I never did get around to sharing about my job on here did I?
Here's the story:
At the end of October, after nearly two months of being in Baton Rouge without a job, I was starting to go a little bit crazy. We were finished settling in, and my life for the previous year had been so erratic that I suppose I was having a hard time finding some discipline and a routine. I had been looking and applying online. Erin was doing an awesome job trying to make connections with people she met at her plant, and I was asking around. But so far everything was silent.
Eventually we decided it was time to get a second car. IF I got a job, it probably wouldn't be practical to commute with just one. So we decided to take a step of faith and get one. We wanted to avoid financing a car, especially if I wouldn't have a job anytime soon, so we set off looking for the best thing we could find for <$4000. Which is not an easy thing to do. After a long Friday of looking, we came home a bit discouraged. Then suddenly I got a call from an unknown number. One of my applications had gone through and I got a call from a friendly sounding man with an accent I couldn't place. We talked for a few minutes and he invited me to come by the office right away! I tried to make myself presentable as quickly as I could and I took off.
I arrived and met my boss for the first time- Elias Henri Hage. He's lebanese and about 50 years old. A brilliant engineer and an incredibly friendly guy. There aren't many people in the office on Friday afternoons, but he showed me around and then we went to his office to talk. He told me about Plant Engineering Services and how they fit in to (as a subsidiary of) Fluor. Fluor is exactly the kind of company I was looking for... In the realm of engineering design firms they're one of the best! And this was a particularly neat way to be connected to it- while we work under the banner of Fluor, we get the benefit of having a small, tight-knit office. We talked about Fluor's salary grade rules, benefits, and so on. He asked me a little bit about my education and work experience... But it was much more him learning about me than it was an interview. I left with some paperwork and a job offer, pending HR's confirmation!
To this day I have yet to interview for a job. (well except for that one time at Chick-fil-a in high school... that didn't go well...) People just come across my resume and ask me to come, and I'm not sure why. (Yes, I know it's a wonderful resume and all. But it's not that impressive.) I am thankful for this blessing.
I accepted the offer and started working on November 10th- two months after our move. I also got two more job offers over the the following weeks- I think God just wanted to tease me- but I was happy to keep the first.
So anyways, things were a bit slow at first. The first project I really got in on was a blast analysis- basically there's a fertilizer company with an ammonia plant and they wanted to know how nearby buildings and their occupants would fair if (God forbid) there were an explosion at the plant. I was surprised by this project, and a bit excited, because it involves grad school level issues. Hadn't expected to put that stuff to use right off the bat!
Thought I would share a few pictures... I had to drive down to our client and pick up a CD of some drawings one day. Most of the plant was built in the 1960s and most of the drawings have somehow gone missing over the years. I would blame the engineers from the past... but without computers how can you blame them? I'm glad I came along to the engineering world when I did. Anyways, some pictures from that trip:
We wrapped that project up at the end of February and now I'm working on something new... retrofitting some old silos and a few other structures for Alcoa. My biggest complaint with the first project was that I wasn't working with anyone besides Elias. This time around I've been working with one of our designers, George, which I've enjoyed. Unfortunately the last two weeks have been a little slow again. I really enjoy the work, and I think there's plenty to be done. Elias just has too much going on sometimes to properly distribute it sometimes I think. Plus, at this point, there's only so much I can do on my own. Sometimes I definitely feel inadequate... But then sometimes I impress them? I've given up trying to figure out what they all think of me. :)
This last week I had to do something I've been dreading for some time... Let Henri know about the move to Greenville. I was super nervous... I think I mainly just didn't want to disappoint him, or spend the rest of my time here with an awkward relationship. A lot of thinking and planning and praying went into it, and I cannot describe how beautifully God handled it. Elias didn't seem the least bit phased by my announcement... He immediately started asking me question to help me figure out what I should do next. He's been such a fantastic first boss, and has poured so much time into training me. And it feels like at a moment's notice he is ready to help me get up and go somewhere else. He is a blessing.
I'll keep you all updated on the future job situation... I would really like to stay with Fluor if possible- they have a HUGE office in Greenville (one of their biggest). And from what I've gathered, one thing I really appreciate about Fluor is how the effort they put into training their engineers. The other top companies don't make that such a priority. That seems especially valuable at this point in my career. So, I'm hoping to transfer... but there are maybe some other options as well. Just praying that God works it out the best way!
Here's the story:
At the end of October, after nearly two months of being in Baton Rouge without a job, I was starting to go a little bit crazy. We were finished settling in, and my life for the previous year had been so erratic that I suppose I was having a hard time finding some discipline and a routine. I had been looking and applying online. Erin was doing an awesome job trying to make connections with people she met at her plant, and I was asking around. But so far everything was silent.
Eventually we decided it was time to get a second car. IF I got a job, it probably wouldn't be practical to commute with just one. So we decided to take a step of faith and get one. We wanted to avoid financing a car, especially if I wouldn't have a job anytime soon, so we set off looking for the best thing we could find for <$4000. Which is not an easy thing to do. After a long Friday of looking, we came home a bit discouraged. Then suddenly I got a call from an unknown number. One of my applications had gone through and I got a call from a friendly sounding man with an accent I couldn't place. We talked for a few minutes and he invited me to come by the office right away! I tried to make myself presentable as quickly as I could and I took off.
I arrived and met my boss for the first time- Elias Henri Hage. He's lebanese and about 50 years old. A brilliant engineer and an incredibly friendly guy. There aren't many people in the office on Friday afternoons, but he showed me around and then we went to his office to talk. He told me about Plant Engineering Services and how they fit in to (as a subsidiary of) Fluor. Fluor is exactly the kind of company I was looking for... In the realm of engineering design firms they're one of the best! And this was a particularly neat way to be connected to it- while we work under the banner of Fluor, we get the benefit of having a small, tight-knit office. We talked about Fluor's salary grade rules, benefits, and so on. He asked me a little bit about my education and work experience... But it was much more him learning about me than it was an interview. I left with some paperwork and a job offer, pending HR's confirmation!
To this day I have yet to interview for a job. (well except for that one time at Chick-fil-a in high school... that didn't go well...) People just come across my resume and ask me to come, and I'm not sure why. (Yes, I know it's a wonderful resume and all. But it's not that impressive.) I am thankful for this blessing.
I accepted the offer and started working on November 10th- two months after our move. I also got two more job offers over the the following weeks- I think God just wanted to tease me- but I was happy to keep the first.
So anyways, things were a bit slow at first. The first project I really got in on was a blast analysis- basically there's a fertilizer company with an ammonia plant and they wanted to know how nearby buildings and their occupants would fair if (God forbid) there were an explosion at the plant. I was surprised by this project, and a bit excited, because it involves grad school level issues. Hadn't expected to put that stuff to use right off the bat!
Thought I would share a few pictures... I had to drive down to our client and pick up a CD of some drawings one day. Most of the plant was built in the 1960s and most of the drawings have somehow gone missing over the years. I would blame the engineers from the past... but without computers how can you blame them? I'm glad I came along to the engineering world when I did. Anyways, some pictures from that trip:
Crossing the "Sunshine Bridge"... Cute name.
Sunshine Bridge
Note the fragrant pile of sulfer.
We wrapped that project up at the end of February and now I'm working on something new... retrofitting some old silos and a few other structures for Alcoa. My biggest complaint with the first project was that I wasn't working with anyone besides Elias. This time around I've been working with one of our designers, George, which I've enjoyed. Unfortunately the last two weeks have been a little slow again. I really enjoy the work, and I think there's plenty to be done. Elias just has too much going on sometimes to properly distribute it sometimes I think. Plus, at this point, there's only so much I can do on my own. Sometimes I definitely feel inadequate... But then sometimes I impress them? I've given up trying to figure out what they all think of me. :)
This last week I had to do something I've been dreading for some time... Let Henri know about the move to Greenville. I was super nervous... I think I mainly just didn't want to disappoint him, or spend the rest of my time here with an awkward relationship. A lot of thinking and planning and praying went into it, and I cannot describe how beautifully God handled it. Elias didn't seem the least bit phased by my announcement... He immediately started asking me question to help me figure out what I should do next. He's been such a fantastic first boss, and has poured so much time into training me. And it feels like at a moment's notice he is ready to help me get up and go somewhere else. He is a blessing.
I'll keep you all updated on the future job situation... I would really like to stay with Fluor if possible- they have a HUGE office in Greenville (one of their biggest). And from what I've gathered, one thing I really appreciate about Fluor is how the effort they put into training their engineers. The other top companies don't make that such a priority. That seems especially valuable at this point in my career. So, I'm hoping to transfer... but there are maybe some other options as well. Just praying that God works it out the best way!
Love you all,
