Municipal Engineer to Land Development Engineer

[CivilPE16]

Hello everyone, I've recently received my PE license and it has me thinking more about my career path. I've been working as a municipal consulting engineer for a municipal and consulting company for almost 4 years now and this is my first job out of college. I have my Bachelors in Civil Engineering and my Masters in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Water Resources (although I do not have much practical experience in that field except for on the review side). I mainly do Planning and Zoning Board Reviews for residential and commercial site plan and subdivision applications for various municipalities along with some design work. 

However, I think I want to move to the Land Development side. Basically, all of these private development plans that come across my desk, I want to be the one designing them, not reviewing them. The problem is my company does not do that type of work. My design experience is limited and my private development design experience is non-existent.  My design experience has consisted of some road design, ADA curb ramps, site grading, storm sewer profiles, 1 site concept plan, preparing specifications, construction details and cost estimates and other miscellaneous tasks here and there.

My question is would my experience as a municipal consulting engineer and limited design experience allow me to be hired as a Land Development Engineer?  Would my qualifications transition well into that field?  Do you think I'd have to take an entry level position and take a pay cut?  Is there any other way I can get the experience I need either at my company or elsewhere?

I obviously can't talk to anyone at my company about this and I don't have anyone else in the industry to talk to about it so any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

 

[bwin12]

I am not in the Development civil engineering world, but I have had 6 good jobs since college (2007): every-time I left a good one for better one that had better lifestyle (pay, vacation, etc) or better career opportunities. Or both.

My advice- market yourself accordingly and you can easily make the switch and get a significant bump out of the deal. Instead of "I have this review experience but no design experience" say "I know everything that is needed to get this passed through a review the first time, I have the technical knowledge (as evidenced by this cool new piece of PE paper) and I'm really good at this." Don't be timid, if it doesn't work out with Company/Opportunity A, find Company/Opportunity B and get after it. I think that at a minimum this should be a lateral move career wise, but with more future opportunities.

Long gone are the days of staying with one employer forever. Companies know and  have adjusted this. Your (and mine) generation would rather do what we want to do and companies get it.