Rosendin

As the nation’s infrastructure continues to age, and cities look to redevelop and expand, civil and construction engineers are needed to manage projects, everything from rebuilding bridges to constructing new multiuse buildings of all shapes and sizes.

In fact, civil engineering is among the top eight most in-demand engineering careers fro 2020.

Here four individuals working in a variety of positions share what it’s like to work in the foundational civil and construction engineering disciplines and share how to construct your own career within them.

Chun Coordinates Customer Needs with Staff Work for Rosendin

Ryan Chun, PE serves as a bridge between Rosendin – a nationwide electrical contractor headquartered in San Jose, CA – and its customers. Chun is a pre-construction manager at Rosendin’s Hawaii regional office, where he interacts with customers through value-added design concepts and estimating services, as well as coordinates preconstruction efforts with Rosendin’s operations and field teams. He works on a variety of projects, including affordable housing and large hotel chains.

For instance, he recently worked on the Metropolis project in downtown Los Angeles, CA, which includes an 18-story hotel and four residential, high-rise condominiums.

With a degree in electrical engineering, Chun has always had a fascination with electrical theory, albeit previously in digital and analog design. But when he had the chance to participate in the Solar Decathlon, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) competition to inspire student teams to design and build net-zero energy homes, and was exposed to renewables, power, and the construction industry, his fascination shifted.

“Since then,” says Chun, “I’ve immersed myself in that career path.”

“I feel like the best way to prepare is to have an open mind to learn new things. This helps to provide the diligence an engineer needs to lear basic skills, but also inspires them to think outside the box, and provide innovative solutions to complex technical challenges.”

Chun was hired by Rosendin 10 years ago, right out of college, as an analytics engineer.

“Unbeknownst to me at the time, I was hired by the largest privately-held electrical contractor in the nation that puts their people first,” he says.

What Chun enjoys most about his job is that there’s always something new to learn technically and practically: “I enjoy that there’s always a new challenge to tackle and to overcome.”

He also appreciates that whether he’s interacting with the field, operations, estimating or engineering staff, he’s always surrounded by talented professionals.

“I think that’s a testament to Rosendin culture that’s been built over the years,” he notes.

To other young professionals, Chun advises not to pursue the money, but instead to better your craft.

“Honestly, I feel like the best way to prepare is to have an open mind to learn new things,” he says. “This helps to provide the diligence an engineer needs to learn basic skills but also inspires them to think outside the box and provide innovative solutions to complex technical challenges.”

Find career opportunities with Rosendin at rosendin.com/careers. Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and YouTube.