As a junior and senior in college, I spent a lot of time asking those I looked up to in the workforce, such as my parents, friend's parents, and professors, what I should expect from my professional career. Majoring as a mechanical engineer, I was worried I would be required to remember and be fresh on every equation or theory in thermodynamics, materials science, and all my other brain-twisting courses. Luckily, the water industry found me, and it came paired with quite a few resources to help me excel as a young professional.
I started as a representative for McWane Ductile in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and North Texas right out of college at 22 years old. I’ve now been in it for a little over 2 years, and while I don’t consider myself to know it all, I do consider myself to be someone with the resources to find it all. In this #IronStrong Blog, I’ll outline some of those resources for young professionals who are also new to their careers, those who may have similar fears that I experienced before joining the workforce, and, last but not least, those seasoned in their careers who see the importance in always growing, improving, and learning - I think that covers everyone so if you’ve made it this far might as well keep reading!
Resource #1: A well-rounded community - AWWA’s Young Professional (YP) Group
I was roughly 6 months into my career when the opportunity to get involved with the American Water Works Association’s Young Professional (YP) group came along. I started by just attending events and now serve as the chair for the Southwest section, which encompasses Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Members include anyone in the water or wastewater industry, so it really covers all corners of the business, giving those networking within the group the opportunity to get a more encompassing perspective of our industry. Another great benefit of the YP group is that it is open to students considering a path in the waterworks industry. Typically, local YP sections have events centered on continued learning, developing leadership skills, and networking. Some topics include:
- Emerging challenges and how they may impact your goals.
- Recognizing your current skills and developing further skills.
- Exploring trending workforce issues and how those offer growth opportunities.
- Learning from peers and current water leaders.
- Engaging with hands-on water and wastewater tools and approaches in a team setting to expand practical knowledge and build lasting peer-to-peer support networks.
At a minimum, getting involved with a group like the Young Professionals allowed me to continue learning and gain leadership development. Past those initial opportunities, involvement with the YP Network gave me a wider network of people to consider resources, role models, and friends. If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about your YP section, please reach out to the chair in your area.
Resource #2: My Seasoned Professionals
As important as having opinions from different industry sectors with my YP network is, I see just as much importance in having views from different levels of experience in the industry. The industry, as with most things, has changed, shifted, and grown over the years, and a coworker or connection with 20 years of experience has the potential to have a very different perspective on a situation than I would with 2 years of experience. Without doing my due diligence to learn from those who have some more “seasoning” than me, that could be a wealth of knowledge and experience that will leave the industry when they do.
That said, as nervous as you may be to ask your seasoned coworker a “silly” question, I would encourage you to put on a brave face and ask. Everyone had to start from somewhere, and there was a time when they did not know the answer. One day, you may be someone consulting for all the answers, but you’ll never get there if you don’t ask all the questions first.
Resource #3: The Iron Strong Blog and McWane Pocket Engineer
As I outlined earlier, I came to this job with a background in mechanical engineering. Therefore, I hadn’t spent much time studying Ductile iron pipe. As simple of a concept as pipe seems, there are many technical aspects to consider when designing a pipeline project, such as:
- Material Choice
- Size
- Class
- Linings, etc. (easy answer: always choose Ductile...)
The Iron Strong Blog quickly became my best friend as I continued to try to digest all this knowledge. The page is extremely user-friendly, with a search bar on the upper right-hand side.
For example, say someone called me asking about a certain type of lining on Ductile iron pipe. I enter “lining” into that search bar, and 10 blog results appear with information on everything from outlines on various linings to repair demos. Oftentimes, the blogs also contain step-by-step instructional videos to offer even further explanation, which is very helpful for audio/ visual learners such as myself.
Another outstanding technical resource is our McWane Pocket Engineer. The program can be accessed on your computer or downloaded as an app on your phone. The tool has calculators for Ductile iron pipe and a multitude of other water system products, such as valves, hydrants, fittings, etc. You will find some pretty basic calculators on the Ductile iron pipe side of the calculator, like a hydro test calculator you can use in the field, or some more elaborate ones like energy savings or horizontal directional drilling calculators. To keep this section short and sweet, it is a resource worth checking out and clicking around because the program has quite a bit of capability.
On top of resources like the Iron Strong Blog and McWane Pocket Engineer, McWane Ductile offers free training on a wide range of technical topics as well as onsite training opportunities free of cost. If your group would like to schedule a training, please contact your McWane Ductile representative.
In Summary - Network, Learn, Develop
In summary, being new to the workforce or not knowing the answer to a question can be intimidating. However, some very tangible ways exist to set yourself up for success. I have always been a firm believer in continuing learning and personal development. Hence, I expect all these “resources” to be the pillars on which I build the rest of my professional career and always continue to use them. I am proud to be a part of organizations like the YP Network and to work for a company like McWane Ductile that promotes and pushes for continued learning and development throughout the industry.
Need Assistance with Your Waterworks Project?
If you have any questions regarding your water or wastewater infrastructure project, your local McWane Ductile representative is equipped with the expertise to assist you. Many of our team members have managed small and large water utility systems, served in engineering consulting firms, and bring decades of experience solving field issues involving pipeline construction and operation. From design to submittal to installation, we strive to educate and assist water professionals throughout the water and wastewater industry.
