Interviewing for the Future

MetroConnects is making connections! Development Program Manager Martin Bowen headed to Clemson University last month to help prepare future civil engineers for the job market during a mock interview event sponsored by the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering. The event paired students with civil engineers from across a variety of sectors, with MetroConnects representing opportunities in public service and wastewater. According to one event organizer, students were thrilled to receive advice on navigating their academics and future career paths, and reflected on the meaningful connections they made during the interviews. Bowen agreed that these types of events are essential to help prepare the next generation for the workforce and to draw attention to the municipal sector.

“These type of events are important to Metro because it is critical to stay engaged in the future workforce and to get Metro’s name out there,” Bowen said, adding that participating in the event was also of personal importance to him. “I believe education and a student’s understanding of opportunities is critical to their success.”

And opportunities in the water and wastewater fields abound in South Carolina! Wastewater professionals are already in demand, and a predicted wave of baby boomer retirements, together with an influx of federal monies for infrastructure improvement projects, is expected to open up even more jobs in the sector in the immediate future.

As students discovered during the event, careers in civil engineering are both rewarding and meaningful. “Civil engineers are involved in all parts of the built environment and in the protection and restoration of the natural environment,” Maria Lehman, 2022-2023 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) president, has said. “Based on the broadness of the profession, it has (an) incredible impact on our daily lives.”

The Glenn Department of Civil Engineering is planning to continue hosting mock interview events to help prepare South Carolina’s future civil engineers. MetroConnects looks forward to being there to recruit the best and the brightest to the wastewater sector.