SEAONC Webinar
What Can We Learn From the 2008 Recession?
Thursday, May 28th, 12PM - 1:30PM
Written by: Rachel Cohen, 2019-2020 SEAONC SE3 Co-chair
On May 28, 2020, the SE3 committee hosted a panel-style webinar entitled “What Can we Learn from the 2008 Recession?” Around 150 viewers attended, with the audience ranging from current students in structural engineering to experienced professionals in our Bay Area. The intent of the webinar was to have an open and honest discussion around the personal experiences that members of our industry had in the years following the 2008 financial crisis, in hopes that it would provide support, a sense of community, and tangible lessons learned to those who find themselves in similar situations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Panelists:
- Bill Andrews, Principal, S.E., Walter P. Moore
- Charlotte Wong, S.E., Senior Engineer, Forell/Elsesser
- Theresa Curtis, S.E., Vice President, Thornton Tomasetti
- Tim Hart, S.E., Engineering and Design Services, Build Change
- Rachel Cohen, P.E., Engineer, Forell/Elsesser
- Brenna Marcoux, P.E., Project Engineer, FTF Engineering, Inc.
The event began with opening remarks from moderators and SE3 co-chairs Brenna Marcoux, PE (FTF Engineering) and Rachel Cohen, PE (Forell/Elsesser). Panelists were then given the opportunity to introduce themselves and how they experienced the 2008 recession. Charlotte Wong, SE (Forell/Elsesser Engineers) finished graduate school during the middle of the recession, and navigated finding a job and beginning her career at a time where engineers feared for their job security. Bill Andrews, SE (Walter P. Moore), was leading the San Francisco office of his firm, and had to make challenging financial decisions while also working to keep up morale among staff. Theresa Curtis, SE (Thornton Tomasetti), who was a staff level engineer at the time, witnessed co-workers being laid off, and adapted to shifts in the content of her work. Tim Hart, SE (Build Change, LBNL) was laid off from his design firm, which resulted in him pivoting to work for a national lab, where he is now the lead structural engineer.
Source: FMI’s U.S. Engineering and Construction Outlook: First Quarter 2020 Report
The panel discussion dove into a number of topics related to navigating our industry during times of economic challenge. Charlotte and Tim shared their experiences in looking for a job during a time when the majority of companies were not hiring. Both stressed the importance of maintaining a network, and using your contacts to seek out opportunities. Tim advised that younger engineers do not need direct ties to firm leaders to leverage their connections - reaching out to staff level engineers they may know can be just as effective. The panelists also encouraged job searchers to broaden their view of what kind role they are looking for. If landing at a design firm is not in the cards, research-based positions, for example, can be a fulfilling way to remain in the industry.
Theresa shared her lessons learned from staying at one company throughout the years of the recession. She explained that when design work was slow at her firm, she began doing some forensic work - a change that may not have occurred without the economic downturn, but in the end, allowed her to keep learning and become a more well-rounded engineer. She also stressed the importance of community within the workplace during uncertain times. Keeping up with her peers on a personal level helped them all feel supported, and formed lasting bonds among her and her colleagues.
Bill shared his efforts as a firm leader to keep staff on board by first cutting all extraneous costs - such as unnecessary travel - and resorting to lay offs as a last resort only. When billable work was slow, he kept his staff busy working on internal efforts to “sharpen the saw,” such as creating office spreadsheets and updating typical details. He also shared how important it is to put effort into keeping staff and boosting morale. In Bill’s office at the time, every Friday afternoon staff would stop working early for a company “beer and bowling” happy hour.
On the business side of things, Bill’s lessons learned centered around keeping a diverse portfolio of work within the firm, so that if particular industries experience slow downs, the effect on the firm as a whole can be minimized. Charlotte echoed these sentiments on an individual level, urging engineers to be reflective on their experience and speak up if they would like to work on a broader range of projects. Breadth of experience makes one more adaptable, which is especially valuable when the economy is slower.
The panel discussion ended with closing statements from the panelists, during which they reflected on important lessons that they have taken forward with them. Tim shared how getting laid off “changed his life”, by making him rethink his professional goals, and ultimately leading him to a fulfilling career working in roles that suit his strengths. He also was able to use the change as motivation for personal growth, such as working on “soft skills” that he may have been lacking at the time. Theresa expressed that she was shown the importance of business development, project management, and budgeting early on in her career, which she has taken with her into her current role as part of firm leadership.
The event ended with a Q&A session, with panelists responding to insightful questions generated by the audience.
SE3 would like to thank our panelists, the SEAONC office (Yesenia and Giulliana), our webinar task group (Natalie, Kaat and Tim), our liaison Megan Stringer and the rest of the SEAONC board, and all attendees for making this webinar a success.
Full recording of the webinar is here.
Bill shared his efforts as a firm leader to keep staff on board by first cutting all extraneous costs - such as unnecessary travel - and resorting to lay offs as a last resort only. When billable work was slow, he kept his staff busy working on internal efforts to “sharpen the saw,” such as creating office spreadsheets and updating typical details. He also shared how important it is to put effort into keeping staff and boosting morale. In Bill’s office at the time, every Friday afternoon staff would stop working early for a company “beer and bowling” happy hour.
On the business side of things, Bill’s lessons learned centered around keeping a diverse portfolio of work within the firm, so that if particular industries experience slow downs, the effect on the firm as a whole can be minimized. Charlotte echoed these sentiments on an individual level, urging engineers to be reflective on their experience and speak up if they would like to work on a broader range of projects. Breadth of experience makes one more adaptable, which is especially valuable when the economy is slower.
The panel discussion ended with closing statements from the panelists, during which they reflected on important lessons that they have taken forward with them. Tim shared how getting laid off “changed his life”, by making him rethink his professional goals, and ultimately leading him to a fulfilling career working in roles that suit his strengths. He also was able to use the change as motivation for personal growth, such as working on “soft skills” that he may have been lacking at the time. Theresa expressed that she was shown the importance of business development, project management, and budgeting early on in her career, which she has taken with her into her current role as part of firm leadership.
The event ended with a Q&A session, with panelists responding to insightful questions generated by the audience.
SE3 would like to thank our panelists, the SEAONC office (Yesenia and Giulliana), our webinar task group (Natalie, Kaat and Tim), our liaison Megan Stringer and the rest of the SEAONC board, and all attendees for making this webinar a success.
Full recording of the webinar is here.
For more information on the 2008 recession and assessments on the impacts of COVID-19 on the current economy, check out these resources: