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Post-pandemic, the construction industry is booming, and so is competition for civil engineering and construction management graduates. This week, representatives from nearly two dozen companies attended a job fair hosted by the ��ɫ���� chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

The third annual event—held in-person at the University Student Union instead of virtually—was open to civil engineering, construction management, and business management majors.

“There’s a lot of competition to hire engineers, especially good ones,” said Christian Cochrun, vice president of construction operations for Duke Realty, which hires 2-3 interns each year from ��ɫ���� and Cal Poly. He added that one or two top-notch resumes could make a day of exhibiting worthwhile.

In such a competitive hiring environment, companies stress their strengths. At Duke, said Cochrun, employees gain experience in the entire real estate development process, from purchase to construction and operation.

Jimmy Baker, a 2020 ��ɫ���� civil engineering grad, said he has been working for the Irvine-based urban development company, Huitt-Zollars, since early in the pandemic. “I get to do everything—grading, hydrology, modeling. It’s really interesting work,” said Baker, a former co-president of the ��ɫ���� chapter of ASCE.

Another advantage of working for Huitt-Zollars, he said, is management’s flexibility when it comes to work-life balance. Baker said many graduates are receiving multiple offers, which puts them in a strong negotiating position when it comes to salary and benefits. “This is the best time to graduate in a really long time,” he said.

Caltrans, meanwhile, can offer positions on a variety of engineering projects, located throughout the state. ��ɫ���� 2018 civil engineering graduate Luis Vargas said one of his ��ɫ���� professors suggested he apply at the statewide transportation agency. Vargas was hired as a transportation engineer in Caltrans’ Department of Engineering Services Bridge Design, and was assigned to a bridge project.

Colleague Patrick Khanh said he appreciates the willingness of Caltrans engineers to share their knowledge, as well as the rotations that allow entry-level engineers to gain experience in a variety of areas. Then there are the thrills and chills. Khanh said one of his career highlights was inspecting the cables on the 365-foot-high Vincent Thomas Bridge. “I did it once,” he said. “But I wouldn’t want to do it again.”

ASCE members Cesar Hernandez and Patrick Nguyen, both expecting to graduate in Fall 2023, said they attended the fair to look for summer internships at companies that were a good fit. After last year’s virtual job fair, they said they appreciated being back in-person.  

In addition to Caltrans, Duke, and Huitt-Zollars, the companies that exhibited at the job fair included: ARCO, Diaz-Yourman, Kimley-Horn, KPFF, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Mark Thomas, MHP Structural, Michael Baker, Prace, Turner, and Skanska.