Most people are under the impression that engineers spend their days designing schematics and solving complex engineering problems. While this is true to an extent, the life of an engineering consultant is somewhat different. When it comes to engineering consultancy, there’s no such thing as a “typical day”.
What Do Engineering Consultants Do Each Day?
As with any non-traditional job, engineering consultants take their careers day by day. Mix a little bit of science with some math and consulting services and you’ll get a glimpse into the life of an engineering consultant. Read on to learn more about what engineering consultants do on an average day.
Starting the Day
A consulting engineer typically starts the day off by getting their emails and phone calls in order. An engineering consultant’s morning typically consists of reviewing their schedule, answering emails, and tackling design responsibilities.
Pedram Zohrevand shares that the average engineering consultant begins their daily grind after downing a cup of coffee and opening their emails. On a daily basis, engineering consultants receive a number of emails from their clients and project managers. Staying in constant communication is a must for all consultant engineers as one unanswered email can result in a lost client.
Once the emails are answered, the next step is to make sure the day is planned out with scheduled meetings and phone calls. Typically, engineers fill their days with meetings with project managers as they discuss the progress of a new job. During these meetings, project timelines, schedules are drawn up, and potential risks are discussed as the consultant offers advice on how to move forward with their projects.
Once the first meeting of the day with the project manager is over, engineering consultants typically provide the design team with progress reports to inform them of specific changes that should be made as construction continues.
Throughout the rest of the morning, the same process of reaching out to clients and providing them with reports continues. Following these catch-up calls and morning meetings, engineering consultants typically begin several different beam design calculations for their ongoing projects. Likewise, they work on finalizing their designs from other projects.
Mid-Morning
While engineers frequently spend their days designing plans for future projects, engineering consultants typically leave the hands-on computer-aided designing to a CAD operator. At some point in the day, most engineering consultants meet up with a CAD operator to discuss details that should be included in various designs. During this meeting, the consultant typically discusses a design schedule as they set deadlines for the rest of the project with the CAD operator.
Midday
Around midday, most engineering consultants break for lunch before beginning another series of in-person meetings. Typically, engineering consultants spend the rest of their days handling site visits. During a site visit, engineering consultants arrive at a construction site to check the progress of projects that the consultant had a hand in designing.
According to Pedram Zohrevand, these meetings typically involve discussing the projects’ progress with the site manager. During this chat, the site manager will review any problems that have occurred throughout his construction process.
These site meetings typically continue throughout the afternoon as consulting engineers meet with other project managers at different locations.
Late Afternoon
As the afternoon drags on, engineering consultants continue to discuss topics like safety and health issues with the team at other project sites. Likewise, consultants also liaise with other project managers to assess more issues as they arise.
Following the day’s final site visit, engineering consultants usually wrap up their workday with a final meeting with their managers. During this meeting, they discuss the projects that they are overseeing as well as their clients’ needs. As the day draws to a close, engineering consultants typically make the most of their last minutes in the office by answering emails and phone calls.
It’s important to point out that while there’s no specific routine that engineering consultants follow each day, one can expect a fair amount of problem-solving in this career. Though no two days are the same as an engineering consultant, most engineers can excerpt to fill their weeks with client meetings, design consultations, and site visits for in-person consulting. Keep this in mind as you continue to research what to expect when working as an engineering consultant.
