The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

We’re all familiar with the fact that every single person has a distinctly moving and interesting story of how they got into Civil Engineering and the various obstacles each of them had to face while pursuing that path, ranging from family responsibilities to personal difficulties in learning a specific subject. Today, Isaac brings another one of these incredible stories by talking to Jeff Castill...

It’s not new to anyone that the depth portion of the PE exam, as the whole exam itself, can be pretty challenging. Given that our mission at Civil Engineering Academy’s mission to help you on your journey to becoming a professionally licensed engineer, Isaac, and the CEA crew have teamed up with Andy Richardson to provide test-takers with the best coursework and materials related to the depth port...

There are plenty of civil engineering schools today, located in all different parts of the country, ranging from the world-renowned and relatively expensive ones to the small- and mid-sized schools, with more affordable tuition fees. Even though the range of options can be pretty huge and diversified, everyone will have a unique university experience that includes their own needs and capabilities,...

Today, Mark Oakeson jumps back on the show to discuss Professional Development Hours , aka PDHs. Given today’s world, the interplay between science and technology has allowed groundbreaking methods and processes to constantly disrupt “old-fashioned” ways of building, doing, and creating things. Within civil engineering, this wouldn’t be different. As an applied science in itself, civil engineering...

Today’s guest is Jed-Jason Ramos, who has recently received the position of project engineer with the Walsh Group, one of the largest builders in North America, after being an intern at this very same company twice, in 2018 and 2019. Born in Hawaii, raised in Southern California, he earned his degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho.  Jed has some good insights to share with both those who...

Today I have a special guest come on - Maithili Dey.  She recently passed the FE exam last year and has some great tips and advice she's picked up along the way.  Come learn more from her in this episode! Although the majority of PE/FE test takers may be from the US itself, international professionals who have had their academic careers outside of the country also need to go through the...

Today we go international and look at the top 10 civil engineering firms in the world.  This is pretty much based on revenue and employee size.  Some of these companies are HUGE!  If you've ever wanted to work for one of them then maybe this episode is for you!? Almost every engineer has already thought about the possibility of working for one of the largest and most renowned engine...

Today Mark Oakeson jumps back on to the podcast with me as we discuss all the test-taking strategies for the PE exam.  We discuss pass rates, how to determine what depth exam to take, how to organize your references, how to guess property, how to take the exam and more!  If you are taking the PE exam this fall or next spring then this is worth your time. If you’re currently studying for...

Today’s episode touches on the relationship between the ever-increasing and fast-paced development of technology and how it may impact the civil engineering world. Isaac sits down to chat with Scott Denney, a professional engineer with a great deal of experience in the construction industry, but who now works as an executive project developer at Pikus Concrete & Construction, a company perform...

This week’s guest on the Civil Engineering Academy Podcast is Kurt Brown, a licensed professional engineer (PE), with a lot of experience and knowledge to pass on to the next generation of civil engineers, specifically for those considering the possibility of going into the Geotechnical discipline of Civil Engineering. Kurt defines the years he had to go through without being able to take the PE e...

Today I sit down with my brother and we discuss some of the most common software used for each engineering major engineering discipline.  There's so much out there, and we might not do it justice, but it's a good discussion and it might get you thinking of learning a new tool or software before you apply for a new job or head to an industry you are interested in.  Come check it out. Reso...

Britney is a good friend of mine.  Today I bring her on the show to discuss what she does an engineer, how she got here, and what she's passionate about.  She shares some great resources and talks about being a female in a very male dominate industry (we need more female civil engineers!).  It's a fun episode so check it out! Resources Mentioned 99 Designs - if you're in the hunt fo...

Do you want to learn more about college life?  What mindset do you need to enter the world of civil engineering?  Learn from Cody Sims, who is currently going to school at the University of Arkansas, majoring in civil engineering.  He shares all kinds of great tips about the mindset you need, volunteer experience, habits, and resources that will help you push your way through school...

Looking to get a better job or just need to polish up the old resume?  We'll, you need to polish up your LinkedIn profile too.  LinkedIn is HUGE (675,000,000 users!) and only getting bigger.  Employers want to put names to faces and see who you are.  Take the time to make your profile stand out with the tips I share today! Resources Mentioned LinkedIn - if you don't have a prof...

Have you ever been interested in how many FE and PE test-takers there were last year?  What about their pass rates?  How about how many engineers are in the USA?  The NCEES even lets us know how many international test-takers there were - all in the 2019 NCEES Squared Report.  We dive into it today and talk about some of the numbers.  Maybe there's something we can learn i...

Stuck with university teachers that suck?  Ready to learn more engineering topics or brush up on ones you forgot?  This episode is for you.  Today we interview Braden with Engineer4Free.  He runs a very successful YouTube channel that has been viewed over 15,000,000 times!  He helps those in school and those out with all kinds of engineering university topics.  Today...

Ready to learn more about real estate development? Come learn from Matt Loos, PE  as he personally does this for a living.  In this episode, Matt gives great advice and tips for civil engineers on their journey to become professional engineers.  He also gives some great insight to those that may want to head into the development arena.  In any case, there's something here for e...

Today I bring my brother Mark Oakeson, PE, SE back on to the show.  We discuss how to crush your interview.   Take some time to learn from both of us as we ourselves have done both the interviewing and been the interviewee.  There's a lot to learn in this one as it's our longest episode by far.  There was just so much here that we kept it going.  So if you are in the...

Today we dive into 10 online course sites that will help you learn something new or help you keep your existing skills in shape.  This spare time you might have during Covid 19 quarantine is a perfect time to learn something new.  So come on in and discover a tip and tool that will help you get to take your game to the next level. Some Resources Mentioned: CEA Community - join up with ou...

Taking positives out of a negative situation can be tough.  But the truth is that there are some real positives in this situation we are finding ourselves in.  Let’s talk about some as they related to what civil engineers are going through. We were just listed on a cool site as being one of the top 10 civil engineering podcasts to listen to in 2020!   Check that out HERE or linked b...

Times are rough.  COVID day 20 has hit us and some are losing their jobs out there.  We wanted to help with a resource on how to create a kick-butt resume in case you have found yourself in a position needing to come back and property kick the crap out of the resume game.   Join me as we discuss some winning tactics and things that employers look for (myself included) when inte...

Today my brother Mark Oakeson joins me as we discuss the code of ethics from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) after you receive your PE license.  Issues that can come up, warnings and personal experiences are all coming your way!  It's a good time. Resources Mentioned 99 Designs - If you need a logo, website, t-shirt, business cards, or anything you can imagine graphically...

The coronavirus is moving full steam ahead and employers are having employees work from home more and more.  If you've found yourself in this situation then listen up because I think we'll have some things we can share to make you more productive and feeling good! Resources Mentioned 99 Designs - If you need a logo, website, t-shirt, business cards, or anything you can imagine graphically cre...

Today we are discussing the NCEES announcement of the cancellation of the civil PE exam for the April 2020 exam.  If that's you, then you'll need to register for the October 2020 exam.  The FE is still moving forward.  We discuss what people are saying about it, how to keep up your study habits and motivation, and how to deal with the chaos that we seem to be dealing experiencing. &...

The NCEES has decided it's time to change up the FE exam....again.  They have released a new specification for those taking the exam starting in July of 2020.  With it, they are releasing a new FE Handbook version 10.0 that also comes with its fair share of changes.   Come join us as we discuss these changes and how this might impact you if you are in the market for passing the...