My Career Goals—

I’ve almost completed 2 weeks at my new job and I like it. It didn’t even take me a full day for me to know that I fit in very well with the group, and what my role will be there. I am very pleased with what I have been asked to do because it builds on what I have already learned and will challenge me further. I feel a sense of responsibility, as I have already been given specific tasks and projects to work on.

I still am not sure if I made the right choice to change jobs, but at least I didn’t make a bad choice. I still miss my old job, and the people there. I ride my bike by there every weekday and wonder how everyone is doing.

My new boss asked me to put together a list of goals so he can get a feel for what I expect and what I would like to see happen at my new place of employment. I’m guessing he will use this to determine some of the projects I will be working on, and how I can best fit into his transportation team.

Since this blog is currently serving as my personal journal I figured I throw this up here to archive it…you may or may not be interested:

1 to 3 Months

• Focus on school, finish the semester with good grades
• Refresh Microstation skills
• Learn and apply MMI CAD standards and naming conventions to every drawing and project I work on.
• Familiarize self with current ADOT level standards and practices
• Get a general overview of the project history for all current transportation projects that I will be working on (the essential information)
• Work with and interact with everyone on the transportation team
• Achieve these goals and exceed all expectations of my managers

3 to 12 Months

• Graduate from ASU
• Pass FE exam
• Slowly gain design experience (starting off with small projects)
• Get to know design policies and guidelines for local municipalities (city and state)
• Attend a public meeting to discuss a potential transportation project
• Become an expert on the MMI CAD standards for Microstation
• Continue to improve CAD skills
• Begin to use InRoads on a regular basis
• Achieve these goals and exceed all expectations of my managers

1 to 5 years

• Gather knowledge, skills and training needed to be an excellent project manager
• Never stop learning
• Pass P.E. exam
• Under direction of a project manager learn the ‘nuts and bolts’ of managing a transportation project
• Strengthening CAD skills, keeping up with latest releases
• Always improving design skills
• By observation of others and by hands on experience
• Research new, potential projects
• Help write proposals
• Learn to distinguish between ‘productive’ projects and those that aren’t worth doing
• Take the lead and manage a local large scale transportation project
• If possible, enroll in a part time graduate program with an emphasis on transportation engineering.
• Achieve these goals and exceed all expectations of my managers

If you think I am forgetting something please let me know. Also, when you see me, feel free to ask me how I am doing at achieving these goals. A little accountability wouldn't hurt. I plan on achieving all of these goals.

Scott