Communication in Civil Engineering: Samantha Cooks

Hey! My name is Samantha Cooks and I’m a senior in Civil Engineering. I want to have a position in construction scheduling at an engineering firm when I graduate. I knew I wanted to be an engineer since I was 8 years old, inspired by the great Billl Nye the Science Guy :). Some interesting facts about me are: I love to cook and travel; I have a dog named Trouble and a cat named Porsche (no, they don’t get along); and I have 10 tattoos.

Communication is very critical in engineering. Engineers work in teams to achieve goals within a project, and open, clear communication is vital in the successful completion of these tasks. A major issue in the design sector of civil engineering is effectively communicating design specifications and construction sequences. My professors always stress in many courses that it is critical that we treat assignments and tests as if they’re tasks or reports to our boss in a real engineering firm. It is important that the reader of our work will thoroughly understand the information we are trying to get across.

I believe email is the most frequently used form of communication in any field. Many engineering firms use instant messaging for quick short messages between the office. Face to face communication is very vital in the engineering field, through periodic meetings to check on progress of projects and to gain clarification on what is required to complete different tasks. On the field, many engineers use walkie-talkies or cell phones to correspond with each other when a computer is not accessible.

Effective communication in the engineering field is characterized by having a clear, thorough understanding of what is being expressed regardless of what role the individual plays in completion of the project, from the project manager to the construction workers. Every person on the team must feel comfortable with the line of communication and feel at ease asking questions on any misunderstandings they may have. Differing culture, education level, execution processes, and work styles should all be considered in effective communication in engineering.

Skills necessary in order to communicate successfully in Construction Scheduling are organization, methodical thinking and writing, and time management.