Importance of learning and change

Remain tuned to clients’ changing needs, the resources available, and new ways to approach challenges.

Change is a constant in life. It’s also a constant in our industry, but we struggle with it more so than many other professions. This is especially true when rapid change or significant change is needed. Part of it stems from our need for conclusive data, which can take time to compile. Our engineering education trains our brains to be highly analytical, with the ability to process many scenarios to arrive at the one best answer, almost always mathematically driven. In your career and in business, decisions are rarely able to have the same level of data, analysis, and conclusion. This reinforces the importance of constant learning in all aspects of your career. You must be highly tuned to your client’s changing needs, the resources available, and new ways to approach challenges.

For the last six years, my engineering career expanded, bringing me to Zweig Group and research, publishing, and advisory services to the AEC industry. One of our products, Civil + Structural Engineer magazine, has existed in an industry that has experienced profound change. Like any other industry, the magazine world has felt the impacts of digital technology. For a few years now, the reduction in print publications and increasing online readership has been extensively surveyed and reported by market researchers. Print media is in rapid decline. Faster internet speeds, interactive content, and broader distribution are some of the numerous reasons why contemporary magazine publishers are continually making a move toward digital publishing.

I’m very proud of this magazine. It’s the best-looking magazine I’ve seen in my engineering career. However, in an effort to focus our company resources to continue providing our clients the best resources available, we are discontinuing the print version of Civil + Structural Engineer magazine with this, the final March issue. Civil + Structural Engineer magazine will continue to exist in digital format online as a digital resource. In fact, the website has developed into one of the fastest-growing online resources for the AEC space, outpacing many large industry media outlets.

The csengineermag.com website contains the electronic version of Civil + Structural Engineer magazine plus thousands of additional online resources. Because our website now offers 100,000-plus impressions per month, it is clearly the optimal resource for engineers. The benefits of this move are numerous, and include:

• Increased investment — our in-house team will shift to provide an enhanced online product dedicating additional resources to upping our online game.
• Broader focus — additional investments online allow for diversification of content, giving you more access to career-building resources.
• Focus on sustainability — the digital move saves nearly a million sheets of paper a month, saving 840 trees a year.

As an engineer, you can set yourself apart by leading change in your firm. When your clients and the market are telling you something, listen and react. Arm yourself with as much data as you can, and be thoughtful and strategic, making timely decisions as the conditions demand. We have listened to you and the market, and our decision to focus our people and resources toward the online resource should benefit every reader of the magazine and user of the website. We are confident that our future as the hub of content for the engineering profession and the AEC industry as a whole is taking a leap forward. Go to csengineermag.com to continue reading the magazine monthly and to get even more free resources to build your career and business. Together we will elevate the industry.

Chad Clinehens, P.E., is Zweig Group’s president and CEO. Contact him at cclinehens@zweiggroup.com.