Jul 19, 2022

Welcome again to another episode of Engineer Your Success! Let’s welcome Erin Donovan!

Erin Donovan is Director of Engineering and COO at T3 Design, a small woman-owned engineering consulting firm located in Fairfax, Virginia. Erin earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. Erin is responsible for managing a staff of engineers with a business practice that includes Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Throughout her 20+ year career, Erin has been active in many professional organizations including holding leadership roles in ACEC, ASCE, and TRB as well as WTS-DC.

Today let’s hear Erin share her experience as an engineer and as a volunteer and how she fought to be in the position that she has now.

so with no further ado Let’s dive in!

[00:31 – 07:31] Opening Segment

• Erin is a career consultant and graduate school classmate of Dr. James Bryant
• She has worked on a variety of transportation, land development, and civil projects.
• After leaving Virginia Tech with her master’s degree, Erin found a job with a small consulting firm in Blacksburg, VA.
• Erin shares she was fortunate enough to get a job at Anderson Associates was a training ground for many engineers especially those who graduated from Virginia Tech 
• She also shared transferring and working in Tucson, AZ, and in Utah.

[07:31 – 15:09] Great Engineer with Many Years of Experience

• Erin has spent most of her adult life in Virginia, where she has reconnected with colleagues and family.
• As a civil engineer, she has versatility and flexibility and can find jobs in places.
• The economy was good during those times, which made it easier to find a job.
• She faced challenges early on in her career, including being cast over for promotions and having to fight for herself.
• She advises others to ask questions and value themselves, as this will help them ask for what they want in their career.

[15:10 – 25:56] Career Maturation: Wanting More Control

• Each time she has changed careers, Erin has wanted more control in her work environment. 
• As she has progressed in her career, she has faced challenges such as fighting for herself and being patient with herself. 
• She has also continued to provide service outside of her organization, 
• such as volunteering for organizations that are related to her field. 
• Her most rewarding experience with volunteering has been helping younger engineers grow into the professionals they will be.

[25:57 – 29:31] Closing Segment

• Connect with Erin
• See links below
• Parting Notes

Learn more about Erin Donovan by following her on LinkedIn

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Tweetable Quotes:

“Just not being too hard on yourself is really being able to show yourself self-compassion and it’s really power in that.” 

– Dr. James Bryant

“The success principle I would embody most is probably, just saying yes. Always say yes. obviously in moderation, because if you say yes unto many things, you can overextend yourself and I’ve learned over the years when to step back. But I think by saying, yes, you will open yourself up in all kinds of opportunities” – Erin Donovan