The Civil Engineering Academy Podcast is your gateway to all things civil engineering! We are here to help you at every step of the journey to becoming a professional civil engineer and also help you with booster your career and life.
Overwhelmed by the number of codes required for the Geotech PE Exam? Scared by its low pass rates…year after year? 🤔
Then this interview with Seth Anderson is what you need.
Seth is a civil engineer with an unconventional career path into the world of Transmission Engineering, and he’s just passed the Geotech PE Exam…on his first try. ✅ 👷
In this episode, he shares everything he did, every study and test-taking strategy he implemented, and every resource he used to pull this off so you can do the same.
If you’re taking the Geotech PE Exam, no matter if it’s your first or fifth try, you’ll want to listen to this episode. 😉 🎧
🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Day in the Life of a Transmission Engineer Episode (YouTube)
Day in the Life of a Transmission Engineer Episode (Spotify)
📧 CONNECT WITH SETH:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Having second thoughts about going for a career in Geotech? 🤔 Well, you shouldn’t!
Our latest guest is Kirsten Grant, a civil engineer who’s making waves in the field few civil engineers dare to dive in — especially women.
As Senior Geostructural Engineer at Schnabel Engineering, wife, and mother, Kirsten’s journey is proof the Geotechnical Engineering route can lead to a rewarding career…without sacrificing your personal goals.
In this inspiring episode, she shares how she decided for Geotech herself, what the work in the field looks like, as well as heard-earned pieces of advice for those still in school and early on in their careers to set themselves up for success..
This is a must-listen for all aspiring and young women geotechnical engineers out there to learn everything about the field, how to kill it once they get into it…and how to balance life’s big dreams with a meaningful career.
🧠 TUNE IN TO LEARN:
The Big Reason She Went Into Geotech...While Most Don't
One Way to Find What Field to Specialize in
Why You'd Want to Consider a Career in Geotech
Is Civil Engineering a Good Field for Women?
Her Tips for Women to Thrive in Engineering
How She Balances Family Obligations With Her Career
A Perk She Has That All Companies Should Offer to Their Employees
How Your Tasks at Work Change When You Move to Senior Engineer
Why Civil Engineering Gets You a Job Anywhere...Even Outside of It
How Much You Can Expect to Earn as a Civil Engineer at Different Stages
How the PE License Helped Her Professionally
How Those Still in School Can Set Themselves up for Career Success
Hard-Earned Pieces of Advice Early-Career Engineers Must Listen to
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Wentworth Institute of Technology
📧 CONNECT WITH KIRSTEN:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Let me guess: you listened to our previous episode with Brian Armstrong and got interested in what the numbers look like in that real estate syndication opportunity for engineers. Correct? 🤔
Then this episode is exactly what you needed! 😉 💸
Today, we bring back Brian Armstrong to dive deeper in the nuts and bolts of building a passive income machine with real estate syndications…using the higher salary you get after passing the PE Exam, just like he did. 🏠
From what real estate syndications are and how they work to the most important metrics you need to track, Brian covers everything you need to get started in this world with the confidence of a 20-year real estate professional. 💪
If you want to make the money you work hard to get work even harder for you…and beat the paltry 7-10% stock market return…then you’ll want to listen to this one. 🎧
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
CEA #252 With Brian (Apple Podcasts)
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Qualified Retirement Plan (QRP)
📧 CONNECT WITH BRIAN:
7 Reasons Savvy Investor Choose Real Estate
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Going for the FE a few years after school is already tough. But 11 years, with three failed attempts in the track record, and facing language challenges for coming from a non-English speaking country?! 😨
That’s exactly what Angela Concha did! 😮
Angela is a civil engineer in Ohio who came to the U.S. from Venezuela and passed the FE Exam as a student of The Ultimate Civil FE Review Course.
In this episode, she dives into her FE prep struggles. From why self-study and other renowned (and expensive!) prep courses out there didn’t work for her…and how she turned things around.
Her journey is a big lesson on the single most important trait you should have if you find yourself in the same shoes of having to retake the exam: Grit!
So, if you’re in the same shoes, and especially if you’re a latino or latina engineer on your way to becoming a licensed PE in the US, this episode will inspire you to push through! 💪
Go check it out! 🎧
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
CEA Ep 192 With Makenzie Allen (YouTube)
CEA Ep 192 With Makenzie Allen (Spotify)
CEA Ep 192 With Makenzie Allen (Apple Podcasts)
📧 CONNECT WITH ANGELA:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Many non-civil engineers have passed the Civil PE Exam, and our latest guest, Jessica Wellcome, is another awesome example…whose journey is nothing short of inspiring! 👏 👷
Jessica finished school with a degree in Architectural Engineering Technology but found herself working in Transportation at NYS DOT, which is when she quickly realized that…
She needed the PE license to get promoted! The problem? 🤔
Her path wasn’t easy — she took the exam 6 times (3 paper-based, 3 computer-based), with the COVID pandemic putting a damper on her plans. 😞
In this episode, she dives into this journey and the lessons she learned along the way (and the hard way!) after multiple exam retakes.
If you’re an Architectural Engineering grad taking the Civil PE, or a civil engineer having to retake this exam, this will give you actionable advice to take to heart…and a blueprint for resilience.
After all, as her no-quit mantra during her prep goes, “Don’t give up. It might not be your time now but your time will come.”
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
🤝 OUR PARTNER:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
New York State Department of Transportation
📧 CONNECT WITH JESSICA:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Is it possible to work as a civil engineer in…wait for it…the US Navy?! ⚓ Well, the answer is yes. (I know… what? 😮)
Today’s guest is Jason Schechter, an engineer who has spent 20 years serving in the Navy, doing all types of projects any other engineer does in the civilian world…and now works in the Pentagon. 🫡
How did he do it? 🤔
In this episode, he talks about the Navy’s program for recruiting engineers that he joined while still in college (and you probably didn’t even know existed until to today!), as well as the career progression and the (lots of ) pros and (very few) cons of working in the military. 🎖️
Oh, I almost forgot. 😅 Your experience in the military also sets you up for success after you reach the retirement age of the military.
So, if one of your goals in life was to join the military, or you’re simply curious about what it’s like to take that route now, then you'll definitely want to listen to this episode. 😉
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
CEA Podcast #260 (Kim Truong)
Navy's Engineering Collegiate Program
Navy's Civil Engineers Corps (CEC) Program
Navy's Construction Battalions (Seabees)
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
📧 CONNECT WITH JASON:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
PE Water Resources vs. PE Environmental Exam: what’s the difference?
Even better, if you work in any of these two fields…which one do you take if they overlap quite a bit? 🤔
You’ve probably asked yourself those same questions, and this week’s guest, Matt Fanghella, has the answers to both! 💪
Matt is a PE and CFM (and one of our CEA Team members too!) with lots of experience in both worlds, both regarding his career and his journey to licensure.
As someone who worked in Environmental early on in his career, and then transitioned to Water Resources, he found himself in the spot you’re in right now.
In this episode, he dives into his process for spotting the (small) differences between the two exams, how he decided which one to take so you know how you can do it for yourself…
…all the way to brand-new CEA resources he’s working on to help you tackle the Environmental FE and PE exams if you’re going that route. ✅ 🏗️
Smash that play button and get all your questions answered about these two exams once and for all! ⏯️
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
🤝 OUR PARTNERS:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
Introducing the CFM® Review Course
NCEES PE and FE Environmental Handbooks
📧 CONNECT WITH MATT:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 CEA EXAM PREP RESOURCES:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Did you know one of the most difficult topics in the Water Resources PE Exam is not related to Water Resources?! 😯
That’s what our guest on this episode, Kim Truong, found to be true firsthand after taking and passing this thing herself.
Kim is an Environmental Scientist turned Civil Engineer who’s been working for the US Air Force in Japan.
In this episode, she dives into the tactics and resources she used to study for this exam, as well as her experience with the exam itself inside the exam room…and that most challenging topic I mentioned before.
If you're taking the PE Water Resources Exam soon or have plans to do so, then this episode spills the beans on everything she did right to get it done on her first try so you can, too.😉
Go check it out! 🎧
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
🤝 OURS PARTNERS:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Civil Engineering Academy’s PE Review Courses
The April 2024 Changes to the PE Exam
Should You Change Your Civil PE Exam?
The Best PE Exam Switches You Can Try
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
📧 CONNECT WITH KIM:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
FE Environmental Practice Exam
PE Environmental Practice Exam
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
“Artificial Intelligence” gets all the buzz today. 🤖 Lots of things it could be used for, and lots of options out there. The problem? 🤔 According to Dr. Sam Zolfagharian, most AEC leaders try to implement it the wrong way! 🚨
Dr. Sam is the co-founder and president of YegaTech, an AI consulting firm focusing on helping AEC firms and executives plan and execute their AI strategy to scale their business.
After years of experience as a Structural Engineer herself, she saw firsthand all the tasks that could be sped up with the help of technology…and how little AEC leaders understand what’s really at their disposal when it comes to AI. 🤯
(In case you’re wondering, it’s not simply looking at what AI tools are out there and picking a few to “give it a try.)
In this episode, Dr. Sam dives into how AI will shape the future of work in the AEC industry for companies, how future AEC professionals (civil engineers included!) will need to adapt…all the way to YegaTech’s AI Innovation Framework for firms to scale with the help of AI.
This framework is now already being used to develop AI strategies and AI governance across multiple AEC companies, and Dr. Sam teaches it in this very episode. Go check it out! 🎧
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
YegaTech’s Presentation on AI in the AEC Industry
5-Step Guide to Prepare for the AI-Driven Economy
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
📧 CONNECT WITH DR. SAM:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
🚨 This PE Exam prep timeline defies EVERYTHING you’ve seen so far! 🚨 We always mention that 3 months is the minimum, but exemptions exist…and Connor Aycock did it in ONE month! 😱 👇
That’s exactly what you read, believe it or not.
After moving to a new state where the rules on when you can take the PE after passing the FE are looser, Connor had his chance.
In May 2024, his boss challenged him to take it immediately. After realizing the timing was perfect and that the best window for him to take the test was June 2024, he went for it. 💪
He condensed his exam prep into a jaw-dropping four-week schedule (Whats?! 😨), blocked off his study time, and gathered the on-demand resources he needed to bust through the material.
After 4 and half weeks, he took it…and passed it! ✅ 👷
In this episode, he dives into this (unbelievable) journey, hits on all the things he did to make it possible, talks about what the exam was like and the most challenging parts of it…
…all the way to the ONE THING he would’ve done differently that you can learn from him and do it right in your own exam prep.
If you’re preparing for this exam as well, this episode is a must-listen. 🎧
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
🤝 OUR PARTNER:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The Ultimate Civil PE Review Courses
Test Prep Insight’s Best PE Review Courses
📧 CONNECT WITH CONNOR:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
🚨 Here’s another case that will blow your mind 👉 Imagine taking the Civil PE Exam 7 (seven!) times, each time with a different exam format…and all this without a civil engineering degree! 🤯
That’s exactly what today’s guest, Justin Krishart, PE, did! 😲
Justin graduated from Penn State with a degree in Architectural Engineering with an emphasis in Structures. Needless to say, he knew very little about what’s covered in the PE Exam, except for Structural topics.
After failing both the paper-based and CBT PE exam in the old breadth-and-depth format six times, the April 2024 changes turned on the light at the end of the tunnel. 💡
This episode is an awesome story of perseverance with a big lesson every test-taker needs to hear — which is what kept him going when most people would’ve given up. 👷 💸
If you’ve found yourself failing this thing multiple times already, you need to listen to his journey!
How he managed to stay in the game even after feeling devastated by the past failures. What he found to be the most challenging part. How he prepared for this as if it were his second, part-time job. All the way to the resources he used that you can use too. 😉
TUNE IN TO LEARN:
✅ RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The Ultimate Civil PE Review Courses
Penn State's Architectural Engineering Department
Pennsylvania Engineering Licensing Board
📧 CONNECT WITH JUSTIN:
🎁 FREEBIES:
📚 PASS YOUR EXAM WITH THESE:
Civil Engineering Academy Website
📱 CONNECT WITH US!
Your feedback is valuable to us. Should you encounter any bugs, glitches, lack of functionality or other problems, please email us on [email protected] or join Moon.FM Telegram Group where you can talk directly to the dev team who are happy to answer any queries.