TCEP 039: The Path to Partnership from Experienced Civil Engineers

In episode 039 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, we are going to talk about the path to partnership for civil engineers. We will play a recording of a panel from our Engineering Career Summit in New Orleans earlier this year, where you will hear 3 seasoned civil engineers discussing the path to partnership and the positives and negatives about becoming a partner in an engineering firm. Here are some of the questions that get asked during the panel discussion: When is it a good time to ask yourself if you are material for a partner at a civil engineering firm? What skills did you wish you could have worked on before you became a partner, that would have helped you where you are now? What do you do when you have an employee who feels like he has met all the requirements to basically be an owner, and you as the civil engineering company do not recognize that yourself and offer that to them? What are some of the negative aspects of being a partner or business owner in a civil engineering firm? What made you go from losing your job, and then all of a sudden starting your own civil engineering company, and getting into this entrepreneurial state? In general how do you evaluate your future leaders and future talent? How early on in somebody's career would you take notice that this person potentially can grow into a leadership role? Quotes to think about: Here are some key points discussed in this episode: Try to take a longer horizon approach rather than just the next raise or when you are going to become a partner. Try to really invest in your own future. Work hard in trying to get to develop yourself, be prepared to work long hours and go above and beyond. The best time to look for other opportunities is when you're not under the pressure that you've been laid off, or when you've just grown so frustrated that you hate waking up in the morning and going to work. If you want to be an owner of a civil engineering company and you don't have the gusto to go out on your own and do it, pick a company that is an employee owned company that is open to selling shares. It's very important that before you start announcing your intentions to be a partner, that you're comfortable with the way that the upper management of the firm is operating, because you're not going to come in as a new partner and change that in many circumstances. When determining if someone is eligible to become a partner at a civil engineering firm, ask the question if they bring more into the firm than they take out of the firm on a daily basis, or on an annual basis. There are multiple considerations you have to put forward in your mind and answer before you go around naming your intentions and proclaiming your intentions to be a partner in a firm. The easiest way to become a partner is to start as number one by starting your own engineering company, which is also one of the hardest and most rewarding ways. It is really critical to plan things out and to execute on that plan and always re-visit your plan. Anticipate where you're going next and what education, or what other experience or type of projects you need to work on. Express that you want that partnership opportunity and don't just ask for a performance review. The good news about being an engineer is that you're competing with other engineers. You're not competing with business people. You just have to be incrementally better to be a little bit more successful. If you're a lot better, you can be a lot more successful than some of the smaller engineering firms. You don't get rich by owning the company. You get rich when you sell the company and cash out your shares.