The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast

In this episode, Spiro Kola explains the good and bad of becoming a civil engineer in the US coming from another country. From lessons learned after graduating and taking the FE exam to how he landed a job in the middle of the pandemic in his chosen field, Spiro has you covered — whether you’re an immigrant or US citizen. Tune in to Learn: The biggest hurdle for international students coming into...

Calling all concrete aficionados out there! Today's guest is none other than concrete geek Tyler Ley himself. In this episode, drawing on his professional experience and years of research, he’ll make you crazy about concrete, too — but maybe not as much as he is. Tune in to Learn: Why concrete is the greatest material on the planet Sustainability: what does the future look like for concrete and th...

If you want to pass your PE exam but think there’s no time for you to learn all the technical content, then this episode is for you. Today, Luis Duque from Engineering Our Future shares a recently released study guide that teaches you how — not what — to study for the PE exam so you can pass it once and for all…as he did on his first try. Tune in to Learn: How Luis prepared for and passed his PE E...

Do you doubt you can pass your FE and PE exams if you’ve been out of school for a while and have a busy schedule? Then today’s guest is living proof you just need the right resource. Sean Aldridge took the FE exam three times, but the third time around was completely different with the help of The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course. Tune in to Learn: Sean's journey passing the FE exam on his third at...

Today’s guest is Vanessa, a transportation engineer who “accidentally” got into the field and later became an Instagram superstar sharing her career experiences. In this episode, she breaks down all the lessons she learned along this journey into actionable tips you can apply to your own career. Tune in to Learn: The two scenarios in which civil engineering is (or was) a great career choice for yo...

Who said you can only work at a firm as an engineer?! Today’s guests are Aaron and Wes, the co-founders of shingle . It’s a platform that allows you to provide engineering services independently — and make your own name in the field rather than spend your career building the firm’s brand. Tune in to Learn: Is your successful engineering career enough to do financially well in life? What shingle is...

Is everything that’s said about construction engineering in fact true? The long work weeks? The lack of work-life balance? The pay? Well, today’s guest has the answers. Kienen Koga is a construction engineer and YouTube superstar who has been working in the industry since his college days. And today, he’ll lay out everything you wanted to know about it. Tune in to Learn: An uncommon technique Kien...

Ready for a free master class on post-tensioned (PT) concrete? Today, Michael Hopper, P.E., an Associate Partner at LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, elaborates on his professional experience designing award-winning post-tensioned concrete structures to teach you everything about it. Tune in to Learn: What prestressed concrete is and what makes it different from other structural systems Why pr...

Architects are years ahead of civil engineers regarding one crucial aspect of their projects. Today, Sam Lytle, founder of Beyondware, explains what that aspect is and how he’s aiming at closing that gap with Beyond CAD, a software tool for civil engineering projects powered by a video game engine! Tune in to Learn: How Sam Lytle found his way in an area most civil engineers don't even consider Wh...

Are you preparing for the FE exam…again? You’re not alone! Today’s guest is Brianna Tallas, who passed the exam on her fourth try, years after school. In this episode, she lays out everything she learned along this journey, and how The Ultimate FE Review Course helped her finally get it done. Tune in to Learn: Briannas's journey taking the FE exam four times A little-known benefit of taking a revi...

Everybody can be busy, but what are you actually busy about? Today, you’ll learn how to get into “deep work mode” so you do what moves you forward, instead of only mundane tasks that get you nowhere. And guess what? You need deep work to pass your FE and PE exams. Tune in to Learn: The difference between busy work and deep work The two main things you need to start doing deep work Four strategies...

The current supply chain crisis is causing a worldwide shortage of goods…and that includes components of construction materials. In this episode, you’ll understand exactly how these issues are affecting your work as a civil engineer, regardless of the discipline you’re in. Tune in to Learn: Today's supply chain issues and how they impact your civil engineering projects How this whole supply chain...

You can expect 10-15 theory questions during each session of your FE or PE exam. The problem? You either know how to answer them or you don’t. So today, Isaac walks you through 12 of these, detailing what you should do in order to be prepared and how to approach them on exam day to give you the best shot at getting them right. Question Topics Covered: Wastewater treatment plant design Open channel...

Have you ever got to a point where you sincerely feel like you deserve better pay for the work you do? For the responsibility you take on? And honestly, for the stress, the work inevitably generates? Well, today you’ll learn how to effectively negotiate a higher salary that you’re happy with — whether you think you're good at it or not. Tune in to Learn: The typical career progression as a civil e...

If there’s one important document about professional engineering licensure, you’ve just found it. Today, we’ll walk you through the NCEES 2021 Annual Report, highlighting what you should know related to getting and maintaining your license. Tune in to Learn: An overview of NCEES's operations and numbers in the year of 2020-2021 The importance of protecting professional licensure — and why How a NC...

Today, you’ll learn from Richard Racz, the man behind the Kestävä Youtube channel. Rich is a licensed civil engineer creating videos on structural engineering based on real-world examples and sharing best practices to pass your PE exam and skyrocket your career. Tune in to Learn: How failing to get into his top school picks led Rich to the “ best decision of his life ” Whether or not to get a Mast...

Today, directly from the backstage of a family trip to Snow Canyon State Park, Isaac elaborates on his own experience of persevering and passing the PE exam as a repeat taker — and how you can too. Our Partners: PPI - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/ppi School of PE - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/sope Tune in to Learn: Why Snow Canyon State Park is worth the visit for geotechnical...

Have you wondered what the perfect place for you to work and live would be? You probably have…so here’s one thing to help you out. This episode lists the TOP 10 BEST places in the country for civil engineers in terms of salaries, cost of living, and job opportunities! Our Partners: PPI - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/ppi Built Bar - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/built Tune in to...

Do you struggle to find time to prepare for your FE or PE exam with everything you already have going on in your life? Then this episode is for you! It lays out three actionable tips you can easily implement to make time to prepare according to your own needs and pass your exam once and for all. Our Partner: PPI - http://www.civilengineeringacademy.com/ppi (Use this link to get 15% off) CEA Resour...

Do you still have those student loan debts chasing you like a ghost? We got you! Today, civil engineer Nicolai Oliden from EngineeringYou jumps on the show to solve all your money problems. He paid off $149,000 worth of debt himself, so tune in to learn how you can do it too…and much more! Tune in to Learn: Common Financial Mistakes That Get You into Debt...as It Did to Nicolai His Steps to Pay of...

At some point, all civil engineers get involved with writing proposals, even though they’re not taught how to do it. So today, Matt Handal builds on his experience writing and winning proposals for various industries in all 50 states to teach you how to win multi-million dollar projects — even when you’re up against the largest firms out there. What You’ll Learn: Matt's Experience Winning Several...

Depending on the company you work for, you’ll probably go on work trips from time to time. In today’s episode, Isaac and Mark discuss their own experience taking lots of work trips throughout their careers, and whether or not they really benefit you as a professional. Tune in to Learn: Is Travel Required for Success as a Civil Engineer? The Types of Companies That Require More Frequent Travel from...

Going all the way from EIT to executive-level positions while navigating the challenges faced by women in STEM. That’s one of the things Stephanie Slocum, author of the book She Engineers , has accomplished over her career. And with Engineers Rising , she now helps other women create fulfilling careers on their own terms as well. What You’ll Learn: Stephanie's Unconventional Path into Engineering...

The World of Concrete is a conference held in Las Vegas, taking place every year in January. As the name goes, it brings together both professionals and companies within the concrete world. Today, Mark Oakeson, a repeat attendee of the conference, shares all the ways you can benefit from going to it as well. What You’ll Learn: What the World of Concrete Conference is And Who It’s Built for New Pie...

Even though it’s not a route every engineer should go, a good number of them do end up in management roles. Whether you really want to be at that spot or you get thrown there, you need to learn basic leadership skills. In that case, this episode has everything you need! Today’s guest is Patrick Sweet, an engineer who spent 13 years leading and managing people through complex engineering systems in...