Interviewee:AllisonKraft,SeniorEngineerfortheTownofMooresville

Interviewer:MorganMorefield

EngineeringInterviewQuestions
1. WhatCollege/Universitydidyougotogetyourdegreeinengineering?Howfardid
yougoinyoureducation?
StateUniversityofNewYorkatBuffalo.BachelorsofScienceinCivilEngineering

2. Whatmotivatedyoutopursueacareerinengineering?Howdidyoudecidethat
engineeringwaswhatyouwantedtodo?
Iwasgoodatmathandscience,andaguidancecounselorsuggestedIconsiderengineering.Ialsohad
agreatphysicsteacherandhealsoencouragedmeonthatpath.

3. Whatfieldofengineeringdoyouspecializeinandwhydidyouchoosethatfield?
CivilEngineering.IthoughtIwouldbeinterestedinconstruction,roads,etc.AsIgotintomylastfew
yearsincollegeIreallybegantounderstandhowmanydifferentpathsthereareincivilengineering
water/wastewater(bothdesignandmasterplanning/modeling),roaddesign,stormwater,structural
designandsoilsjustoffthetopofmyhead.

4. Howhasthefieldchangedthroughoutyourcareer?Whatisdifferentnowasopposed
towhenyoufirststarted?
Thisissolelyfromamunicipalviewpoint:Ithinkitusedtobethatpeopletookforgrantedwhatan
engineerrecommendedwithoutquestionforexampleinthelocationanddesignofanewfacility.But
nowownersaremoreapttoaskquestions,educatethemselvesandinsistonprovidinginputtomake
surethatthefuturemaintenancecanbehandledsufficiently.Similarly,thereseemstobealotmore
engineeringdesignbehindrehabilitationofoldinfrastructureandamoretechnicaloutlookonasset
management(knowingwhatyouhave,andwhatconditionitsintomakeinformeddecisionson
replacement,repairormaintenance)

Ingeneralthough,thereisamuchlargerconsiderationofsustainabilityandenvironmentalconsideration
indesignthanwhatthereusedtobe.

5. Howdoyouforeseethefieldofengineeringchanginginthefuture?
Ithinkitwillcontinuetobecomemoreinnovativewithrespecttotransportationsystems,and
environmentalconsiderations.

6. Asanengineer,doyoufeelthatthereisaglassceilingandgenderdiscriminationin
yourworkplace?
Itdependsonwhatitisthatyoudo.Womenwhosepositionsaremoreofficeoriented,probablyno
morethananyotherfield.Ihadadifficulttimeonceinawhileonconstructionsitesprobablyasa
combinationofbeingfemaleandbeingyoung.AtmyfirstjoboutofcollegeoneoftheSeniorVPswas
afemaleengineershewasonly1ofabout15butthatprobablyrepresentedthepercentageoffemale
engineersparticularlyinthatagedemographic.

7. Doyoufeelthatcollegepreparedyoufortheworkyoudoinyourcareer?Wereyour
expectationsofengineeringthesameastheactualrealityofyourjob?
Somewhat.Igotaninternshipwithawaterauthority,andthatsreallywhatsteeredmeintowaterand
wastewaterdesign.Ihadonlytakenahandfulofclassesthatdealtwiththat.IalsohadnoideaIwould
beexpectedtowriteasmuchasIdo.Alotofengineeringispreparingstudies,thatareoftengivento
someonewithoutatechnicalbackground.TheotherthingIdiscoveredisthatIneededtounderstand
aspectsofotherpeoplesjobsinordertodomine.Forexampletherewasnooptionformetotakea
surveyingclassincollege,butIhadtoworkwithsurveyorsallthetimewhendesigningsomething,and
couldntspeakthelanguage.

8. Whattechnologydoesyourcareerrequireyoutouseonadaytodaybasis?
Unfortunately,IdontdoasmuchactualengineeringasIusedto.Ireviewotherpeopleswork,and
dealwithconstructionrelatedissuesonprivatedevelopment.AlsoIdealalotwithoverallmaster
planningforroadsandutilities,workingwithNCDOTonidentifyingneedsandfindingfundingforthe
resultingprojects.SoreallythetechnologyIusemostnowismycomputer.Wehavealotof
informationmappedinGIS,soIusethattypeofsoftwarealotaswell.Forengineersdoingdesign
work,AutoCADorMicrostationarethebigsoftwarepackages.

9. Whatisthebestwaytoprepareforthiscareer,outsideofacollegeeducation?
Almostanyaspectofcivilengineeringwillrequirealotofinteractionwithothers.Somakingsure
yourecomfortablewritingandspeakingareamust.Becomfortablearguingyourpointwithsomeone.
Thatwillhappenonconstructionprojectsnumeroustimes.Understandbudgetingandschedulingthe
bestdesigndoesntmeananythingifitscompletedlateandcoststoomuch.

10. Whataresomeofthechallengesthatyoufaceonadaytodaybasisinyourcareer?
Oneofmybiggestoneisansweringquestionsfromthepublic,typicallyregardingtrafficorconstruction
projectsthatnegativelyaffectthem.TheotherisprobablydealingwiththeTownBoardandconvincing
themtoagreewithwhatIrecommendasmyprofessionalopinion.Bothhavereallyrequiredmetohave
athickerskinandnottakedefeatpersonally.TheyaresimilarinthatImtakinginformationthatcanbe
verytechnicalanddrillingitdowntosomethingthatiseasilyexplainabletoanyone.

11. Whataresomethingsthatyouwishyouwouldhaveknownbeforestartingoutina
careerofengineering?
IwishIhadrealizedhowmanyoptionsIhad,becauseIprobablywouldhavechosencollegeclasses
differentlythanIdid.Also,ImgladthatIworkedforaprivateconsultantfirmbeforeswitchingto
government,butIreallyhatedthedetailorientedpartofdesigningsomething.Immuchhappier(and
betterat)managingprogramsandprojectsthandesigningthem.

12. Whataresomeofthenegativeaspectsofbeinganengineer?
Mostofcivilengineeringisverymuchtiedtotheeconomyandtheavailabilityofgrants.Therewasalot
ofdownsizinginthelate2000sbecausenoonehadmoneytodoanynewprojects.Thiswastruefor
consultantsandgovernmentemployees.