From mentee to mentor: This civil engineering leader offers career growth advice
Originally published by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Civil Engineering Source.
View from the C-suite is a monthly interview series with leaders in the civil engineering industry, designed to provide peers with insight into advancing their careers.
Civil Engineering Source: What is your favorite aspect of leadership?
Nik Vigener: My favorite aspect of leadership is seeing people I hired and coached years ago move into leadership roles. In 2001, I opened the SGH office in Washington, D.C. Some of the people I hired grew up in the office, are still with us, and are now senior professionals. That’s super gratifying.
Source: What three nontechnical skills should all civil engineers cultivate in their practices?
NV: Learn a foundational skill early on in your career that grounds you and becomes a stabilizing lens through which you see the world. In high school, I learned carpentry. It was not just a great engineering-adjacent skill that enriched my life; it also taught me a value system.
Another skill is learning how to touch-type. I can type really fast, and I bet it has saved me thousands of hours in my career.
Finally, learn how to deal with people. I love hiring people with backgrounds in retail or food service. Those jobs are perfect training grounds for engineering; they teach humility and are customer-facing.