I’d like to cover a topic close to me. In this world, we all need help getting started in a chosen profession. Drafting in the civil engineering field is no different. I was fortunate to have many people shape my career as I’ve gone along. But the one person who was most directly responsible for me starting my career was, Bruce Hagen, my mentor.
Now Bruce was not a drafter or even a designer- he was a civil engineer. At the time I knew him, I had no goals toward a career in drafting or civil engineering. I was working a dead-end job, and had not done well in junior college. My then girlfriend(who now is my wife), Kristen, had temped as a receptionist once or twice at the engineering company where he was vice president. Now Bruce thought highly of Kristen, and asked if she would be interested in learning cad drafting. She was not interested in learning cad, however she said he should consider asking me if I would be interested, since I was much more into things of that nature. Yes, I think we can all see where this is going… Let’s just fast forward to when I was offered a job at Bruce’s company with no cad drafting experience.
Now some would say he was not my mentor- he was a man that gave me an opportunity in a field in which I had no experience. He was far more than a mentor. As my training went along, he always was watching out for me in my professional development. He told me pay attention when given assignments, write things down when things are explained, always check my own work, and have the right attitude. To him, there was nothing more important than having a good attitude. Bruce passed away some time ago, but his impact on my career has never been stronger. As I’ve gone along in my career, I’ve acquired other mentors who have helped me to grow and learn in this profession. Mentors help shape us, guide us and start us going in the right direction. I urge people in all professions to find a mentor, because they can truly have a positive impact on your career. This particular post is dedicated to my mentors, for whom I am very grateful- Bruce Hagen, Steve Rogers, Roy Hooky, Bob Malott, and Kathleen Pendergast.
