and provide opportunities for introducing yourself and making new contacts.

4 Be flexible

You may not be able to find exactly the job you want: at least, not right now. But by staying flexible and keeping your options open, you give yourself a better chance of landing a permanent role. Personal circumstances tend to dictate just how flexible you can be, but being prepared to travel and even re-locate, work in a different sector or specialism or even settle for a lower salary than you hoped are all decisions that will open up a larger number of opportunities for you. And everyone knows it’s easier to get a new job when you are already in a job.

If you’re ready to travel, international recruiters, especially from Australia and New Zealand, are always keen to see experienced engineers who’d like to enjoy a different lifestyle Down Under. And if you’re able to put something back and gain some more experience at the same time, charities and disaster relief organisations regularly advertise on ICErecruit and will welcome you with open arms.

5 Invest in yourself

Just because you’re not in work at the moment does mean you should neglect your personal development: recruiters value employees who are committed to self improvement, even if it’s at their own expense.

Do some additional training to add to your skillset and increase your employability: Thomas Telford, for example, runs a wide range of specialist civil engineering courses.

Join a membership organisation. ICE, for instance, has a wide range of benefits for members looking to develop their career, including a discounted subscriptions to NCE and ICE journals, unique opportunities to network with your peers at national and regional meetings and attend a year long program of expert briefings and lectures, as well as access to the biggest civil engineering Library in Europe.

Good luck and happy hunting!

The Doctor